How renting saves time, money, people and the planet

How renting saves time, money, people and the planet

Compared to buying cheap babygrows and then throwing them in the bin, renting baby clothes will only(!) help you save the planet and the people on it. But if you’re already looking for a more sustainable way of shopping and are looking at secondhand or sustainably made new clothes, renting has even more great benefits. 

Save time vs shopping secondhand

If you’ve been spending time trawling through the endless second hand clothing sites, you’ll know it can be really difficult to find the clothes you need, that you also like, in the right size, at the right time. There are loads of cheap high street bundles available but if you’re looking for something a bit more stylish, then it can take ages to find the right thing. Not to mention the time it takes to list and manage items if you’re selling them on. Rental makes it easy as there’s just one place where you can find all the clothes you need for your little one with a great selection of beautiful, sustainable brands. Then just post them back with the prepaid returns label when you’re finished. So you’ve got even more time to spend having those tiny cuddles.

Capsule wardrobe of baby clothes

Save money vs shopping new

You might have noticed that new organic cotton baby clothes are not cheap. There are perfectly good reasons for this - see our post here on Why organic cotton is best. But it does mean that you could end up paying £445 for a fairly modest 18 item wardrobe in one size. That’s £1780 on clothes in your baby’s first year. Whereas when you rent with Borro, we charge around 10% of the retail price per month. Seeing as you only need each item for about three months, you’ll only ever pay around 30% of the retail price. Which gives you a saving of £1246 in your first year! That’s a pretty nice holiday... 

Save space

You may have noticed that babies, although small, take up a lot of space. Cot, bouncer, playmat, toys, clothes… And unless you are very organised, soon enough your loft will be stuffed full of too small clothes which need to be sorted then stored, or donated, or gifted, or recycled - phew! Whereas with rental you just have the clothes you need, when you need them. 

Baby wearing organic cotton shirt playing with toys

Save the planet

To get into the nitty gritty of this you can read more about exactly why Renting is sustainable, but briefly:  

  • Renting, in the same way as resell, reduces the need for new clothes
  • Unlike resell, renting extends the lifespan of a garment with professional cleaning and repairs
  • Renting keeps clothes in constant circulation, not idling in the loft, reducing the demand for new items
  • Renting organic cotton is much better for the environment than conventional cotton
  • Many of the clothes donated to charity shops are shipped overseas where they harm developing countries’ economies by flooding them with cheap goods. We take care of the whole lifecycle of a product, recycling it locally when it’s no longer wearable.

Save people

At Borro we only stock brands who use sustainable materials and who care about the way their clothes are made. This means a better life for farmers and garment workers whose great skill actually creates the clothes we take for granted. To find out more about the ethical practices for each brand, read Our brands page.

Garment worker in factory
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Receive Credit For Your Unwanted Clothes

Tired of the endless cycle of kids outgrowing their clothes and wondering what to do with them? Our Sort Out Sack is your easy way to clear space and earn credit!

Receive £5 Borro credit guaranteed for every full bag we receive. PLUS £5 Borro credit for every organic item in excellent condition

Get Credit For Clothes

Questions?

Why Borro clothes?

Renting means less waste, more wardrobe flexibility and no more piles of outgrown clothes. It’s a smarter, more sustainable way to dress your little ones.

With Borro, you get high-quality kidswear without the commitment, just what you need, when you need it. Helping you save time, save money, and save the planet.

What about stains?

Don't panic! Let us worry about the stains. Stain insurance is included. Obviously it's best to prevent stains if you can, or treat them as soon as possible. But we will never charge you.

If the garment can't be saved, it will be upcycled or recycled. Nothing ever goes to landfill, and we'll never charge you.

Subscription & exchanges

Subscription

All the clothes are individually priced and there's no minimum amount or set subscription - we're flexible!

Rent as many/few things as you like and you'll see at checkout what your monthly subscription will be. (If you want us to pick out a coordinated bundle of 10 items for you, it's £29/month).

Exchanges

We know little ones grow as fast as the weather changes! You don't need to return your previous order to order new clothes, so simply send back items whenever you no longer have a need for them, and add any new items to your subscription, by adding them to your basket and checking out.

Delivery & returns

Delivery

Your order will be packed and dispatched the next working day. Delivery takes 2-3 working days.

Returns

Pop them inside the bag/box they came in, attach the free pre-paid returns label, then drop off at your nearest Evri ParcelShop.

We only include one pre-paid returns label per order, so if you choose to send just some of an order back and the rest later, you will need to pay for the postage of the second return. 

Once we've received your items we will amend your subscription so you only pay for what you've got.

We recommend returning items 4-5 days before your subscription renews in order to allow enough time for delivery and processing to avoid your next monthly payment going out. If you're a few days late, you can always cancel online (use the link in the order confirmation email). As long as we receive the clothes within the next few days, that's fine.

Sustainability

At Borro we maximise the use of each item of clothing by providing a service that ensures it's well maintained, repaired and enjoyed by as many families as possible.

So if a garment is used by 6 different users, the global warming potential is 49% less, with a CO2e (kg) per user of 1.18, instead of 2.29.

All Frequently Asked Questions