Years after purchasing and using expensive Rimowa luggage, I am having buyer’s remorse and changing my mind on luxury luggage.
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Love At First Sight
When I first bought all three of our Rimowa Classic silver ribbed cases, I couldn’t have been happier with the purchase. Rimowa was the best of the best. It was distinct, it was classic, and it was durable, and it was a status symbol among other travelers. We owned (and still do) the Rimowa checked bag (82L), the Rimowa Original cabin bag, and the smaller European sized carry-on.
The famed aluminum suitcases have everything we could have wanted. It came with TSA Approved locks, flex dividers (one of which had a zipper compartment on the outside, a “multiwheel system”, a reputation for quality and an incredible warranty.
Walking through the terminal, the gliding Rimowa handle in tow, felt like a tailored suit.
Issues, Problems, and Damage
Each of our three bags has suffered a number of quality issues. It’s worth noting that we are not blameless – those Rimowa suitcases have been trodded down brick roads in Europe, overstuffed to the point we had to sit on them to close them, through puddles, and heat, and snow.
But that was the point of buying them in the first place. Rimowa talks about a patina that all of their cases develop. These are scars from the wonderful trips and trials you go through as you travel around the world. They are intended to be dinged and dented, but that’s not where my concern lies.
Two of the three cases have issues closing properly. The rubber seal on Rimowa bags depend on the hinges on the opposite side continuing to line up properly. The smallest bag had the metal ripped near one of the wheels which I could never remember until it had already joined us on a long trip. The flex dividers which help to compress your clothes can only be effective if the pin that holds the strap remains in place.
We’ve had riverts go missing, wheels lose their easy omnidirectional glide, and perhaps the first thing to go was the telescopic handles which never quite stay where they are supposed to.
Airlines have also been reluctant to cover damages they caused because of the high cost to repair them.
Warranty Is Only As Good As It Lasts
A five-year warranty sounds great, but in reality, how many trips a year do you check a large carry-on for? We travel more than most and found that we still only used it about ten times in the five years of the warranty while the Rimowa Essential carry-on was with me every other week for a year on work trips.
One of the key benefits Rimowa offers is the ability to get a quick and complete included repair in major cities around the world for which they have a retail presence. We have utilized this in Hong Kong and in Rome and it’s a nice feature. But once the warranty expires – or if you are not located in one of those cities, the service is expensive or useless.
Is Rimowa Worth It (Or Any Premium Brand)?
There are amazing cases available in the $200-400 range that hold up really well over time. One of our favorite pieces that has only tragically been retired this year lasted a decade even though the company that built it went under almost immediately after we acquired it.
The value proposition is that a more expensive case will last you longer. Our experience has been anything but. If the normal $300 case lasts highly frequent travelers three years, you’d have to use the same case 15 years or more for a Rimowa or similar case to come out ahead. Ours didn’t make it all five years of the warranty which only repaired, not replaced them.
The other issue is that I don’t want to have to arrange packaging and finding a service center to be able to use the product as intended. I’d rather concede that every three years we will find a new case and move on than trudge through repairs or damage we choose not to repair due to additional cost and inconvenience.
Is it worth it? For us, it wasn’t.
Conclusion
I love the aluminum, classic look of the Rimowa still to this day. But others have made great products that deliver a similar look for less money. Life is easier when I accept the replacement life cycle of products and factor that in from the start, but based on our expeirence, Rimowa didn’t stand the test of time so we won’t be buying replacements. For that matter we won’t seek out any premium luggage.
What do you think? Do you own premium luggage? Has it been worth it for you?
I enjoy fancy luggage for road trips, especially soft bags that fit in the trunks of my convertibles.
For anything the airlines handle I go for cheap and durable stuff from Target. I’ve had great service from Swissgear.
Patagonia black hole duffel
A “normal” carry-on is $70, not $300 (and last 3+ years at 3-5 trips per year just fine).
“ it was a status symbol among other travelers”
Ugh, just ugh. How to say you are an asshole without saying you are an asshole.
By the way, I don’t think you are one in most cases but that line a horrible justification for buying something.
Just to be clear, since 2 years ago all Rimowas come with lifetime warranty. “RIMOWA provides a lifetime guarantee for new suitcases purchased from July 25, 2022.” https://www.rimowa.com/ww/en/repair/repair-services.html
Also, I only have the carry on since I am the one taking care of it and not expecting bag handlers on airport to take care of them. Bought mine at AMS airport VAT free and it was cheaper than a Tumi one.
My Briggs and Riley carry on has lifetime warranty. It’s been all around the world with me for the last 10 years no issues. Didn’t know rimowa only had 5 years at one. With that kind of warranty it’s no better than a Costco special