This isn’t a glossy “paid partnership” piece it’s an honest review from someone who has always been a little bit sceptical about handbag (and clothing) rental and never, ever done it before.

As we know, I adore handbags. I buy them preloved, I research them to death, I even write whole deep-dives on how to spot fakes. But renting? That’s always been a mental block for me.

My Scepticism About Renting

Here’s what’s always put me off:

What if I damage it?
I accidentally spill something, snag it, or scratch the leather and suddenly I’m being charged the full retail price of the bag.
What if I don’t damage it… but the lender says I did?
That nagging worry that there was a tiny mark already there but it gets blamed on me.
The cost.
When you work it out, renting isn’t cheap. For example, an 8-day rental is around £180-£240 depending on the bag. For a bag to take on holiday, that’s the same as nearly** one short haul flight (easyjet obviously - we are luxe for less) or a chunk of a new bag fund. My brain always goes: “why not just save the money and buy?” I think the cost is a lot easier to swallow when you are renting for 4 days, and it is a dress or an outfit.

It’s for those reasons that I’ve always stayed in my preloved purchase lane rather than dipping into rental.

Why I Changed My Mind

But then… my annual South of France long weekend away came onto the horizon. It’s my favourite weekend of the year. Sunshine, villa dinners, dressing up in the evenings and crucially, very little risk of a bag getting dirty. Also, in true Luxury for Less style, I am very fortunate and only have to pay for the flights, we are invited to join friends (yipppeee always saving haha).

I told myself I wouldn’t buy a new bag for the trip (been there, done that). But it is the kind of trip where you want something a little bit special for those long villa dinners. And that’s when I looked at HURR. In the words of Bethenny Frankel “I’m doing it for the people”

The First Scroll: The Bags I’m Considering

Three caught my eye:

Prada Cleo Crystal Embellished Bag (£258 for 8 days, managed by HURR, RRP £2,500)
The ultimate “special occasion” bag.
I’d never buy this because I’d constantly worry about crystals falling off and it’s way too expensive for the number of times I’d use it.
But for one holiday? It’s a dream.
Slight downside…its one of the most expensive to rent.
Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza Raffia (£120 for 8 days, from a super lender, RRP £750)
I’d never buy this either, the logo is a bit too shouty for my style.
But for South of France, with low key white summer dresses and leather thong sandals, it makes sense.

Celine Classic basket Medium (managed by a private, but super seller) RRP £520

£92.00 for 8 days

I could use this bag instead of taking my trusted Loewe…but is that just a waste of money? Should I just take my identical Loewe basket bag?

These are bags I’d love to carry for a week, but never realistically love enough to want to own.

I have decided to add the Prada to basket…

The HURR Setup

A few things made me feel better about trying it:

‘Hurr Flex’ Pay £149, get £225 to spend a nice little “bonus” that softens the cost of the Prada.
Insurance policy (£7.50) this covers accidental damage, which definitely calms my anxiety about scratches or wear. But, I am still very worried.
Managed by HURR option they handle cleaning, delivery, and returns, so there’s less worry about disputes.
Supersellers I read the reviews…all 5*
FIRST15 - 15% Discount off your first rental

Adds to Basket (error and this has become more expensive than planned)

Ok, so I signed up…paid the £149 and got £225 to spend. I put the Prada Cleo in my basket…and then this came up! Note to self: always read the fine print and the Q&As - in Hurr’s defence - I read absolutely nothing about how it works. Though it wasn’t super obvious…. just saying.

Additionally, you cannot use the FIRST15 alongside Flex…sure

Great….so I cannot rent the Prada Cleo as it retails at £2,500. HOW ANNOYING. This has seriously…seriously limited my options: Prada, YSL and Lanvin - are totally out.

SO, what have I rented???

I have £225 to spend, with a combined retail limit of £1,600. I’ve opted for the below…or so I thought…

Ok, so now I have to ‘add to basket’ 1 by 1. (I have committed now…so I am going in)

Right, the Celine is in…happy.

My card now has £625 worth of holds on it…. until the 10th September. Yikes…. it is released when I return the bags. That makes my stomach tie in knots.

I was unable to use the FIRST15 discount. It did not apply to flex purchases.

The total cost for shipping and insurance for three bags has come to £80.

In total I have spent £230 to rent three bags for a 4 day weekend.

Saga Continues… Loewe Seller Declined..

I am not having a lot of luck…..

Paco Rabanne - request expired. This is becoming a little bit annoying now.

The Loewe owner is going on holiday… and the Paco Rabanne owner didn’t accept the request…. considering I have credit left on my account..I searched for other bags.. the chosen one is…

Prada Logo Crochet Tote, RRP £1,500.00 Rental Cost £186.30. Yikes the hold on my card for this bag is £900, so now I have £1,250 worth of holds on my card.

Side note, because you have to rent each bag individually and the Celine Basket Bag had gone through as a transaction, I think it allowed my account to have a higher RRP Rental limit.

Final Thoughts

I am stressed… all the worries and concerns have flooded back…what if I get the bag dirty..I lose my luggage…or the bags do not arrive in time. I do not feel relaxed about this situation. I think I’ll take all the bags on the plane as carry on.

As a first-time bag renter, I went in with high hopes, but it’s been a bit of a saga. The Prada Cleo Crystal I was unable to rent due to 1st time buyer limits, and then I got declined twice by owners for other bags I tried to rent. I was looking well in advance, but it still didn’t quite work out how I’d imagined.

Here’s the honest truth: renting handbags will never replace buying preloved for me. If you want a bag you’ll use again and again, preloved is always better value. £250+ for now two (not three) beautiful bags is technically amazing… yet I can’t shake the feeling I’ve wasted money.

That said, rental does make sense in the right context. For weddings, baby showers, engagement parties, Christmas parties - or even a special trip - it’s a clever way to enjoy pieces you’d never justify buying outright. The key, though, is being able to rent the actual bag or outfit you want.

For me, the Prada Cleo in crystal sums it up. I’ll never buy it (too fragile, too expensive, too niche). But to rent it for villa dinners in the South of France? Absolutely perfect. That’s when rental really shines.

I would maybe recommend rental when:

You are a seasoned renter and allowed to rent more costly items
You want a statement bag or dress for an event you’d never buy yourself.
You are only renting for 4 days, not my 8 days. 8 Days is expensive. Also it isn’t a full 8 days as that time period includes sending the item back.
You’re going somewhere low-risk, no mess, no dirt (a trip, a wedding, an indoor event)
Ok, now I just need the bags to turn up…. I ordered to the office encase the delivery person missed me..

Part 2 - the bags arrive and the South of France trip.

Part 1: Honest Review - My First Time Renting from HURR - (Should have Read the Fine Print)