Rimowa Luggage Review for 2023

Rimowa is a well-known German luxury luggage brand. The Rimowa look is unmistakable - aluminum suitcases with distinctive grooves, a symbol of high-end luxury in the travel world. I first heard of Rimowa years ago, but once I saw the high price tags, I didn’t give the brand much thought as a college student on a budget. Fast forward a few years (more like ten), I found myself searching for a long-lasting, high-quality suitcase to add to my collection. As luck would have it, one night while mindlessly scrolling Instagram, I got a sponsored ad for Rimowa, and my curiosity led me to research the brand.

Rimowa Overview

Rimowa was founded in 1898 by Paul Morszeck and Heinrich Görtz in Cologne, Germany. Over the years, Rimowa adapted and introduced new materials and luggage styles. Rimowa started out creating wooden cases, and in 1937, Rimowa made its first aluminum trunk. In 1950, the brand introduced its iconic grooves on the aluminum cases, inspired by the first all metal airplane. Since then, Rimowa has continued to update its suitcases to ensure they provide the best quality and durability in luxury luggage. Additionally, each Rimowa suitcase is individually inspected for quality before being sold. 

What I found interesting is that after 120 years in business, the headquarters remain in Germany, which is also where their aluminum suitcases are manufactured. Rimowa’s polycarbonate bags are manufactured in Europe and Canada. Rimowa now has storefronts worldwide, and customers can purchase their luggage directly from the Rimowa website or at several online retailers. 

The brand is even a favorite among celebrities, frequently spotted in airports and on tarmacs with celebrities like Bella Hadid, Lebron James, and Kylie Jenner, to name a few. If Rimowa is good enough for them, it must be good enough for the rest of us, right? Let’s dive into a comprehensive review of Rimowa and find out!

Image courtesy: Rimowa

Rimowa Carry On

Rimowa has several carry-on suitcase options, and after doing some research, I found the most popular ones are the Original Cabin, the Essential Cabin, and the Original Cabin Plus. 

The Original Cabin (pictured below) and Original Cabin Plus are the most iconic Rimowa carry-on bags, made out of aluminum and with grooves for Rimowa’s signature look. Both suitcases offer Rimowa’s standard features - TSA locks, polycarbonate multi-directional wheels, flex dividers for organization, and a sturdy telescopic handle. The Original Cabin is my personal favorite; I found the suitcase surprisingly easy to maneuver, even when I packed it heavily (because I simply cannot learn to pack light). The Plus version offers a few extra inches of packing space, which can come in handy if you like to travel with only a carry-on.

Image courtesy: Rimowa

The Essential Cabin is made from polycarbonate and has the same interior flex-divider as the Original Cabin suitcases. However, aside from the material, one crucial difference in the Essential Cabin is that it has a zipper closure instead of a latch. Additionally, this suitcase is quite a bit lighter than the Original options, weighing in at 7.1 pounds! While this may not make a difference when traveling domestically, I have traveled with some international airlines with weight restrictions for carry-on luggage (bummer, I know). So the Essential Cabin is the better (and cheaper) option for those planning to travel internationally. And for those looking for color options that stand out, the Essential Cabin provides over ten options!

Below is a comparison highlighting the main differences between the Rimowa carry-on options.

Rimowa Checked Luggage

For when you’re taking an extended trip or just need more packing space, Rimowa offers several checked luggage options. 

In the aluminum suitcase category are the Original Check-In and Classic Check-In. I looked at the large versions of both to see how they compare, and I was not surprised to find the bags quite similar. Both offered Rimowa’s standard features - TSA locks, flex dividers, telescopic handle, and four polycarbonate wheels. 

The Classic Check-In (pictured below)comes with two hand-made leather handles, which is a nice touch. The handles stick out from the suitcase, whereas the aluminum handles on the Original neatly tuck into the side and top of the bag. Additionally, I found that many customers that reviewed these bags stated the latches to close the suitcase were much easier to use than a zippered closure. 

Image courtesy: Rimowa

The Essential Check-In provides an option to travelers who prefer polycarbonate suitcases. The Essential Check-In is about 3 pounds lighter than the Original or Classic, making it a good choice for packers who want to utilize every available pound. Airlines can be strict with their weight requirements for checked luggage, so the Essential bag would allow you to pack that extra pair of shoes (or two)! 

No matter which one you choose, you’ll be sure to stand out with Rimowa’s signature luxurious design! 

Below is a comparison highlighting the main differences between the Rimowa check-in options.

Rimowa Trunk

Rimowa’s Classic Trunk is an iconic piece of luggage that will turn heads anywhere you travel. The Classic Trunk is truly a symbol of luxury and yet, provides incredible functionality and craftsmanship. Made from aluminum, the trunk’s edges are reinforced with high-gloss aluminum covers, providing extra support and durability throughout your travels. 

TSA locks are standard for Rimowa, and the trunk comes with this secure locking mechanism. The interior has a flex divider for organizing your clothes, shoes, toiletries, and more. The flex divider is height adjustable, which I think is a great feature I have not seen on any other luggage brands I’ve reviewed. Little customizable touches like this make me love this brand even more! 

The Classic Trunk only comes in two colors, silver, and black. Personally, this luggage is best left to those two colors as they are classic and timeless! In terms of packing space, the trunk offers an impressive 100L. According to Rimowa, travelers can use it for trips up to 14 days, but this is quite a bit of packing space… if you are an efficient packer, I think the trunk can be used for trips up to a month! 

Dimensions: 29.5 x 14.2 x 18.5 inches

Weight: 13.2 pounds

Image courtesy: Rimowa

Rimowa Backpack

Rimowa’s Flap backpack (Large) is a beautifully designed travel backpack that complements any Rimowa suitcase. Made with canvas and full-grain leather, the look of the backpack is sleek and stylish, complete with grooves to match the ridges on their classic bags. 

A magnetic lock closes the flap on the backpack and provides an easy way to open and close it quickly. The interior has about 20L of packing space, and there are two zippered side compartments to store smaller items like portable chargers or headphones. One of my favorite features of this bag is the travel strap on the back, allowing you to slide the bag securely over a suitcase handle. The little details really make this bag a beauty, with Rimowa emblazoned on the travel strap and magnetic lock. 

Would I personally spend $1,700 on a backpack? No, there are plenty of backpack options that would do the job. Still, this backpack would be the perfect addition to a Rimowa suitcase for those looking to coordinate travel products and accessories.

Image courtesy: Rimowa

Rimowa Phone Case

Something I haven’t seen from many other luggage brands is a matching phone case, but Rimowa definitely delivers with excellent options! Their iPhone cases perfectly match their signature luggage style, complete with Rimowa’s iconic grooves and logo. 

The cases are available in polycarbonate and aluminum, with the latter being slightly more expensive. The polycarbonate option is the better of the two with the lower cost ($115 as opposed to $130-160 for the aluminum version), and it supports wireless charging, which the aluminum case does not. I’m a big fan of sleek phone cases, so the fact that Rimowa offers options to match their luggage and look stylish is a win in my book!

Image courtesy: Rimowa

New Colors for 2023

On December 1, 2022, Rimowa dropped two new color options: pine and raspberry. These colors are available for luggage in Rimowa's Essential collection. The raspberry color is also available in Rimowa's iPhone case. These colors bring a breath of fresh air to Rimowa's color options and offer a way for travelers to stand out from the crowd with their luggage. The pine color is a stunning green and is not too flashy, for those who shy away from attention.

Rimowa Porsche

Oh my lord - just when I thought Rimowa couldn’t get any better… I stumbled upon their Rimowa x Porsche collaboration. Rimowa and Porsche teamed up to create a suitcase inspired by the first edition of the Porsche 911 sports car - the 901. I am a big fan of Porsche’s design and will hopefully have my own Porsche 911 Turbo S (in purple, of course), so when I saw that Rimowa created a suitcase designed to fit in the front trunk of the 911, I was impressed and intrigued. 

The Rimowa x Porsche Hand-Carry Case Pepita has a sleek and functional design modeled after the Porsche 911. The aluminum case is solid and sturdy, although packing space is minimal at 30L. The case has a Porsche crest on the front, and the secure buckle is modeled after the seatbelt in Porsche cars. The suitcase has subtle (and some not-so-subtle) nods to the Porsche brand by which it was inspired, but that is what makes it a stunning collectible item. 

It seems that the Rimowa x Porsche luggage is hard to find after its release in April 2022, so unfortunately, we’ll just have to admire this collaboration from afar. After all, they made only 911 suitcases in total. But this does make me wonder if there are any other auto collaborations in the future for Rimowa (designers, if you’re reading this, a BMW or Lamborghini styled suitcase would be amazing)!

Image courtesy: Porsche

Rimowa on Instagram

Rimowa’s Instagram profile, @rimowa, has an impressive 731,000+ followers. The brand is active on Instagram, with several weekly posts showing their various luggage options and how they are used worldwide. In addition to pictures, Rimowa does have plenty of reels, and it seems they post content to keep their customers engaged and interested. I even found a reel about collaboration in the metaverse - how cool! 

At the top of their Instagram profile, you’ll find several highlights showcasing the various luggage collaborations and lines Rimowa offers. As someone new to Rimowa, I found their Heritage story highlight very interesting! Heritage is all about telling Rimowa’s story, and they do a great job keeping users engaged with quizzes and historical facts about Rimowa and how the luxury luggage brand has developed over the years.

Rimowa on Trustpilot

It is no surprise that Rimowa has a “Great” rating on Trustpilot. The verified brand has a claimed profile on Trustpilot, and the statistics show that they respond to 23% of negative reviews. What’s more is that Rimowa responds to negative reviews in less than two weeks, which is better than other brands I’ve reviewed that don’t respond to negative reviews at all! 

Out of over 330 reviews, 73% give Rimowa a four or five-star rating, whereas 24% give Rimowa one star. Many of the negative reviews discuss bad experiences with Rimowa’s customer service. However, I did see quite a few responses from Rimowa representatives reaching out to ask for more information or provide a contact method. I do appreciate a brand that can respond to negative reviews or criticisms and attempt to rectify the situation!

Rimowa Reviews

I was a little skeptical at first researching Rimowa’s reviews on other retailers like Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, and Amazon, but I was pleasantly surprised at my search results. Before purchasing any travel product, reading other customers’ reviews is essential to better understand what a brand does well and what it could improve on. With Rimowa being so expensive, I was curious about what current customers had to say. 

Rimowa was consistently given four to five-star ratings (out of five) on each of the online retailers I researched! Many reviewers stated the luggage was easy to maneuver, provided plenty of packing space, and was designed well with quality materials. There were also quite a few reviewers that stated their Rimowa purchase was worth the cost and made for a great, long-lasting travel product. 

These reviews helped confirm my original thought - that Rimowa is a luxury luggage brand that delivers on quality, durability, and style and is truly worth the cost!

Rimowa’s Travel Merak Score

Rimowa continues to impress me, and I was excited to calculate the Travel Merak score for this brand. With its durable materials and timeless style, this brand is truly a dream.

Rimowa’s lifetime manufacturer’s warranty changed in 2022. Previously, they offered a 5-year guarantee on their suitcases, but as of July 25, 2022, they now offer a lifetime guarantee for all functional aspects of your bag. Of course, this doesn’t cover cosmetic wear and tear, but that seems to be standard for most luggage brands. 

Our Score: 4.7/5

Pros:

Durable materials - aluminum and polycarbonate

High-end brand collaborations

Polycarbonate wheels

Adjustable interior dividers

TSA locks

Luxury design

Select hotel repair services

Lifetime guarantee

Great customer reviews

Cons:

Expensive

Limited color options

Not expandable

No known sustainability initiatives

Read about Travel Merak’s product rating methodology.

Rimowa Luxury Luggage Review Conclusion

High-end luggage brand Rimowa certainly provides luxurious products for today’s travelers. The brand is known by travelers and celebrities for delivering durable, stylish suitcases and travel accessories. I absolutely recommend this brand to anyone in the market for a luxury suitcase that will last years. I can even see this suitcase being an excellent investment and piece of luggage that can be passed down to future generations, as my parents did to me with their bags from the 1980s! 

While their aluminum and polycarbonate suitcases are timeless, travelers looking for something unique may be drawn to Rimowa’s collaborations with high-end brands like Porsche, Supreme, and Dior, offering stylish pieces that are not your run-of-the-mill suitcases. 

I think Rimowa’s price is the biggest drawback to the brand and may not be the most economical purchase for the occasional traveler. Brands like Away, Tumi and Samsonite can provide excellent quality for a lower price point if you find Rimowa out of your budget! 

Overall, Rimowa is truly a luxury luggage brand, and with its high price point comes high quality and style. Travel Merak considers it one of the top suitcase brands.