This suitcase uses an e-tag system, that is, an electronic luggage tag can be loaded here. Everything is very cool in official videos, but how is it really? Let's get it right. Consider this a kind of operating experience: I bought a suitcase in March, he survived five flights, and my impressions were accumulated. I'll tell you everything in order, flew!
Story
The entire history of the company can be viewed here. 120 years old, only luggage, founding father Paul Morzhek, his son Richard Morzhek came up with the idea of making aluminum suitcases in 1937, and Richard's son, Dieter Morzhek, is now the general director of the company. Such continuity can only be envied. In the middle of the last century, a recognizable design related to aviation motifs appeared.
Well, now RIMOWA is, perhaps, the highest quality luggage on the market (also practically the most expensive). Collages came out with Supreme, Off-White, Anti Social Social Club, BAPE, Fendi, Bang & Olufsen. Many remember this transparent suitcase Off-White x RIMOWA – a good topic!
Suitcase
In the RIMOWA line, the suitcase belongs to the Topas series, and more precisely, to the Cneck-In squad: there are Trunk (the largest), Cneck-In (smaller) and Cabin. The latter can be taken on a plane. In addition, there are collections: these are Original, Heritage, Hybrid and others. Somewhere here used to be Topas, but apparently the marketers at RIMOWA decided to shake things up, so it's better to visit a company store to buy a suitcase.
Here is another thought for you: in Russia, the suitcase in question cost about 80,000 rubles or even more. In Europe, I bought for a thousand euros or so, plus I also received Tax Free at the airport – in general, it turned out cheaper. My wife and I flew on business, at the same time we bought all kinds of goods, specially did not take a large suitcase with us: there was an idea to buy a simple RIMOWA suitcase, without electronic miracles, but since I love gadgets and promised to write a review, we took the last largest suitcase from the store e-tag.
First, let's talk about the suitcase. He is strict, tough, uncomfortable and loves to punish people. I have already pinched my fingers several times when I closed the uncomfortable covers. The cap fell on unprotected toes. Locked the phalanx of the little finger. In short, there is a lot of pain and suffering.
Why? The answer is simple: aluminum. The material is reliable, but slippery and heavy. The top cover should close the bottom, like a jaw, so everything should be packed as it should – when packing up on the last day of vacation, there were no horrors. So, they’re already used to it.
But besides this, of course, some kind of RR in the world of suitcases. A handle with a button and a flawlessly thought out move. Four fine wheels. Two combination locks with perfect mechanisms. Everything is assembled as in the aircraft industry, a direct visual pleasure. I never wrap my bags around (you don’t keep the remote control in film, right?) And I like how RIMOWA gets old with every trip. These travel dents, what could be cooler?
The volume of the suitcase is about eighty liters, but, in fact, you will not put so much here. A very sophisticated packing system is used here: you fold everything, then press down with complete covers and tighten with Velcro straps. This is necessary for the correct location of the lid of the suitcase – if everything is ok, then when you close, you can directly hear the air coming out of the suitcase through the thinnest slots.
There are two carrying handles, I suppose, tearing them off is pretty hard. Yes, and put a new one in the service without problems. It’s cool to roll a suitcase – it goes wonderfully, it’s convenient to put it on a tape, but sticking it in the trunk is not your concern, right?
From the point of view of the suitcase, I really like everything – perhaps I would also buy a slightly larger RIMOWA aluminum suitcase so that my family can safely go on vacation (now the second Samsonite Cosmolite suitcase, but it is already a little more tired than decency allows).
Electronics
Let's talk about the most interesting thing in this suitcase – an electronic ink-based screen protected by a thick plastic panel (I didn’t find any information, I think it's not glass). On the official website and on the websites of sellers, the technology is presented as the "First digital solution for baggage check-in" – a lot of big words, and this is true. Let's talk about how it works in an ideal world.
In an ideal world, you are driving to the airport with a smartphone and a suitcase. You go to the counter, check in your luggage and a digital sticker with a bar code arrives on your smartphone, and then you send it with one finger to the screen on the suitcase. No sticky stickers, no bullshit, no hassle – and in services cleaning a suitcase costs a thousand or two rubles. Then you set off, singing and whistling.
Alas, cruel reality breaks the dreams of RIMOWA engineers to the smithereens. Let's start with the batteries, while I opened the compartment in the suitcase, peeled my fingers, and only a screwdriver saved me. Installed the application on the iPhone – and it is not optimized for new devices. I think even on the iPhone X it will be with frames. Ale, RIMOWA, this is a suitcase for a thousand euros, is it impossible to somehow strain the programmers? But this is not the end of the fun.
Only four airlines currently operate the e-tag system: Lufthansa, EVA Air, Swiss and Austrian. When I bought a suitcase, I knew this, but there was a hope that large players would also have an electronic tag. Alas, I have to leave this hope – a separate website was even made for “smart” suitcases, but an error appears when switching to the online store. I guess the products are just quietly getting out of sale. And why – now I will tell.
I can’t use an e-tag with my airlines, but I can send some picture, my initials and address to the screen. Like a toy – this is approx. Alas, here disappointment awaited me. The program installed on the iPhone can contact the suitcase only after pressing a button in the suitcase itself, the connection lasts about thirty seconds. It works like this: in the application you create a picture, choosing ready-made pictures or your own from the gallery, edit the information with the address (in the photo I missed the apartment number), then send it to the screen.
The bridge started off normally, but then, when I decided to change the background image, some nonsense began to be displayed. Apparently, you need to reset the block in the suitcase, reinstall the program, pray and send the picture again. So-so fun, I tell you.
Verdict
In the spring I bought a suitcase, I wanted to write everything as soon as possible, but my hands got to the trips here and there. And then I see how RIMOWA disappeared from the range of sellers. There are no suitcases at TSUM, no at Robinson, on Avito there are a lot of fake options – apparently, the brand has left Russia so far, and I don’t know what happened.
About the suitcase I will say this: the top-end thing. I like the furious thick aluminum, the device of locks, wheels, a wonderful handle. On a suitcase it is quite possible to sit and ride a five-year-old child (or maybe an older one). That is, do not worry about the safety of things. Of course, Cosmolite at Samsonite also holds the blows of fate perfectly – but the material does not look so elegant. Well, also at the big Cosmolite a couple of times the wheel was already torn off, repaired in service.
The suitcase is top-end, but there is no e-tag system at all. Nothing to do with a smooth advertising image. In general, we often go to exhibitions, and it’s very nice to see all sorts of “smart” suitcases and other exotic things – the videos come in, great. Smart things sometimes come out. But here, alas, it did not work out. I will assume that RIMOWA just quietly minimizes this program and everything is forgotten. Although now flexible touch-sensitive color screens have already appeared and who knows what suitcases we will see next year.
My advice is simple: if you decide to buy RIMOWA, that’s good. Suitcases reliable, beautiful, cool. But do not pay extra money for miracles, while it does not work out very well. Better if you take it in Europe, grab a set of top-end stickers with cities or buy an aluminum case for the iPhone – I'm waiting for a model for the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Well, now I’ll try to change the record a bit: next time I’ll tell you about the Xiaomi 90fun aluminum suitcase – I hear from people that it’s a direct analog of RIMOWA and all that. Of course, you need to check yourself! By the way, do not think – he costs in the region of thirty thousand rubles, as expected, God bless us all.
P. S. If you have questions, write to: [email protected]. Just in case, here is the full name of the suitcase: RIMOWA 924.70 Topas Multiwheel Electronic Tag.
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Chief editor of the blog – Erika J. Wells .
