Top 3 Maternity REntal Services
It’s fun to shop at maternity boutiques and find clothing items that help you rock that bump with confidence. It’s less fun to realize you’re spending tons of money stuffing your closet with clothes you’ll only wear for a few months. The truth is, even if you plan on going through more than one pregnancy, there’s a good chance you’ll either: a) not want to wear the same few outfits all throughout another pregnancy (that can get boring), and/or b) your next pregnancy will fall at a slightly different time of year making some more seasonal outfits useless. What’s a girl to do? We suggest checking out maternity clothing rentals!
Maternity clothing rental services can infuse more variety into your wardrobe without requiring you to dip into your babymoon fund to purchase each individual item. Borrowing bump-friendly attire seems especially ideal for women who work in an office every day and need a number of rotating outfit options to look polished (think shirts, skirts, trousers, and dresses you like enough to wear to work but don’t love so much that you’d feel disappointed when sending them back). Renting is also perfect if you have an upcoming wedding or event that will require you to wear a special outfit, cocktail dress or gown. No one wants to spend lots of money on something they’ll literally wear for a few hours!
It’s also worth noting that most maternity clothing rental services allow you to purchase any items you borrow and love too much to send back. After researching the maternity rental services out there, we rounded up three of the most popular options.
Le Tote
Le Tote offers a few different memberships with a monthly fee that you pay in exchange for receiving a customized “tote” filled with maternity clothing items for moms-to-be to borrow. After signing up for the service, the folks at Le Tote will style your tote for you, but if you’re not thrilled about any item they’ve selected, you can browse their inventory and swap in anything you’d prefer to receive in the tote before it ships. Their maternity plans start at $69 per month (the more you pay, the more items you receive in each tote). The one we tried was $79 per month which got us 2-3 boxes over the course of the month with 4 clothing items in each shipment.
We received some dresses we really liked, but others were simply not our taste or style, and went straight back to Le Tote without wearing them; it felt kind of “hit or miss”. But we have friends who loved using Le Tote, particularly for supplying them with a constant stream of outfit options for their business casual jobs. Either way, it’s pretty exciting to receive totes of new clothes in the mail to try, and if you truly aren’t happy with this pregnancy dress rental, you can cancel your membership at any time.
Rent the Runway
Rent the Runway is probably the most well-known rental service for both regular clothing and maternity rentals, and is especially popular for individual pregnancy dress rental for special occasions. When figuring out how to best dress the bump during her pregnancy, our "Ask a Stylist" contributor Liz Teich decided not to spend a lot on maternity clothes (opting for hand-me-downs and less expensive basics), but did splurge on a subscription to Rent the Runway’s Unlimited service. For $159/month, you can receive four items at a time (either choose a size or two up from their regular clothing inventory or pick options from their maternity styles) and send them back whenever you’re ready for a new item.
Although a pricier option, Rent the Runway tends to feature more stylish, higher-end designer pieces that true fashionistas appreciate. They also offer a less expensive monthly service plan (receive 4 items a month) as well as their famous pay-as-you-rent Reserve program (perfect for borrowing that special wedding guest or gala dress!).
Mine for Nine
This rental service works a little differently in that there are no monthly memberships with a set number of items you’re allowed to borrow each month. Instead, browse their inventory of maternity clothes (starting around $20 per item plus shipping, which is free over $75) and when you find an item you like, you decide if you want to rent it or buy it. Whether you choose one special item or a bunch of wardrobe essentials to rent, you can borrow them for a month (you’ll be recharged if you decide you’d like to keep them longer). The only exception is evening gowns in which case you’ll just have 14 days to wear and return the item.
The service feels very flexible, for example, you can reserve items for a future date, pay a little extra to receive multiple sizes, and return any rental that doesn’t fit for a store credit. It’s a super convenient option if you really know what you need to borrow (ex: a winter coat) and want a flexible commitment. A lot of reviewers note their large inventory of chic pantsuits and polished work-appropriate attire – so business moms-to-be, keep that in mind!
Want more options?
Interested in renting maternity clothing for the next nine months but want to research a few more choices? Check out these other rental services:
Please email us with any questions or to suggest your favorite products to use during pregnancy at info@nurtured9.com.
Looking for products to help you feel your absolute best during pregnancy? Visit The Nurtured 9 Pregnancy Shop for our expertly curated luxurious, natural, and non-toxic maternity essentials across beauty, mind, and body for a more comfortable, soothing, and all-around happier pregnancy.