I Didn’t Believe in Renting Clothes, but Nuuly Changed My Mind

What I Tested…

Nuuly’s Monthly Subscription ($98/month) 

Why I Tested…

How I Tested...

I signed up for one month of Nuuly in April ahead of traveling. I received six items with my subscription. I took notes on the variety, stock, shipping, clothing quality, and return process. 

Test Results...

• Variety. Right off the bat, I noticed just how many clothing options there are on Nuuly’s website. Spoiler alert: There are thousands. You can filter your search by category, curated looks, events and occasions, brands, and fit. With a wedding coming up in Ibiza, I wanted to find a few standout, comfortable pieces to walk around and dance in. I filtered my search by fit and size (I’m a size L, 10 or 12, and 36DDD), and I was overwhelmed at how many options there were to choose from. I rented silver metallic wide-leg pants, floral pants, overalls, shorts, and a silk maxi skirt, all from different brands.   

• Price. With the $98/month subscription, you can rent six total items. If you fall in love with any of the rented pieces, Nuuly gives you the option to buy the item at a discounted price. You can add up to four bonus items (in addition to your six selects) for $20 each. Upon further research, I realized that the total cost of my six items would have been $914 if I had purchased them on my own. 

• Quality. Because you can select from multiple brands, the quality varies. I took special care to pick items that had a ton of five-star reviews, which meant many of my items had been worn multiple times. Only two pairs of pants felt tight or unused, while every other piece felt and looked worn. This didn’t bother me; I know Nuuly covers dry cleaning once products are returned, and I steamed anything that arrived wrinkled. With the exception of those two tighter pants, everything else fit to my liking.

• Shipping & Returns. Nuuly’s shipping policies get five stars in my book. I received all of my items in a neatly packed, reusable zippered bag within a week of placing my order. The bag comes with a handle, which makes it easy to tote all six styles around. They even provide the prepaid return label in the side pocket of the bag, so I didn’t have to worry about printing one myself. All I had to do was swap out the shipping label, re-pack my bag with the items, and drop it at my closest UPS location. Once Nuuly received my returns, I was able to pick my next month’s items. 

Sidenotes...

• No late fees. This was huge for me. I’m notoriously bad at returning clothes and wind up keeping pieces I never wear. The fact that Nuuly doesn’t charge for late fees was a game changer. I returned my items a week late without any issues (other than it took a few extra days to unlock my next order). 

• Email and text alerts. Nuuly is extremely communicative in a way that doesn’t feel intrusive. I received five texts and five emails in my first month — all to alert me when I had paid, when my items had been shipped, when my items were delivered, when my upcoming billing date was approaching, and finally, a confirmation that I paid for my second month and could select my next six pieces. I normally hate branded texts or emails, but I benefitted from the timely reminders. 

• Styles and brands. After speaking to some of my coworkers, I learned that other clothing rental services tend to focus on more designer brands, making the monthly price quite high. With Nuuly, you can browse from brands like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, ASTR the Label, 7 For All Mankind, Free People, Good American, Madewell, and The North Face. Its range of brands are modern, eclectic, and trendy without being overpriced.

The Fine Details...

• Nuuly Monthly Subscription ($98/month)