We compared the cost of buying new against renting for 24 everyday items in the UK — and worked out how many times you'd need to rent before buying makes financial sense.
Free to use · Updated June 2026
For the items people most often need just once or twice, buying rarely pays off. Here's what the numbers show.
Typical UK prices for buying new versus renting, and the break-even point — how many rentals it takes before owning would have cost less.
| Item | Buy new | Rent (typical) | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools & DIY | |||
| Cordless drill | £80 | £8 / day | 10 rentals |
| Pressure washer | £150 | £20 / day | 8 rentals |
| Tile cutter | £120 | £15 / day | 8 rentals |
| Cement mixer | £200 | £30 / day | 7 rentals |
| Extending ladder | £140 | £12 / day | 12 rentals |
| Orbital sander | £70 | £10 / day | 7 rentals |
| Garden | |||
| Lawn mower | £200 | £20 / day | 10 rentals |
| Hedge trimmer | £90 | £12 / day | 8 rentals |
| Wood chipper | £400 | £50 / day | 8 rentals |
| Patio heater | £150 | £20 / day | 8 rentals |
| Outdoor & adventure | |||
| 4-person tent | £180 | £25 / wk | 8 rentals |
| Paddleboard (SUP) | £350 | £30 / day | 12 rentals |
| Mountain bike | £500 | £40 / day | 13 rentals |
| Camping stove & cool box | £90 | £12 / wk | 8 rentals |
| Events & parties | |||
| Gazebo (3×3m) | £160 | £25 / day | 7 rentals |
| PA / speaker system | £300 | £35 / day | 9 rentals |
| Bouncy castle | £400 | £80 / day | 5 rentals |
| Home cinema projector | £250 | £25 / day | 10 rentals |
| Baby & kids | |||
| Travel cot | £80 | £10 / wk | 8 rentals |
| Premium pushchair | £600 | £40 / wk | 15 rentals |
| Child car seat | £150 | £12 / wk | 13 rentals |
| Tech & photography | |||
| DSLR camera + lens | £900 | £45 / day | 20 rentals |
| Drone | £500 | £40 / day | 13 rentals |
| GoPro action camera | £350 | £25 / day | 14 rentals |
"Break-even" = how many times you'd need to rent at the typical price before the total equals buying new. Rent more than that and owning wins; rent less and renting is cheaper.
For each item we took a typical UK price to buy new from mainstream retailers and a typical hire price based on going rates for peer-to-peer and high-street rental. The break-even figure is simply the buy price divided by the rental price, rounded up — the number of separate rentals at which owning would have cost the same as renting.
It deliberately leaves out the hidden costs of ownership that push the case for renting even further: storage space, maintenance and repairs, batteries and consumables, depreciation, and the hassle of reselling. It also ignores the income side — on Rentify the same item can earn money for its owner between uses.
The takeaway: if you'll genuinely use something dozens of times, buy it. For everything else — the one weekend project, the single camping trip, the kit you need once a year — renting is almost always the cheaper, lighter choice.
Figures are illustrative estimates for general guidance, not a quote. Actual prices vary by brand, condition, location and season.
Thousands of items available to rent from local people across the UK — and a way to earn from the things you already own.
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