Getting ready for the day is so much more exciting when you know a brand new outfit is hanging in your closet, just waiting for its debut moment. Thankfully, we’re waving goodbye to the days of overstuffed closets and rapidly thinning wallets—with clothing rental services, you’ll always have something new to wear, in a more affordable, sustainable way.
Carly Hobbs, a sustainable living expert and founder of the eco-friendly parenting blog, My Green Toddler, explains how small sustainability swaps, like renting clothing instead of buying a new outfit for every occasion in your planner, make a big difference. “By embracing clothing rental, consumers can actively participate in reducing the demand for new clothing production, thereby lessening their ecological footprint,” Hobbs says. “Sharing garments among multiple users maximizes their lifespan and contributes to a more circular and eco-friendly approach to fashion consumption.”
- Carly Hobbs, sustainable living expert and founder of the eco-friendly parenting blog, My Green Toddler
- Sky Pollard, head of product at Nuuly
And though many shoppers envision clothing rental services to be expensive or impractical, these services have seen a major uptick in the last year; according to a recent report by Research and Markets, the global clothing rental market grew at an annual growth rate of 10.8 percent over the last year, to $1.57 billion in 2023.
Sky Pollard, head of product at Nuuly, explains that as people’s budgets are stretched, clothing rental services offer a unique value proposition—more affordable access to styles for events big and small. Pollard shares that Nuuly has “experienced remarkable subscriber growth over the past two years and now has over 160,000 active subscribers." All the signs point to clothing rental services sticking around—read on to discover the eight best clothing rental services you can shop all from the comfort of your couch.
Cost: Plans start at $98/month
Nuuly lets you sample new styles and put together effortless outfits for every key moment on your calendar, whether it’s a wedding, a tropical getaway, or just another day at the home office. Nuuly helps give everyone access to trends, brands, and price points they might not normally have access to or want to commit to long-term.
For a $98 monthly subscription fee, you’ll receive a (reusable!) Nuuly shipping tote filled with six items of your choice. Wear them as often as you’d like, then return to unlock your next box (though if you can’t bear to part with an item, you will have the option to purchase). Many other clothing rental services charge late fees and damage fees, but with Nuuly, you can shop rental pieces without stressing about unexpected fees. Designers and brands vary but include favorites like Anthropologie and Free People.
Nuuly’s focus on sustainability stretches beyond packaging—Pollard shares that Nuuly has a deep bench of repair specialists who keep clothing in rotation by getting out stains, repairing small holes & tears, replacing buttons, zippers, and linings, and shaving sweaters that have started to pill. “Last year, our repairs team made over roughly 250,000 repairs—this gives our clothing even more life,” Pollard says, “and some damaged rentals are repurposed and remixed in collaboration with emerging designers.”
Pros:
- Affordable—less than $100/month
- Six pieces per month
- No late or damage fees
- Discounted rent-to-own available
- Sustainable
- Resale marketplace available
Cons:
- No accessories—only clothes
Cost: Plans start at $94/month
One of the most widely known clothing rental services, Rent the Runway offers over 800 brands, taking its claim to fame as the world’s “largest shared designer closet” seriously. Styles range from sizes 00 to 22, but the shining point of Rent the Runway is access to over 22 million member reviews (and counting!)—you’ll be able to review styling tips, photos, and feedback on clothing pieces from real shoppers, making it much easier for you to discover the pieces that fit your needs and style. There are a few more plans and pricing options to choose from than some other services, including:
- 4 items: $69 for the first month, then $94 per month
- 8 items (delivered in two shipments): $99 per month for two months, then $144 per month
- 16 items (delivered in four shipments): $169 per month for two months, then $235 per month
Though reviewers consistently praise Rent the Runway’s fast shipping (often two days or less), others note that sometimes finding the styles you want at the time you’d like them can be tricky.
Pros:
- Affordable—under $100
- Wide variety of designer styles
- 22 million member reviews
- Rent-to-own available
- Various subscriptions options, including one-time rentals
Cons:
- Damage fees
Cost: Plans start at $55/month
All too often, trying to find stylish clothing available in a full breadth of sizes in-store is tricky, especially since so many brands still only offer sizes Small through Large. Fashion to Figure Closet is at the intersection of sustainability and inclusivity: the company’s rental model delivers trendy plus-size fashion right to your door, and shipping is always free. You’ll always have the chance to purchase an item at a discount from the retail price.
Pricing starts at $55 per month, and the company offers two plans for you to choose from: a three-item clothing subscription, or a five-item plan with three pieces of clothing and two accessories. The company offers sizes 12-28 (XL- 3XL), and best of all, the pieces are genuinely stylish and on-trend, which fans of the brand celebrate.
Unfortunately, reviewers tend to bring up themes of poor customer service, so it may be worth considering other services first. For example, many reviews explain that returns made on time aren’t processed quickly, triggering late fees, and others explain how difficult it is to reach customer service agents for support.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Unlimited boxes with free 2-3 day shipping
- Wide range of plus sizes
- Discounted rent-to-own available
Cons:
- Late/damage fees
- Reviews complain of customer service
Cost: Plans start at $21/month
Perhaps even more than outfits, trying to curate jewelry for special occasions puts a dent in your wallet. Rocksboxs solves this—add a pop of color or a bit of sparkle to any outfit without spending tons of money or committing to a permanent wardrobe addition. Rocksbox costs $21 per month (with shipping included), but you can actually get multiple boxes shipped to you during the month if you’d like. Each box contains three items, and you can wear them and return them, or opt to purchase them with a retail discount and your $21 monthly membership fee applied to your order as a shopping credit.
Though there are a few complaints, many reviewers adore the service, including the fast shipping and quality of products. I’ve also personally been a Rocksbox subscriber for the last several months, and have really enjoyed all of the items (and added many to my permanent collection, oops)—my pro tip is to keep an eye on your inbox and review the items you’ll be receiving ahead of time. That way, if an item ever gets added to your box that you know you’d never wear, you can swap it out for something you’ve been eyeing!
Pros:
- Affordable—under $50
- Hand-curated picks
- Discounted rent-to-buy option—$21 monthly credit towards purchase each month
- Unlimited swaps
Cons:
- You don’t get to pick what ends up in your box—keep an eye on your inbox to make the swap before it ships
- Only three pieces per box
Cost: Plans start at $69/month
If personal styling, or clothing subscriptions with a styling element are your normal vibe, Armoire is the clothing rental service for you. The onboarding process starts with a quiz to give your new stylists a sense of your personal style. From there, each month, your stylist will curate specific recommendations for you to review, and you’ll have the final say on what you receive. And though most clothing rental services require you to send back your current rentals to unlock your next shipment, Armoire lets you keep wearing the pieces until your new order arrives.
Additionally, Armoire gives each subscriber a complimentary one-on-one appointment with a stylist each month. It’s the perfect chance to ask style questions and get tips on accessorizing your new pieces. With rave reviews across multiple platforms (it’s the highest-ranked platform, according to Trustpilot), Armoire is quickly becoming a favorite thanks to the unique member perks and personal styling component.
Pros:
- Affordable—under $100
- Curated from personal stylists
- Monthly personalized consultations
- Classic, maternity, and event plans available
- Rent-to-own available
- You can keep items for longer than a month
Cons:
- No accessories to rent—only clothes
Cost: Free to join—fees based on items
Tulerie is a fashion movement more than a clothing rental service; it’s a community-based platform where you’ll rent clothes directly from other Tulerie members. Every Tulerie member is screened through a comprehensive interview process, and if you’d like, you’re welcome to join as a lender and a borrower (so it’s a great way to make a little extra money while staying on top of trends).
Because Tulerie is striving to make sustainable fashion accessible to everyone, every day, there’s no monthly membership fee to join. Becoming a member is free, and you’ll just pay a small fee (for shipping and cleaning) on the individual items you choose to rent. It’s a pretty customizable process — you’ll choose when you’d like it to be delivered and how long you’d like to keep the rental.
Tulerie is a relatively new service, so it has fewer reviews than some of the others on our list. But the company’s garnered media buzz, with attention from Vogue and PopSugar, to name a few.
Pros:
- Community-based lending
- Perks for both lenders and borrowers
- Only pay per item—no subscription fees
- Sellers and buyers are all screened ahead of joining
- Circular and sustainable
Cons:
- Relatively new—not as established as other brands
- Damage fees
Cost: Plans at $49/month
Gwynnie Bee began as a plus-size-focused company, but now has an inclusive size range from 0-32. We love Gwynnie Bee’s curated capsule collections (current offerings include categories like Casual Day Looks and Now Trending). These make it easy to filter for looks that match your needs and personal style.
However, Gwynnie Bee’s pricing is a bit different than the other clothing rental services on our list. Instead of a monthly subscription fee and a box with a set number of pieces to rent for exactly one month, you’ll choose the number of items you’d like to rent at a time, and be able to keep them for as long as you’d like. Each pricing plan includes unlimited free returns and dry cleaning services, so it’s relatively stress-free to use.
Here’s how the pricing plans work:
- 1 item: $49 per month
- 2 items: $69 per month
- 3 items: $95 per month
- 5 items: $139 per month
- 7 items: $179 per month
- 10 items: $199 per month
Fans of Gwynnie Bee really appreciate the inclusive sizing and variety of styles offered. The main negative given in reviews is a delay between shipments, but all in all, most reviewers agree that it’s worth the wait.
Pros:
- Affordable—under $100
- Inclusive size range
- Various plan options
- Capsules make it easy to curate pieces and personal style
- Items can be rented for longer than a month
- Discounted rent-to-own available
Cons:
- Some reviews complain of shipping time
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