Received my 19 in the mail today. Overall very satisfied with this purchase.
First impressions:
Build quality is on par with Rimowa.
Rimowa looks more expensive, Tumi looks more sturdy.
Tumi's aluminum is more of a buffed look rather than Rimowa's slightly chrome-ish look.
Have not seen an Alpha 2, but judging from the pictures they do seem to be the same wheels on the 19.
Sizing is a little whacky on the Tumi (international), so would not recommend to someone that likes to pack heavy with carry ons.
Lock set on the Topas is better
Huge plus on the 19 for having a built in tab for bag tags
Handles retract smooth as butter on the 19
I purchased my 19 discounted on ebay, it was a floor room model so I got a very good price on it. Would I choose the 19 over the Topas at full retail? Nope. While I do plan on buying a Topas later down the road, for now the Tumi is more than adequate.
Last edited by SQ007; Nov 26, 2017 at 9:49 am