The rental revolution
We know that keeping your children clothed as they grow and grow can be a real challenge. Both in terms of the cost, as well as deciding what to do with clothes that are no longer needed.
Renting your children's wardrobe, or joining a 'clothing club', is a growing trend that offers parents a way to save money and reduce their environmental impact. Win-win!
Read on to discover more, including finding out why Kite is a great choice for rental businesses as well as meeting our fabulous partners.
Why rent?
Babies and children grow so fast that they frequently need new things to wear, often when the clothes they have outgrown are still in good, wearable condition.
Renting allows you and others to wear and share near-perfect clothes many times over, providing them with a new home and helping to reduce the volume of clothes that go to landfill. According to WRAP, an estimated £140 million worth of clothing is thrown away in the UK each year, much of which still has plenty of life left.
The great news is that when you rent clothes you can also save money - some estimates suggest it could be as much as 65-75% of the cost of buying new.
How does it work?
Rental businesses or 'clothing clubs' have various ways to help you enjoy the right garments for your little ones.
Most offer regular subscriptions, allowing you to choose and rent piece by piece or by bundle.
Worried about wear and tear? Great news! This is expected so typically you don't need to worry if an accident happens as you won't be charged extra.
After you’ve returned your clothes, the rental business quality checks and launders them to a very high standard before sharing with another family.
Kite and rental
We're delighted to be told that Kite is a favourite amongst rental companies and customers alike.
Our thoughtfully designed styles can be worn and washed again and again, which is a rental win-win.
We also have a shared mission to reduce the environmental impact of clothing, and rental is a great step on this journey.
For you, renting can also be a good way to get your hands on Kite styles that are no longer available to buy. You'll find both fab vintage styles and newer designs available from our partners.
Meet our rental partners
We're so happy to work with a number of rental partners who share our ethical values and drive for sustainability.
Graceful changes is a small, ethically and environmentally conscious, family business that was established to help reduce waste and save parents time and money.
They make beautiful, organic clothing more affordable and help to reduce all the ‘stuff’ that accumulates around a tiny baby.
Rent from newborn to 7 years.
thelittleloop offers the choice of over 12,000 pieces curated from the best, ethical, wear-and-tearable brands.
With unlimited swaps and insurance included, you'll always have the clothes you need (and love).
Rent from 12 months to 12 years, and footwear too.
Belles and Babes was launched to provide a convenient service to parents, as well as a more circular, sustainable solution to the problem of babies constantly outgrowing their clothing.
Rent for baby, maternity and nursing.
Qookeee is a circular baby closet designed to make renting baby clothes simple.
Set up like an online retail store, parents can choose anything from just a few items to a whole wardrobe, add to cart and checkout to rent their unique baby bundle.
Rent from 0-24 months.
9plus1 was born from the need to make the baby clothes market more sustainable, by offering a service that helps parents save time, space and money but offering them the clothes that are ethically manufactured and high quality.
Fun fact, one of the founders is actually a climate change scientist!
Rent from 0-18 months.
