This is my second review of the clothing subscription service for kids, Rockets of Awesome. With this service you get a box sent to you 4 times per year with items being appropriate for spring, summer, school, and winter. Each box comes with 8 to 12 items and the clothes are made by Rockets of Awesome. Prices range from $12-$36 per item and they offer sizes 2-14. The thing that caught my attention and made me want to give it a try was the fact that there are no membership fees or styling fees. You only pay for what you decide to keep and there is a convenient bag and return shipping label included in the box for just that purpose. Unfortunately there is no discount offered if you decide to keep everything.
I did a review on the box my daughter received and today I would like to share with you my review of my son's box.
John's box
My sons ROA box arrived much later than my daughters despite being ordered on the same day. We got an email notification that, due to "higher than anticipated demand in certain sizes" they were behind schedule in sending out my sons items. If you are wanting or needing items by a specific time, relying on ROA to get it to you by then might not work out.
The first outfit he tried on was this button up plaid shirt and blue pants.
John's opinion: When I asked him about the clothes he immediately told me he was not a fan of the cinched bottoms on the pants. It might be hard to see in the above photo, but the top of the pants wear like your average school uniform type pants, but the ankle is cinched and he did not like how it was tight on his ankles. He said the fabric was soft and he liked the waist of the pants. The shirt he said was itchy and he wasn't a fan of the pattern. He said that the fit was good and was not tight on him at all.
My Take: When I saw the cinched bottom I figured that John wouldn't like it and I myself wondered what kinds of shoes a kid is supposed to wear with pants like this. I am familiar with sweatpants that gather at the ankle and even some capri cut pants that gather just below the knee or mid-calf, and those don't look bad with tennis shoes or flip flops, but the material of these pants and the cut of the top don't seem like the kind of thing to be worn with flip flops, and sneakers would look odd in my opinion. Maybe high tops are the answer. The shirt did feel a bit stiff to me as well but that could change with a good washing and fabric softener.
As with my daughter's box, the prices were a bit high for me especially since we had just gone to Target and seen similar styles and (complete with the stiffer fabric) for less. I even managed to find a nice pair of uniform style pants (in gray) for $16.99. They fit him perfectly and he had no complaints about them whatsoever. You can find those pants here.
Then we had him throw on the Cardigan that he received in his box.
John's opinion: He thought that the fabric was soft and comfortable but ultimately he said it wasn't his thing. He said it looked more like something I would wear.
My take: The fabric was indeed soft and it is more of my style of thing, minus the buttons (I'm more of an open front cardigan type of girl). I did think that it looked nice on him and would be appropriate for the weather we have in Oregon. It looked like a classy piece that would help stave off the spring chill without overheating him. The price being just under $30 was too high for me though considering he would only be wearing it to Church on Sundays. It's too nice of a sweater to wear playing outside. Perhaps if he weren't homeschooled and attended a school I would have been more inclined to purchase it. I have to admit though, I really wanted to keep it and even avoided putting in the return bag until I was absolutely certain that we could do without it.
Next set of clothes was this Football tee and a pair of joggers.
My take: I too liked the top. It fit him nicely and looked comfortable. The pants I had guessed he wouldn't like based on his reaction to the other pants he had tried on first. I liked how the pattern was subtle and could be worn with lots of different tops unlike some of the green camo pants which tend to eliminate a lot of colors that work with them. Again I was turned off by the prices. The tee shirt, which is pretty simple, was almost $20. Target has soft tee shirts that vary in pattern and color for as little as $5. Find those styles here.
Next up were the skinny jeans and this neon yellow pocket tee.
My take: I figured that based on his comments about the other pants that he wouldn't like these either. It is clear that he is a boot cut type of kid. The fabric was a little rough and stiff but probably would improve with a wash. The tee shirt is indeed a very bright color (its actually called highlighter) The fabric isn't bad but it isn't phenomenal either. The fit is good and the cut, simple. The prices weren't too outrageous for these items, jeans are usually in that $20-$30 mark even at Target but he isn't a fan of the cut so they got sent back. The tee shirt price was not too bad, but given that I can get softer tops at Target for a few dollars less and that there wasn't anything particularly remarkable about this top for either of us, it also went back.
Next up were the rest of the tops he received and the hoodie.
Johns opinion: He liked the color, fit, and fabric of the polo. He tried tucking it in and didn't have a problem with it. He liked the fit and fabric of the burger tee but wasn't too into the design on it. (I'm not sure why, the kid loves hamburgers) All he would tell me was that he thought it "looked weird". He really liked the hoodie. He said the fabric was nice and it wasn't too heavy or too light. The zipper was smooth and the hood was comfortable for him. He liked the fabric of the long sleeve blue top. He liked the color and the design on it as well.
My take: The polo fit him nicely and didn't feel too thick like some polos tend to be. I liked the thickness of the stripes as well. The burger tee was okay, I wished we would have tested out the glow in the dark aspect of it, but since he wasn't impressed with the design I didn't push it. The hoodie looked comfortable on him and would be something he would wear often around the house and playing outside. The Sonic boom top felt smooth and cool but was the type of fabric I thought could get caught on rings, rough surfaces and even fingernails resulting in snags and pulls. I also want to point out, even though it isn't too big of a deal, that the polo had this strange random sticker on it when we opened it up. I know, its not a stain or hole, but it made me wonder how thoroughly they look over the items before sending them out.
I ended up getting a nice polo at Target for $7.99 that is lighter and has a less stiff collar. The hoodie was one of those things I really thought about keeping since he does wear that type of jacket often. Perhaps if we hadn't just bought one for him a couple weeks prior (on sale at Target, which he subsequently got a piece of hot ash from a campfire on and burned a tiny hole in the shoulder of) we might have actually kept this one. The price wasn't too far off the mark though it was still a good $4-$9 more than the hoodies at regular price at Target.com.
And the final thing to "try on"-a pair of sunglasses.
My take: They were made of cheap plastic and not the style we usually buy the kids. I am not opposed to paying $16 for sunglasses, but they certainly are going to be better quality then these and also offer better coverage on the side of the face.
Bottom Line
I was less frustrated by the pricing of this box-perhaps because my son was not super excited about much he tried on. He liked the hoodie and a couple of the tops that were more than I really would want to spend on tee shirts, the hoodie was hard to send back and we probably would have kept it had he not just gotten a new one. The items fit my son better and that didn't surprise me since he is of an average height and weight. My daughter is a tiny thing and the size 6x and 7 just didn't fit quite right. I would be comfortable recommending the boys box to a friend who was interested in a core wardrobe for their son-and who knows, maybe this brand has high quality pieces that could be handed down. As my son gets older I will be more comfortable paying more for his clothes, particularly the things that have longevity like jackets, jeans and dress clothes.
I have a better opinion of this box than the one Natalie got so perhaps we will give this a shot again down the road. It might be a good idea of ROA to consider offering a price break if you keep a certain number of items. The total for our box would have been $256 for 12 items.
I decided to compare Rockets of Awesome to another subscription box for kids called Kidbox. It boasts the same quarterly shipments, no fees, and only paying for what you keep. The differences are that the price is supposed to be about $98 per box, which means you don't get as many pieces- the site's FAQ states that you get " 6-8 items from a range of cool brands" . Examples of brands given are Diesel, 7 For All Mankind, US Polo Association, Reebok, Roxy, Free Planet, Lucky Denim, Limited Too, and Kensie. If you keep a box they donate an outfit to a child in need.
It *sounds* like you get a special deal if you keep every item (paying $98) and I will let you know for sure when I get my shipments and go over my receipt. Just like with ROA, I sent for a girls box and a boys box. Be sure to check back for those reviews!
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