Cox Bundles Review

There are some things that—no matter how much we complain—we can’t avoid: paying taxes, getting wrinkles, waiting forever for the new season of Stranger Things. And, of course, paying your phone, internet, and cable bills.

Utility bills may be unavoidable, but you can make them easier to swallow by bundling them together.

Cox is one of the largest cable and internet companies in the United States, with huge customer bases in states like Arizona, California, and Virginia. While its individual services—like internet—are not usually ranked among the best, Cox is known for its bundle deals.

We’ve got the lowdown on Cox’s different double and triple play packages (and there are a lot of them).

In the last ten years, I’ve moved a half-a-dozen times. I’ve changed time zones, ZIP codes, and utility companies. That means that with each move I’m looking to get internet and TV service (but not home phone¹).

Cox offers some killer internet and TV bundles with a whole host of plans that pair the company’s cable internet with its Contour TV service. Here are the details:

As the saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life.” And Cox is pretty dang spicy.

You can party like it’s 1999 with Cox’s cheap starter package, which offers 10 Mbps internet speeds and just 75 channels. Or you can dive headlong into the 21st century with its more expensive bundles that offer gigabit speeds and 250 channels.

Speaking of variety, Cox offers premium channel packages that you can add onto an existing bundle (this channel lineup shows what comes standard). Throw a “sports and information pack” or a “Latino pack” onto that Bronze Double Play for just a few bucks a month. Righteous!

Cox’s internet/TV bundles include some cool extra features, like the Contour TV app. As soon as you sign up for TV service with Cox, you’ll get access to the app, which means you can start watching your favorite shows before your cable gets installed.

While we love the variety of bundling options from Cox, we’re not thrilled about the contracts. The company’s bundles are only available with 2-year contracts, and your price will go up after the first year. In most cases, it’s a $20 increase per month (that’s Sunday brunch right there—minus the mimosas).

When it comes to price, Cox leaves us with mixed emotions. The company’s lower-tier plans are a decent deal when compared with companies like AT&T and Centurylink. But if you’re looking at higher-tier plans with 250+ channels and gigabit internet, companies like Verizon offer more for less.

Our final complaint about Cox internet and TV bundles (being nitpicky is our job after all) is the network infrastructure. Cox runs its services through a cable network.

Unlike fiber-optic networks, cable networks cannot offer symmetrical uploads, which can be a problem for gamers or home businesses that need to upload large files. Cox internet service also comes with a pesky 1 TB data cap. Bogus.

Why we love it: Why pay for the highest-tier package when 500 Mbps of internet and 75+ channels is more than enough for the whole family? With this plan, you can easily have five devices streaming, gaming, and surfing without any lag. If you do find that you need more TV in your life, you can always tack on a channel package.

Who it’s best for: Medium-sized families, college roommates, and young urban professionals

Remember the original internet and phone bundle? It sounded something like this “boop beep boop ding ding pttshhhhhh de dungdi ppppshhhhkkkaaaashhh.” But just because your internet isn’t run through a phone line anymore doesn’t mean you can’t bundle the two together.

Cox has a few options for those who want an old-fashioned landline and a state-of-the-art internet connection. Check it out.

Cox again comes through with the variety: if all you need to do is stream Netflix and write some emails on a single device, you can choose up to a 500 Mbps internet plan. Or if you have a serious gaming habit, you can get gigabit internet speeds.

But for all this variety, Cox’s internet and phone bundles are quite simple. There’s only one home phone service called Voice Preferred.

Voice Preferred comes with some nifty features, like the Cox Voice Everywhere app that allows you to use you home phone and voicemail from a mobile device. It includes unlimited calls to all of the US and Canada, and to landlines in Mexico.

When it comes to pricing, these packages are more straightforward than the internet/TV packages. Each option requires a 12-month contract and the prices will not go up in that period. You can find similar bundles for similar prices from Xfinity.

As mentioned in the internet/TV bundles section, we aren’t particularly impressed with Cox’s internet service. It’s run on a cable network and the company will cap your data at 1 TB. This won’t be a problem for most casual users, but those who need the best of the best might want to look elsewhere.

Speaking of looking elsewhere: we’ve noticed that Verizon Fios offers internet and phone bundles that cost less than Cox’s while offering even higher speeds. If you happen to be in a Fios service area, these plans are worth looking into.

Why we love it: 250 Mbps is enough internet to keep your Netflix streaming while the kids are playing Xbox. Voice Premier includes everything you could want in a home phone plan. All that for the price of a nice dinner and a movie?

Who it’s best for: Small-to-medium-sized families, retired couples

So you want the works, the whole shebang, the kit and caboodle, the full Monty, the—you get my point. Here are Cox’s triple play packages:

Cox has a wide selection of Triple Play bundles. Even the company’s lowest-tier package offers enough internet speed, TV channels, and phone capacity for the average family of four.

The higher-tier bundles pack in enough internet and TV to keep the whole extended family satisfied during a reunion. (Ok, Uncle Craig may never be satisfied, but there’s nothing we can do about that.)

Seriously though, Gigabit internet is fast enough to simultaneously stream every single episode of Scrubs (if you happen to have 200 laptops and maybe a weird crush on Zach Braff). And 250+ channels on your TV can get you into more weird stuff (Ancient Aliens, anyone?).

Our other complaints with Cox’s cable network and data caps still stand for these Triple Play packages. When you’re paying for top-of-the-line services, it’s frustrating to know that you’re not getting the absolute best technology available.

These packages, like Cox’s TV/internet bundles, require a 2-year contract. We don’t like being locked in for 24 long months, and we don’t like the price increases that come along after the first year.

When it comes to affordability, we’d give Cox’s Triple Play bundles a solid B grade. Most of the company’s plans end up being cheaper than similar offerings from AT&T, and are about the same price as Xfinity’s TV, internet, and phone bundles. But once again, Verizon Fios steals the show with cheaper plans on a stronger network.

Why we love it: This package is cheaper than most Triple Plays out there, but it still has tons to offer. You get 300 Mbps internet speeds—which is enough for anyone but the most heavy users—and 140+ channels.

If that channel count feels too low, you can always add on channel packages, and you also get unlimited calling (so you can keep up that argument you started with Uncle Craig at the family reunion).

Who it’s best for: Families that don’t need BBC America or the Military History channel

Cox is a one-stop shop for bundles. The company has nearly everything on your shopping list, from dirt-cheap (and dirt-slow) internet plans to gigabit speeds, and from basic cable to packages with C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2, and C-SPAN 3.

But like most one-stop shops, Cox doesn’t always have the highest-quality products or the best deals. We’re especially wary of the company’s long contracts and cable internet network.

Pros: wide variety of plans, decent prices on lower-tier plans
Cons: long service contracts, high prices on top-tier plans

Of course, the best way to figure out if Cox has a bundle for you is to check out its offerings. See what’s available in your area, and mix and match bundle deals! And let us know in the comments if you end up choosing a Cox bundle.

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