We Tested 5 Maternity Clothes Rental and Styling Sites—Here's Our Take

Nuuly offers monthly shipments of six items apiece, with the option to add additional items for $20 each. And of all the maternity rental services I tried, I found both the most up-to-date styles and the most high-quality brands on Nuuly. I particularly liked that I was able to try brands I had heard good things about, such as HATCH Collection and Beyond Yoga, but hadn’t until then tried myself. This was particularly impressive, since Nuuly wasn't one of the dedicated maternity services we tested, it's a rental clothing service that happens to offer maternity options. The only downside in the selection was that there weren’t many formal/dressy options on Nuuly.

My six Nuuly items arrived neatly packed in a fabric box that I would later use to ship the items back. I received a pair of dark gray/black Beyond Yoga maternity leggings (I could have lived in these forever), a gray sweater dress from Ingrid + Isabel that was brand-new with its tags still on, a very bright and fun neon orange button-up blouse, a black Ingrid + Isabel fitted sweater (I loved this one so much I ended up buying it!), a very cool looking dark olive-gray HATCH Collection jumpsuit and a chartreuse oversized sweater by Vero Moda.

The style of fit was a pretty wide range between the pieces I got—there was a pair of leggings on one end, and an oversized sweater on the other. Other than the very fitted Ingrid + Isabel sweater and the HATCH jumpsuit, which was cumbersome to take on and off (iykyk), I think all of these items would work throughout the duration of pregnancy.

I generally liked the style of all of my Nuuly pieces and found them to be great quality, current and in excellent condition. I also found Nuuly offered the most options in terms of sizes, had the biggest selection, offered the easier shipping and return process, and the most user-friendly website. Overall, a big win!

Using the Site

Nuuly made the ordering experience really easy. The website was very clear on how to select a plan and set up an account. I wasn't able to search by trimester (and don’t think that would have been helpful to me personally), but I was able to sort by my size within their maternity section. I was also able to sort by brand, which I really appreciated, because as I mentioned above, I really wanted to try HATCH Collection and Beyond Yoga—new-to-me brands I had heard great things about.

Nuuly’s website is incredibly clean and user-friendly, and I loved that most of the items had reviews that include photos of people who have actually worn them so you can get a real sense of what they look like on real bodies. I probably spent the most time on this site browsing the options just because they had such a good selection of on-trend and classic pieces, so it was really fun to browse.

Cancellation process

Although the ordering process was very easy, to cancel was a bit difficult and my first attempt didn’t go through and my card was charged. That being said, the Nuuly team was helpful in making sure I was refunded in a timely manner. It was very easy to return all the items (and I liked that you didn’t need to wash the items before doing so) using the nice fabric shipping box everything arrived in and the return label included with the original shipment.

Subscription options: Monthly | Number of items included: 6 items included, up to 4 add-ons at $20 apiece | Shipping fee: Free shipping and returns | Return policy: Standard rental returns (UPS prepaid)

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Armoire's service works a little like Netflix used to, back when they would ship you DVDs (you know, the really olden days). You can have up to a certain number of items at a time (depending on your plan), and swap them out every 30 days or, if you choose the unlimited plan, whenever you want. I thought that Armoire was a little lacking in options for maternity wear, but the maternity pieces they did have were stylish, classic and fun. They don’t offer many formal options or pieces that are strictly work-wear, but they do have pieces that can work in multiple settings and for occasions, like versatile pants, sweaters and basic long-sleeved tees.

I received four items from Armoire: a long button down, a collared blue sweater, a pair of black trousers, a faux-suede shirt (non-maternity, but sized up from my usual size) that could also be worn as a light jacket and a long-sleeved striped tee shirt. The fit of the items varied. Three of my original choices didn’t work at all, so I ended up exchanging them. Of the four items that I ended up wearing, the sweater fit well, while the pants needed to be pulled up fairly frequently. I wound up with two sized-up shirts—one was (unsurprisingly) too large, but I liked the suede shirt/jacket’s fit—impressive, considering it wasn't a dedicated maternity piece.

Overall I thought the pieces were really stylish, which was kind of surprising given the rather limited selection on the website. Each piece seemed very new, and the striped shirt even arrived with a new tag on so that was kind of exciting. I don’t think Armoire offers the best value for money in terms of rental clothing services, because you only get four pieces in each rental with the basic plan, which is comparable in price to the other services we tested.

Using the site

It was fairly easy to sign up for Armoire and select a plan, but I didn’t find the browsing experience to be the most user-friendly. For example, once you select certain filters, it's very difficult to find a way to remove them. There was an option to search for maternity, but the selection was rather limited and not further broken down by trimester or body type. I found that sizing was pretty limited and overall, I didn’t find enough pieces I loved to fill a case, which is why I ordered one non-maternity item in a larger size.

Cancellation Process

The clothes arrived quickly, within five days of ordering, which was nice for swapping out items. I didn’t love that the mailer wasn’t reusable, so when it came time to return the pieces, I needed to find my own mailer. And it was fairly easy to cancel my Armoire membership—honestly, the only really challenging thing was figuring out how to swap items. But Armoire’s customer service was really phenomenal, and when I emailed with questions a real person responded to me within minutes and was incredibly helpful.

Subscription options: Monthly | Number of items included: 4 items with swaps every 30 days, 7 items with swaps every 30 days or 6 items with unlimited swaps | Shipping fee: Free shipping and returns | Return policy: Free returns

Stitch Fix is a clothing service that uses stylists to select clothing options for you based on a series of questions you answer about your style, life and body. It's important to note that this site is an exception in this roundup—it isn’t a rental service. Stitch Fix mails you their suggestions, and you keep (and pay for) the ones you like, returning the rest. I received seven items from Stitch Fix tailored for maternity and postpartum: a maternity/nursing sweatshirt and sweatpants set by Nom, a white Beyond Yoga maternity long sleeved tee, a mock turtleneck green maternity long sleeved top by Gilli, a pair of over-the-bump bootcut jeans by Kan Can and a blue sweater that could work before, during and after pregnancy.

Because Stitch Fix uses stylists, you don’t get to choose your clothes yourself, which is either super appealing or undesirable, depending on who you are. I personally like to pick my own clothes so in all honesty, this probably isn't the service for me. But I can definitely see how it could be fun for others who don’t like shopping, want help with their style or just like to be surprised. The website tries to get close to your style by asking a lot of questions, but I found there were a lot of misses. While Stitch Fix has some trendy brands, there are also a lot of “no name” brands that seem made for a wholesaler, and they tend to have cheap fabrics and cuts.

That's not to say there's any risk of getting stuck with something cheap. With Stitch Fix you only pay for what you keep. If they send you something you don't want, you just send it back, and at worst, if you don't like anything, you're only out a $20 styling fee. So I'd say that for someone who finds the service appealing, it's a good value for the money, and would make a really nice gift idea.

Using the site

Stitch Fix’s website makes ordering kind of fun, in that you don’t select specific items, you fill out a very detailed and involved style profile and answer questions about your personal style, clothing preference, body and more. You get to see sample outfits and specific pieces, and say if you would wear them or not, and also tell them what you love to highlight or downplay in your style and body. Using the information you provide, a Stitch Fix stylist selects clothing options for you. Subscriptions are available but not required (you can order one box and call it a day), and extremely flexible. You can arrange for boxes to arrive every two weeks, monthly, quarterly—it's up to you.

Cancellation Process

I actually sent back my first box, or “fix” as Stitch Fix calls it, because I wasn’t happy with the selections (there was a lot of polyester). Doing so was super easy and I appreciated that the original box sent to me included a pre-paid shipping label and clean return shipping bag. Likewise, cancelling a subscription was quick and easy to navigate on the website.

Subscription options: Set by user | Number of items included: 5 | Shipping fee: Free shipping and returns | Return policy: Free returns

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Fellow mom-to-be Asleigh tried out the popular rental clothing company, Rent the Runway, and shared her experiences with us for this article. An OG in the field of rental clothing services, Rent the Runway originally was known for its occasion-wear rentals (i.e. your go-to when you needed a gown for a black-tie function, but you're only going to need it for one night) and expanded to include streetwear and maternity wear.

Ashleigh’s rental included five items: a brown and black printed chiffon maternity dress that she found airy and perfect for the holidays, a knitted sweater vest, an oversized turtleneck brown sweater, a tweed blazer, and a black dress. Overall, she was impressed with the service’s broad range of options, especially for late pregnancy when getting dressed can feel like a real challenge. "The clothing is very on-trend," she tells us, adding that "the selection is size inclusive, although a lot of sizes were out of stock." She noted that the brand is stronger on its selection of dresses than it is on pants and everyday basics, which you might expect considering the site's origins.

Ashleigh was very happy with how quickly her order arrived. "I received them on my doorstep only after two days of ordering," she says. This was particularly important because depending on the type of order you place, Rent the Runway might only allow you to keep the items between four and eight days, which felt very rushed to her. "That makes me feel like I would only want the service when I had special events, and not every day wear," she says. (This turnaround is only for one-off rentals though—when you have a subscription, items can be kept for a full month.)

On the whole, Ashleigh thought Rent the Runway was worth the price, as the service offered her high quality, stylish clothing (that arrived on hangers!) without the commitment of buying tons of new pieces. "Most pieces were versatile enough to dress up or down for work, casual outings, or social events," she says. "Some felt more fashion forward than others, but all were contemporary, with the most streamlined pieces appearing the most stylish." But given the short rental window for one-off orders, she thought using Rent the Runway for maternity wear would be particularly valuable if you have a lot of events coming up (like holiday parties or summer weddings), rather than just for everyday wear.

Using the Site

Ashleigh found Rent the Runway’s website easy to use and noted the helpful filters, including maternity and trimester options, that make finding items faster, and especially appreciated that the website not only had a "true" maternity section, but also a section where items weren't specifically maternity but still could be used as such.

She also liked the useful customer reviews. However, she did note that availability of specific pieces can be inconsistent and choosing items may take time due to frequent out of stock issues and limited inventory. She says, "I had to make multiple changes for selections as they would say out of stock as I was navigating."

Cancellation Process

Cancellation could be easier; it's not immediate, or single-click like it is on some other sites. When you first choose to stop the subscription, the system initially encourages you to pause your membership for a month or two, depending on when you attempt to cancel. After that, you can proceed with full cancellation, although pausing and cancelling are two separate steps. You'll also have to navigate a few pop-ups during the cancellation process that offer you discount codes as an enticement to stay.

Returns, on the other hand, were extremely simple. The clothes came with prepaid packaging that could be used to ship them back, and Ashleigh reports that "Communication was clear, and I received confirmation once the items arrived, making the process smooth and reliable."

Subscription options: Monthly | Number of items included: 5, 10, 20 or 30 | Shipping fee: Free shipping and returns | Return policy: Free returns, optional home pickup in select cities

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