Buying clothes as trends come and go can get expensive. If you want access to a rotating selection of clothes, rentals can save you a lot of time and money. Nuuly and Le Tote are two popular options that let you borrow clothes for under $100 a month. They both frequently update their selections to reflect new clothing collections and seasons. A reliable rental service can be your secret weapon when it comes to dressing stylishly.
The difference between Nuuly and Le Tote is their trendiness. Nuuly does fun, statement pieces best, while Le Tote has more practical items you can use to supplement your wardrobe.
How Do They Work
|
Price/month |
# Items |
Style | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nuuly |
$88 |
6 clothing |
Trendy, fun |
|
Le Tote |
$59-$119 |
5 clothing – 10 clothing with 5 accessories |
Practical, professional |
Nuuly
Nuuly is a monthly clothing rental service
Insert a table of the different boxes, their price, and age range
Nuuly is definitely focused on younger clientele. I’d say their clothes are best for ages 20-45, although fashion has no age limit!
Le Tote
Le Tote is a monthly clothing rental company that offers clothes and accessories. They have clothes that work for professional use, working out, running errands, and parties.
You can rent clothes to wear for just one month, or keep them for several months, as long as you maintain your membership.
This service suits a wider age range than Nuuly. Their practical and classic clothing selection could suit subscribers from ages 20 to 65.
Pros/Cons
Nuuly
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Trendy clothes |
Only one membership option |
|
Sizes from XXS to 5X |
Bonus items are pricey |
|
Reusable packaging |
Pros:
Nuuly has the best selection of trendy statement clothes of any subscription service I’ve tried. You can find velvet dresses, novelty print trousers, and knit lounge pants all in one place. They update their clothes frequently and you can always find seasonal attire.
Nuuly has clothes that will fit almost everyone, with items up to 5X from brands like Universal Standard. They ship clothes in a reusable zippered cloth bag instead of a cardboard box or poly bag, which cuts down on waste.
Cons:
Nuuly only offers one subscription plan. At $88 a month, it’s not the most affordable option out there. It’s not as flexible as many other services, including Le Tote.
You can add bonus items for $20 each, but that’s kind of a steep price for a month-long rental unless you’re renting something like a party dress or other formalwear.
Le Tote
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
Lots of membership options |
Items often go out of stock |
|
Maternity clothes |
More limited sizing |
|
Focus on practical outfits |
Minor damage not covered |
Pros:
Le Tote has several membership options at price points from $59 to $119. Whether you want to rent 5 pieces of clothing a month or 10, they have options for you. According to their site, their $79 unlimited monthly rentals subscription is the most popular choice. It includes either 3 garments and 2 accessories or 5 garments at a time, but you can return things as often as you want.
The service has clothes for every occasion, from grocery shopping to making a presentation at work. They have a workout selection, too. Their website has filters so you can easily search by occasion, weather, colors, and brand.
Le Tote has a maternity plan, and they have a large selection of maternity clothes to choose from, including skinny jeans, jumpsuits, and more. They also have nursing tops and dresses to make feeding time easier.
Cons:
On Le Tote, items often go out of stock, and it can be frustrating to see that they’re sold out of your size when you find a promising garment. The service also has more limited sizing that ends at XL, or size 16.
Most clothing rental services repair minor damage, like missing buttons or small stains, for free. Le Tote offers an insurance plan for $5 a month to cover those issues. Personally, I think the standard membership fee should cover those costs.
How Much Do They Cost
Le Tote and Nuuly have a similar mid-range price point. Nuuly has a flat cost of $88, while Le Tote has many membership plans at varying prices.
Nuuly
- $88 a month
Nuuly only has one membership plan, and it’s $88 a month for 6 rental items. That adds up to $14.67 for each rental item. You can add additional rentals each month for $20 each, which is a bit steep in my opinion.
Like most rental companies, Nuuly clothes are available for purchase at a discount. If you loved wearing one of their items, you can buy it for much lower than retail price.
Le Tote
- $59 a month for the cheapest option
- $79 a month for their most popular option
Le Tote starts at $59 a month but goes up to $119 for standard clothes and $129 for maternity clothes.
The company promotes its $79 tier as the most popular one, because it offer unlimited rentals each month. However, you can only rent a certain number of items at a time. To get a new batch of rentals, you’ll need to return everything from your previous batch, unless you’re buying it.
Le Tote items go on clearance fairly often. Prices for out-of-season clothes can get as low as $5 for a dress. If you love one of your rentals, chances are you can buy it for a decent price.
What do you get in the boxes?
Both of these services focus on garments, but each has a unique focus. Le Tote has both clothes and accessories.
Nuuly
Nuuly offers garments from well-known brands. You can find party dresses, sweaters, trousers, and more. They also have petite, plus and maternity options.
They don’t offer accessories. They do have a selection of authentic vintage clothes for rent, though. The selection is very limited, and so is the sizing, but it’s a fun novelty that I haven’t seen from any other rental services.
Some of their brands include:
- Free People
- Anthropologie
- Universal Standard
- Steve Madden
- Rebecca Minkoff
You can see the full list of the brands they carry here.
Le Tote
Le Tote has an extensive selection of both clothes and accessories. You can choose to rent clothes and accessories or just clothes. Plans that include accessories are a little more expensive, and personally, I’m not as impressed by the selection.
They have sizes from XS to XL, but some items only come in S-L.
Le Tote has plenty of well-known brands and a few lesser-known ones that are popular among clothing subscription companies.
Their brands include:
- Vince Camuto
- Spring + Mercer
- French Connection
- Badgley Mischka
- BB Dakota
You can browse their collection here, to give you an idea of what they have in stock and what the purchase prices are like.
Final Thoughts
Both of these services offer subscribers a reasonably-priced way to cut down on consumption. They can help you save money, not to mention space, and make it a little more fun to get dressed in the morning.
For me, Nuuly is the winner simply because it has a wide selection of fresh clothes from mid-range brands I like. The clothes are unique and interesting, but not so pricey or formal that I feel uncomfortable wearing them for everyday activities. They have clothes from brands I like, and I can try trends without having them take up space in my closet.
