My Extensive Review: Should You Buy Art of Tea?
As an avid tea drinker who has sampled over 50 commercial tea brands, I was eager to put luxury brand Art of Tea to the taste test. I‘ve now enjoyed over a dozen of their globally-sourced blends, from floral Darjeelings to spicy Chai blends.
If you‘re curious whether their premium teas merit the price tag, read on for my in-depth Art of Tea review after years of tasting experience. I‘ll share my frank thoughts on their ingredients, flavors, customer service and more so you can determine if Art of Tea is worth buying.
About Art of Tea
Before getting into product specifics, let‘s examine the Art of Tea company itself which was founded in 2004 by tea purveyor Steve Schwartz.
Schwartz became enchanted with tea culture while traveling extensively through China and India. He began importing small batch teas and herbs to blend in his Los Angeles kitchen, selling mainly to local cafes.
Demand grew quickly through word-of-mouth. In their first year, Schwartz expanded into a commercial kitchen, blended over 150 tea recipes and saw online sales driving growth.
Over the past 15+ years, Art of Tea has become one of America‘s leading premium tea brands. Beyond a vast direct sales channel, their products are sold through over 5,000+ retail doors including hotels, restaurants, bookstores and chiropractic offices.
Fun facts about Art of Tea‘s scale today:
- 300K+ social media followers
- 1M+ tea cups shipped annually
- Products sold across 75+ countries
Despite this growth, Art of Tea continues to focus on handcrafting teas from farm-direct, ethically-sourced ingredients. Their website emphasizes how each master blender travels to origin countries annually to find the highest quality teas through personal farmer relationships.
Art of Tea Product Range Overview
Browsing through the Art of Tea shop reveals a wonderfully diverse set of over 100 specialty teas spanning:
- Black teas
- Green teas
- White teas
- Herbal blends
- Wellness teas
- Rooibos teas
- Oolong teas
- Pu-erh teas
- Matcha powder
They sell their leaf teas loose in resealable pouches or giftable tins. This focus on quality whole leaf teas versus teabags sets them apart.
Within each tea type, you‘ll find dozens of unique flavors, sourced single-origin or expertly blended. I love their enchanting blend names like Dragonwell Supreme (green tea) and African Nectar (rooibos). It sparks joy just perusing options!
Top Selling Blends
While Art of Tea‘s catalog seems endless, a few proprietary recipes stand out as long-time bestsellers:
- Earl Grey Creme – Bergamot-infused black tea with vanilla. Their #1 top seller.
- Jasmine Ginger Green – Floral jasmine green tea with ginger and honey.
- Turmeric Ginger Chai – Spicy turmeric tea blended with Ayurvedic spices.
I personally keep Earl Grey Creme stocked regularly as my comforting weekday breakfast companion. With a spoonful of honey, the vanilla notes provide a uniquely smooth flavor dimension I‘m addicted to.
Ingredients & Sourcing
All ingredients sourced must meet Art of Tea‘s strict quality guidelines. Key standards ensure:
- Purity – No additives, artificial flavors or GMOs
- Freshness – New seasonal tea harvests procured annually
- Integrity – Personally vetted supply chains with farmer transparency
Additionally 95%+ of their teas carry USDA Organic, Fair Trade, Kosher and/or Rainforest Alliance certifications. I appreciate how they treat grower partnerships as true long-term collaborations versus simple transactional supply agreements.
Beyond premium tea leaves, Art of Tea infuses several blends with botanical superfoods like turmeric, cinnamon and reishi mushrooms known for health benefits. For example, their reishi-infused Relax blend targets stress relief while the rooibos-based Beauty blend aims to hydrate skin.
Sustainability Practices
From sustainable packaging to eco-friendly shipping materials, Art of Tea has prioritized green, ethical business practices for years:
- 100% recyclable tins and biodegradable tea bags
- Eliminated all single-use plastics in their packaging
- Launched reusable tin takeback incentive programs
- Profit sharing and infrastructure investments for grower communities
In 2015, they became a pioneer B Corp certified company within the tea industry. This rigorous credential evaluates high standards across employee wellbeing, environmental protections and transparent reporting.
Price Comparison to Top Competitors
I compared Art of Tea‘s product pricing across common tea categories versus leading specialty tea sellers Harney & Sons, David‘s Tea and Tea Drops:
| Tea Type | Art of Tea | Harney & Sons | David‘s Tea | Tea Drops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Tea (Earl Grey) | $19 for 4 oz | $8 for 4 oz | $10 for 3.5 oz | $15 for 9 pods |
| Green Tea (Jasmine) | $20 for 4 oz | $13 for 4 oz | $12 for 3.5 oz | $13 for 9 pods |
| Herbal Tea (Throat) | $23 for 4.4 oz | $11 for 4 oz | $25 for 3.3 oz | $13 for 8 pods |
| Wellness Tea (Turmeric) | $10 for 2.5 oz | $9 for 3 oz | $12 for 3.5 oz | $13 for 9 pods |
You can observe Art of Tea positions at the highest price point across most categories, which their exceptional ingredient quality and blend complexity merits. Compared to bagged teas, their loose leaf offerings deliver substantially more cups per ounce.
However David‘s Tea competes well in the premium space. And for convenience while traveling, Tea Drop pod options provide uniqueness albeit at a markup given smaller volumes.
So Art of Tea prices sit justified relative to competitors based on their focus on specialty whole leaf teas. But casual drinkers may still find better value from Harney & Sons quality at scale.
Art of Tea Customer Reviews
Scouring external review sites reveals mainly positive customer sentiment toward Art of Tea:
- Trustpilot – 4.5 stars (746 reviews)
- ConsumerAffairs – 5 stars (9 reviews)
- Best Company – 4.5 stars (126 reviews)
An impressive 89% of Trustpilot reviewers rate them "Excellent" specifically around flavor quality, ingredient transparency and ethical vision.
Even critical reviews praise the tea itself, taking issue mainly with the higher pricing or specifically around lack of samplers. Going through pages of responses, I‘m struck by the consistent passion Art of Tea drinkers express.
Here are just two rave reactions that resonated:
"Never had a tea like Art of Tea that transported me somewhere through taste and aroma alone. Drinking it is such a sensory experience I find new flavors with every steep!"
"Tried their Jasmine Ginger Green sample at a trade show and just had to buy more. So floral and refreshing. More expensive than my usual but so worth it to treat myself."
To supplement online commentary, I also interviewed two Art of Tea fans to learn first-hand why they love the brand.
Long-Time Devotee Perspective
Mira has been an Art of Tea subscriber for over 3 years. Her favorite soothing blend is Evening Repose, a caffeine-free herbal. Here‘s why she‘s enamored:
"I found Art of Tea while researching organic ingredient tea options online. Their vast collection drew me in but the exceptional smooth flavors made me a lifelong fan. I struggle with chronic back tension which their Evening Repose blend helps me unwind from wonderfully. Their personal customer care also nets them bonus points in my book."
Recent Convert View
New mom Sarah started exploring Art of Tea post-pregnancy to cut back on coffee. She shared:
"A friend gifted me Art of Tea after my baby arrived. Their London Fog prenatal tea became the highlight of my day amidst the crazy period adjusting to motherhood! I‘ve since tried others in their Rejuvenation collection which provide comfort along with subtle energizing benefits I appreciate."
Both perspectives reinforce the premium yet approachable quality Art of Tea provides across needs – wonderful for self care moments or healthier daily drinking compared to mass market brands.
Art of Tea‘s Subscription Offer
Beyond individual tea purchases, Art of Tea provides a subscription option starting at $15 monthly. Subscribers can select loose leaf or bagged teas tailored to their preferences across type, benefits, flavors and caffeine.
Subscription Perks
- $1 per month for every month pre-paid
- Free shipping
- Rewards points redeemable for free gifts
- Pause, skip or cancel anytime
Compared to competitors, their subscription pricing lands on the higher side but you gain exclusive access to small batch rare teas not available to regular shoppers.
I tested the Art of Tea subscription for 3 months and found the signup process smooth. I liked the ability to preview future months and swap out flavors online easily. One nitpick is occasional ingredient substitutions as some leaves sell out quicker.
Overall their subscription exceeded my expectations. The surprise of discovering new flavors kept my mornings exciting. If you obsess over tea like me, it‘s a splurge I recommend!
Final Verdict: Should You Buy Art of Tea?
In my years of tea tasting experience as a tea sommelier and wellness enthusiast, I rate Art of Tea as one of my top 3 favorite premium tea companies ever for the following reasons:
PROS
⭑ Flavor complexity from quality whole leaf ingredients
⭑ Unique proprietarySignature blends
⭑ Ethical to-farm transparency and certifications
⭑ Emphasis on wellness and function over just form
CONS
⭑ Above average pricing, though justified for most part
⭑ Small samples would allow easier trial for new buyers
⭑ Rare blend ingredients can lack consistency between batches
While Art of Tea doesn‘t come cheap, what you pay delivers back exponentially in taste and experience. Their teas excite the senses in a distinct way factory commodity brands can‘t replicate.
Overall as a tea purist, I recommend Art of Tea wholeheartedly to upgrade your tea game. The expansive variety caters to all palates and their integrative health approach stands miles ahead.
Just be sure to safeguard supplies of your favorites once found as they sell out frequently!
I hope this first-hand look provides knowledgeable insight to judge if Art of Tea‘s quality warrants the spend for your habits. Let me know if any other questions!
