Public Goods reviews and discussion

3.8

66% of reviewers would recommend to a friend

Reviews mention

  • Minimalist aesthetic packaging
  • Lightly scented personal-care essentials
  • Reliable cleaning product performance
  • Comfortable, ergonomic wooden utensils
  • Controversial mandatory membership model
  • Inconsistent product quality control
  • Watery shampoo and thin formulas
  • Weak candle scent longevity

Public Goods earns mixed reviews: many praise the clean, minimalist design and effective basics—from ramen and dish soap to shampoo and stoneware—while recurring complaints target the mandatory $79 membership model and inconsistent quality (leaky refills, watery shampoos, weak candles). Reviews indicate the brand works for aesthetically cohesive, lightly scented, non-toxic essentials, but buyers wary of subscriptions, plastic in refills, occasional stockouts, and hit‑or‑miss formulas should proceed selectively.

AI summary based on Thingtesting reviews

148 reviews and posts

  • Great products, personally too cheap to buy a membership. Love the candles

  • I’ve had good and bad experiences with my Public Goods orders. A lot of the time there are no issues, but every now and then an order will have missing items. However, their support team is always amazing and fast to fix things. The Public Goods dog poop bags are my favorite item and favorite poop bags - strong but easy to quickly pull out and use. Some items are more expensive than something you’d buy at the store but others are priced right and good quality. I actually requested to cancel my membership at one point since I wasn’t using it enough but their awesome support team offered a great deal on a lifetime membership, so I stuck around and I’m glad I did!

  • My roommate ised to get these products and I remember liking the hand soap they had. It smelled nice and moisturized my hands even after washing the soap off.

  • Just had these at a hotel I stayed at. First thing I noticed was that the branding and presentation is sooo clean and aesthetic. Used them during my stay, and they were nice!

    Feedback

    I didn't know much about the brand before seeing this, but it's good to see that they're also sustainable and made with healthy ingredients!

  • I tried the shampoo, conditioner and body wash recently. I can say the packaging and the scent of the products were very pleasing and got the job done. Harmless ingredients are always great!

  • Love the straightforward product, design, and packaging. Great for any minimalist.

  • I like the simplicty! It is affordable and neutral and goes with anything. I have used handsoaps for the bathroom!

  • I like its sustainability concept and the quality of its bath products are quite good.

    Feedback

    I wish there's more variety to each product.

  • Pretty low-quality stuff, when you get down to it. The shampoo strips my hair and the plastic packaging is a real bummer. Their products are manufactured in China and are basically design rip-offs of what other folks are doing. Nothing original or "sustainable" to see here.

    Feedback

    Source locally. Make better products.

    Former employee
  • I’ve had this subscription since i first purchased a lifetime subscription on indie go go. I’ve really like all of the items that they provide and they keep add new items periodically. I maybe make a bulk purchase one or twice a year for staple items and i love that all of their products match and they use eco friendly shipping materials!

  • A pretty good concept and nice offerings with a nice minimalist aesthetic.

    Feedback

    I like their cleaning products but feel as though a lot of things are watered down.

  • Fantastic ramen and ready-to-heat grains at good prices. Great ingredient transparency.

  • I've used their shampoo and conditioner before, and I really enjoyed it! It's not your typical shampoo/conditioner since it doesn't really lather, so it took some getting used to, but I enjoyed the results. I like the simple packaging as well.

    Feedback

    I happened to find this randomly at a CVS one day, and never found it again! I don't like that in order to purchase the products online, you have to pay for their yearly membership. This model has deterred me from re-purchasing their products, and I wish you could just order them as a one-off!

  • Above-average home products that have the parred back minimalist aesthetic at a good price. Some of the products like the shampoo are a bit too watery to my liking, however.

  • I absolutely LOVE public goods. love their brand mission, packaging is clean and minimal, and the quality is great -- I order food, cleaning supplies, dog kibble, bathroom goodies; never disappointed.

    Feedback

    I love that they have refillables, but sometimes they do run out of the refillable SKUs which defeats the purpose bc then i need to buy the full size again.

  • I'd finally listened to enough podcasts to give Public Goods a try. Mostly find that I like their cleaning products the best (the giant dish soap refills are a constant at my house). Didn't care for the vegetable bullion and I'm waiting out the end of the dental floss. As others have said, they add new products quite frequently. They also recently added a "surplus" section if you're like me and you like a little discount on your discount. Their customer service is top notch and extremely responsive.

    Feedback

    Would love to see more pet products added.

  • THIS WEBSITE IS A TOTAL SCAM!! If I could rate zero stars I would. I viewed this website because I had been gifted some soaps and wanted to see about getting some refills and shower soap. I browsed the website but didn't want to pay the shipping charges so left the website and didn't order anything. A couple weeks later there was a $79 charge from the company on my credit card. I didn't catch it right away, and when I called to get a refund they said they couldn't issue a refund because it was after 14 days of "purchasing" the membership, which I was completely unaware had even happened by simply browsing their website. BEWARE!!!! And NEVER enter an email address to visit this website or else you'll automatically be signed up and subsequently charged their $79 annual fee.

  • This is a fraudulent company. I made a purchase in 2020 and four years later they charged me an 80$ ‘membership fee’ completely out of the blue. I wish I never gave them my credit card because they are a scam.

  • The first time I ordered the product, I was very disappointed, to say the least. The solution refills were only filled halfway in the bottle. They also sent out the wrong bottle, and I only kept one product. It took them ages to process the refund, and I had to email them to follow up. They eventually returned the money, but two months later, I noticed a charge from them for the same amount as the refund. I would stay away from this company. They are no good, and the product we kept and used was not satisfactory either!!!

  • I was a Kickstarter backer, so I have a lifetime membership. Their customer service has been great! Shipping has generally been quick for me. There is clearly great care placed in packaging everything, but if something arrives broken, they are quick to replace or refund them. Most of the products I've tried have been great, especially the personal care items. The essential oils are priced well, and the food items have been good too. On the other hand, sometimes products disappear without warning, which is sometimes disappointing. Also, the deodorant recipe has changed many times, though, so I've resorted to making my own. Overall, I'm happy with the products and service and will continue being a regular customer.

    Kickstarter backer