Grove Collaborative Membership Review 2020 | Is It Worth It? We tried zero-waste, natural products to break it down for you
The Top Line: We like Grove’s mission of being a b-corporation and its curation of eco-friendly, zero-waste and natural brands —we are going to use it like our online convenience store.
Based on the money report, the fact that Grove Collaborative is a b-corp, we feel comfortable suggesting the VIP membership if recurring items are in your basket. Otherwise, there is no necessary commitment to support your favorite green brands by purchasing through Grove Collaborative — you would just need to hit the threshold for free shipping; otherwise shipping is $4.99.
Extra note: there is a 60-day free VIP trial with your first purchase but you have to remember to cancel.
The Products
The Good Ones (Add to your Cart):
✔ Cotton Swabs with Organic Cotton $3.95 for 180 - Review here
✔ Floor Cleaner Concentrate in Orange and Rosemary $6.95 for 2 - Review here
✔ Cedar and Sage Soap Bar $4.95 for 1 bar - Review here
✔ Reusable Coffee Filters $6.95 for 2 - Review here
✔ Seedling Bamboo Toilet Paper $15.95 for 16pk - Review here
✔ Naked Rose Terra Beauty Bar - $13 for 1 bar - Review here
The Bad Ones (Skip the Cart):
✗ Glass Spray Bottle with Silicone Bottom (Set) $22.95 - Review here
✗ Glass Cleaning Concentrate in Orange and Rosemary$6.95 for 2* - Review here
✗ Dishwasher Packs Unscented $5.95 for 20 - Review here
✗ Recycled Trash Bags $5.95 for 20 bags - Review here - Sold out, but the drawstring trash bags are available at the same price. If you buy simplehuman bags, add this to your cart instead!
✗ Dye-free Laundry Detergent in Citrus & Woods - $9.95 for 33 loads - Review here
*Note that they changed the packaging of the product; the original box of 2 tubes + 2 gift tubes is no longer available. The newest packaging is an even more expensive $6.95 for 2 concentrates.
The Ones We haven’t reviewed yet:
- Muslin Cloth $12.95 for 3 cloths
- Sudsing Soap Sack $3.95 for 1
- Dish Soap Dispenser & Brush Set $14.95 for the set
The Experience
Purchasing & Shipping: $49 minimum for free shipping IF you don’t have a VIP membership, which is $19.99/year. We have ordered from Grove Collaborative three times. The desktop site is growing on us and is better than mobile, but still not intuitive to navigate. Web pages are annoying on the site, since Grove does not link to similar (or the same!) products when sold out. Two examples:
(1) Since the wave trash bags are currently sold out - it would be nice if the drawstring garbage bags were readily available instead of independently having to search for it.
(2) Duplicate products! We come across sold out products and then very similar (or the same) products often.
Good to Know: We love that Grove Collaborative is a b-corporation. Normal corporations have a goal to make more money for their owners. B-Corps do that too, but they also set specific, social and ethical goals such as governance, environment, and workers. Read about Grove Collaborative’s goals here.
Other things to note that, unlike Public Goods (store round up review here), Grove Collaborative not only has its own branded products, which were the bulk of our reviews, but also carries big brands like Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, and method as well as smaller brands.
Coupons: We have not come across any, but there are gifts galore every time you order with VIP membership. Almost to the point where you want to refuse them (and you can!).
What We Like
We really like the flexibility in how often items ship to you, but we don’t like that it’s a membership and a subscription… but you can also opt out of the subscription!
LOVE that Grove Collaborative is a b-corporation — it’s one of the few ways that a company shows it is serious about goals outside of just profit.
Love that there are many options for brands, not just Grove Collaborative’s. And we like many of the products!
Figuring this out at the very beginning was confusing but we’ve narrowed down the big details: VIP Membership ($19.99) is optional and separately, the auto-refill program is super flexible. The membership pays for itself in less than 4 shipments per year, since shipping on all purchases is free once you’re a member. Plus there are tons of freebies associated with VIP membership.
Roven is the beauty shop that is tied in with Grove Collaborative purchases - a nice perk as well.
What We Don’t Like
The website is a bit glitchy, and annoying - we wish it was better organized, like the duplicates mentioned above.
Overall confusing that there is a VIP membership and automatic refills (which you will need to cancel for each product.
The Money Report
Since there is technically no commitment necessary with Grove Collaborative, it’s up to you to decide whether you’re going to get 4 or more shipments per year. If you rely on Seedling Toilet paper, trash bags, and other frequent items, then maybe it’s worth the annual cost.
Our Recommendation: Based on the money report, the fact that it’s a b-corporation, we feel comfortable suggesting that you get the VIP membership if recurring items are in your basket. Otherwise, there’s no commitment in supporting your favorite green brands by purchasing through Grove Collaborative — you would just need to hit the threshold for free shipping; otherwise it’s $4.99.
Extra note: there is a 60-day free VIP trial with your first purchase but you have to remember to cancel.
We're on a mission to reduce our personal carbon footprint with small, hopefully easy, changes in our home to fight against climate change. This means we're looking for products that may be all natural, ideally zero waste, reusable or compostable -- while still being affordable!
