How rental ‘libraries of things’ have become the new way to save money
Borrow anything from tools for a one-off DIY job, to trying out an air fryer before you buy. Photograph: Justin Thomas
A year into motherhood and I can confirm two things: babies grow too fast and clothing them is an expensive business.
My solution has been to rent my daughter Stella’s wardrobe. Warm coats, swimming costumes, sleepsuits, sandals – all can be borrowed for a monthly subscription from any number of services such as Bundlee, Lullaloop and thelittleloop, amongst others.
Through Or Collective, I pay £36 a month for 10 items, which I can keep until Stella outgrows them, the season shifts or I just fancy a change. The clothes turn up in the post and some are brand-new with tags.
Clothes rental for children is one of the latest chapters in how “libraries of things” are becoming an increasingly common way to save money, space and waste. The theory is simple: instead of buying a household item or a piece of clothing or some equipment you might use once or twice, you take it out and return it.
The London-based Library of Things opened three new locations across the city this year and are planning two more. Co-founder Rebecca Trevalyan says their mission is to make “borrowing better than buying”.
“We really want to make rental go mainstream, make it more affordable, convenient and socially rewarding than buying something from Amazon,” she says.
There are many success stories of previous borrowers from her locations. One person hired a metal detector to hunt down the wedding ring they lost when camping in Sussex and found it within 20 minutes. Another rented a planer at £11 a day to fix two doors in her flat after being quoted £245 for a handyman to come in and do the three hour job.
In Wales, Benthyg Cymru runs a network of more than two dozen libraries across the country. And Edinburgh’s Tool Library has thousands of options to choose from. In Bath, you can book in a cargo bike delivery and collection to pick up your item from its Share and Repair shop.
‘We want rental to go mainstream … to make it more affordable, convenient and socially rewarding than buying from Amazon’
Rebecca Trevalyan, Library of Things
All libraries have a selection of items that people may normally find too bulky, expensive or not useful enough to buy. Some are keen to try something to see if it’s worth the investment. The number one most popular thing to borrow is a carpet cleaner, followed by a cordless drill and a hand sander, according to Trevalyan.
You can borrow a projector and a popcorn machine for cinema nights, a speaker and PA system for parties. “In summer we see a lot more garden items being used: strimmers, hedge trimmers, lawn mowers, tents for adventuring, ice cream makers and gazebos for barbecues,” says Trevalyan.
Typically, users browse the items online then choose a location and date to collect them. Unlike a library of books, there are fees, charged daily. A handheld pressure washer is £12 a day, while garden shears are £3.50 with the Library of Things. Each listing shows how bulky and heavy the item is to get home.
“An air fryer came in recently – there’s been an air fryer craze, and we wanted to introduce it so that people could see if they really did want to buy one,” says Trevalyan.
One in 10 people now chooses to rent rather than buy brand-new, a rising number since 2022, according to figures from Barclaycard Payments and economic analysts Development Economics.
Linda Weston, managing director of Barclaycard Payments, says the rising cost of living and a move towards more sustainable habits are shifting shopping habits. “Our data shows we’re increasingly opting to shop second-hand, or rent items for a short period of time, rather than buying outright. The trend is permeating a range of sectors, from childcare to pet care and from fashion to fitness.”
A number of new companies and off-shoots of existing brands have emerged hoping to capitalise on the trend. Wilko has just launched “Wilkohire”, where customers can borrow tools, painting and decorating, gardening or landscaping equipment. Schuh works with Hirestreet, a popular clothes rental website, to rent out footwear.
Interrupted Art offers paintings, drawings and photography on subscription. You can order a new work, delivered and hung in your home before being swapped for something else, every 10 weeks, for £66 a month.
There are clearly savings on offer, as long as you are happy not to own items or want to resell them when they are out of use.
According to Or Collective’s website, I have saved £640 over the past two months. Not that I would have ever spent that much – the clothes I borrow from brands such as Bobo Choses and Tinycottons are much pricier than I’d ever be able to justify, which is part of the service’s appeal. My daughter is far better dressed than I am as a result. That said, you can buy them at a reduced price if you become particularly attached.
Now we need bigger toys so I’ve signed up to Whirli, a subscription service to a toy library, to borrow a walker and climbing frame. Meanwhile, companies such as Baboodle let you hire bulky equipment – for example, travel cots, bouncers, buggies and high chairs – so that after a few months of use, you won’t need to buy a semi-detached home with a garage to store it all.