How to get the best deal on a Rimowa

Updated on December 24th, 2022

Find the right Rimowa luggage for the right price can be quite difficult. Especially if you are going to purchase it online.
When you buy a Rimowa online you will probably get a better deal than buying it in a physical store or shop. However, you need to make sure you have right model, size, generation and nowadays you also have to make sure you have an authentic one.

Price difference per country

The price differs per store and per country. The price difference per country can be quite significant. To give you an idea of the price difference per country, I have taken one of the most iconic models (Rimowa Topas Original Cabin S (32.0L)), and written down the price in US dollars per country. No additional discounts have been taken into account. Exchange rates are from late 2016. 

Exchange rates are from early 2019.

2016 prices

2019 prices (As you can see, the prices have increased dramatically the since 2016)

What it basically comes down to is that Rimowa is the cheapest in Europe. The prices can differ because I used the currency of today. The dollar hasn’t been this high this year, so prices may differ in the future. Some retailers may be more expensive than others. So it’s just a rough indication on the price difference per country.

So you might think, ok let’s go to a European website and order one. Well too bad! Retailers are not allowed to ship Rimowa’s outside their country or region.

So if you live in the States and would like to purchase a Rimowa in Europe (which is definitely worth it) you have several options.

1. When you are in Europe for business or vacation purchase one from a Rimowa store or one on the airport. When you bring back the Rimowa to your country you should consider the following:

– You could ask for a tax refund on the airport. The tax percentage in Europe is in most countries between 19 and 21 %. So getting the duty back would make a big difference. You will have to declare the item again once back in your country. So if you the tax rate on suitcases in your country is less than 19 to 21 % you will have a very good deal on your Rimowa. You could also not declare it off course but this would be considered illegal and would definitely not advise such a thing.
– Another option would be to buy a Rimowa on the airport or outside the airport and use it. Remove labels and tags and use it as an actual cabin trolley. I don’t know if you now are able to get a refund on the taxes but at least you won’t have to pay duty in your country on arrival.

2. If you have acquaintances in Europe it’s really beneficial if they could send one over. You should take into consideration that the country you live in raises taxes on imported goods. So before asking someone to send one over contact your customs service and ask for the duty rate for suitcases. Otherwise you could end up paying more for your Rimowa than if you bought it in your country.

Pre-owned

Another great option is to buy a pre-owned one. On Ebay, Craigslist or Amazon many used Rimowa suitcases can be found for less than half the price of a new one. Some are even in pretty good condition. If you don’t mind the suitcase already having some dents or scratches I would definitely recommend getting a pre-owned one.

Even though the warranty is 5 years on a Rimowa, Rimowa still services older suitcases. I had a 15 year old Rimowa ones that was repaired for free. So the service is really great.

If you look for a used one don’t mind the scratches and dents, this is inevitable. Rips and cracks in the aluminium is something you should avoid. Large dents is also something you should avoid. Repairing dents is unfortunately not possible. Damaged locks, wheels, handles and interior can all be repaired.

Discounts

I have never seen any Rimowa suitcases on sale. I think it’s against their policy. However some web shops provide a discount coupon code. So when you arrive to the shopping cart on the webshop you will have the ability to fill in a coupon code. Web stores which sell Rimowa’s like Selfridges, Nordstrom and Mr Porter all provide coupon codes which can be used to get a discount on the items in your shopping cart. These discounts can range from 5 to 15%. So it’s worth wild to google for some coupon codes before checking out your items.