June Valor Blocks Review (All Branches)

Valor Blocks recently launched boxes for all four branches of the U.S. military (previously it was only available for the Army) and I have all of them to share with you today.

*Disclaimer: These boxes were sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review. Post contains affiliate links.

Now active military, veterans, and their friends and family can receive a box for each branch of the U.S. military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Boxes are $34 per month with $6 shipping to the continental U.S. and U.S. military bases worldwide. All active duty and veterans receive a 10% discount.

Each month you'll receive 4-6 officially licensed collectibles and an exclusive t-shirt. You can choose your t-shirt size when you first subscribe.

The Marine Corps t-shirt features the USMC Eagle, Globe, and Anchor logo with "Boot Camp" text. It's all black with white lettering and I like the basic style.

The box also contained a Travel Tumbler with straw (both were individually wrapped in plastic and the straw was sealed, but its still recommended that you rinse it all in warm soapy water before using), a Patch, and Self-Adhesive Medallion. The patch is embroidered with a heat-seal that can be ironed onto almost any fabric. The Medallion has an embossed enamel and metal design with a strong sticky back for attaching onto any surface.

All of the boxes also contained a two pack of Headrest Covers for your car with the logo of the branch you subscribe to. These are a universal slip-on design made from a soft, silky fabric.

When I was in high school I considered applying to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Even though I ended up going a different route, the Navy still holds a special significance for me. I also participated in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps program as a teen which was a great way to orient myself to the military.

Anyway, the t-shirt features the Navy logo with text reading "Land of the Free Because of the Brave" in white on a navy blue background. I like the big bold text and design.

The Navy box accessories were a little underwhelming to me. Inside was a Magnet, Keychain, and Self-Adhesive Medallion. I feel like the magnet and keychain could easily be picked up at any recruiting station for free. More on the accessories overall later in this post.

The Air Force t-shirt is navy blue with a silhouette of an F-22 Raptor jet and USAF text. Back when I was considering joining the Navy I was huge into naval aviation but I find the USAF interesting as well.

All of the accessories for the boxes were fairly similar, and the Air Force box featured a Keychain, Air Freshener, and Self-Adhesive Medallion with the USAF logo. The air freshener pairs well with the seat covers. Again, the keychain is kind of boring to me.

The Army t-shirt was the same t-shirt in my May box, except it's white with dark blue design instead of black with a white design (see last month's review here). I guess it's kind of different, but not really. I would have liked to see a different design in this month's shirt.

The Army accessories also featured the Self-Adhesive Medallion, Keychain, and Air Freshener. The medallion and keychain have the Army star logo and the air freshener has the traditional eagle logo.

I have to say that the June Valor Blocks were a little disappointing to me. The past Army boxes had some really interesting items but all of the boxes fell flat to me this month. As I said before, I felt like some of the accessories could easily be found at a recruiting station or other event where they're given away for free. The t-shirts are nice as well, but the Army box featured a semi-repeat design and the other three were fairy simplistic. The headrest covers are also nice and probably the best quality accessory this month.

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Bottom Line: Overall, none of the June Valor Blocks boxes were very interesting to me. I hope that the next boxes feature items with a bit more intrigue and value, but I do wonder how much variety they really have with officially licensed military memorabilia. For the price, I feel like perhaps the June boxes were lacking in value.

May Valor Blocks Review

Valor Blocks is a subscription box that features officially licensed items from branches of the U.S. military. Prior to this month only the U.S. Army Block was available, but they've recently launched the Navy, Marines, and Air Force blocks, too!

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review. Post contains affiliate links.

This is a review for the U.S. Army Valor Block. Blocks costs $34 per month with $6 shipping to the continental U.S. and military bases worldwide.  All active duty military and veterans receive a 10% discount.

Each month you'll receive four to six officially licensed collectibles and an exclusive t-shirt (you'll choose your t-shirt size when you first subscribe).

The May Valor Block had five collectibles plus the t-shirt. Before I first received these boxes I wasn't really sure what would be inside because I figured there weren't too many different military items out there. I was wrong. This is the third Valor Block I've received and I think they do a great job of sending fun and practical items.

• U.S. Army T-Shirt: This t-shirt is the one that was on last month's info card as well, so I assume that was a misprint. Black is my favorite color to wear and the design on this is nice and simple. Below the United States Army text is a crest and a star.

• U.S. Army Patch: This heat-seal patch can be ironed onto pretty much anything. It boasts the Great Seal of the United States.
• U.S. Army Luggage Tags: This pack of two luggage tags feature the official U.S. Army logo and are made of a rubber material, so you don't have to worry about them breaking off of your bags.
• U.S. Army Eagle Crest Lapel Pin: This pin has the same Eagle Crest design as the patch and can be pinned to a jacket, shirt, bag, or anywhere else you choose.

• U.S. Army Magnet: This is a fairly large magnet that also features the Eagle Crest seal. It came in a protective velvet bag that would make it nice for gifting as well.
• U.S. Army Logo Challenge Coin: Each box will contain an exclusive challenge coin, and this month's design features the Army logo. Challenge coins were historically used to represent your squadron or unit if you were ever challenged to prove your membership. They're a morale booster and a great way to show your support of the military!

Bottom Line: This month's Valor Block featured some great items. I really like the t-shirt and the challenge coins are a unique item, too (especially since they're exclusive to the box). I think Valor Blocks is a great way to show your support for the military, or to gift to a current active duty member or veteran.

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April Valor Blocks Review

Valor Blocks is the newest addition to the Nerd Block family and it features officially licensed items from the U.S. military. The U.S. Army Valor Block is currently the only option available, but they have ones for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force coming soon.

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Each month you'll receive four to six collectibles plus an exclusive t-shirt, all of which are officially licensed by the U.S. Army. Boxes are $34 per month with $6 shipping to the continental U.S. and military bases worldwide. Active duty military and veterans receive a 10% discount.

April's Valor Block featured four items and the exclusive t-shirt. The t-shirt I received is different than the one pictured on the info card, so I'm not sure if this is the same shirt everyone will receive or not.

• U.S. Army Est 1775 T-Shirt: The shirt on the info card is black with a gray design and text that says "United States Army Est 1775," but as you can see I received a black t-shirt with a snake that says "This We'll Defend." I like the design regardless, but again I want to point out that you may receive a different shirt in your box. When you subscribe you'll be able to choose your t-shirt size and whether you want a loose or tighter fit.

• U.S. Army Pint Glass: This is my favorite item in the box. It's a really nice glass cup with a bald eagle design. It was packaged inside of another cardboard box within the Valor Blocks box so it was nice and secure for shipping.
• Eagle Crest Challenge Coin: Last month's box listed this as a spoiler item for April and I was very curious to see the design. Traditionally, challenge coins were carried by military personnel to present when challenged to prove membership within a unit or regiment, etc. This coin has a beautiful design and is a great collectible item, and I love that it's exclusive to Valor Blocks!

• U.S. Army Coasters: This has four soft coasters inside with a digital camo pattern and the U.S. Army log on them with a rubbery grip bottom.
• U.S. Army Bottle Opener: This is a great little portable bottle opener. It has the U.S. Army logo on it and can easily be slipped into your pocket.

Bottom Line: Valor Blocks is a great subscription for members of the military and their friends, family, and supporters. I can imagine this would be a great morale booster as a care package for active duty personnel. This is only the second box ever and I'm excited to see what Valor Blocks will continue to send!

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March Valor Blocks Review

Valor Blocks is a new subscription from the Nerd Block family that focuses on military and first responders. They just launched their first iteration of the box, which is a partnership with the U.S. Army.

*Disclaimer: This box was sent to See, Shop, Love! in exchange for an honest review.

Valor Blocks sends officially licensed items for protective services personnel, veterans, family, friends, and supporters. For $34 a month you'll receive four to six collectibles plus an exclusive t-shirt. If you're active duty or military you can receive a 10% discount. Currently the U.S. Army box is the only option available, but they plan to expand to all branches of the military and first responder jobs such as police and firefighters. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps boxes are launching soon!

Most people I know have family or friends in the military or who are veterans. I think this is a really unique box and a great idea. I am a huge supporter of our men and women in uniform and I was interested to see what was included in the box.

The box itself was medium sized; if you've ever gotten a Nerd Block, Arcade Block, or other box from the "Block" family I'd say it was about the same size as those. It shipped quickly and arrived with a plastic overwrap to ensure that nothing fell out or was damaged.

The April box is the very first box and it had four items, not including the exclusive t-shirt. Even though April is spring time this box was perfect for those of us who live in colder climates. We just got over Blizzard Stella here and I put the gloves to good use!

Every item is officially licensed by the U.S. Army and was chosen in collaboration with them. I think it's great that Valor Blocks really takes the time to work with the armed forces to curate thoughtful and high-quality boxes.

The t-shirt is a white men's large with "The Union Must and Shall Be Preserved" on it, as pictured above. Unfortunately this is way too big for me, but if you're a subscriber you'll be able to choose the style (men's, women's, fitted, or loose) and size of your shirt. I'm going to pass this off to my dad.

The U.S. Army Decal Kit contains 11 decals that you can use on your car or other space. They have popular phrases, army logos, and an American flag. They're all various sizes. I like all of the different designs, especially the white one that says "United States Army 1775."

The U.S. Army Defending Freedom Flag is a 3' by 5' flag with a double-printed bald eagle design with metal grommets. It's well-made and would be great for flying any day, but especially on holidays like the 4th of July and Veteran's Day.

I love the U.S. Army Polar Fleece Tactical Gloves! These became my new best friend during this past blizzard. They're fingerless gloves to enable dexterity but are made with thick fleece to keep your hands warm. These are a size large and I have small hands, but they still fit well and I found them perfect for driving to and from work and scraping off my car.

The U.S. Army Steep Beanie is an acrylic knit with a larger U.S. Army logo in black to accompany the smaller one in color. I think I look funny in beanies but I know they're pretty popular now, and this one is great for winter weather.

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Bottom Line: I really liked the first Valor Blocks U.S. Army box! It's a well-curated box with high quality products, and I like that each one comes with an exclusive t-shirt as well. This is a great gift for anyone who is active duty, a veteran, or a supporter of the military. Next month's box will contain an exclusive Challenge Coin.

New Subscription: Valor Blocks!

The team at Nerd Block is launching a brand new subscription that I think will be really popular: Valor Blacks! It's a monthly subscription dedicated to honoring members of protective services organizations, including the military, law enforcement, and first responders.

Each monthly mystery box will contain a wide range of uniquely-sourced items that were chosen to reflect the interests of protective services personnel, their families, friends, and supports. Items like never-before-seen t-shirts, apparel, memorabilia, utility items, electronics accessories, and more are what you'll find in Valor Blocks!

I have the utmost respect for first responders and military service men and women and I think we all know someone who has served or is currently serving in one of those roles. You can gift them a subscription to Valor Blocks to let them know that their work is appreciated and respected, or purchase the box for yourself! Subscribers will be able to choose the themed Block that suits their interests.

Valor Blocks is partnering with the U.S. Army for their first subscription, making it an officially-licensed product of the U.S. Army! Each Block will contain 4-6 U.S. Army branded items and an exclusive t-shirt. You can send Valor Blocks abroad or become a member yourself to show your pride for your favorite protective services organization!

• Head over to Valor Blocks to sign up!
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