If you’ve been looking to upgrade your luggage and are in the market for a hard-shell suitcase to keep your belongings safe, RIMOWA will surely be a brand you have come across.
And while RIMOWA has a name synonymous with quality and luxury, it’s not that easy to know which suitcase to buy. They have quite a few different luggage lines from which you can choose your suitcase!
In this post, we’ll cover two of the most popular luggage lines — the Original and Essential lines — to help you settle on the suitcase of your dreams!
For starters, the major difference between the RIMOWA Original and the RIMOWA Essential is the materials used. The Original line uses aluminum, while the Essential line uses polycarbonate. Moreover, the Essential line comes with more color options and is often lighter than the same model from the Original line.
Despite there being some really obvious differences between these two lines RIMOWA offers, there is a ton more to discuss!
If you want your next RIMOWA suitcase to be perfect for all your needs, it’s best to know about all the similarities/differences between the two to ensure you buy the right one for YOU.
This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!
Table of Contents
RIMOWA: About The Brand
Founded in Cologne in 1898, RIMOWA has risen to become one of the quintessential brands for prestigious luggage, renowned for its iconic design easily recognizable by travelers worldwide.
The RIMOWA brand started as a manufacturer of hard-shell suitcases made from hard-wearing wood, and the company has had an enormous impact on the luggage industry ever since. Through the years, the brand changed and developed its look, adopting a groove design inspired by an aircraft.
Though RIMOWA is likely most well-known for its aluminum luggage designs, it also adopted polycarbonate styles over the years too.
Though the company started as a luggage manufacturer, it has since expanded into some of the following:
- Multiple luggage collections with distinct characteristics
- Multiple bag collections that include sling bags, tote bags, weekenders, backpacks, briefcases, and more
- Accessories such as packing cubes and luggage tags
- Stickers and iPhone accessories, such as phone covers
- Specialty cases like wine cases, watch cases, poker attachés, etc.
You can expect to find most of these products with their signature aesthetic — the horizontal groove pattern, serving to pay homage to the world’s first all-metal aircraft.
The company’s focus on quality and craftsmanship has made it a favorite among travelers, and its unique design (and symbolism!) has helped it stand out from other luggage brands.
RIMOWA’s design philosophy leans towards minimalism, with clean lines and a focus on functionality. The brand often opts for simple, monochromatic color palettes, making its products look timeless and sophisticated!
Fun Fact: The very first aluminum trunk was created by the founder’s son, Richard Morszeck. Abbreviating his name gave them their enduring name of ‘RIMOWA’.
If you’re interested in learning more about the brand’s history, this is an easy and fun read.
RIMOWA’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship extends beyond its products. The brand also offers a comprehensive in-store repair and restoration service, which allows customers to have their RIMOWA suitcases repaired or restored, even years after they were first purchased. Participating luxury hotels even offer RIMOWA repair services too!
And best of all, they have one of the best warranties out there – a lifetime warranty on all your RIMOWA suitcases!
RIMOWA’s Luggage Collections
There are a total of six different collections and within each collection, there are a series of luggage sizes, including cabin (or carry-on) sizes and checked luggage (ranging from medium, large, and even trunk sizes).
Original Collection: This is the iconic collection that RIMOWA is known for. It features the brand’s signature grooved aluminum suitcase, which is known for its durability and style. The Original collection is available in carry-on and check-in sizes, and comes in a few classic metal colors.
Classic Collection: This hard shell suitcase collection is a timeless, heritage-inspired take on the Original collection and features a high-end anodized aluminum alloy, riveted high-gloss aluminum corners, and hand-made leather handles.
Hybrid Collection: This collection combines the durability of aluminum with the lightweight properties of polycarbonate. The Hybrid collection features a hybrid shell made from both materials, so you get the best of both worlds.
Essential Collection: The Essential collection is a more affordable option from RIMOWA, made from polycarbonate instead of aluminum. It features a sleek and minimalist design and is available in a variety of colors. You’ll get the most color options in this line.
Essential Lite Collection: This collection is an even more lightweight and portable option, made from polycarbonate. Weighing 30% less than the RIMOWA Essential, these cases are designed for easy mobility while not sacrificing durability.
Essential Sleeve Collection: This collection is another lightweight and minimalistic option from RIMOWA, with the only difference being that there is an exterior sleeve that can hold your laptop/tablets. Great for business travelers!
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Design And Style
Though both the RIMOWA Original and the RIMOWA Essential lines are manufactured and designed by the same company and brand, they have distinctly different appearances and styles. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two lines in detail.
RIMOWA Original Line
The RIMOWA Original line is the line of luggage that the brand first became known for and now features three main colors — silver, titanium, and black.
From time to time though, limited edition colors do go on sale, such as quartz (rose gold) or artic blue. There are also some other color options in the form of the Original Twist line, which offers color combinations by adding color to the handles and some of the case’s trim.
Staying true to the company’s origins, as the name of the line suggests, these cases feature the signature RIMOWA groove design. The Original suitcase line has a sleek, timeless, and relatively modern design and aesthetic while staying true to the roots of aluminum designs.
RIMOWA Essential Line
In contrast to the Original line, though maintaining the signature groove design, the RIMOWA Essential line features hard-shell cases made from polycarbonate and many more colors.
The design of the suitcases is still sleek, but the wider array of colors allows you a few more options for aesthetic choices.
With the polycarbonate cases, you have color options from between three to fifteen possibilities (with the Cabin carry-on size having the most color options), and most suitcases have a choice between gloss or matte to suit your personal style.
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Durability And Quality
Though the design of these suitcases is important, you’ll also want to care about the durability and quality before you buy one, which is why we’ll look at some of these aspects below.
Manufacturing Materials
- Original Line – The Original luggage line by RIMOWA uses aluminum for the case’s exterior and polyester for the bag’s dividers and internal components. In addition, RIMOWA also makes use of plastic and hard plastic for the handles and wheels.
- Essential Line – As noted before, the Essential luggage line uses polycarbonate to make the hard-shell exterior of their suitcases. However, it uses Polyjacquard for the internal components and plastic or polycarbonate for the wheels and handle. In addition, the zips on the Essential line also use plastic and metal.
Construction And Design
The Original and Essential luggage lines from RIMOWA both have a hard exterior shell to protect your belongings, making them last longer than most other-material suitcases.
In addition, both feature rounded corners with corner caps for extra protection, a multi-wheel system for optimal stability and durability, and height-adjustable flex dividers inside to keep your belongings in place (and even compressed) as you pack them.
One benefit of the design of the Original cases is that they do not use a zip that can get stuck or broken, opting instead to use the signature RIMOWA lock system to keep your case closed.
Reviews And Previous Complaints
Original Line – The RIMOWA Original luggage sets are made from high-quality, durable materials, which you can see, feel, and experience over many uses throughout the years. However, as with other metals, aluminum can scratch if it isn’t adequately protected in a protective sleeve when checked in.
Essential Line – The Essential luggage line, though not made from metal, is also very durable even after many uses. However, you may run into the same problem with scratches. The matte colors tend to show scratches more than the glossy options.
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Suitcase Features
When you consider the features and functionality of RIMOWA suitcases, you need to make an apples-to-apples comparison. If you’re debating between two product lines’ check-in suitcases, you’ll need to compare check-in bags of the same size.
In addition, to compare them equally, you need to use the same suitcase model from both lines; this is what we’ll do below as an example.
Original Line
Some of the main features every RIMOWA Original suitcase has are:
- TSA-approved locks
- Height-adjustable Flex Dividers
- Multi-directional wheels
- Stage-free adjustment telescopic handles (stage-free means that you won’t be limited by the 3-4 default heights that other suitcases have)
- Corner caps for extra protection
- Zipperless closure
These features make the bag easy to move, secure with two compliant locks, and stable to stand. In addition, as you know by now, the aluminum material used for the Original line makes it even better for protection.
Another thing worth mentioning is the difference in size and storage capacity for the Original line. One example is the Original Cabin Suitcase (the carry-on size) which measures 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inches and has a volume of 9.2 gallons.
Though other soft-shell suitcases may be able to stretch to carry a bit more, because of the hard-shell material of this suitcase plus the fact that it’s zipperless, you may struggle to fit anything extra.
Essential Line
As with the Original line, the Essential line follows the same standards and features; these bags have the same wheels, handles, and dividers and also have a lock.
However, since this line uses zips, there is only one lock. The Essential line also doesn’t have extra pieces of material that make up corner caps (instead, they’re built-in as part of the shell).
In contrast to the Cabin suitcase from the Original line, the Essential Cabin measures around 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inches and has a volume of 9.8 gallons, which equates to 0.6 gallons more than the Original line equivalent.
The extra capacity may be due to a more bendable or flexible hard-shell material.
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Weight And Size
Generally speaking, the RIMOWA Essential suitcases weigh less and have more luggage capacity/space than their Original line counterparts.
Since the RIMOWA Original line has many more suitcase sizing options, we will take a look at just the cases offered by both lines so we can actually see the differences between them.
Before we do that, let’s discuss why there would be some of these differences in the first place.
Reasons for the difference in weight:
- The material used – Naturally, polycarbonate is lighter than aluminum, making the RIMOWA Essential line lighter.
- The internal sections – The internal pieces of the RIMOWA Essential line may also be lighter since they are made from Polyjacquard.
- The external materials – the Original line does also have more metal pieces used throughout the exterior of the suitcase
Reasons for the difference in capacity:
- Because the hard shell of the RIMOWA Original line is made from aluminum, the Original line may have less space since the suitcase can’t “bend” much to accommodate more belongings.
Size and Weight Comparison:
| Original | Essential | |||||
| Case | Weight | Size in Inches | Capacity | Weight | Size in Inches | Capacity |
| Cabin | 9.5 lbs | 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 | 9.2 gal | 7.1 lbs | 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 | 9.8 gal |
| Check-In M | 11.9 lbs | 26.4 x 17.8 x 9.5 | 15.4 gal | 9 lbs | 26.4 x 17.8 x 9.5 | 15.4 gal |
| Check-In L | 13.7 lbs | 31.2 x 20.1 x 10.7 | 21.7 gal | 10.6 lbs | 30.6 x 20.5 x 11.1 | 23 gal |
| Trunk | 13.4 lbs | 28.8 x 17 x 14.8 | 23.6 gal | 11.2 lbs | 28.8 x 17 x 14.8 | 24.3 gal |
| Trunk Plus | 14.1 lbs | 31.5 x 14.8 x 17 | 26.5 gal | 11.9 lbs | 31.5 x 14.6 x 16.1 | 26.7 gal |
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Cost
Looking at the suitcases offered by RIMOWA, there is no illusion that you will buy a cheap bag.
Both lines are on the pricier side, especially compared to other popular luggage brands out there like Monos Travel, Paravel, and ROAM Luggage where carry-on suitcases range from $260-$550 USD.
However, it is worth considering the price difference between these two lines and why there is a price difference.
- Original Line – The Original line, when looking at all the suitcases offered, starts around $1430 USD and goes up to $2400 USD. The most apparent reason the price is so high is the use of aluminum for the outer shell. The Original Twist, the suitcase line that features more color to the trim and handles, will have higher costs too.
- Essential Line – The Essential line starts at around $850 USD and reaches as high as $1400 USD. The first and most significant reason for the price difference is that polycarbonate is cheaper and easier to mold than aluminum for these cases. Nevertheless, it’s still a super durable material for a suitcase!
Price Comparison:
Using the carry-on comparison example from earlier, the Essential Cabin costs around $900 USD, while the Original Cabin is $1430 USD. This is a $500+ USD price difference.
As I mentioned before, the main reason for this significant price difference is the manufacturing material, though the Original also comes with more locks, which may have something to do with the increase the price.
RIMOWA Original Vs. RIMOWA Essential: Which Is Right For You?
If you’re debating on whether to buy a suitcase or even a luggage set in the Original or Essential lines, the most significant differences you need to keep in mind are weight, price, personal aesthetic, and materials used between the two luggage collections.
In short, here are the main highlights for the RIMOWA Original line:
- The Original line is often more expensive than the Essential line due to the premium materials and craftsmanship involved in its production.
- The Original line is known for its signature aluminum shell. This material is highly durable, offers excellent protection for your belongings, and has a distinctive and ultra-luxe appearance. If you prioritize durability and a high-end aesthetic, the Original line may be the better choice.
- The Original line carries the iconic grooved design and metallic finish associated with RIMOWA. It has a classic, timeless look that appeals to those who appreciate a more traditional, professional, and elegant aesthetic.
And here are the highlights for the RIMOWA Essential line:
- The Essential line tends to be more budget-friendly while still offering RIMOWA’s quality and design.
- The Essential line typically features polycarbonate material. Polycarbonate is lighter than aluminum, making the suitcase easier to maneuver and lift. It’s also durable, though it may not offer the same level of protection as aluminum. If weight is a significant consideration, or if you prefer a more lightweight suitcase, the Essential line might be a better fit.
- The Essential line features a more streamlined and minimalist design. It’s good for those of you who want a modern and sleek appearance without the metallic finish of the Original line. Plus it comes in lots of cute limited-edition colors (like the one I have in teal!).
With that said, if you are just looking for something to keep your belongings safe while you travel, the suitcases from the RIMOWA Essential line are more than enough.
But if you have breakables in your luggage or travel frequently with high-end equipment, you may want the Original line’s added protection!
Looking for more travel gear / travel tips? You may also like:
RIMOWA Essential Cabin Review: Is It Worth The Money?
LEVEL8 Gibraltar Aluminum Carry-On Review: Is This A Good RIMOWA Dupe?