Every single person I know in real life who have had Rimowa have all been highly disappointed in them. One group of people bought them to cut down on excess baggage fees only to find themselves going to luggage shops to find replacement suitcases of different brands as all broke. Another group went off on a trip with brand new Rimowa cases only to find them coming off the conveyorbelt - broken - on the first trip. They look fantastic but their durability is no-where near as good as what you can pick up at a fraction of the cost at TK Max.

I have a Delsey hard shell spinner that is now 7 years old and still going. Best suitcase I've had - ever. The last trip it did see some damage but none that impairs its usability or protective capacity. It has latches. Like you, I prefer latches. I find the zipped hard shelled check in bags are not that stable when rolling them around.

However, the Pelican suggestion is very valid. They might be ugly but they do protect what's inside.