I'm leaving out the Salsa Lite for the moment, because of its handle, but there are some obvious misconceptions in the forum about the quality of these products. Some people are of the view that if you are spending that much for a product, why would anyone "settle" for the polycarbonate over the aluminum?

From my experience and in my view, the Rimowa IATA Salsa is markedly better than other brands, and for the reasons below, better than the Topas for the veteran traveler.

The Salsa rollers and handle in themselves are far superior to a lot of other brands, and the zippers are rated at pressures much higher than anything else I've seen, and for a 22 inch IATA case where you are guaranteed that it will be allowed on board, it has the best design I have seen in that size with the possible exception of the $20,000 Henk trolley.

But the point is that the Salsa is favored by many frequent travelers over the Stealth or Topas because of its weight, flexibility, lack of showiness and generally because of their design, which is a Topas without buckles (which has no give at all when closing a "well packed" case, unlike the zippered Salsa) that can be used for five years without looking much different than when you purchased it.

The Topas are just too showy for many of us, and if it happens that your carry on needs to be checked (for weight, or other reasons), not a decision you as a SLF ultimately make, then it's a lot more survivable than the Topas and won't attract unwanted attention.

Cleaning the Salsa is easier than cleaning the Topas, and for those of us using it in ice and snow and mud and slush and all of the attendant salt and grit it will get as you drag it along in parts of Europe or Canada or Russia during Winter, the Salsa just scrubs up a lot better. Those of you who have experienced this know that the wheels may not even work in these environments and you need to sled along your case, on occasion, even in major cities with proper sidewalks.

I like the Topas, but there's a reason why the Salsa is so popular.