Sips by

Sips by uses a taste profile quiz to match you with teas you'll love from 150+ independent brands worldwide. Each monthly box contains 4 teas (enough for 45+ cups) personalized based on your caffeine preferences, flavor profiles, and tea type interests. Discover craft teas from over 50 countries.

Sips by has become the largest tea subscription in the United States by solving a common problem: how do you discover new teas without committing to full-size purchases of varieties you might not enjoy? Founded in 2016 by Lauren Slayton in Austin, Texas, the service uses a detailed taste profile to match subscribers with teas from 150+ independent brands across 50+ countries.

The core insight was that tea discovery is frustrating. Walking into a specialty tea shop presents overwhelming options with no way to sample before committing to 2-4 ounce purchases. Grocery store selections offer familiarity but limited quality and variety. Sips by provides a middle path: curated discovery of quality teas in manageable quantities.

With a 3.5 Trustpilot rating across 65 reviews but strong Reddit sentiment and community following, Sips by has built a dedicated base among tea enthusiasts. The personalization algorithm genuinely improves over time as you rate your teas, though the BBB F rating suggests some customers have experienced service issues worth considering.

About Sips by

Lauren Slayton founded Sips by after her own frustration with tea discovery. As a tea enthusiast, she found the traditional buying process broken: specialty shops required blind purchases, online options lacked guidance, and grocery stores offered limited quality. She envisioned a service that would intelligently match teas to individual preferences while supporting independent tea producers.

The taste profile quiz became the foundation. Rather than asking broad questions about tea preferences (which many new tea drinkers can’t answer), Sips by asks about flavor preferences generally: Do you like fruity or earthy flavors? Sweet or bitter? Floral or spicy? These preferences translate to tea selections better than asking directly about unfamiliar varieties.

The company has partnered with over 150 independent tea brands, many of which operate small-scale and lack traditional retail distribution. Sips by provides these producers access to subscribers while providing subscribers access to teas unavailable in stores. This mutual benefit creates a tea ecosystem different from major brand subscriptions.

The Austin-based company has grown significantly since 2016, becoming the largest US-based tea subscription by subscriber count. This scale enables better brand partnerships and more sophisticated matching algorithms, though some long-term subscribers report occasional repeats after extended subscriptions.

Pricing Plans

Plan	Price	Per Box	Savings
Monthly	$16/month	$16.00	-
6-Month Prepaid	$90	$15.00	Save 6%
12-Month Prepaid	$168	$14.00	Save 13%

Free US shipping on all plans. Gift subscriptions available.

At 4 teas providing 45+ cups, you’re paying approximately 35 cents per cup, well below café prices and competitive with grocery store specialty teas while offering far more variety and discovery.

What’s Included

4 Premium Teas Per Box:

• Mix of loose-leaf and bagged options
• Sourced from 150+ independent tea brands
• Origins spanning 50+ countries
• Enough quantity for 45+ cups total

Tasting Materials:

• Brewing instructions for each tea
• Tasting notes and origin information
• Brand stories and sourcing details

Digital Experience:

• Rate teas to improve future recommendations
• Purchase full-size versions of favorites
• Update taste profile anytime

How It Works

1. Complete Your Taste Profile: Answer questions about caffeine preferences, flavor profiles (fruity, floral, spicy, earthy, etc.), preferred tea types, and adventurousness level.

2. Receive Your Box: Monthly delivery contains 4 teas personalized to your profile. Shipping is free within the US.

3. Brew and Taste: Each tea includes brewing instructions. Try them throughout the month and note your favorites.

4. Rate and Refine: Log into your account to rate each tea. The algorithm uses this feedback to improve future selections.

5. Reorder Favorites: Love a tea? Purchase full-size versions through the Sips by shop before they rotate out.

Tea Types Available

Sips by sources across all major tea categories:

Caffeinated Options:

• Black teas (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling)
• Green teas (Sencha, Genmaicha, Gunpowder, Jasmine)
• Oolong teas (Taiwanese, Chinese, flavored varieties)
• White teas (Silver Needle, Bai Mu Dan)
• Pu-erh teas (aged, fermented Chinese teas)
• Matcha and powdered teas

Caffeine-Free Options:

• Herbal blends (chamomile, peppermint, hibiscus)
• Rooibos and honeybush
• Fruit infusions
• Adaptogenic and wellness blends

The Personalization Algorithm

Sips by’s matching system uses multiple data points:

Initial Profile: The taste quiz covers:

• Caffeine preferences (full, low, or caffeine-free)
• Flavor profiles (fruity, floral, spicy, earthy, sweet, minty)
• Tea type interests (black, green, herbal, oolong, white, pu-erh, rooibos)
• Adventurousness level (stick to preferences vs. surprise me)

Ongoing Learning: Rating teas in the app refines future selections. The algorithm learns which brands, flavor combinations, and styles you prefer. Early boxes may include more misses as the system calibrates; later boxes show improved matching.

Practical Accuracy: Most subscribers report 3-4 of 4 teas being enjoyable, with occasional boxes hitting 4/4 or missing with 2/4. The algorithm performs best for subscribers who consistently rate their teas and maintain updated profiles.

Understanding Tea Quality

For those new to specialty tea, Sips by provides an education:

Loose-Leaf vs. Bagged: Sips by includes both formats. Loose-leaf generally offers higher quality (larger leaves, more nuanced flavor) but requires a strainer or infuser. Bagged options provide convenience without significant quality compromise for everyday drinking.

Origin Matters: Like wine, tea terroir affects flavor. Darjeeling from India tastes different from Keemun from China, even if both are black teas. Sips by introduces subscribers to regional variations they might not explore independently.

Freshness: Tea degrades over time, particularly green and white varieties. Sips by’s direct brand partnerships typically mean fresher tea than grocery store options sitting in warehouses for months.

Value Analysis

At 4 teas providing 45+ cups for $16/month:

• Per-Cup Cost: Approximately $0.35/cup
• vs. Cafe Tea: $3-5/cup at coffee shops = significant savings
• vs. Grocery Store: Similar per-cup cost but much more variety and quality
• vs. Specialty Tea Shops: Specialty loose-leaf runs $0.50-1.00/cup; Sips by provides discovery at lower commitment

The value proposition centers on discovery more than savings. You could buy tea cheaper by purchasing favorite varieties in bulk. Sips by’s value is exposing you to teas you wouldn’t find or try otherwise.

Who It’s For

Perfect For:

• Tea drinkers wanting to explore beyond grocery store options
• Anyone overwhelmed by specialty tea shop selections
• Health-conscious consumers seeking caffeine control
• Gift-givers looking for unique subscription options
• People who enjoy curated discovery experiences
• Those who want variety without committing to full-size purchases

Consider Alternatives If:

• You prefer choosing exact teas rather than surprises
• You’re a connoisseur seeking single-origin premium selections
• You’re outside the US (currently US shipping only)
• You drink only one specific tea type (may feel repetitive)
• Customer service responsiveness is critical (BBB F rating)

The strong Reddit sentiment and loyal subscriber community reflect genuine appreciation for the discovery model. Some subscribers report occasional misses or repeats after extended subscriptions, but the algorithm generally delivers relevant selections within the first few boxes. For tea enthusiasts seeking curated discovery, Sips by remains the standout US option.