- Reviews 27

Hard Graft looks like a luxury brand. It isn’t.

Despite the sleek website and beautifully staged product shots, this is not a premium operation. It doesn’t offer heirloom-quality goods, and the service isn’t reliable enough to justify the price tags.

I’ve been a customer for over a decade and own multiple items: two bags, some small leather goods, a couple of laptop sleeves, and a pair of shoes. The bags and accessories are fine—not terrible, not exceptional. Sometimes they arrive pristine. Sometimes they arrive scuffed, without a dust bag, or missing basic finishing touches. Quality control seems like a coin toss.

But the shoes? Honestly, borderline scam territory. They looked beautiful online, but in person the seams were unfinished, and after just a couple of weeks of normal wear, they started to fall apart. Maybe I got a bad pair. Maybe not. Either way, now you know.

Customer service is inconsistent at best, handled by what seems to be a one-person team. If something goes wrong, you might get help. You might not. They don’t offer premium shipping, and if you’re outside the UK, you’ll have to handle customs yourself—something nearly all genuine luxury brands manage on your behalf.

All that said: some of the designs are undeniably eye-catching. There’s a rugged, masc-but-considered aesthetic that’s hard to find elsewhere. If you’re aware of the gamble and still drawn to the look, then by all means. Just know what you’re getting into.

If you’re seeking real quality, real customer service and a real shopping experience, look to brands like Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton, Dior—or hunt down bespoke leather goods on Etsy at a fraction of the cost. Either way, your money will be better respected.

You’ve been warned.

I had a truly disappointing experience with Hardgraft. My order never arrived, and instead of resolving the issue professionally, the founder James tried to pressure me into removing the “item not received” status on Klarna – otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to help. That felt highly inappropriate and unprofessional.

After that, my follow-up messages were completely ignored. I was ghosted without any explanation or resolution.

For a brand that positions itself in the premium segment, the customer service was absolutely unacceptable. Poor communication, no accountability, and zero follow-through.

Definitely my last purchase here. Would not recommend.

I can see a lot of poor reviews on their customer service here, so I felt I needed to share my experience as well. Tl;dr: The customer service I received was splendid.

I just received my Messenger Bag from Hardgraft. I was lucky to get it during a rare campaign with a pretty good discount.

Firstly, I had a question about the bag's specifications, which I asked in the chat outside of opening hours. Still, within 10 minutes, an employee answered me (this was 11 pm mind you).

Secondly, I accidentally typed in the wrong ZIP code. Wrote to their support mail. First thing the next day, it was corrected.

And thirdly, when UPS sent me an invoice for customs, I contacted Hardgraft, and they paid it immediately.

Ultimately, I received the bag 2 days after I ordered it, and I couldn't be happier. The quality, the craftsmanship, the feeling. Everything about this bag makes me excited.

Kindly,
The owner of the coolest bag in the office.

Below average customer service. Given the price tag, I’m expecting premium products and would expect a similar customer service experience.

Made in Italy, shipping in fact from UK. Due to past experience with other UK based seller I double checked their tax and duties policy when shipping to EU. Google send me to a Hardgraft page, where it was stated that they would be taking care of tax and duties. A mistake as it turned out, Hardgraft later claimed that the search result was a chached page and those costs would go home with me.

Unfortunately I read the reviews on this site too late.
Starting from misleading information on their website ( product Made in Italy, when is actually shipped from UK,)
-another false information: “extra taxes may apply “ is written on their website ( but they do apply 100%)

Lack of support from their customer support Team .

I felt I was treated liked I bought I bag from China for 3 $ , and not a bag for 300€ ….

Just stay away from this company

got a wallet from them, still looking great after one year - def something unique. love how they push design forward

Very surprised to read the negative reviews here. I have purchased items from hard graft for over 15 years now, even back when they were still called Working Class Heroes and all items I have bought over the years (including iPhone and MacBook cases, a small carry bag, a dopp kit, multiple travel bags and wallets) were of impeccable quality. My current MacBook still resides in my (slightly oversized) old Working Class Hero Powerbook sleeve, after over 15 years of use. Premium materials, top notch leather (I'm a leather guy and know my stuff) and exceptional workmanship. If anything prices have sometimes been a bit steep for me, but quality has never been an issue. My experience with their service is also very good, have returned a few items without issue and when I ordered shoes from their final sale last week and didn't read the email well enough to understand I couldn't return them, so when they arrived and they didn't fit correctly they still helped me out by accepting the return for a store credit anyway. My advice; if it fits within your budget, buy without hesitation.

Looking at the reviews I am glad I trusted my instinct.

Several years ago, they had an interesting bag called 2Unfold which is still sold today. They had an online chat system so I asked them about warranty and quality and they were extremely evasive and vague on the response.

Back then, there were very few reviews of them and immediately my alarm bell went off. I decided to wait for a year or so and soon after, people started complaining about their quality.

I am glad I stayed away.

I'm not a first time buyer from Hardgraft, but my recent experience has been eye-opening, and certainly my last. I ordered a $400+ item to be delivered to the United States. Hardgraft purports to offer a 14-day no questions asked return policy. However, in order to return the item they need to provide authorization. I sent emails 7 different times over a month and they failed to respond - perhaps this is tactical. Only when I initiated a dispute with my credit card provider and threatened to dispose of the product did I receive a response, over a month later, suggesting that "although the return period had closed", they would honor my return. Thanks for the favor.
They also don't assist with negotiated rates for return shipping, which from the US to UK can amount to hundreds of dollars. I would therefore be extremely cautious about purchasing from them if outside the UK.
Frankly there are too many high quality options out there - this outfit is fly by night, simply not worth the brain damage. Hold on to the good, they must be kidding.

Same experience I have heard relayed by others in different forums.

Beautiful design and good materials, plagued by spotty craftsmanship that they do not stand behind or work to make right if and when things go wrong.

“Hold on to the Good”? What does that even mean? Should actually be “Hold on to whatever we send you — and deal with it yourself if it’s not good.”

I had a serious defect in a bag they sent that appeared after only a few months of use. Their response was to ask me to see if I could get it fixed somewhere locally, and that I should pay for it myself. With over 6 months left on my warranty.

Really. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS PLACE. It’s a pop-up shop, reselling goods they don’t make and with a quality they cannot and DO NOT guarantee or stand behind in the least. Criminally negligent retailers with clownish customer service and no vision or plans to stay in business over the long haul.

“Hard graft” indeed. 😅

The stitching loosened after three months from purchase, creating a slight hole in the rear part of the shoes. I was told by hardgraft it way my fault and that I should repair myself…

AWFUL customer service! I paid almost $100 for a simple key holder, and after just 3 months, the stitching started to come undone. I reached out to the customer service, and their advice (despite their warranty), was to find somewhere to take it to get it fixed myself at my own cost. I responded to them saying the product has warranty and the stitching coming undone should be covered, and they simply stopped responding to me! With the premium price tag this company charges, you expect a premium quality product and premium customer service, but unfortunately you don’t get either of those things with hard graft! Stay away from this company, I’m glad I started with a small purchase and I learned my lesson before buying anything more expensive.

I have purchased two times from hardgraft and I absolutely love both items, I have had the MacBook Pro sleeve for over a year now and it’s incredible, the quality of the materials and craftsmanship that it fits the MacBook perfectly is fantastic, just got the AirPod Pro case and I sat enjoying the smell of the leather while I write this, my next purchase will be before my holiday and think I will go for suitcase or flat pack

The price they are charging for sending any of there product to India is exorbitant,I mean how is this even possible that the price of of all there product is almost the double when it comes to shipping to India….I was expecting to buy one but it seems there is no transparency from hard graft.what a shame

I received my first Hard Graft piece as a birthday gift in 2010 and I still use it today. There are a few reasons to spend the money on a luxury brand like this and one of them is the unique styling. I see a lot of bad bags in my travels around Los Angeles and I often catch somebody ogling mine (and not in a theft-y away). Another one is thoughtful and innovative design. Nylon zippers so you don’t scratch your laptop, plenty of huge pockets when you need them but a profile that’s nearly flat when you’re traveling light. Wool on the inside of the shoulder strap so you don’t end up with a band of sweat across your shoulder or, worse yet, dye bleeding onto your shirt.

Since that first gift I have replaced every basic leather item I carry–wallet, passport cover, laptop cover, iPhone cover, hiking boots—with a product from Hard Graft. They arrive packaged beautifully and take on a rich patina as they are used. This is the way leather products used to be, they didn’t look new all the time and you didn’t buy them every season because of a sale or desire to upgrade your look. This is leather you keep for a long time, period. I had to learn how to handle this leather—like you would a great saddle or a baseball glove—using leather treatments to keep it supple and help it heal from the occasional bumps and scrapes. They ship from the UK so returns are going to be expensive.

So keep it. Let it win you over by being the best leather you might ever own.

Ordered the incorrect version of a phone case (the picture is wrong on the website) and wanted to switch out the item for the correct one. Took over three weeks and cost me £30 in delivery fees.

Unsympathetic and unhelpful customer service. Won't be ordering again.

I purchased a bag and a pair of boots from them. The boots are actually of good quality but the bag is horrible. It's got a very strong smell to it (not in a good way like all genuine leather should have). The smell is so strong that it made me and my girlfriend sick. I issued a return and have not gotten any reply since. It has been 9 days since the return item has been delivered and I have sent 3 emails, still nothing. It's 1200 AUD, and I hope it won't go into the sink hole.

Great products and lovely customer service! I cant believe what I'm reading on here, because its a million miles away from my experience!

I bought a product called Unpack Coal (black leather, looks like a small bag for passport etc) about 1 month ago. The product arrived in the US with the following major problems: 1) leather was low quality and part of the item had the leather worn out, with a “used” feeling to it, 2) zipper is broken and the zipper that came with the bag is different from the picture in the site (like the low quality leather). I have been trying to return the item and they are creating all the obstacles possible. Stay away!!!