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Is luggage rental useful? We review Cargo, a new suitcase hire service

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We were recently approached by a new luggage rental concept called Cargo to review their offering.  I was a little confused. How on earth does renting luggage work? And why would you hire luggage? But after trialling the service and actually needing to hire some luggage, I’m actually a bit of a convert.

Cargo works like this:

You visit the Cargo website, select the dates you are travelling, choose the luggage you need and book it

The luggage is delivered to your home or a DPD drop point (you are given an approximate delivery time the day before, which is helpful)

You use the luggage as you wish and then it is picked up by DPD when you return from your trip

Cargo luggage rental
Initially, I wasn’t sure how I’d use this service.  This was until I realised I was going to need an extra suitcase to take on a trip to the Catskill Mountains in midwinter three days before departure.

Ski wear is not packing efficient. A couple of ski jackets, trousers and pairs of warm boots can take the majority of a suitcase, so you find you’ve got to take an extra suitcase to fit a week’s worth of non-ski wear, toiletries, books and so on. If you have an extra suitcase lying about, great, but if not, buying a decent suitcase starts at about £200.

By contrast, renting a large suitcase with Cargo for a week is £43 and it’s less if you need smaller carry-on luggage.

Cargo luggage rental

I trialled the service and found everything to go very smoothly and the luggage I was given was in immaculate condition.

We recognise this isn’t going to be a service for a prolific traveller with every shape and size luggage imaginable.  However for anyone that needs an extra suitcase last minute (suitcases can be delivered within 48 hours) it is an option to consider.

Cargo very kindly gave me a free trial of their service.  We have not been paid to promote them and all opinions (as always) are our own.

Comments (127)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Callum says:

    This has to be the most ridiculous product I’ve seen promoted on here! You can buy a perfectly adequate suitcase outright for less than that.

    I guess you could call this environmentally friendly if you’re genuinely only going to use it once, and don’t know anyone else who would need one, though

    • Shoestring says:

      this was a rare day of 3 completely useless articles: I guess that means on other days, at least 1 article is of some use to some of us

      • Rob says:

        Technically not true, because the Grand Prix article was a Saturday one which went early. The email people got that instead of the Qatar competition.

        • Rob says:

          I can’t test it because I would need to get some Iberia Avios into my parents in laws account to do it! We don’t have a HHA.

  • jimA says:

    1) better packing – pack your skiwear in a vacuum bag – suck all of the air out and it’ll fit your suitcase Put toiletries etc in your ski boots
    2) buy a cheap suitcase from Amazon., Argos or Tesco – even if you throw it away after one trip or better still donate it to your local charity shop

    Hang on – if you own – rather than rent ski boots then surely you do this frequently so might need the suitcase again ?

  • Tim says:

    I agree with Callum. This is a ridiculous article aimed clearly at the ‘more money than sense’ sector of the readership.

    1. Don’t go skiing – it is incredibly dangerous yet boring after a while. The boredom-to-danger ratio is unsurpassed by any other activity. Try lying down instead.
    2. Travel hand luggage only. All the wise people do.
    3. Have the maxed out dimensions trolley case for every airline – two sizes cover 99% of all airlines.

    There are startups who who like me to subscribe to my underwear. They don’t wash.

  • Cassandra says:

    “I trialled the service…” Oh you did, did you? Was it a juried show?
    Geez, Louise, what writing.
    Better than all the other suggestions, go to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, another thrift store, buy one of their cheap suitcases. Let the airlines do what they will on your trips. Drop it off back at Goodwill, etc. on your return filled with other useful recyclables. Squeamish? Pack everything in a large plastic garbage bag first.
    Groan.

    • Doug M says:

      I’m guessing Sinead is 30 or younger. English has moved on since I was skooled en it.

    • Rhys says:

      Not sure why you’re stuck on ‘trialled’ – this is very common usage of the word…..

      • P says:

        The same sort of person that is happy to use thrift store and garbage bag…

      • Lady London says:

        Trialled is US usage.
        A Brit would say they tried it out, tried it or gave it a try.

        Depends if you’ve been working for trendy Virgin of course or are otherwise infected by internet language which tends to come from the US.

        • MD says:

          @LL Sorry, I must respectfully disagree. Trialled is a commonly used word in the UK, particularly in the scientific and medical world. “Trialed” would be the US spelling in any case, because as we all know the can’t spell. ☺

          • MD says:

            *they* can’t spell. Oh, the humanity 😂

          • Peter K says:

            +1 MD
            I’m in a primary care setting and trialled is a word often used. Why? Because the item/service is effectively being put on trial and assessed for efficacy, specificity and sensitivity.

            I tried something means you gave it a go.
            I trialled something means you assessed it, which was the case here.

            PS loved the typo 😂

          • Alex Sm says:

            Thè can’t spell as @Lady London would normally put it 😉

          • Lady London says:

            You’re probably right about professional usage. Not used by ordinary Brits though till since the advent of the internet and since that, far more likely to be used by younger Brits.

        • Doug M says:

          But to be fair, language does change. I’m not sure if it was intended or not with the ‘they can’t spell’ comment here, but US English is closer to older English than British English, which like London Lady’s autocorrect is influenced by French. What was wrong with Slaughterhouse and Fall, did we need Abattoir and Autumn, did we need pointless additional u’s in words that can happily end or rather than our.
          I still think trialled is wrong in this context, but we all knew what was meant, just like I knew what Brighton Belle meant with Columbia, but sometimes being an d*ck is fun.

  • PGW says:

    I had to look at the calendar this morning to check it wasn’t April Fool’s day. Buy 1 of the many adequate suitcases from a charity shop and then return it when you come home.

    • Rhys says:

      I have never personally seen a suitcase at any of the charity shops I’ve been too 🙂

      • Callum says:

        But… You have heard of Argos before, right?

      • Peter K says:

        You’ve not been to the right charity shops then 😁

      • Susan says:

        Then you’re going to the wrong charity shops! At least twice a year I need to fly, collect something bulky and fly back. The most convenient flights apply a substantial charge for checked luggage – in almost 10 years of doing this I have never not been able to get a decent charity shop suitcase for around a fiver at my destination (Scotland) for the return trip. It then goes to a charity shop this end – recycling and saving money at the same time.

        I can see this service being useful for the occasional need to transport specialised equipment but for bog standard luggage not so much.

  • Frenske says:

    Or just buy one from TKmaxx for £30 or so. They have some good brands. I still have the one I bought 12 years ago.

    • Mummy55 says:

      Agreed. A £200 suitcase in TK Maxx will cost you £49.99 …
      Wouldn’t buy anywhere else.

  • Craig says:

    A large Tripp suitcase is £60, these are well made, light and come with a 5-year warranty. If someone wants to rent one for £43 a week please let me know! By far the most ridiculous article I’ve ever read on the site.

  • joe bloggs says:

    Kickback is how it made it to Hfp.

    it doesn’t qualify on any other basis. Who in their right mind rents a suitcase, need one at the last minute, go to asda,argos and buy 1 to own for less than the rental. Oh no, i’ll go online, rent one, wait for 2 days to get it delivered, and then when i come back, i’ll go thru the faff of getting it collected, making sure i dont take too long otherwise the rental will go up.

    that makes much more sense.

    • Rhys says:

      Nope, there is no commercial agreement whatsoever

      • Rob D says:

        Why bizarre? If it’s not your thing move on… I never knew this existed and may never need it but nice to learn about different services out there. I don’t pay for these articles so I certainly wouldn’t criticise. If you don’t like what you read, you can work out the rest…

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