renart

Just to throw in my 2 cents here. I like Alu luggage and used Zero Halliburtons in the past but have now completely converted to Rimowa. Mostly, I use a IATA sized carry-on Topas and the 29".

After many international flights and trains over the past 5 years or so, the carry-on has only a few scuffs. The larger case has a couple of dents. One of the wheels broke once, but no big deal...Rimowa took care of it quickly and courteously.

I carry mostly clothes but also sometimes prints and other things that I don't want crushed/bent. The Topas series are suitcases nonpareil.

payam81

I finally bought my limbo from my friend who's a Rimowa dealer today.

He gave me an excellent deal, far lower than any web price or even from Rimowa store prices in Asia which are traditionally lower.

If anyone in Canada and particularly in YYZ is thinking of getting one of these cases, do PM me and I will forward you the address for my friend's shop where I'm sure he will beat any price you can find. For what it's worth, he is the largest Rimowa dealer in Canada and also carries Briggs and many other brands including Tumi etc. but he (again) reiterated that Rimowa is simply the best you can get, if you can afford it.

My next purchase is the Rimowa Bolero Laptop bag. This will replace my trusty Victorinox. The Bolero's advantage is the hard sided middle skeleton which is extremely effective in protecting electronics and laptops.

broadwayboy

My next purchase will be SALSA AIR. I just can't decide which color to get yet, but I do love how light weight it is. I usually find the single telescoping handle not very sturdy, but let's hope this one is. I guess we must sacrifice few things to ensure light weight products.

http://hypebeast.com/2009/12/rimowa-salsa-air-luggage/

payam81

Make sure you try one at a store. I looked at the Salsa Air, and while it's a bit lighter than the Limbo, it's not very sturdy nor is it very stable in my opinion. It could easily tip over if it's top heavy with another bag tethered. It's obvious the weight reduction was achieved by thinning the shell and redesigning the carry handle, which as you guessed is not that sturdy from my experience playing with it.

The other thing I did not like was the very simple interior which is missing dividers. Instead it uses zippers with internal closures, one on each side, which is not my favorite.

It's made in Rimowa's Czech Republic factory.

dko3tgk

I've been lusting after a Topas for about a year now. But $1000 plus for the 29" Topas trolley is crazy. That costs more than some of my r/t tickets to Asia. I did get to handle one in Tokyo a few weeks ago and it is a fine piece of German engineering.

I've been very happy with my old Atlantic Professional 26" and 29" but they are starting to break down. Zippers, handles, etc.
The main reason I want a Topas is weight and durability. i want to go down in weight from my Atlantic's but keep durability. I have a luggage scale in my bag at all times because I always go overweight. So saving 1-4 lbs of weight with a Rimowa but still being bombproof is nice.
Other threads in this forum talk about Brigs and Reilly durability, but those are heavier than my current bags. And Travelpro, which are ligther but less durable. I'm very tough on my luggage, as nearly all my travel is international, mostly SE Asia. Everything from dirt/gravel paths, riding on backs of animals, thrown in the back of pickup trucks, tossed into boats, lashed on the roofs of tuk tuks, and buses,etc. My luggage has experienced all of this and my next will need to also.

So Koffer 24 is clearly the cheapest mainstream store on the web because they ship from Germany. But what about Germany itself? If I have friends visiting or if I go there myself. How do prices compare between retail in Germany for a Rimowa Topas vs. Koffer website? If the price difference is minimal, I might just go buy online.

tfar

Price difference between brick and mortar retail and internet will be minimal for Germany. If Koffer24 sends it to the US and does the tax deduction it might be a good deal. Bargaining inside the store is not very easy. Perhaps 10% at most and they will look at you with disdain. Not funny, although I sometimes do it but you have to be thick skinned. But inside the store you may easily get the tax deduction form for export.

Bringing one yourself from Germany seems like the best bet. Mind you, if you travel as harshly as you say and in those conditions, the 29" trolley is not the best choice. I'd go 26" at most. Better rigidity and better volume to weight ratio. Don't do the multi-wheel spinner thing. They will break off too easily.

Till

dko3tgk

According to the Koffer website sales outside the EU are are charged the Net price, so no worrying about the VAT.

I suppose I'll buy it from Koffer when its in the budget. I don't have any forseeable plans to visit Germany.

Thanks Till for the advice on the size. I'll consider that. The reason I want the 29" is that the interior volumes of the Rimowa Topas are less than the ballistic nylon bags I've been using. The Topas 26" is narrower and less deep than my current Atlantic 26" I don't know if I want to lose that much space.

But yeah I have put my luggage through those conditions before. And I prefer a two wheel trolley over a 4 wheel.

payam81

I just got a Bolero Laptop Case and man, do I love this thing. ^ My friend had ordered it in for me to check it out but I just instantly fell in love with it and bought it right there. I don't need to worry about my laptop being crushed anymore as it has a hard shell all around and on the top and bottom of it which was my main issue with my previous bag.

I also like the gazillion organization pockets and dividers. It's smaller and lighter than my trusty Victorinox Werks 2.0 but its main advantage is the polycarbonate shell. I might consider a bigger Bolero for my check in luggage actually cause I like the combination soft side on the polycarbonate shell.

I'll be putting both my new limbo and the bolero to test tomorrow.

GMill

Has anyone bought Rimowa luggage at Essentials in Fraport_Marktplatz at FRA? Any opinion about price and range of selection?

dko3tgk

How do you like your Limbo? I see its basically a Topas with polycarbonate instead of aluminum. Same alloy frame, locks, etc. Is it too shiny?

I kind of like the metal look of the Topas vs. shiny plastic look of the Limbo.

However the Limbo is 1 lb lighter and $100 less (on Koffer 24).

tfar

I don't have a Limbo but I'd say if it's only 1lb lighter and only $100 cheaper, I'd go with the Topas series right away and get the "real deal". I thought it would be much lighter and cheaper. My presumption was that it will be about 1/3 lighter and cheaper. Too bad!

Till

payam81

I love the limbo! It's extremely solid and most importantly dent free! Topas, while nice to look at, gets dented fairly easily due to the nature of aluminum. I personally also prefer the black color of the Limbo, makes it less flashy. Either way you won't go wrong really!

I also totally love my Bolero laptop case. It took some time to adjust from the bigger Victorinox with arguably a gazillion useful pockets however I totally enjoy the added protection of the hard shell case of Boler.

dko3tgk

There seem to be enough FT'ers who have Rimowa luggage. Besides Koffer24 in Germany, which is significantly cheaper than any major online retailers in the US, is there any store cheaper?

Koffer24 sells the Topas 26" trolley for around $600. Its over $1000 anywhere in the US.

So where do you get your Rimowas cheap?

payam81

I thought I share this news with you:

Rimowa is coming out with a hard-sided suiter!

My dealer friend just told me this good news as this is the only thing missing from their line and the one item I REALLY use heavily. He hasn't seen the product or the photos but the description that came out said it will be hard-sided similar to the Salsa Air line so it will also be extremely light. It's slated for Q3 or Q4 release. Right now I use a cheap, but functional and light Pathfinder suiter.

Will keep you updated. Unfortunately no price set for it yet, but should be inline with the bigger trolleys.

BTW, there are some changes coming up for the entire line up. Nothing major but these are what I can remember off the top of my head:

1. some new colors for some of the lines like Limbo and Salsa.
2. Bolero is turning shiny instead of the current matte.
3. Limbo is getting different stopper feet and such.

tfar

Not to dampen your joy on a hardsided suiter by Rimowa but the bigger cases all have a hook contraption which allows you to hang jackets on a special hanger. That's basically a suiter right there. In the big cases you hardly need to fold the jacket unless you are very tall.

Second, if you know how to fold a jacket correctly (see packing sticky) you don't need a suiter to transport suits.

Third, if you insist on still using some kind of contraption to fold your suits you can buy a suit folder separately. EC makes one and Travelpro sells the very good one coming with the Plat5 series as a separate part.

Any of these solutions would be cheaper, lighter, more versatile and IMHO smarter than a hardsided suiter.

I have a Samsonite Pro-DLX Suiter (full size bi-fold) and a Valoroso Horizontal garment bag (carry-on size, trifold). Both items were bought on very massive sales - I got the Sammy for $60. Both of them are among the worst pieces in terms of weight to volume and practicality of packing in my collection. However, they are both exceedingly cool and gadgety which is why I still bought them. I admit it.

Till