What is the Average Cost to Rent a Tuxedo?

If you are preparing for a special occasion like a wedding, you may need a tux. Renting a tuxedo is a cost-effective way to look fabulous while also sticking to a tight budget. But how much does it cost to rent a tux for a wedding?

You can now choose many affordable options, and as long as you keep the rented tuxedo clean, it will cost you far less. 

Wedding tuxedos can be pricey, but if you shop smart, they don’t have to be. How much to rent a tux can depend on your location, preferences, and timeline. Read on to learn about the average tux rental cost.

On average, it costs about $135 to rent a tuxedo according to formalwear experts.

Although the average cost of renting a tux is around $135, if you are looking for a luxury tux you may end up paying closer to $200. Owning a tux can be a lot more expensive, however, which is why it is a much more budget-friendly choice than buying.

There are some key factors that will affect the price, so the average price of a tuxedo rental varies. 

Renting vs. Buying a Tux

Renting a tuxedo can be anywhere between $90 and $250. Most rentals will allow you to find a set that includes pants, a coat, shirt, vest, shoes, neckwear, and cufflink sets. 

When you buy a tuxedo, one of the benefits is that you can wear it for multiple occasions if you get a versatile set. Unfortunately, if you need a wedding tuxedo, depending on the theme, you may not be able to wear it as much as you think.

You may be able to purchase an entire tuxedo for as little as $200, but it may also go as high as $400. If you are looking for a luxury suit or specific materials, you can expect to pay a much higher amount.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Tux Rentals

You will notice that many things affect the cost of a tuxedo, and the price you could buy it for will reflect how much you can rent it for. You will need to pay attention to things like designers, trending styles, materials, and much more. Every package will have a different set, and you will need to focus on what you are looking for. 

Before you start shopping, come up with a stylebook of what you plan to look like for the event. You should have an idea of what your budget is like as well. As you shop around, you can keep all of these things in mind. Take a look at what may affect the price of your tuxedo rental.

Brand and Designer

When a brand is well known, a consumer has already determined the price of a product. They have placed a certain level of prestige on a brand, which affects how much the product costs.

The higher prestige, the higher the price. If you don’t care about the brand, you may find one that is more budget-friendly. However, if you are looking for an Armani suit to rent, you can pay much more than something lower-end. 

Keep in mind that just because something is not designer doesn’t make it less attractive or suitable for the event. Lesser known designers can still have the same quality and elegance as a big designer. It really just depends on what you want.

Quality of Materials

Understanding how a suit is made and who makes it are two things to pay attention to. However, you should also be looking at materials. You will be wearing this suit for several hours. The material will affect how comfortable it is to wear around. The higher quality materials can be more comfortable and breathable but also much more expensive.

However, not all expensive material is comfortable to wear or practical. You will want to try on a few different suits and pick what feels the best to you. Certain fabrics will also look better on camera, so be sure to pull out your phone to see how the fabric looks and pay extra attention to the feel.

What’s Included

A basic set will include all of the necessary items you need, including pants, a coat, shirt, vest, shoes, neckwear, and cufflinks. However, if you think of skipping the shoes with a set, it will be less money.

If you add anything to the rental, it will be much more expensive. Additions could include a cummerbund, suspenders, or other accessories. On the other hand, if you skip certain items, you will find that the price goes down.

Custom Tuxedos

Custom tuxedos may include colors outside of black and white and can cost around $500 to rent depending on the designer and material. Custom tuxedos are really expensive to buy outright, so it can be better to rent. However, they are still not as cheap as the standard suits you can find.

If you are trying to be frugal for your wedding or party, custom tuxedos may not be something you want to purchase.

Alterations

While renting a tux, you can do basic alterations, and sometimes the rental fee will cover this charge. This makes it more expensive, but you ensure a better fit for the event.

Alterations typically cost a few extra dollars. You will find the pant length and sleeve length can be altered. If your rental company does not do alterations for you, they may allow you to visit a local tailor.

Cleaning Fees

Every rental agreement will be different. However, for many agreements, you will promise to give back the suit within a specific period. It should be relatively clean and not destroyed. If the company finds any flaws with it, they will charge you a fee or make you purchase the suit in extreme cases.

Read carefully about what is expected of you from the company you decide to rent from. Some companies may want you to get it professionally cleaned before returning it.

FAQ

Will a Tuxedo Rental Look Cheap?

When you start shopping around, you will notice that there are so many styles and fabrics to choose from. It’s often thought that rentals will be much cheaper than buying a tuxedo, but this does not mean they will make you look cheap. You want to look like a million bucks, and renting a tuxedo can allow you to do this on a budget. 

You can choose the fabrics that feel the best and the cut that is perfect for your body. Finding a suit that fits well is more important than anything else. Focusing on the cut and style rather than the price is a good way to ensure the tux does not look cheap or poorly thrown together. 

Why are tux rentals so expensive?

You may think that the average tux rental cost is expensive, but the truth is they are much less expensive than buying your own tuxedo. Buying a custom tuxedo can be thousands of dollars, whereas renting saves money if you aren’t going to use the tux much anyway.

If you find that the tuxedos you like are still expensive to rent, you can do a few things. Look at the fabric and look at the cut. Find those styles and fabrics in a different version. You may be picking brand names without realizing it, which can affect the cost immensely. 

Try avoiding major brand names and go for a designer with the same style but lesser-known. This is a good trick to still getting something that you want but cutting down the costs.

How far in advance should I rent my tuxedo?

Depending on what you are getting your tuxedo for, you should book it months in advance. If you are getting married, you will want to rent your tuxedo at least two months in advance to ensure you have it on the date you need. After your event, the rental agency may need it back the very next day for other events. 

If you book your tuxedo too late, you may get stuck with something that you don’t really want. Most rental places are first come, first serve. You will want to go in months before, try different suits on until you find the best one. When you do, rent it out right away. Keep in mind that if you turn it in late, you will pay fees.