BUA in Oslo: borrow sports and outdoor gear for free
BUA is a free lending service for sports and outdoor equipment, and it is one of the best-kept secrets in the city. You borrow skis, skates, a tent, a sleeping bag, a SUP or a bike for a week, without paying anything. There are sixteen lending points in Oslo.
It is worth using before you buy. Skates and skis are outgrown in a single season, and a tent typically gets used two nights a year. BUA exists for exactly that.
How it works
It is free
Borrowing costs nothing. Some locations may charge a small fee for people who don't live in the municipality, but for Oslo families it is free.
You need a profile in the BUA app
You set up the profile with Vipps, and it requires a Norwegian address, a Norwegian mobile number and that you are over 18. Children and teenagers can borrow as co-borrowers, but an adult is responsible for the loan.
One week at a time
The standard loan period is one week at staffed locations. Some self-service points lend by the hour. The limit exists so that as many people as possible get to use the service.
The gear is not worn out
Around 90 per cent of the equipment is bought new. This is not a bin of cast-offs; it is a library for things you use rarely.
The lending points in Oslo
Groruddalen and the east
- BUA Stovner
- BUA Bjerke
- BUA Romsås
- BUA Furuset
- BUA Ellingsrud selvbetjent
- BUA Ellingsrudåsen Torg
- BUA Haugerud selvbetjent
- BUA Østensjø
- BUA Ensjø
The south
- BUA Nordstrand
- BUA Mortensrud
Inner city and north
- BUA Løkka
- BUA Sagene
- BUA Nordre Aker
- BUA Hovseter
Other
- BUA-boksen
Opening hours vary a lot between locations and between seasons, and several are self-service with their own times. So we have not copied addresses and opening times here: such a list is out of date within the year, and then people drive there for nothing. BUA's own overview shows what applies today.
Addresses and opening hours at BUA →
Borrowed skis or skates? Then all that's left is somewhere to use them. We have gathered the free activities in the city:
Sources
Lending points and terms were checked against BUA on 12 August 2026. Locations come and go, so check BUA's own overview before you set off.