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If you haven’t tried Rent the Runway (RTR) yet, you need to get into 2019! Today’s sharing culture means you never have to own a car, bicycle, vacation rental, or formal dress ever again. But if you’re new to Rent the Runway, the different choices for how to rent can be confusing to navigate.

With an abundance of weddings and parties around the corner, RTR is the perfect choice for a fancy outfit in a pinch. But while you can rent dresses à la carte, there are also several subscription options that you might want to consider. I previously wrote about 5 Reasons to Rent the Runway – today, I want to talk about each of the different plans RTR has created, which seem to change each year as they continue to tailor packages to consumers’ needs.

What rental options are available?

RTR Reserve

This is what Rent the Runway calls renting à la carte, and is the lowest level of commitment. It means that you rent what you want, when you want, for four or eight days at a time. It’s the easiest way to go if you only have a couple events a year. However, RTR charges $5 for insurance, and $9.95 for two-way shipping for each rental. That’s why you may want to consider…

A PRO subscription

This is a sound choice if you think you will use RTR more than once per year. It’s $29.95 for the annual subscription, covering insurance and all shipping for every rental you make during the year. Plus, you get a $30 coupon for a rental during your birthday month. If you make two rentals in a year, the subscription comes out even. If you rent any more than that, you’re saving money on insurance and shipping.

RTR Unlimited

This plan covers a constant rotation of four items that you can rent and return, or purchase, at any time. I actually canceled my Unlimited subscription last year because it was taking up my entire fun budget for the month. It used to be $129 and covered three items – now it’s $159 for four items. That’s pretty pricey, but if it fits your budget, go for it, because it’s a lot of fun! The only downside is that you are limited to what’s in stock at any time. It does feel like RTR keeps inventory for Unlimited subscribers separate from inventory reserved for à-la-carte renters – I have had days where nothing on my “Loves” list was available, and there are some premium items that seem to not be included in Unlimited – but they aren’t labeled as being exempt, so it’s hard to tell.

RTR Update

This subscription plan introduced last year also covers four items each month, but is only $89 – compared to the Unlimited program, that’s a great deal. The only difference is that you select and return all four items at the same time with Update, whereas with Unlimited, your items are on a constant rotating basis – you can rent two items now, one next week, and one the week after, etc. If I end up re-subscribing with RTR, this would be my choice.

If you’re interested in renting the runway, here’s my code for $30 off your first rental – full disclosure, I’ll get $30 off too!

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Photo Credit: Kristen Victoria Harner