I Tried Feather's Furniture Rental Service For My Balcony — Here's How It Went

When the summer months roll around, there are few times I would prefer to stay indoors. I take any chance I get to head outside for coffee strolls, alfresco meals, or taking meetings while on a walk. After recently moving into my new place, the one area I hadn't quite set up yet was my outdoor patio. I share the skinny balcony space with my neighbors, so there isn't a ton of room, but I knew I wanted at least a small table and chairs to enjoy morning coffee, happy hours, or just a few minutes to read outside after a long WFH day.

When the rental furniture company Feather offered to hook me up with an outdoor space I could enjoy all season long, I immediately jumped at the chance. Here's how the entire experience went.

​​(While I did receive the Feather rental in exchange for an honest review, all of the following thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own and are not influenced by Feather, in any way.)​

Feather

Feather launched in 2017 after founder Jay Reno noticed how often he and his city-living peers were moving and wanted to disrupt the furniture industry to accommodate. According to the site, "City renters move on average every one to two years. Tastes evolve, living arrangements change, budgets fluctuate, and many can't afford or don't want to commit to quality furniture so they end up resorting to cheaper alternatives that aren't built to last. As a result, 20 billion pounds of furniture end up in landfills annually." (As a city dweller myself who's lived in six apartments over the past nine years, I just wish this existed earlier.)

Enter Feather, a service that offers up a la carte pieces and furniture packages for low monthly rates, so you can get the apartment of your dreams without sacrificing style, budget, or sustainability. Feather uses a majority of Scandinavian-inspired furniture designed in-house that adheres to the environmentally friendly promises and uses recycled materials, sustainable fabrics, natural and water-based finishes, and glues and stains with low to no VOC emissions. But, in addition to the brand's own furniture, Feather is also partnered with Floyd, the American-made DTC furniture brand, allowing users to rent the popular brand on a budget.

Feather

There are a variety of ways to use Feather's rental service. The first is the Monthly Plan, which charges $199 for drop-off and pick-up services, plus the monthly rate of the item you're renting. This is a great option for anyone who works in home staging or wants to test-run an item before buying. The middle tier is the Short-Term Plan, which is great for anyone who is living somewhere on a short-term basis or who wants to make small payments on their furniture over time. There is a $99 fee for drop-off and pick-up each and it requires a three-month minimum. The third and final tier is the Annual Membership Plan, which at $19/month offers the most perks and is great for anyone on a yearly lease. Each item you rent has a 12-month minimum, but it includes free drop-off and pick-up.

Within each plan, there are also a few options that make this service exciting. First, you can always swap out a product you aren't loving for another item for a flat fee of $99. You can also put your monthly payments towards buying your items at the end of your plans, which is a great solution if you can't quite afford your furniture upfront. Currently, Feather is only available in select cities across the United States — including major cities like New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Washington DC, and more — but is constantly working to expand and hit all of the major markets.

Feather

Now, onto my time using Feather. With the help of the team, I decided to go with the Cagney Outdoor Dining Table, two of the Cagney Outdoor Dining Chair, and the Linden Table Lamp. I spoke with the team via text and scheduled a three-hour delivery window with a couple of clicks. When the team was on their way, I got a text alerting me that they'd arrive soon, which helps so much with planning versus sitting around waiting. The drop-off service honestly couldn't have been easier or more professional — they brought the items to where I requested, unwrapped and assembled everything, took a quick picture, and were on their way. It took less than 15 minutes, although I'm sure a larger piece of furniture would undoubtedly take longer. There was a minor issue with the table lamp after I charged it — I couldn't get it to turn on — but as soon as I emailed customer service, they had a new team schedule a new drop-off and replaced the item so quickly and had me all set up with a few days, which was awesome.

I have been loving my new balcony bistro set. It's not only stylish, but also super comfortable and allows me to enjoy coffees, afternoon reading sessions, and cocktails with friends outside with such a cute setup.

I would 10/10 recommend this service for anyone who is looking for an easier and more budget-friendly option for furnishing their space. Especially as Feather continues to grow its collection and line of products, I think this is going to be the future of furniture shopping.

​Try it out now​