by Sharon Zanti

Full Disclosure: This is NOT a paid advertisement. The Fantasy Box contacted Sexuality & the City requesting an honest review of their product. For a review of your product or service, be sure to contact us. 

I was asked to write a review of The Fantasy Box and accepted the challenge without hesitation (and so did my partner). I’m a huge fan of subscription services because we all love opening up presents delivered right to our doorsteps — I’m pretty sure Santa now works for Amazon. The personalized wardrobes and healthy snack boxes have been around for a while, but now you can even order custom experiences – like an intimate night for you and that special someone.

Sounds intriguing, but what makes The Fantasy Box different than just a random set of sex toys? Can a cardboard package really deliver an entire evening of intimacy and improve your love life? I’m here to give you an honest review of The Fantasy Box so that you can figure out if this type of sexy subscription service would work for your own relationship.

• The Delivery: Like any good adult-themed package, The Fantasy Box (TFB) showed up in a discreet box with a very boring sender address. It could’ve been anything from my toothpaste of the week subscription to a new computer charger to a bulk order of bandaids. Our neighbors and my mailwoman never would’ve known it was something far more exciting.
• The Opening: Classy. I really liked the look of the actual Fantasy Box and everything inside was neatly packaged – no busted lube bottles or wrinkly lingerie.
• Contents: We ordered the Platinum box, which included the following items
  • Introduction card
  • Instructions for a leader and a follower
  • Sexy survey for a “him” and a “her”
  • Ladies sexy outfit (babydoll, garter belt, and stockings)
  • Eye Mask
  • Je Joue mini Vibrator
  • Sliquid Organic Lubricant
  • Booty Parlor Massage candle

The Platinum box is intended to provide an entire evening of intimacy and fun, starting with the “him” and the “her” taking a brief survey about their shared sex life. Once you complete your own survey, you talk about your answers with your partner (TFB says to do this over a romantic dinner). The survey questions are a really good starting point, especially if you and your partner do not regularly talk openly about what you like (or don’t like) in bed and what types of new things you’d like to try. In my opinion, talking is one of the most rewarding foreplay methods and TFB will help you incorporate open conversation into the bedroom. If you’re already at that level, though, you might know most of your partner’s survey answers and want to try one of the Themed Bundles that TFB offers. While this is a subscription service, they also offer bundled packages, such as their recent Valentine’s Bundle.

After the survey portion of the evening (and hopefully stimulating conversation), the box includes instructions for a “leader” and a “follower” — whoever you and your partner decide you want to be that evening. The “follower” instructions are fairly simple, whereas the “leader” will have a tad more reading and decision-making to do. Don’t be intimidated, though! The prompts are simple, sexy, and fun, and YOU get to decide how far you want to go with them. The instructions also provide some good guidelines for assuming either role, which might actually be one of my favorite things about TFB – the little pieces of advice they provide along the way about how to approach this experience, to be open-minded, and to communicate effectively. A subscription service like TFB won’t save your marriage or transform you into a porn star, but I think it can be used as a gateway to expanding your comfort zone and dedicating more time for intimacy.

The actual products in TFB are high quality overall, especially for the cost. You really couldn’t go out and buy all of these things separately for anywhere near the same price. Although the vibrator is small, it’s powerful, has multiple settings, and the battery life is great (small toys are also more portable and discreet if you ever want to take them outside the bedroom!). We liked that the massage candle had a nice but fairly neutral smell – not like your typical overly-produced Bath & Body Works scents. It also burns at a low temperature, making it safe and not too hot for bedroom play. The organic lubricant was probably our favorite product, and we actually liked it much more than similar products we’ve tried. Like the candle, we enjoyed the neutral, pleasant smell, and that it doesn’t feel goopy or too sticky like other brands.

If I had to offer any criticism I’d say the ladies outfit was not quite the right fit. The bust piece of the babydoll seemed to minimize rather than accentuate the volume, and nobody wants that! The rest of the outfit fit well, however. I find it hard enough picking out clothes online, so I think it’s usually a toss up on whether something like this will fit properly and look right for your body type.

It’s also worth noting that TFB is geared towards monogamous, heterosexual couples, based on the genders assumed by the instruction materials and TFB’s online marketing. That being said, you could certainly adapt your order to fit a variety of orientations and relationship styles.

Cost & Options: While you can order individual products on the website, the best bang for your buck is probably one of the subscription boxes. You have the option to order one box and see how you like it or sign up for regular deliveries of new fantasies. The three basic box sizes are…

• Essential – $36: includes instruction cards and 3-4 smaller products with average retail value of $50+.
• Classic – $59: includes instruction cards and 4-6 higher-quality products with an average retail value of $75+.
• Platinum – $159: includes instruction cards and 5-7 of the latest, top-quality products with an average retail value of $200+. This box is also hand-picked for you by an Fantasy Box concierge.

Again, we sampled the Platinum box and had a great experience. If we were to subscribe regularly, though, I think we’d go for the Classic box – it seems like the best overall value and in our case, the best fit for our budgets. The Themed Bundles for specific fantasies (e.g., role play, control, voyeurism) start at $199. There are also bundles for specific occasions, and even for an evening of solo pleasure. Check out the online store for a full list of products, boxes, and pricing to see what works for you.

How to Get The Most Out of TFB:

• Set aside an evening to explore everything in the box and don’t try to rush through it all.
• Agree with your partner to be honest and vulnerable and not to judge each other during this experience. If you are both willing and wanting to improve your communication, TFB offers some great tips to help you open up new doors in your relationship.
• Continue to experiment with TFB items in your own way! Don’t just let it collect dust once you’ve made a night of it. Switch up the roles, talk more about your survey answers, ask new questions, try out the toys in different ways, and have fun.

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