The Best Popcorn Clubs

Monday, September 20th

2021 Popcorn Club Reviews

Amazing Clubs

• Cost: Starting from $22.95/month

When it comes to monthly gift subscriptions, Amazing Clubs is almost always at the top of our list. Why? The company knocks it out of the park no matter what plan you choose - from neckties to BBQ sauce and dozens of other goodies - with carefully-selected products made by small businesses around the nation, free shipping on every delivery, and a flawless customer satisfaction policy. So, it should be no surprise that their Popcorn Club easily earns our first-place ranking as well!

3 popcorn flavors in each shipment

Out of all of the Popcorn Clubs we evaluated, this is the only one that delivers not one, not two, but three different flavors in each shipment. For your favorite popcorn aficionado, what could be better than getting to try so many varieties over the course of the subscription? Every 2-gallon package includes both sweet and savory creations; past packages have included novel flavors like Mango Habanero, Dill Pickle, Cinnamon Churro, Loaded Baked Potato, and many more. Just click on the Previous Selections drop-down to see all of the selections that Amazing Clubs has sent out over the most recent 12-month period.

Newsletter included

Each delivery includes the Popcorn Lover's Newsletter, adding a layer of fun to the package. Curious about the artisans who made the popcorn, or enjoy geeking out over popcorn fun facts? You'll get all of that and more.

Plan flexibility

You'll have a hard time finding another Popcorn Club that can match the plan and payment flexibility offered by Amazing Clubs. With this store, you can easily create a subscription that fits your taste, gift-giving needs, and your budget. Here are some of the ways they work to fit your preferences:

• Pay in Full or Pay Per Shipment: whether you choose to cover the whole cost of your Popcorn Club at the time of purchase or pay-as-you-go, the cost is the same
• Duration: choose a 3-month club (delivered over three consecutive months), seasonal (four total deliveries, spaced out over 3-month intervals), 6-month club or 12-month club.
• Starting Date: if you like to get your shopping done in advance, you can specify when your Popcorn Club should start - up to 11 months into the future.
• Personalized Gift Announcement: how do you want your lucky recipient to find out about their gift? You can have an announcement sent by mail or email, or you can opt to print it out yourself. You can also set the date you'd like the notification to go out.

Very affordable

This is also one of the most affordable clubs you'll find, especially considering how much popcorn comes in each package. You'll pay $24.95/month for either the 3-month or the seasonal plan, $23.95/month for the 6-month club, and just $22.95 for the 12-month plan. Amazing Clubs includes the shipping costs at no extra charge.

Popcorn club discount

And, if you've ever shopped with Amazing Clubs before, you know they are very big on offering discounts - very, very frequently. Browse the site for just a few minutes and then move your mouse as if you're leaving the site. Soon you'll probably get a pop-up discount offer of $5 to $30 off any club, depending on the length of the subscription. Once you've become a customer, you can expect weekly emails (if not more often) with similar savings. In other words, there's no need to ever subscribe to a monthly plan with Amazing Clubs without a discount code in place, because you're sure to get one if you just wait long enough!

Satisfaction guarantee

All of this aside, the most convincing reason to subscribe to Amazing Clubs' popcorn deliveries is the "They'll Love It!" Guarantee. No matter what, if the recipient is unhappy with any given delivery, Amazing Clubs will work hard to make it right. No fine print, no exclusions, nothing but a solid commitment to your satisfaction. This guarantee also includes the ability for your recipient to preview each month's flavors and opt to skip it and wait for the next month's package. That's super-helpful if you've got someone with food allergies or sensitivities (or they're just a little bit picky!).

Positive customer feedback

Customer feedback shows that Amazing Clubs really honors their guarantee, no questions asked. It's refreshing to buy from a company that consistently puts the customer first, not only delivering the best possible products but also offering first-class support and service through every aspect of the ordering-and-delivery process. In our own experience, across many different monthly plans, we've never had a problem that wasn't fixed immediately - and with pleasant, courteous service from the company representative with whom we spoke. (And, those problems were few and far-between.)

Highest rating

Really, what more could you ask from a Popcorn Club? Multiple flavors each month, infinitely flexible subscription and payment plans, and a company with a track record for superior customer service - all of these factors and more are the reasons why Amazing Clubs earns our highest recommendation for Popcorn Clubs.

Shirley's

• Cost: Starting from $74.95 for a 3-month subscription ($25/month)

You know that cute little popcorn store on Main Street, or the one you always make sure to visit when you're on vacation in your favorite small town? That's the kind of experience you'll get when you subscribe to Shirley's Popcorn of the Month Club. Made right in their Bluffton, Ohio store, their gourmet popcorn is fresh and flavorful with each delivery, with one classic flavor and one premium flavor in every box.

Sweet selections

Most of Shirley's flavors tend to be on the sweet side. Past selections have included Lemon Cheesecake, Caramel to Die For, and Chocolate Almond, along with traditional cheddar varieties. All orders are packaged fresh on the 10th of the month, so keep that in mind if you're ordering for a special occasion (for example, if you don't order by the 8th of the month, your deliveries won't start until the 10th of the following calendar month).

Shipping included

You'll pay $74.95 for a 3-month plan that includes two large bags (approximately 10-12 cups of popcorn per bag). If you'd prefer a 6-month plan, the cost is $139.95, and a full-year subscription is $259.95. Shirley's includes the shipping fees at no extra charge, which is a nice perk you might expect from a small, customer-centered company like this one.

Keeping customers happy

Shirley's also wants you to be delighted with every shipment in your Popcorn Club membership. If you're unhappy for any reason, just let them know and they'll send a replacement popcorn gift of equal value right away.

Repeat buyers

You only need to browse customer reviews of Shirley's for a short time to see that this small business really delivers. From the friendly, attentive customer service representatives to the perfectly-flavored popcorn, this store inspires enthusiastic praise and repeat buyers. The BBB agrees, giving Shirley's a flawless "A+" rating as well.

Big flavor from this family-owned business

So, if you enjoy supporting a family-owned business that offers big flavor, great prices, and excellent customer service, you'll want to consider Shirley's Popcorn Club for your next gift subscription.

Moose Munch

• Cost: Starting from $49.99 for a 3-month plan ($16.66/month) plus $5.99/delivery for shipping

Especially around the holidays, you'll find all kinds of Moose Munch popcorn "popping up" in stores near you. But what if you could get this Harry & David deliciousness year-round - and right to your doorstep? Good news: you totally can! The Moose Munch Premium Popcorn Club brings two 10-oz. bags of the tasty treat to your home or office, with no need to try and find it in a store near you! Customers who have subscribed to this club in the past commented that it was really fun getting all of the new flavors offered by Harry & David right when they were released, too.

Ordering options

Your first decision is how long you'd like your Popcorn Club subscription to last: 3, 6, or 12 months. Next, choose what month you'd like deliveries to start (a great option if you like to shop well ahead of special occasions). Finally, decide if you'd like to opt into an "extra-special" first month's replacement that adds pretzels, chocolate-covered nuts and other treats to the initial shipment.

Unique popcorn flavors

You can see all of the monthly flavors right on the product page. Some of the past flavors have included Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Cream, S'mores and Macadamia Nut - we're pretty sure you won't have seen all of those flavors in any local store!

Popup discount

Spend a little time browsing the Harry & David website and you might get a little extra savings on your order. We got a pop-up offer of 15% off everything in our cart if we provided them with our email address.

Shipping is extra

This Popcorn Club is not so expensive when you look at the average monthly cost. For example, the 3-month plan costs $49.99, which works out to less than $17 per month. The 6-month club is priced at $89.99, or less than $15/month. And, the 12-month package is $169.99, giving you the lowest overall cost at just a little over $14/month. But, keep in mind that Harry & David doesn't include your delivery fees in their subscription price - so when you tack on the shipment fee of $5.99 for each monthly package, it puts your cost over $20 per month. Again, that's not so bad - but considering that you only get a total of 20 oz. of popcorn for your money, it comes up a little short compared with rivals who deliver a gallon or two for almost the same price.

Satisfaction guarantee

On the other hand, we all know that the deliciousness of Moose Munch revolves around the fact that it's usually not just popcorn in that bag. Chocolate, candied nuts, and other additions take popcorn to a whole other level, so you may be perfectly satisfied with a smaller bag if it means you get dark and milk chocolate too. And, speaking of satisfaction, Harry & David gives you an ironclad satisfaction guarantee: if you're not delighted for any reason, they'll make it right with an appropriate replacement or a refund.

Good for Moose Munch lovers

In general, this Popcorn Club is ideal for those who know and love the Moose Munch brand - or who think that chocolate and popcorn sounds like a little bit of heaven in a bag. You won't spend a ton of money on this subscription plan, but remember that you won't be receiving a giant bucket of popcorn either.

Popcorn Factory

• Cost: Starting from $12.99/month plus $7.99/shipping fee per delivery

Can you get much more of an expert on popcorn than a company called The Popcorn Factory? Probably not! The company is a division of 1-800-Flowers and has earned a name for itself as the best resource for gifting popcorn for any occasion.

2 popcorn club options

While this store abounds in options for one-off gift-giving, there are just two options for Popcorn Clubs: the regular Flavor of the Month Club, and the larger Popcorn Lovers Flavor of the Month Club. Both plans are for a full year, but you're only billed month-to-month and can cancel anytime.

Pricey

The smaller option is priced at $12.99/month and includes a small canister of popcorn, ranging from 2.5 to 9.5 ounces. The bigger plan comes in a bucket-shaped tin that holds anywhere from 7 to 33 ounces of popcorn, and is priced at $19.99/month. Neither plan includes shipping in those prices, so add on another $7.99 per delivery. To be honest, those prices are a little hefty compared with The Popcorn Factory's rivals ($20+ for a small canister?!).

Discounts available

Want to save a little extra? Keep an eye out for pop-ups and other discount offers. When we visited the site most recently, we were given the opportunity to save 20% on our order if we entered our email address.

One flavor per delivery

Another slight disadvantage to this Popcorn Club is that each delivery only comes with one flavor. Granted, those flavors sound absolutely amazing - Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, Cranberry, and Bacon Cheddar, to name a few - but if you're a foodie who likes to sample a variety of flavors each month, you won't get that from The Popcorn Factory.

Customer focus

On the positive side, The Popcorn Factory definitely wants their customers to be completely satisfied with every popcorn gift they receive, even with the Popcorn Club subscription. If you or your recipient aren't delighted by any of the monthly deliveries, you can call or email the company. They don't specify what they'll do, but given this business' solid reputation in the gift-giving marketplace, we're pretty sure they'll give you a replacement or a refund without much hassle.

Middle of the pack

At the end of the day, there's nothing wrong with The Popcorn Factory's Popcorn Club. You'll get delicious flavors of tasty treats that you probably wouldn't find in a store near you. But, when you look at the other options out there, you may wind up feeling like this club doesn't necessarily give you the biggest "pop" for your money.

Snacktime Express

• Cost: Starting from $9.99/month plus shipping

Snacktime Express makes all of their popcorn in their Montgomery, Texas factory, along with glazed nuts and other gift options. Information is a little thin on the company: we were surprised that their online store doesn't tell prospective customers anything about their business, its history, or even more than just a handful of testimonials from previous shoppers. But, because their Popcorn Club is the most economical among the companies we evaluated, it's worth taking a look at what Snacktime Express has to offer.

Choose your flavor

In your monthly Popcorn Club shipment, you'll get a single flavor - and during the ordering process, you need to choose from among these flavor categories:

• Caramel
• Cheese
• Gluten-Free
• Savory
• Sweet
• "Surprise Me"

So, while you won't get a mix of flavors in each box, you do get to decide what general type of flavor you or your recipient prefers (if you want a random mix, you'll want to choose the "Surprise Me" category). That's a nice option if you know straight off the bat that you absolutely hate savory popcorn or the person you're gifting has a total devotion to the sticky caramel kinds. Some of the flavors listed under their Individual Bags section of the store include Watermelon, Sea Salt Caramel, and Dill Pickle, giving you an idea of what flavors you might expect in your monthly club too.

2 sizes to choose from

There are two sizes to choose from with this Popcorn Club: a 5-cup bag for $9.99/month, or an 8-cup bag for $10.49. Obviously, the latter offers the most value, since you get 3 extra cups of popcorn for just 50 cents more. While it says that shipping will be calculated at checkout, we weren't charged anything for delivery on our Monthly Subscription plan. That makes us think that maybe Snacktime Express only charges for shipping on one-off orders of popcorn, but not on their clubs. That makes this Popcorn Club a pretty reasonable deal, especially if you don't want to spend $20+ like most of the rival services in our review.

Pay month-to-month

One advantage to the Snacktime Express Popcorn Club is that there's no long-term commitment required. The only option is to pay month-to-month, which means that you can cancel at any time.

Good return policy

Snacktime Express wants you to be happy with every delivery you receive. So, if you're not happy with your popcorn for any reason, you can contact them within 7 days of receiving your order for a full replacement or refund.

Lack of customer feedback

Is this a good choice for your Popcorn Club? After researching Snacktime Express, the best we can say is "maybe". There were very few places where we could find comments from customers or any external details about the business: no BBB listing, Facebook page, or any other place to see what people have to say about the product or the club. Because it's so affordably priced, this Popcorn Club definitely has our attention - but you should keep in mind that the business doesn't have much of a reputation (positive or negative) compared with their rivals in the industry.

Gourmet Gift Baskets

• Cost: Starting from $89.99 for a 3-month plan ($30/month)

Gourmet Gift Baskets was founded in 2002 and offers a range of gifts featuring "exceptional gourmet ingredients handcrafted with care". Although the site doesn't specify who's responsible for their Popcorn Club, the product page says that the popcorn is handmade daily by a woman-owned family business.

1 gallon tin

Each delivery in the Popcorn Club includes a 1-gallon tin with a single flavor of popcorn. Past flavors have included Mint Cookie Mayhem, Nacho Cheese, and Caramel Apple, to name a few.

Shipping fees included

You've got four delivery options with Gourmet Gift Baskets' Popcorn Club: 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or 12 months. Prices range from $89.99 to $229.99, averaging out to be a monthly cost from just over $19 to just under $30. Shipping fees are included in those prices.

Choose your start date

You can also spread your membership plan out so that deliveries come every other month: select that under the Frequency drop-down. And, as with most Popcorn Clubs, you can specify when you'd like deliveries to start; Gourmet Gift Baskets is the only company we found that lets you select a date as far into the future as 18 months from the date of your order!

Lack of popcorn club reviews

The company enjoys a strong overall reputation across all of the gift baskets and other products they sell: over more than 1,400 customer reviews, more than 90% gave Gourmet Gift Baskets a 4- or 5-star rating. But, the customer feedback specific to the Popcorn Club was pretty sparse: there were no reviews on the product page itself, so it's hard to know what people think about the freshness and flavor of the popcorn.

Questionable satisfaction policy

We also weren't super impressed by Gourmet Gift Baskets' satisfaction guarantee - or lack thereof. While they have a refund policy, it only talks about products that arrive damaged. What if your caramel popcorn arrives in September and you live somewhere hot - and everything is a sticky, lumpy mess after sitting on your porch after delivery? There's nothing that says you'll be able to get a refund or replacement. If the company would indeed send you a new package or give you a credit, they should definitely say so on their website.

Most expensive

Because this is the most expensive of all the Popcorn Clubs we evaluated, we were expecting a little more for the money. But, compared with our highest-ranked retailer, Gourmet Gift Baskets comes up short in several ways: cost, amount of popcorn you get for the money, and a lack of variety in each monthly delivery. Plus, with no solid customer satisfaction guarantee, you may receive better service from one of the Popcorn Clubs that promises to make it right if you're unhappy for any reason. For these reasons, Gourmet Gift Baskets' Popcorn Club is the lowest-ranked in our review.