An honest review of the new Infinitely LOFT subscription rental service. Is it for you?

If you’re into the idea of staying out of stores but still keeping your wardrobe up to date, we may have a new option for you beyond StitchFix and Rent the Runway. I’ve recently had a chance to try out Infinitely LOFT, which allows you to borrow 3 items from LOFT’s extensive collection at a time, exchanging or buying them at your convenience, for a reasonable monthly fee. Kind of like Gwynnie Bee only all the clothes are from one brand.

Here are the full details on how the Infinitely LOFT program works, and whether or not its for you.

Related: Is Stitch Fix worth it? Two brutally honest reviews with different conclusions.

Signing up is easy

Getting started with Infinitely LOFT is very easy. You simply sign up and add 8 items to your “closet” from their collection. No extensive questionnaire about your style preferences to fill out — which is a pro or a con, depending on how picky you are.

As soon as you’ve chosen 8 items you want to try, the service will send you the first three. When you want to return them,  just log back into your account and let them know they’re on the way. Infinitely LOFT will go ahead and prep your next batch of 3 items to send your way.

There’s a range of sizes and styles. Or, a LOFT range at least.

You can choose from LOFT’s new arrivals, including petite, tall, and plus size, and even maternity items to add to your “closet” online. Yay for a size-inclusive option!

I really like that they let you add from any category to the same closet — so if you want some maternity items and some plus size dresses, you can do that too, no limitations. So I think this especially great for women whose bodies don’t match a single perfect type, should you want a mix of plus sizes and regular sizes.

I spotted some business suits and cocktail dresses among the options too, making this a great service for a mom like me who works, but not in a traditional office. I don’t need to own a suit, but having the ability to borrow one when an important meeting is coming up is great.

(Plus, when that important meeting comes up my suit will actually be in style not the 10-year-old version still in the back of my closet.)

Related: How to make money and save money with the best online consignment shops

You have more control over what gets sent to you

You have the option to add a”priority” status to the items in your closet that you’d like to receive first. If there’s something you really want for an event coming up, I recommend only marking that one item a priority. I did find that when I marked 2 to 3 items as priority together, they didn’t necessarily arrive together.

What you get next is based on what’s available to send you, so prioritize one thing at a time if it’s that important.

There is no style quiz, as I mentioned, however when you return an item, you’re able to give some feedback — did you wear it and love it? Did you just try it on once and never wear it out? Do you want to buy it? This helps the Infinitely LOFT folks hone the selections for you over time, so you’re seeing more of the type of items you’ll actually like.

Are the items pre-worn? Well, of course.

One of the reasons this service is so affordable is that as with all other similar services, the items are rented, not brand new. The LOFT items that arrived in my box were clean (they launder or dry clean for you) and neatly folded without any visible wear, but they don’t have price tags or that “new” feeling and smell.

This doesn’t bother me at all, and I actually wore one of the shirts so many times I decided to buy it. But a friend gave me a strange side-eyed look when I mentioned the items in the box weren’t brand new. That wasn’t for her…at all. But if you’re a Poshmark or online consignment shopper you’re already used to this.

You can keep the items you love at a discounted price…kind of

When you go to return your items, there is also a “buy” option that lets you keep it at a discounted price.

But is it really that discounted?

I did notice that the yellow top I chose to buy at a discount was marked $24.50 through the service. However, it was on clearance for $18 on the LOFT website. New. So while I had to pick it up at the store (or pay for shipping from the site and wait for it to arrive), I saved some money and got a new shirt, rather than one that’s been worn before — if only by me.

Be sure to do a quick check before you choose to buy the items from your box.

Related: A thorough comparison of the 6 top online consignment and resale shops

Be prepared for an onslaught of emails

If you don’t want a ton of promotional emails, be sure to adjust your email settings in your Infinitely LOFT account; they have sent me an email every day since I joined. And that’s a lot of emails.

As much as I like being able to mail back for a new box frequently, I don’t need to browse their collection and see every new item every single day. You might also set some email rules and filters in your own account or use a bulk mail management service like unroll.me to keep from being inundated.

Infinitely LOFT: The downsides to consider

As you might have guessed from my comment above about prioritizing wardrobe items, I really wish you could “lock” certain items together in your closet to ensure they arrive together. Even though I set priority to three pieces that I thought would look great as an outfit together, only two made it into my first box. So this isn’t necessarily a great service for outfits as much as for separates.

Unlike Gwynnie Bee which lets you return items one-at-a-time as you like, with Infinnitely LOFT it appears that you have to return all three items at the same time before you get three new ones. It would be nice to have an “I’d like to keep this one a little longer, but go ahead and send two new pieces” option, say you love a dress and want too wear it all season, but never fit into the pants that came along with it.

Also know that you’re not getting a personal shopper here. One of the great benefits to a membership to Stitch Fix is that they have a real person shopping for items specifically with your style and body type in mind. In my experience, they know what’s on trend and what will work for your measurements. With Infinitely LOFT, that’s up to you to figure out. But then, since it’s all LOFT it is easier to know your sizing.

Speaking of which, this is a single-brand clothing loaner experience. So even though there are hundreds of items to choose from in LOFT’s catalog, you’re still only getting LOFT clothes.

In other words, if it’s your favorite shop, Infinitely LOFT is a great deal. But if you’re only meh on their clothes, you’re going to have a tough time keeping 8 favorite choices in your closet at all times.

One big plus: The value

I believe subscription fee is really quite affordable — just $64.95/month. Compare that with Gwynnie Bee which is $95/month for 3 items out a time, or the hundreds that Rent the Runway may cost you for a single item for just a few days.  Plus, shipping both ways is free, and a return bag is included in the box with your clothes.

If you wear the clothes often, you’ll could save the $65 alone in dry cleaning bills each month.

I don’t spend much money on new clothes for myself, but knowing I can get as many as 12-15 pieces to try each month for just $65 is a terrific deal. So I’m going to be renewing, after my trial subscription is up.

To subscribe to Infinitely LOFT, visit their site and add 8 items you’d like to try to your closet today. You’ll have your first box in just a few days. Thank you to Infinitely LOFT for providing a two-month subscription so we could try the service for editorial consideration.