I Tried Rent the Runway Unlimited. Here’s My Honest, Unbiased Review.

“I have nothing to wear.” Words that literally come out of my mouth every week. Let’s face it, we’d all love to have a brand new wardrobe with rotating options for every brunch, date, dinner, conference, wedding, etc. As much as I am a proud repeat outfit offender, my dream closet would enable me to never wear the same thing twice. Believe it or not, you can basically have this for $159 a month. You may have already heard of Rent the Runway Unlimited.

“Unlimited” is the subscription service of the popular one-time clothing rental company Rent the Runway (reviewed here before).   Rent the Runway Unlimited’s tagline is: “Buy less, wear more, see the difference.” It’s really the best of both worlds – buy fewer pieces, spend less money on your closet, never feel like you have nothing to wear ever again, and save some money (and the environment!) while you’re at it.

How Rent the Runway Unlimited works:

For a monthly membership fee of $159 (there are other tiers, but I recommend this option to get the most bang for your buck), you’re able to rent out 4 pieces at a time, hold on to them as long as you want, and when you’re ready, return them in exchange for new pieces. I’d always been curious about the service, but it wasn’t until my month of flying between LA and NYC that I realized I really needed a rotating closet.

Let’s face it, “business casual” means two different dress codes on the opposite coasts. Not to mention it really helped me cut down on how much I packed in my carry on every week. I was totally on board with the idea of more than doubling my wardrobe while not spending my entire paycheck on buying a bunch of new clothes I’d only wear once or twice. So here’s my honest take on Rent the Runway Unlimited. There are aspects of the program I LOVE, and some that could be improved.

The good…

+ Variety of brands and items 

As someone who loves designer clothes but doesn’t love the price tag that goes along with them, I was initially most intrigued by Rent the Runway’s value proposition (and the promise of no dry cleaning!). The best part is you can find something for every occasion. Have a special black-tie event? Your Unlimited Membership covers it, so you don’t have to shell out $300+ for a dress you’ll wear once. Going away for a trip in the middle of the winter? Check out the resort section for all of the warm weather clothes and accessories you need. Want to refresh your work wardrobe? There’s something available for every office dress code.

Even though my first foray with Rent the Runway was through their special occasion dresses, I found myself using the Unlimited service for blazers, jackets, and dresses for work more than anything. I’ve never received so many compliments on my work wardrobe!

Although I wouldn’t say everything available for rental was exactly my style, I was able to still find several pieces that I really loved. I thought the service was really great for on trend pieces – such as this gingham oversized blazer (worn in these photographs) or a leopard printed Equipment blouse. I know that if I were to purchase any of these items, I would probably only wear them a few times over a season and then they would start collecting dust in my closet. I’ll say I loved trying new styles, fits, and trends through Unlimited. The program also helped me redefine what pieces in my closet are actually basics or essentials – the pieces to buy and make sure they’re high quality, because you will wear them over and over again.

+ New inventory added regularly 

To the point above, it seemed like new items were being added to the catalog every single day. This is great because as the program continues to grow, they will need to have sufficient inventory on hand to make sure women of all different sizes and personal style are able to find exactly what they need. You have to be a bit of a hawk on the app (more on that below), but if you check the app regularly, you can oftentimes rent brand new items with the tag still on.

+ The app

I found the app to be seamless and super easy for me to favorite items so I could save them for a future date, organize them into different occasions, and exchange returned items for new pieces. On this note, be sure to save items you have your eye on (popular items tend to be unavailable, and when they appear in your size you want to be ready to snag them!). There are so many items available now, you do have to do some digging and have a good amount of backup options ready to go when it’s time to choose new pieces.

+ NYC Flagship Store

If you live in NYC and haven’t tried Unlimited yet, I highly recommend it!! Their brick and mortar retail store in the city makes it so easy to pick up and return items. Not to mention if you don’t want to wait for something to be shipped to you, you can shop directly in the store! Inventory is slightly limited, but it’s honestly perfect if you’re in a pinch. You can drop off items in the morning and pick up in the afternoon – no dry cleaning necessary.

+ NYC + East Coast Experience

In general, Unlimited is best on the east coast. Logistics have been locked down to a T and shipping turnaround times are super fast. If you plan accordingly, you can really maximize the number of items you are able to rent and exchange every month, making the program as cost effective as possible. (If you rent 4 items a week every week = 16 items/month = $1,600 – $5,000 in clothing and accessories a month, while only paying $159.)

+ The Price

This one may be a con, depending on your monthly shopping budget today. If you enjoy contemporary and higher-end brands that are often found in boutiques and department stores, chances are purchasing even just one item a month (on sale!) will run you more than $159. Doing the math quickly, it’s easy to see how an Unlimited membership would help you save on clothes. On the other hand, if you don’t spend as much on clothing, you might have a hard time justifying spending $159 a month and not having anything to show for it. It really depends on your budget and lifestyle.

…& the bad

+ West Coast shipping times

While I loved Unlimited in NYC, it’s an entirely different story on the west coast. With the shipping times as long as they are today, I have a hard time justifying the cost. I’ve had several shipping/logistic errors that have made the wait times in between items even longer. In fact, the very first order I submitted from Unlimited ended up being canceled multiple times (!!) due to items being out of stock after I had placed my order and received a confirmation. Resulting in a week-long wait before I received any items from Unlimited.

At this rate I would be able to receive two shipments a month – which really isn’t worth the $159/month price tag. I felt like I was waiting for items to arrive more often than I was actually wearing them. I know improved shipping times are in the works, so I am holding out hope that this will improve.

When I know I have a lot of events in a month, it’s still worth it to me to use Unlimited, even if I know I’ll only get a couple shipments. It all depends on your schedule and what you’re looking to get out of the clothes!

+ Out of stock items

A lot of styles that I had in my “favorites” were always out of stock. Yes, there is a lot of inventory, but if you’re slightly picky or particular about what you wear, you may have a hard time getting pieces you truly love from the program.

+ Customer service

This is a tough one to write, but I honestly have not had great experience with the customer service. It’s a bummer, because there were times when I really did feel like the company messed up and offered no apology. Again, this doesn’t take away from the overall experience so much – I’ve learned to maximize my Unlimited membership for ME and still find a ton of value in it.

At the end of the day, I really enjoyed Rent the Runway Unlimited. I also really look up to and admire their founders – Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss. If you have the chance I highly recommend Jennifer Hyman’s episodes on How I Built This. She is SO inspiring.

If I lived in NYC I would highly recommend the program. Hopefully, they figure out how to ship items to the west coast more quickly ; ). If you’re on the fence, I would definitely recommend trying it out. You can use my code RTRAMYZ for $100 off a 30-Day Trial of Unlimited and give it a try yourself. Let me know how you like it!