Rent The Runway reviews and discussion

I love that you can rent a designer dress for a fraction of the cost! It's an amazing business model! However, some of the rentals are pretty expensive. I remember first using RTR 10 years ago and it's way more expensive now. However, they have a great selection of clothing available. I use it for every wedding I go to.

I didn’t just rent, I purchased a beautiful dress for a fraction of its original cost, which allowed me to personalize my alterations. No sense in getting designer when it’s not fitted for the best effect. Got lots of compliments and I get to wear this for another fancy summer wedding. Love searching their site for new ideas.

So I just hit my one-year “anniversary” working a customer service job at Rent the Runway. Whenever friends or family ask if they should use Rent the Runway, I tell them to run as fast as they can. The whole thing is a grift. Let’s pretend the clothes arrive clean, in good condition, and on time—which they often don’t. Even if they did, the inventory is an absolute joke. The last time I logged onto the website they only had 20 ugly purses available, for example. And all of them looked cheaper than something you could find at Target. There should be at least 200 bags. Jewelry is nonexistent and cheap looking. Most of the clothes look like Walmart clearance bin rejects—not even nice Walmart stuff, just the crap no one wanted. The “runway” in Rent the Runway is a straight-up lie. Maybe you’ll see a few old Diane von Furstenberg pieces, but most are unrecognizable names. Forget Gucci, Prada, or any actual luxury brands. Even when I scroll through the listings, maybe 1 in 20 things are remotely cute—and that’s being generous. The rest is bottom-barrel junk. On top of that, they rarely rotate their inventory. I’ve seen the same tired, ugly clothes listed since I started one year ago. And if you do find something you like? Good luck—it’s probably unavailable. Everything cute is always out of stock, so you’re stuck picking through leftovers that look like they came from a thrift store bin. And speaking of thrift stores—let’s talk condition. Half the clothes show up wrinkled, reeking of BO, or even cigarette smoke. Some are ripped, stretched out, or stained. Customers constantly call in complaining about receiving filthy, damaged items. We’re required to lie and say all items go through an “extensive cleaning process.” Total BS. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the stuff is just pulled from the return bag and stuffed into a new one with zero inspection and without getting cleaned at all. Nothing about it feels hygienic or quality-controlled. Next issue: shipping. There are two types of orders: memberships (monthly rentals) and one-time rentals (for events like weddings or galas). One-time rentals are especially risky. I’d say at least 30–50% of the time, the item shows up late—or not at all. We ship with UPS, so delays happen constantly, plus inventory issues where the item won’t be available and the customer only finds out the day before. Items get lost, arrive after the event, or get delivered to the hotel after the customer has already checked out. Even with memberships, delays and missing packages are daily occurrences. I talk to customers who ordered a week in advance for a trip, and nothing shows up. And while we blame UPS, the truth is: Rent the Runway has never figured out a reliable logistics system. Let’s be real: you’d be better off going to Goodwill. At least there, you can try stuff on, know it fits, and keep it. The quality would be the same—or better—and it won’t smell like armpits or cigarettes. And fit is a whole other mess. If something doesn’t fit, the customer has to go through a “fit exchange,” which means waiting even longer and hoping the replacement fits better—which it usually doesn’t. It’s a logistical nightmare that isn’t worth the effort. Back in March, the company promised they were “doubling inventory” and adding “new designers.” Total lie. I just checked the site—same old crap. Two pages of shirts, max. Nothing new, nothing special. And honestly? I think they’re going under. They went public a couple years ago and have since lost 90% of their stock value. We’re losing customers like crazy. I’d estimate 80% of my calls are people canceling because they’re sick of getting late, smelly, worn-out clothes. So yeah. Scam company. Miserable job. Dumpster-fire business model. And a billionaire CEO who clearly couldn’t care less.

RTR has been really helpful for a few events. I used it for 2 galas and 1 themed birthday party (tropical disco) and had great experiences with the customer service and style selection! Receiving the same style in 2 sizes has been really important since different brands use different sizing. I appreciate that RTR includes 2 sizes in the price for 1 style. Each time I've "rented the runway" I get SO many compliments! Part of this is probably because I want to make my RTR money/experience count so I get styles I wouldn't normally wear. I'm interested in the monthly membership but haven't pulled the trigger on this yet. I have friends who do this and love it but I'm too dedicated to my existing closet at the moment. My pregnant sister just started the monthly membership to rent maternity clothes and I honestly believe this is the most valuable part of Rent the Runway.

I used to like RTR but the last few times I’ve done it, not great. It’s cheaper than buying, sure, but the last dress I got tore at the shoulder seam the first time I tried it in, and there was no time to get a replacement due to their short window of how long you can keep items. Same thing happened to a friend. I’ve also received dresses that were pilling. Overall, it feels unreliable- that you can count on it to be perfect for your big occasion. I did end up wearing the sparkle dress in the picture. Didn’t love it bc the straps were too long and not supportive and my arms rubbed against the sequins and gave me a rash (super fun)

I had the middle-tier plan which was for 4 pieces / 2 exchanges. Also, please note I have used RTR twice before and had gotten the hang of their system, which was a little confusing at first. I had rented 4 pieces for the first half of the month and then swapped on March 13th. I returned 3 pieces the next day and selected 3 new pieces to be shipped to me for a special occasion on the 17th. When the 17th rolled around, I realize my order hadn't shipped. I checked with RTR, and they said it hadn't shipped because I needed to fill one more spot. I was confused, knowing that my plan only included 4 pieces at a time, that was what I selected. They then informed me that there was a brand new feature where they had added an extra spot that month, so now I would have a total of 5, and it doesn't ship until all slots are filled. Unfortunately, I missed the occasion I needed for and I was leaving the country by the time any shipment could reach me. So now, because of timing, I can't use my swap. I asked for some sort of partial refund since it was THEIR tech add that was outside the normal scope, which caused me to not have my shipment go through. Customer service replied, "I'm afraid that our membership charges are nonrefundable, so I won't be able to refund for part of the plan fee." To save a few bucks, they've lost a customer for life.

The gown was beautiful and exactly what I wanted to wear. I felt like a million bucks without having to buy it!

I really enjoyed rent the runway. Thoroughly recommend for any working gal! Great Variety of casual to formal, vacation to workplace attire! Super cute accessories as well. I’m the kind of girl who likes to change her wardrobe out seasonally and this was great for that.

I really enjoyed rent the runway it’s a cute little company and a great idea and concept. Do not have to spend all of your money on clothes that you need just once anyway it’s very fun and I recommend anyone try their services. You won’t be disappointed.

I used to use Rent the Runway all the time in college, but their prices have become too expensive for me to keep them. I do love it when they do their closet clearout & sell some of their used pieces! This would be a really nice gift subscription to receive.

I have always had a good experience renting the runway for special occasions like prom, weddings, etc. One time I got a dress two days before a big event that didn't fit me and they let me swap it out for free at the NYC store and it was such a relief.

I have been using Rent the Runway for a couple years now, mainly in the renting for special events capacity. I have not ever converted to the subscription. When Rent the Runway delivers, it delivers but I have in the past found it not entirely reliable. At least a few times, I've ordered a dress for a time sensitive event and gone to pick it up from the store and it wasn't there. You're then told to pick something out from the store, obviously that is not ideal.

Love love love rent the runway. I’ve had a membership in the past and it was actually the best. It was particularly beneficial when I was at a work conference for a week because I don’t have “on trend” business clothes anymore. Additionally, it’s amazing for wedding seasons because you can get a Friday night outfit and accessories plus the wedding look. Finally, loved my membership for coats during winter. I hesitate buying trendy coats because they’re expensive but with the membership I could try anything I wanted. Rent the runway makes super expensive items more accessible.

This company cause ld me a lot of stress. It’s great that you can get a second size, but I was always nervous that it could get lost in the mail and I will be charged. I stopped using them all together when some of the items looks like they had been washed 1 million times and we’re fraying or faded …

My experience with rent the run way has been very positive. Every item I’ve received has been in great condition and looks brand new. It’s saved me hundreds of dollars as I like to rent for special occasions like weddings where I need a dress I’ll likely only wear once.

I've used Rent the Runway a couple times to rent dresses as a wedding guest. It was an easy process and I appreciated that I could order two sizes in case one didn't fit. However, I frequently find the styles offered very "safe." I like to stand out and feel like I'm expressing a sense of style. The styles offered at RtR make me feel like I'm just fitting in.

I used the monthly service for a couple of months and really loved it! It just got to be too expensive for me. Never had any issues with the clothes and even thought about keeping some dresses!

I used this religiously when I attended school dances. My family found it to be the easiest and cheapest route to have nice dresses for special occasions. Especially considering that later on I might not even fit them anymore and that my style would change as I grew up.

I've been a customer on and off for a few years! The process has changed *a ton* due to covid and post covid inflation and supply chain challenges, plus their IPO-- I expected all that, but some of their policies can be a little less user friendly than they were in the RTR glory days (2018-2019). All in all, this is still an awesome way to experiment, discover new clothing brands and get a feel for how they fit you, and to purchase discounted clothing and accessories that you already know you love and fit/hold up well.

It’s a really smart concept and it definitely led the charge for similar services. The clothing on the site is so exciting and other services now offer items that are a little more “hip”