Travel Noire Quarterly Subscription Box Review #TNQ01
Travel Noire is one of the latest curators to join Quarterly, and this is their first box.
This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Travel Noire Quarterly Box
The Cost: $75 a box (ships quarterly) plus shipping
The Products: “Travel Noire mailings will help you travel farther, faster, and smarter than you ever thought imaginable.”
Ships to US and Worldwide
Each Quarterly box includes a letter from the curator describing the items included and why they were selected. The theme for this first box is “No Excuses Necessary” – everything you need to ban excuses that keep you from traveling more.
Fluxmob Bolt Battery Backup & Wall Charger – Value $59.99 (On sale for $49.99)
This Bolt Battery charger is awesome – I am keeping it in my purse at all times! It works as both a wall charger, and then is also a backup battery whenever you need it.
Glitch Fare Guide – Value ?
I’m not sure if it’s fair to put a value on this item since all the info can be found with doing some googling, but it is nice to have it all in one little guide.
Anywhere Travel Guide – Value $12.95
Point It Traveller’s Language Kit – Value $9.95
Both of these items were included as a way to encourage you to drop the fears of traveling by yourself:
The Anywhere Travel Guide is a deck of cards meant to give you different ways to take in a city or destination.
And the Point It book is a pocket book to use to get past language barriers:
Yes to Cucumbers Facial Wipes – 10 pack Value $3
Yes to Coconut Lip Balm – Value $3
I love this brand, and these are both items I can always use!
XCOM Global Free Wifi for 3 Days – Value $75
Etihad Airways 15% Coupon Code
This XCOM Global offer is a unique coupon code for 3 days of unlimited international wifi, and the Etihad coupon is good for 15% off a flight, now through June 30th 2015, for travel until March 6th 2016.
Verdict: This box has a value of about $79 – or $154 if you count the free 3 days of international wifi. I think the value in this box is definitely for international travellers. I’m not sure if that will always be the case with every box, but for now that’s my recommendation if you’re considering subscribing.
What do you think of the first Travel Noire Quarterly Box?
Written by Liz Cadman
I’m really mixed on this box. I had meant to cancel before it shipped but that didn’t happen. That being said, the box itself isn’t bad, just not what I would have expected for their intro box. I really should’ve cancelled after the first spoiler was a booklet on how to get good deals… sigh
I am SO glad I cancelled. With $30.00 international shipping fees, I would have actually spent twice what it is worth, given that the battery charger cannot be used where I live.
I cancelled all my Quarterly boxes (from seven I originally subscribed to), as there are too many items, which are useless in Europe (like the Golden Ticket hairdryers in NGQ05).
Hi Minnie,
I’m in Europe too, just moved here a few weeks ago. Have you found any good European based subs? I just signed up for glossy box and stack. I wanted big on glossy when I had it in the states but I haven’t found anything else. Really looking for something like popsugar!
I follow their blog so I’m excited about this box! I could use everything in it.
I’m glad I skipped this one.
I think maybe with a better theme, it might have been a really nice box. A Packing Light box might have a neat packing cube and toiletry kit. Or a Traveling in Comfort box might have an eye pillow and earplugs and a hydrating lotion, maybe some comfy socks or foot care (I walk so much when I travel that my feet are my biggest problem!). A Traveling Safe box might have a first aid kit, a flashlight, and safety tips. That sort of thing.
I just think a No Excuses box wasn’t the best foot forward. Like others have said, most people don’t travel due to time or money, not because they don’t have lip balm. I mean, WTF.
If this is supposed to have a $300 value, they must be estimating the value of (or $$ you’ll save from) the Glitch Fare Guide as A LOT. Wow.
I used to immediately go for any travel box out there, but quarterly has me totally afraid or annoyed to subscribe (value and shipping issues), so I haven’t bothered with this or Fathom. We are still planning to get the Wil Wheaton box in May, but when the March Andrew Zimmern box got delayed a month, I cancelled it…
I bought that Point It book along time ago for a trip to Thailand. Never used it. Have no idea where it is… I’d be curious to read the Glitch Fare booklet but I’m glad I didn’t fork out the money…
So glad I passed on this box! I think I’ve canceled all of my Quarterly boxes at this point… None of them really seem to be interesting enough or worth it.
I’m glad I passed on this box… I thought the Hitha box was great (didn’t get to sub before it was cancelled), and loved the MSA box. But recently, the quality and value of Quarterly has seemed, to me at least, to go down. I was still subbed to the DesignSponge March box, but unsubbed a few days ago… It’s just not exciting to wait two extra months to blow $100. Plus, I like lower-cost boxes. I don’t know… there are so many good (and fun) boxes out there (e.g. CitrusLane, Ipsy, Birchbox (male and female), Powell’s…). It seems like Quarterly isn’t hitting the mark.
I am so excited that Liz has partnered with Klover Box as I feel that Quarterly was not a good match for her. I have been disappointed in the Quarterly boxes and the value and am now Quarterly free and will stay that way. There are so many other boxes that seem to deliver great useable items with good value and when scheduled.
I canceled at the last minute. Glad I did. I thought I missed out because after I cancled quarterly said the value was 300.
for a travel noire first box I expected much more.
So if anyone paid the 8$ shipping, they actually lost money. I like boxes as much as the next person, but if the value doesn’t outdo the actual cost of the box, I don’t see the value. At that point it just feels like letting someone else spend my money on things I may or may not like.
I cancelled this box after I received the crapola Fathom box. It was full of a bunch of small prices of junk. I like the charger but I wouldn’t pay that for one. I’m actually interested in the international wifi. I’m gonna see if anyone listed it on the swaps page. I’m leaving for Europe in 2 days so I’m sure I’ll have a need of it.
I go to Europe & the Middle East 2-3 times per year and I have never heard of this airline. I may be in the minority. A couple for American Airlines or British Airways or any other commonly used one would have been something.
I saw the Twitter or Facebook post where they claimed to have a $300 value and I was dying to see what was in the box. Glad I passed. I am now Quarterly free and I doubt I’ll ever sub to any other Quarterly boxes.
I used to get the Hitha on the Go box, even though the value wasn’t too high (usually breaking even) the items were very high quality and useful. Travel Noire has assigned most of the boxes value to coupons and promo codes that many won’t be able to use.
I have flown this airline several times to Abu Dhabi, and they are very good, but if I’m guessing correctly, the 15% off would probably be on full fares, which are not cheap on Etihad. This box is definitely a big disappointment. I’m glad I waited to see what was in the box instead of ordering it.
Etihad is Abu Dhabi based and flies all over the middle east and Europe. They are a good airline and part of the one world alliance. I’m waiting to see the coupon and hoping it works for business class, but doubtful. I’m disappointed in this box too. I travel internationally almost monthly and these items don’t help me or pamper me. I wanted cool organizers, gadgets, ticket holders, something more personal than crummy coupons and a battery charger that I probably have to use an adaptor to plug in. Quarterly is fired.
I like this box. I’m going overseas later on this year so the charger and WiFI access are both wins in my eyes. And the Anywhere Travel Guide looks like a fun activity. But I guess it’s just me.
I’m so glad I didn’t subscribe to this box. Quarterly boxes are really hit or miss in my opinion, and this one is a miss. The battery charger is the only thing I’d even consider using, the rest is just junk. That seems to be a theme with quarterly’s boxes: JUNK.
Agree. Utter junk.
After reading the theme for this box, no excuses necessary, I couldn’t help but think that a lack of any of these items in the box is not what keeps me from traveling, or that having these items would eliminate any excuses I have for not traveling. Realistically what keeps people from traveling is finances and work schedules! Not purchasing this box is what actually helps me to travel more as I can put the money towards a trip.
very disappointed in this box was expected much more and really hate coupon. Quarterly said on instagram or twitter the value would be $300 and they have the nerve to have about half be the coupons. total rip off. I cancelled their new box Monthly discovery box after I received this box as I feared it would be so not woth the cost.
Hey Nora!
If you’re not interested in the wifi coupon, I might be interested in buying it from you!
[email protected]