Reviewed by
Lisa-Marie
Loot Crate is the monthly gear and swag club for those that live and embrace the geek and gaming lifestyle.
Loot Crate is a product discovery box, connecting our subscribers, known as Looters, with the best new and emerging companies producing gear, snacks, toys, hardware, art, and other goodies for the geek and gaming market. Each month, Loot Crate handpicks 6-8 new items to include in the box, which are kept secret until the boxes are delivered!
For the 2015 reviews click here: LootCrate 2015 reviews
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We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones
The December theme – Anniversary – This box has been a good one I have to say. It celebrates all that is good about LootCrate and is a mashup of themes they have to offer.
The box itself has been decorated throughout (one of LootCrate’s personal touches). It appears to display the Batcave with simple cartoon designs of Batman, Robin and the Joker in black, grey, orange and white. The design, although simple, looks great. You even have instructions to fold the side flaps in a certain way to create a pop up desk with keyboard. The box and this feature tie in well with one of the contents – the Pop! vinyl. :)
Contents –
- Lootcrate Exclusive Pop! Hero Vinyl – The Joker Batman
- Guardians of the Galaxy Groot socks
- Avengers vanilla air freshener
- Mini candy cane
- Tetris sticker set
- Simpsons Cast Mighty Wallet
- Ghostbusters door hanger
- Batman End Game comic Issue 36
- Crunchyroll 30 day free voucher
- LootCrate Anniversary magazine
- LootCrate Anniversary badge/button
Wow! Loads of items in this one! The contents all appear to be based around old LootCrate themes and definitely appeal to a wide audience.
The Pop! Vinyl Joker-Batman and Groot socks are my favourites in this one. The Joker-Batman looks great. It’s a mashup of the two heroes and although he looks slightly possessed, it works. The vinyl has a Batman mask and bat symbol on chest and typical Batman suit, although he is in the Jokers colours and has hypnotic eyes (Love it!). He will definitely be displayed along with my other Pop! Vinyl collectibles. A great LootCrate exclusive for your collection.
The Groot socks are fab! I’m a huge Groot fan (he’s cute) so these have been a fast favourite for me. The socks are average length character socks and are in sizes 6-12 so will fit most men or women. I’m a size 5 and they fit me fine :) They are a combination of black, green and brown and the design is a dancing Groot. On the soles of the socks the text ‘I am Groot’ is displayed with a Marvel logo below it. These are well made and wash well too. Very cosy :)
The Simpsons Cast Mighty Wallet is a great addition in the box too and it seems to hold a lot as well. The wallet is made of what appears as printed paper, but has room for two business cards, two credit cards and it has two money pockets. The paper is quite robust and boasts that it is ‘incredibly strong and resistant to tears and stains’, ‘expands as you fill it’, and ‘takes on the look of a well loved wallet over time’. I have only used the wallet on the odd occasion, but can back up so far that it is tear resistant and most stains wipe off! (When you have kids, these tests are carried out daily) I love that is has, what appears to be the whole cast of Simpsons. If this isn’t for you though, you can always use the 10% off code on the Dynomighty website to get a different design! Or even better, create your own! :)
The Batman End Game comic is a good read. Perfect for any Batman fan. It also includes a code to redeem a free digital copy of the first three chapters of Batman: Arkham Unhinged. The artwork inside is fab and if you’ve been reading the new 52 this is definitely worth adding to your collection. Both my husband and I have had a read of this and enjoyed it.
An air freshener for me isn’t any good as I don’t have a car yet. (Hopefully this year). It is a Marvels Avengers themed rectangle with Captain America’s shield printed on both sides. Although this is basic, it works and would for this reason, appeal to men or women. The vanilla scent is nice too and not overpowering as most air fresheners are.
The candy cane is a small mini one, similar to stocking fillers you can buy. This for me, added the Christmassy edge to the box and reminded me it’s a December box. It was sweet with a peppermint flavour. Very nice but slightly disappointed it was only one.
The Tetris sticker set features all of the Classic Tetris shapes as stickers (147 of them to be exact!) You can definitely have fun with these. Creating pictures, text or just about anything to stick to your laptop, books, phone, bag, wall, just about anywhere! There is also a design booklet inside to give you ideas and get those creative juices flowing. The stickers stick down well and are slightly raised with almost a plastic feel. They look fab! Thank you LootCrate :)
Ghostbusters door hanger – my kids loved this and use it for their room. It is made from a thin cardboard and has a slime design with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man picture with ‘Are you the Keymaster?’ text on one side, and ‘Back off man, I’m a scientist!’ with the four Ghostbusters silhouettes on the other. It is a nice item, especially for younger subscribers. The card is easily torn though so I don’t expect it to last very long.
Last but not least, we have the Crunchyroll voucher, LootCrate anniversary magazine and anniversary badge. The voucher is for Crunchyroll which I had never heard of before to be honest. It is a site which shows anime and Asian drama. It almost works like Netflix, showing videos of programmes as early one hour after they’re aired in Japan so you can watch Naruto, Sailor Moon and all your favourites. You can also buy merchandise from the site too, and with your 30 day trial you can enjoy discounts as a member. (Membership is usually £4.99 monthly). This is definitely worth trying if you like anime and a great offer.
The LootCrate anniversary magazine is a good read too. Not only does it show the megacrate contents, and the usual detailed information on contents, but it also has some fab interviews too! In this issue it includes an interview from Stan Lee and also an exclusive from graphic designer Josh Mirman. I enjoyed reading both of these. I love Stan Lees work (who doesn’t?) and Josh Mirman is one of my favourite up and coming graphic designers at the moment. As you will know from previous reviews I love his t-shirt designs! Josh Mirman often does prints of game/TV characters in typography and they look amazing! He created the Legend of Zelda Link t-shirt in one of LootCrates earlier boxes. In the interview he tells you what his inspirations are as well as his history etc.
The Anniversary LootCrate badge is gold in colour and looks basic but nice. It features a crate with two stars and Anniversary text. I shall be adding this one to my sash too :)
Conclusion – I love the direction LootCrate is going with their boxes. I look forward to seeing the designs and what extra features or fold outs they will add in the next one. The items in the Anniversary box have been varied and suitable for most ages and sexes which is great, as I often criticise that they don’t cater to a wide customer base. My least favourite item was probably the air freshener but that is solely because I don’t have a car, so I have no use for it. The products were all of good quality too and will appeal to most geeks, gamers, and TV/film fans. It has been a great selection for a December/LootCrate Anniversary box and sums up what they’re about. As I said earlier in the review, more sweets would’ve been nice :)
Congratulations LootCrate on the Anniversary box! I look forward to seeing what this year will bring. :)
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We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones :)
The theme for October’s LootCrate was Fear. I’m not a huge zombie fan, so this may be my least favourite theme yet, but the contents were mainly based around Walking Dead, Dead Rising etc. which is great if you’re a fan.
The first thing I noticed when opening the box was that LootCrate appear to be sticking with their custom design boxes, which always look fab and are true to their theme. This month’s was Dead Rising (well, according to my husband). It features a Wrench O Rama design with barred windows and Zombies breaking through.
The t-shirt also stood out for me this month. A Death by Kitten design. I’ll admit I’m not absolutely sure what their motivation was for this design – displaying kittens in the shape of a skull, however I’m a cat lover so this was one of the better products for me. The design washes well, and so far the tshirt hasn’t shrunk. Bonus!
The box also contained a Capcom & Lootcrate exclusive Sledgehammer pen. My husband really liked this as it was well presented in a box. We both thought it was an interesting ornament and put it on display, later finding out it’s actually a pen! We were both surprised. It is quite heavy with fine details of bloodsplatter, so definitely looks and feels like collectible merchandise. I like it even more now, knowing it has two uses.
The How to Survive a Sharknado Book was probably one of my husband’s favourite items in the box. He went through a Zombie phase a year or so ago and bought The Walking Dead comics, Zombie Survival book, etc so this was right up his street. He has also watched the film Sharknado, which in his opinion was awful. The book is a good read though for those of you who are a Zombie Survival fan, and it has lots of different silly survival techniques for other disasters too.
The Walking Dead comic LootCrate special was a nice touch to the box. The Walking Dead franchise is huge in America and the UK, especially the TV show and comics. This may be worth something someday, who knows. I’m personally not a fan of the franchise but can appreciate the comics though and love the design of the LootCrate one. If my husband tears the bag, who knows, I may even get to read it.
Other items: The box had a toxic waste sweet which as always, my eldest daughter claimed (apparently it was good and very sour). The monthly LootCrate badge has a Zombie picture on to display the theme, and has been added to my sash with the rest. The slashes and bites tattoos, Oh Brother Art Print and Smite Gift card were my least favourite items in the box. I didn’t think the bites looked very realistic at all and they didn’t go on well either, so was a bit disappointed. The gift card from Super7 didn’t really appeal to myself or my husband and the art print wasn’t too impressive either. I’m sure these will appeal to some gamers out there and The Walking Dead fans too, but just not us. The magazine detailing the theme Fear was fairly impressive though. It was printed as a 3D magazine which looks good with the 3D glasses provided.
Conclusion: I know the theme has been based around Halloween so I can appreciate what the box offers, however I feel the theme was too closed to one select fan base and won’t appeal to a wide audience. Fear isn’t just about Zombies or more specifically The Walking Dead and Dead Rising. For me, I’d have liked to have had some murderers, ghosts, etc in there. Maybe some Halloween, Saw, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street, and games The Evil Within, Condemned, Resident Evil, etc. The products have mostly been good, but not as good as previous boxes and even some of their competitor boxes. I’m hoping to see more variety in future boxes.
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We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones :)
Well, the guys at LootCrate have certainly listened to the feedback on the Villain crate and taken it on board. The box for their Heroes themed crate looks awesome! It has been designed to look like the sewer from Teenage Mutant Hero (Oops!) I mean Ninja Turtles (showing my age there)! Anyway, the box is well designed and as you’ve probably guessed my toddler has stolen it to play with her action figures.
The contents of this month’s box were, in one word awesome! On inspection, this box definitely is value for money and a great selection of goodies.
Contents:
![image (1)]()
TMNT mask glasses- Sonic the Hedgehog car air freshener
- Deadpool theme fridge magnet (did you work that out from pic?)
- TMNT figure
- Shwings (all will be clear)
- LootCrate monthly theme badge
- Groot Pop Vinyl collectable
- Bonus digital loot codes
- Contents/theme booklet
Quite a list. You have probably guessed which my favourite is… Yup, it’s the Groot Pop Vinyl collectable. I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy at the cinema this year and am now a self-confessed Groot fan! I love this figure! Pop Vinyl have introduced this as a LootCrate exclusive so you cannot purchase it anywhere else. If you’re a fan, I strongly suggest purchasing this box when it becomes available as surplus stock. LootCrate sell old boxes off now and again. In fact they’re selling last month’s Villains box and a few others at the moment. By joining their mailing list you get sent links regularly. Definitely worth checking out! Anyway, the great thing about this Groot is that he is glow in the dark! Enough said. You have to get one :)
Another cool item in this box was the Shwings. If you’ve never heard of these before, you’re not alone. They are simply decorations for your shoes. In this case – wings! Feel like a God with these great attachments. You simply lace your converse, trainers or high-tops with these babies and strut your stuff. My husband has claimed mine and loves them.
The TMNT glasses are great too. I haven’t seen these in any shops so they are quite unique. Once they’re on you’re an instant Turtle in your mask. Not the most practical, but kids will love them (quite small made) or great for a dress up party.
While we are on TMNT – the Ooze Action figure is great too, and glow in the dark. I got Donatello (my fave!) and he is very robust, well made and the perfect size for sitting in a display, on your desk, or of course putting into your sewer box scene. My daughter opted for this last choice which is why I can officially vouch for its robustness. He’s taken a few tumbles and doesn’t have a scratch!
The Deadpool fridge magnet and Sonic air freshener are nice items too, but didn’t hold a torch to Groot, Shwings and the other items.
The usual themed badge and booklet were also included, as well as codes for Bonus game loot. I thought this was a nice touch. The card gave codes for exclusive items and such in Doctor Who – Legacy (tempted to try this one) and Defense Grid – the Awakening and Gauntlet.
Conclusion: Again I love the themed box. The items were all great quality and varied which is always good. For me, I’d have liked to see them explore more heroes (maybe something to consider in next box) I’d love to see some X-Men, Spider-Man, Avengers, etc. This box had something for all ages in, which is fab. I like where the LootCrate is going, and would definitely recommend.
Ps here is a little pic of a TMNT wannabe. I hope this doesn’t keep you up at night. My husband wanted to be included.
[tab title=”July 2014 review”]
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We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones :)
Okay, forget what I said before. This is my FAVOURITE theme so far! Everyone loves a baddie, and I am no exception. Any film with the Joker, Harley Quinn, Darth Vader, Magneto, Loki etc I’m there! LootCrate have really pulled this one off, with some amazing items. Even the box looks awesome!
The box – I think this looks fab and I will probably keep it, for little keepsakes I have. It appears as though artists or directors of LootCrate have doodled over the box! There are skulls, bombs, the joker drawn to hold a camera. Even the inside of the box has been doodled too!
The contents of this months box are my favourite. Where to begin… Okay, the T-shirt definitely is there best yet (I may be a bit biased there as I love the Joker character and Loki!). The mashup of the two characters and Joki name looks great and appears as though it’s been painted on canvas, the t-shirt is good quality and I can safely say it has lasted a couple of washes already.
The poster of the Joker and Harley Quinn look awesome too!
The poster can be hung up as it is, or separated to give you two single posters. Both would look great framed on a wall. Again, these appear as though they have been done on canvas which is a great touch.
Not much I can say on the Marvel Extreme Deadpool socks. They’re soft, great quality and look nice on. The Darth Vader key ring in the box was nice. It’s made of a light plastic, so probably won’t last the test of time, but looks great on your keys all the same. My husband claimed the key ring of course, protesting he is ‘a bigger Star Wars fan than I am’ and having a grump about not receiving a box.
The Rocket Raccoon (Marvel) LootCrate exclusive comic looks good too. It’s in a poly bag with a raccoon holding a LootCrate on the cover, so is a collectable on its own. I haven’t read it for this reason yet, but I’ll be sure to update when I have. The Necessary Evil Super Villains of DC Comics DVD was a surprise. I haven’t had DVDs in previous boxes and really enjoyed this one. It was a simple documentary on heroes and villains ans and their storylines, pasts, motives etc.
Other items in the box were a fridge magnet with Bowser on and the exclusive themed LootCrate badge which has been pinned on my LootCrate sash with all my other LootCrate badges.
This box has definitely been one of the best yet. The tshirt is my favourite so far too and I may even wear it in September to Glasgow’s MC Comic Con (when I’m not in my cosplay of course). I hope it’s just a glimpse of what’s to come in future boxes. As always I look forward to the next month’s box, theme still to be announced.
[tab title=”June 2014 review”]
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We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones :)
Well, I’m probably one for spoilers and thought I’d look into the theme when it was announced. I was super excited when I read it would be the Transformers theme and imagined all the cool goodies the box would contain (I must admit my expectations were very high). I am a big Transformers fan and have been since I was a kid with my very own transforming Optimus Prime toy, which I regret to say, I no longer have.
When I received the box (very fast shipping as always), my inner geek took over and I was like a kid with a new toy. The box contained a selection of awesome goodies and a t-shirt!
My favourite item in the box had to be the t-shirt. The design on it is awesome! I think the mashup of Optimus Prime and Back to the Future is very creative. My husband loved it too and asked me to get him a tshirt online, however this appears to be exclusive to LootCrate unfortunately. Now and again LootCrate will hold sales (the links are sent to subscribers first) so you can buy the t-shirts or more themed items, so maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to order one. The photograph definitely doesn’t do this t-shirt justice.
The box, as you can see from picture, also contained a mini collectable Transformer from The Loyal Subjects LA. It’s made of tough durable plastic and looks quite cute next to my other desk collectibles. Best of all, my daughters can’t break it. The Transformers Hex Bug Optimus Prime was a fun addition to the box too. I have never bought a Hex Bug before, (despite the hundreds of TV ads telling me I should) so this was new to me. The toy has an on off switch on the base and simply vibrates to move. The little rubber ‘feet’ seem to propel it along the table, floor or any flat surface really. My girls loved this, not to mention our cat, Misty!
The box also contained stickers, sour sweets and a discount voucher for Game Battles Premier League, as well as an MLG (Major League Gaming) wristband – probably my least favourite item. The wristband is a standard wristband with the MLG logo embroidered on. It looks a lovely item and good quality, don’t get me wrong. However as a woman we shall say slowly creeping towards 30, it’s not something I wear. I’m sure other geeks and gamers would be in there element though. For me, I’ll stick with my geeky t-shirts.
Conclusion: my expectations were met with this one. Well done LootCrate on putting together a great box this month. I love, love, love my tshirt! If you guys are reading this my husband is looking for one too (gotta try).
I’d have liked to see more creative toys in there though. Another geek box I received had a build your own Optimus Prime from Hasbro, which is something I would’ve expected in this box to be honest. I wasn’t too disappointed, and found this box theme to be one of my faves. I look forward to the next one… Villain Theme!!
EXCLUSIVE DEAL: Get 10% off any new subscription with code ALLBOXES at checkout on the LootCrate website.
We review a different LootCrate every month so please check out the other tabs for the latest ones :)
LootCrate is a subscription geek box which is based in the USA. Only recently have they started shipping over to the UK and it has become quite popular. They ship around the 20th of the month so you will usually receive your box by the end of the month. The LootCrate comes in a few subscription packages – 1 month £18 inc shipping! – or there’s a 3 month or 6 month plan where you can save a little paying upfront. They also offer a referral program too where you save for every referral you make where your friend signs up.
LootCrate have different themes every month and base the contents of the box on that. In past boxes they have had Doctor Who (quite gutted that I missed that one!), Superhero, and Star Wars themes.
Box contents:
I love the Titanfall T-Shirt! It is black with a simple Titanfall design, so would suit men or women. It is exclusive to LootCrate and not available anywhere else so is a must for any geek or gamer out there. I will point out however that for women US sizes are quite small so if, like me, you like your tshirt a little baggy it’s worth ordering either the male size or one size bigger. The T-Shirt itself feels good quality and comfortable on too.
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I had never heard of the theme before so didn’t know what to expect. Some of the content was of little use to me and probably wouldn’t appeal to anyone who hasn’t heard of or shown an interest in the game. I guess the boxes won’t appeal to everyone though. I thought the quality of the T-Shirt and some of the other items was good and I enjoyed the Manga book. I would say at £18 you’re getting value for your money in this box. Gamer T-Shirts I know from experience are around £15 upwards, Manga books can also be pricey too. Those items alone total over the subscription price and are good quality so I cannot fault it. I would’ve preferred a more wide ranging theme like they’ve had in the past ie Superheroes, Marvel, etc. These appeal to a wider spectrum of geeks out there, both male and female, but that’s just my opinion. This is definitely a good box to subscribe to if you’re a gamer or geek, or just fancy treating someone you know who is. A good variety of items, so two thumbs up from this geek :)
1 month: $29.95 USD, including shipping and handling
3 month plan: $28 USD per month, including shipping and handling
6 month plan: $27 USD per month, including shipping and handling
EXCLUSIVE DEAL: Get 10% off any new subscription with code ALLBOXES at checkout on the LootCrate website.
By Evelyn 
