I recently signed up for 2 monthly clothes rental subscriptions. One with Rent the Runway (probably the most well known clothes rental service) and Nuuly (a much younger rental service). I really wanted to compare and contrast the two services in what exactly they offer, the price per month, and their features. In this post you’ll find a break down of what I wish I had known about Rent the Runway and Nuuly before I subscribed, but also my honest opinion of both.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I may make a commission if you click through and purchase.
Why I Picked These Services
The one main reason I signed up for these fashion rentals was to find a way to save money on clothes. I have been terrible at sticking to a budget since Covid started and have pretty much been buying everything that I even remotely like. By choosing to rent new items every month, I get to pick (basically) an entire new wardrobe at a set budget.
There are so many clothes rental services out there now. Not to mention other fashion subscriptions like StitchFix, ThreadUp, and even monthly subscriptions from brands like LOFT! I knew off the bat that I needed to be able to pick what I was getting before making an order. Which meant subscriptions like StichFix were out. Both Rent the Runway and Nuuly though you get to pick which items you want to try. On top of that, they were the most similar in price and items per month so I could really compare them better than other places.
Rent the Runway & Nuuly Reviews
Rent the Runway Review & Breakdown
There is probably far too much to tell on both these services in one post, so I will break it down as best I can. If need be, I’ll even go ahead and have separate post for each. So if you have a question about wither of them, please leave a comment below. Here’s a quick breakdown of cost, items the offer, and the pros & cons of each.
Price
- Price: Plans start at $89 a month for 4 items. (Then $135, $174, and $199 a month).
- Plan I Picked: I went with the most loved plan which offers 8 items for $129 a month (But $99 for the first two months with this link).
- Why I Picked This Plan: Looking back, 4 items would have been plenty. However, the 4 items for $89 plan does not give you full closet access. Which means there are items that are not included and you have to rent for an extra fee.
What They Offer
Rent the Runway offers over 700 designers to choose from. That includes dresses, blouses, pants, shorts, skirts, accessories and bags. When you sign up for a subscription you can order 4 items at a time (no matter which plan you’re on). Your subscription includes shipping & returns, cleaning, and rental insurance all in the price. So you don’t need to worry about cleaning, paying for shipping, or if something tears.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 8 new pieces a month for under $150
- Bag and Accessory Rental
- Ability to Skip the Month! (Keep your subscription but you won’t be charged the monthly fee).
Cons
- Can only rent 4 items at a time
- Full access not available for cheapest plan
- Many items you preview before signing up will not be available in your size after sign up.
Nuuly Monthly Subscription
Price
- Price: $88 for 6 items a month. (Can add items for an additional $18).
- Plan I Picked: Because Nuuly only offers one plan at this time I went with 6 items for $88. I did not add an additional item at this time.
- Why I Picked This Plan: First, because it is the only plan available. Second, it’s a great price for 6 items that you get to keep for an entire month.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- You can order all 6 items at the same time (unlike RTR which only allows you 4 per shipment)
- The best bang for your buck compared to other services
- A full month of having the items
- Ability to Skip the Month
Cons
- Not as many designers and items to choose from as RTR
- Can’t rent accessories and bags at this time.
What I Got from Rent the Runway & Nuuly
Clothing Review
Something to keep in mind about these rentals is exactly that, they’re rentals. Odds are, you will not be the first person to have worn these items. (Though I did receive one shirt from Nuuly that still had the tags on it). Rest assured, items and garment bags are dry-cleaned. However, your items will still probably look worn. Even though I’m used to buying secondhand, I typically buy things that have only been worn a few times. These items have been passed around so might be a bit more preloved than we all are used to.
At first, this really off put me. Certainly some items had been worn less than others. But once I actually wore my items out, I didn’t notice how “worn” they might have been. And trust me when I say, neither did anyone else. After the initial try-on of everything I wasn’t sure that I’d be keeping either of these subscriptions. Now that I’ve worn all the items out and about in real life settings though, I’ve been convinced otherwise.
So, will I be keeping these rental subscriptions? For now, yes. I think they’ll be a great way to keep me on a clothing budget. Which is exactly what I need to save money for this wedding thing that will be happening soon. Once I’ve tried everything that I want to wear from both services though, I might cancel. Or at the very least skip the month.
