Is Rimowa as bad as people say?
Been browsing this forum quite a bit and it seems most people have issues with their Rimowa suitcases? If it's aluminum it bends and scratches until it's beyond repairable and apparently the polycarbonate cases cracks?
Are there really that many issues with Rimowa's cases? or is it a louder minority making it sound worse than it is? I bought a classic flight cabin bag recently but was looking to add a checked bag to my collection too - however after reading people's experiences on here I must admit I am not too sure if Rimowa is the right choice anymore. |
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If in doubt, do not buy any...! |
People are usually much more vocal about bad experiences with a brand, whatever that may be. This is more so when it is expensive, even though statistically speaking, failure rates are lower than peers. I tend to discount poor reviews a fair bit, although damage can indeed happens with any brand. Rimowas are tough, but anyone buying check in bags should not expect it to look pristine with use. I personally would prefer bags that are tough with strong hinges and wheels . Nothing is more annoying that having luggage arrive with handles or wheels damaged or having hinges blown out with many Samsonite Curv luggages. Rimowa hasn't disappoint in this regards. When u have to lug a faulty bag over long periods on foot, scratches or dents are the last thing on your mind. Dents in the Aluminum luggage happens and sometimes this can be remedied at the Rimowa store. I prefer a beat up luggage as they do not attract to much attention. They are not perfect though, they can be heavy (along with a slew of disadvantages inherent with clamstyle hardcases) and in Asia, it seems everyone is carrying one. A few occasions on the carousel, I have seen people approach another traveller about taking a case (by mistake), usually the silver ones. Also they tend attract thieves who know they are expensive especially at certain airports. If you do indeed get Rimowa, I'd go only for their Aluminum ones just like I'd only take B&R in their baseline softcase. Rimowa's polycarbonate ones are good but not as iconic and many other brands offer similarly good quality Polycarbonate bags. |
If you are on the fence about your next luggage purchase, don't buy it, and save the remorse.
With any other purchase that requires a premium up-front cost, such as RIMOWA, you have to weigh the pros and cons. Each buyer is different and weighs each pro and con differently, according to their own purchase criteria. If you are worried about dents, wear and tear on hard-side luggage, then do not make the purchase. Find out what is important to you in terms of features, specifications and build quality. Come up with at least three (3) pieces of luggage that meet your criteria in the same product range, and do a mini-test stroll on the sale floor. You should be able to make a purchase decision with firm commitment and no remorse. If you are concerned about buyer's remorse, find a retailer who has a return policy that meets your needs and gives you piece of mind. |
Thanks for the responses so far.
I fully understand people saying that if I'm in doubt then I shouldn't buy it - but I am honestly in doubt about every luggage I look at, not specific to Rimowa. I'm personally fine with dents and scratches and I don't mind the suitcase looking beat up if it still functions as supposed to - but unsure if Rimowa will last or quickly become damaged to a point where it's not repairable? What are people's experiences with that? |
Originally Posted by bulbmogul
(Post 30072303)
If in doubt, do not buy any...!
Originally Posted by oliverbrix
(Post 30071653)
Been browsing this forum quite a bit and it seems most people have issues with their Rimowa suitcases? If it's aluminum it bends and scratches until it's beyond repairable and apparently the polycarbonate cases cracks?
Are there really that many issues with Rimowa's cases? or is it a louder minority making it sound worse than it is? I bought a classic flight cabin bag recently but was looking to add a checked bag to my collection too - however after reading people's experiences on here I must admit I am not too sure if Rimowa is the right choice anymore. If you've seen check-in sized pieces rolling around in mint condition, it's likely to have never or rarely left the closet :) I have a local service center, where they can bang out the dents same-day, or within a few days for larger repairs. If you don't have easy access to such facilities, then the 5 year warranty doesn't do much good. IMO, that should inform the buying decision. |
They recently significantly increased their prices, if it helps sway your decision.
I have had a polycarbonite Rimowa checked suitcase for the last 4 years and whilst I've been pleased with the smooth running of the wheels, I've been disappointed with the overall quality. The case itself began to deform within a year, and all but one of the raised bumps on the bottom have been knocked off, 2.5 years in one of the corners around the zip started to come apart and on a recent trip it cracked either side of the main handle leaving me worried a sharp pull from a baggage handler would cause the whole thing to come apart. Since it needs replacing I was on the fence about another Rimowa anyway but the 50% price increase on my model made the decision easy. |
Yes! I cannot speak for the Topas aluminum, but their polycarbonate breaks at the slightest shock.
Against all the raving, I have been sorely disappointed. In 2006, as the airlines begain reducing their weight allowance, I decided to look for the lightest luggage available and Rimowa Salsa polycarbonate was the recommended brand. I invested in 7 pieces at that time. None of them have been used more than once a year, some even less, as the number of allowed bags was reduced, as my son no longer accompanied me to visit the family ... Since that time, in no moe than 10 trips for any one piece, 3 pieces have broken: one where a wheel came off and it was fixed, and another that cracked just last year. And now, the bottom of a Bolero piece has exploded when taking it gently out of a car. The wheel has come off, and the bottom is cracked all the way across. I have written to Rimowa and their answer is simply that the suitcase is "12 years old we cannot offer you anything out of goodwill." Yes, it is old, but it has only been lightly used. This means, that the cost of a Rimowa case, for use once a year over 12 years, is extremely expensive, and definitely not worth the cost. Since 2006, a number of other brands, e.g. Delsey, Samsonite, Lipault ... to mention only a few, have come out with lightweight luggage at half the price. I will definitely be turning to one of these as my Rimowa cases crack one by one. |
Originally Posted by MSDinParis
(Post 30084501)
Yes! I cannot speak for the Topas aluminum, but their polycarbonate breaks at the slightest shock.
Against all the raving, I have been sorely disappointed. In 2006, as the airlines begain reducing their weight allowance, I decided to look for the lightest luggage available and Rimowa Salsa polycarbonate was the recommended brand. I invested in 7 pieces at that time. None of them have been used more than once a year, some even less, as the number of allowed bags was reduced, as my son no longer accompanied me to visit the family ... Since that time, in no moe than 10 trips for any one piece, 3 pieces have broken: one where a wheel came off and it was fixed, and another that cracked just last year. And now, the bottom of a Bolero piece has exploded when taking it gently out of a car. The wheel has come off, and the bottom is cracked all the way across. I have written to Rimowa and their answer is simply that the suitcase is "12 years old we cannot offer you anything out of goodwill." Yes, it is old, but it has only been lightly used. This means, that the cost of a Rimowa case, for use once a year over 12 years, is extremely expensive, and definitely not worth the cost. Since 2006, a number of other brands, e.g. Delsey, Samsonite, Lipault ... to mention only a few, have come out with lightweight luggage at half the price. I will definitely be turning to one of these as my Rimowa cases crack one by one. |
Inconsistency is a red flag
IMHO, when it comes to checked luggage, the fact that there is such great variance in experience (albeit small sample size), most likely indicates that either: 1. The quality of the product is inconsistent, or 2. The variance in the baggage handling (the application environment) is far more influential than the quality of the product in terms of long term durability. Therefore, either.... 1. Buying the product is a crapshoot - you may get a good one, or you may get a not so good one, or 2. There's little point in buying a "high quality" bag since that quality isn't all that likely to result in much greater service life. So, I try to 1. never check bags, 2. will not buy"spinner" type check in size bags, and 3. Try to buy good quality luggage that should withstand lots of "normal" wear and tear. I won't however spend 2x-5x for a lifetime no questions asked warranty that covers abuse. If my bag fails while traveling, I'm not sending it off to get fixed, and I'll be damned if I'm dragging a busted bag all over the Earth to bring it home to get fixed... I'll buy another $200ish bag and be happy to get a good 2-8 years out of it. I simply don't accept that the $1K bags last 5x longer than the $200 Travelpro, delsey, Kirkland, etc. The larger spinner wheels on the rimowa do roll better though. |
I see a fair number of banged up and dented Rimowa's on my travels. I like luggage to last. for me a dented and banged up suitcase looks like it is ready for replacement. I like my luggage to last, and for me that equates to not looking tired.... I never check luggage, so that eliminates the major damage point... That's all....
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Originally Posted by timfountain
(Post 30092239)
I see a fair number of banged up and dented Rimowa's on my travels. I like luggage to last. for me a dented and banged up suitcase looks like it is ready for replacement. I like my luggage to last, and for me that equates to not looking tired.... I never check luggage, so that eliminates the major damage point... That's all....
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Originally Posted by cowculator
(Post 30073165)
People are usually much more vocal about bad experiences with a brand, whatever that may be. This is more so when it is expensive, even though statistically speaking, failure rates are lower than peers. I tend to discount poor reviews a fair bit, Most reviews are biased to be overly optimistic. I think it doesn't make sense to discount just poor reviews a fair bit. It makes sense to discount all reviews quite a bit (or at least try to correct their over-enthusiastic sentiment). By the way, it has been studied theoretically and empirically quite a bit why most reviewers are dishonest by being too positive. EDIT - To apply this a bit more concretely to the question, I do own luggage from Rimowa, Tumi, and such. And, considering the premium I paid, I do expect more from that it from run-of-the-mill luggage sold at most big retail chains. I recently had a Tumi bag with a defect after just six months of use and it's tilting me a tad bit away from the brand. My personal experiences with Rimowa have thus far been stellar. |
I have a set of 2-wheeled B&R plus a 2-year-old Rimowa Salsa Deluxe Hybrid polycarbonate cabin bag. For carrying on, I much prefer the Rimowa to the heavier B&R so my B&R cabin bag has been collecting dust since I got the Rimowa. I keep that bag and it’s siblings in case I need to check a bag. I would never check my Rimowa. I don’t care about scratches, but I feel it would only be a matter of time before a wheel broke or the shell got cracked. I love the Rimowa but I don’t know that I’d love it as much at the new price. |
I’ve had two Tumi Alphas over the last 10 years. A two wheel A1 that goes in the hold when it has to, and not when I can help it. It’s done upwards of 800 sectors, is a bit beat up, but keeps on going. The second one, spinner Alpha2, was added a year and a half ago (about 110 sectors), is doing fine, but gets checked in more than I’d like on short haul flights in Europe. I added a Rimowa Bolero (bought with points from Lufthansa) cabin trolley a couple of months ago, and love it. No one has tried checking it in for me, it rolls wonderfully, and I find the interior configuration and straps ideal for my weekly commute. Not sure what state it would be in if I checked it in, but as hand luggage I can’t fault it. I spent a long while considering the equivalent Tumi case, but just wasn’t convinced by it: just seemed a lot flimsier and a cheaper build, for much the same price. |
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