Nuuly Review: Pros, Cons, and Unexpected Takeaways

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You know when you peer into your closet and sigh because you’re so tired of every item you lay eyes on? But as you think about how desperately you need some new options, you also realize what a nightmarish and expensive undertaking it would be to give the entire wardrobe the kind of refresh it really needs? Same. Especially when you’ve got a series of social events coming up and would like to bust out something fresh. Well, take heart, because there’s another path: clothing rental. I tried it on for size, and here’s my Nuuly review.

Table of Contents

How I Chose Nuuly

As I assessed my options for clothing rental services, a few key criteria emerged that helped guide my search and decisions:

Reputation & First Impressions

Prior to researching clothing rental companies, I had heard of Rent the Runway and Nuuly. And post-research, it turns out there aren’t actually that many others that fall into the tried-and-true, reasonably-priced clothing rental category. Vivrelle and Switch are all accessories, no clothing. Vince Unfold is pricey at $175 a month. Tulerie is a different model (peer-to-peer lending). Armoire looks promising, but seems to lean more towards professional attire.

So in the end it came down to the two brands I had already known about. Rent the Runway was a first-mover in clothing rental (launched in 2009) and is very popular. I actually tried them several years ago to rent a single dress for a wedding. My experience was okay; the dress came and although they sent two sizes, neither fit very well. But I made do.

Then there’s Nuuly, which has a certain je ne sais quoi. It feels like the fun, hip (why is saying “hip” so unhip?) counterpart to RTR. It’s much newer to the scene (launched in 2019) and has a buzz about it. My very-stylish sisters-in-law both use and love it, so I had gotten to see first-hand that it was a worthwhile service.

All told, point Nuuly.

Sustainability

My google search for “sustainable clothing rental companies” yielded mixed results. Most brands say little or nothing about their sustainability efforts, except maybe to nod to the implicit sustainability of renting vs. buying. That just won’t do, said I.

Rent the Runway and Nuuly were the only two brands that really had anything to say about eco-efforts. Rent the Runway offers some decent sustainability metrics. They offset carbon emissions from their shipments, divert 90% of warehouse waste from landfills (or they will by end of year 2026? unclear), and are working to be have net zero emissions by 2040.

Nuuly’s sustainability promises are a leetle more wishy washy. They upcycle damaged rentals through their Re_Nuuly line (though what percentage of damaged rentals, I’m not sure). Their rental totes are made from post-consumer plastic and will be recycled again at the end of their life.

I mean, to me neither one of these is incredibly compelling. But at least they have something to say about their efforts. And RTR’s is a bit more substantive.

Point RTR, but only by a little.

Aesthetic

If I had to overgeneralize, I’d sum up the style of RTR vs. Nuuly thusly: RTR is more timeless, sophisticated, and elegant. (Maybe even leaning on the slightly stodgy side.) Nuuly is on the other end of the spectrum: bright, vibrant, and patterned.

This criteria was a toss up, but I was feeling fun and frisky. So winning point Nuuly.

Sidney Batwing Blouse with 70’s Stove Pipe Jeans

How Does Nuuly Work?

Nuuly is a monthly subscription service. You sign up for $98 a month, and get 6 items to rent. An item could be anything – pants, a top, a dress, a coat, etc. Bonus items (i.e. any item above the 6 included in the plan) are $20 each.

Makes for a very fun package to receive

You purchase your subscription and then select your 6 items. Once you finalize your selections, your box goes into processing and you receive it a couple days later. At the end of the billing period, you use the included return label to ship your Nuuly items back. You can’t unlock your next box until you return your current box, meaning that (depending on where you live) you may experience up to a week of downtime between boxes.

You can also purchase any items you love for a very discounted price.

My Honest Nuuly Review

For a little background: I felt skeptical of the whole clothing rental concept prior to trying Nuuly. I couldn’t shake the feeling that spending money on something that just gets sent back feels a little silly. But after my two months of Nuuly I realized that there’s a lot of additional value beyond what first meets the eye. Here’s what I loved and didn’t love about my experience.

What I Loved

Nuuly is ideal for special occasions and travel. How many dresses or other fancywear do you have hanging in your closet that you wore to one wedding once? Or that you bought for a particular vacation and haven’t had an appropriate setting to wear since? For me, this is the true beauty of clothing rental: not having to buy and store items that in a perfect world would be one-and-done.

It’s fun to be trendy and dress exactly to the occasion. More often than not, when I’m wearing something from my own closet it’s kind of good enough for whatever setting. Rarely do I hit the nail on the head with matching my outfit perfectly to an event. But by renting, you can pick something that’s just right for the occasion, even if you’ll never have a reason to wear it again. Like the below velvety dress from Nuuly that was, if I do say so, *chef’s kiss* for an October Colorado wedding.

The Somerset Maxi Dress in Raspberry

Their customer service is top-notch. I truly was not trying to be a difficult customer just to test their customer service for this review. But it so happened that I reached out to Nuuly twice for help. First I asked them to apply my $15 off coupon to my account, which I had forgotten to enter before checkout. They resolved it in, no joke, 4 minutes flat on LABOR DAY. Later, I accidentally sent my shipment to the wrong address because I was traveling and the timing was off. I reached out and they were willing to eat the cost without question and re-ship it. I didn’t take them up on it but what an offer?! 10/10.

It’s actually fun to have something for a finite amount of time. It’s nice to feel empowered to wear the same thing many days a month because you only have it for a finite amount of time. (Why yes, I say that as someone who works from home.) It feels like you appreciate it all the more, and have one less decision to make that day.

It offers a chance to try new shapes/styles to see what works. It’s nice to get to really live in an article of clothing and decide what works and what doesn’t. I had been wanting a pair of joggers for a long time, and was able to try out a promising pair. I realized that exact pair wasn’t right, but I know what I’d do differently next time. So valuable!

Printed Buttondown Surf Shirt

What I Didn’t Love

It’s a very particular aesthetic. Nuuly is an URBN brand, so they’re part of the same parent company as Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and Free People. If you’re familiar with those brands, you’ll know the vibe: trendy, eclectic, colorful, bohemian, and a little whimsical. It’s a particular look, and sometimes it felt hard to find something that didn’t feel too bold or patterned or over-the-top for my style. So there were moments when I wished the mix had some more timeless and refined pieces. Also all the mini dresses! More power to the women who sport those but as a tall person, I cannnottt.

$98 can feel like a lot. I’m frugal-ish, so paying almost $100 a month for clothing I don’t get to keep is not something I’ll do on a rolling basis. It feels much more easily justifiable when I have upcoming events or gatherings that require specific attire.

The Bottom Line

I actually loved this experience. For me, at this point in my life, spending $100 a month only makes sense when I have a special occasion or vacation for which I’d be spending that or more to buy clothing anyway. But for an average month, I’m not stylish nor social enough to need a constant flow of new garments. It’s a treat and something I will definitely turn back on in the future.

I ordered the same dress in two colors for a wedding – opted for black

Nuuly Reviews from Others

We (I) love a well-rounded review around here. So in addition to my own take, here are thoughts from other Nuulyers, gathered from Reddit and Thingtesting.

Nuuly: Pros

Great user interface
Perfect for life events like pregnancy, when you may not need a size or style indefinitely
High quality items – some that arrive with tags still on
If you like the garment, you can buy it at a discounted price
Huge selection of outerwear and sweaters
Cleaning and repairs are included in the plan
Solid customer service
Reviews of garments from other Nuulyers help with picking proper size