Updated on December 30th, 2022

Rimowa Essential Cabin Review (Updated 2023)

The Rimowa Essential Cabin stands ahead of its counterparts for various reasons. With its lightweight nature and refined texture, Rimowa Essential Cabin is a colorful line many choose when contemplating travel with minimal stress. 

Recently, the suitcase has undergone some changes, offering it a desirable facelift. 

Curious about the Rimowa Essential Cabin? You should understand all the crucial aspects that make the suitcase valuable.

For anyone who travels a lot, this is an essential piece. A seamless trip has a lot to do with your luggage’s compactness. 

Rimowa Essential Cabin is a polycarbonate suitcase option that can make all the difference in your journey instead of carrying multiple duffel bags. 

In this review, we will discuss the main features of the Rimowa Essential Cabin, the pros and cons, and whether it’s a good investment.

Main features of the Rimowa Essential Cabin

As the name suggests, Rimowa Essential Cabin is a lightweight suitcase you can fit into any standard overhead bin. Whether on a jumper plane or an international flight, the suitcase is a valuable carry-on you can take with you. 

Rimowa Essential Cabin provides sufficient space to pack all you need for about five days. The great experience you enjoy from using the suitcase is connected to the impressive features the Essential Cabin has. Let’s examine some of them.

Dimensions

Rimowa Essential Cabin is a 55 x 39 x 23 cm (21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inch) suitcase, a moderate size that fits most airlines. The carry-on’s specifications are just what you need if you’re looking to save money while getting luggage that can stay with you. 

When you attempt lifting the Rimowa luggage bag, you’ll realize it’s lightweight and super durable. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Rimowa has been manufacturing top-tier suitcases for a long time.

A small-sized suitcase that caters to all your needs is a great package for your trip. You don’t have to worry about waiting for your baggage claim after the trip. Simultaneously, you are not at risk of losing your luggage and damaging by baggage handlers. 

Exterior and interior design

Rimowa Essential Cabin comes in various colors. From red to blue, you get to make your purchase in the most exciting color. The Raspberry Red color is the most popular option, though, as it’s often low on stock. 

The exterior side of the suitcase has two shells connected through a strong zipper. Then there’s a piece of leather upon which the backside of the two shells rest. The zipper also comes with two pull tabs that you can use to lock the suitcase by simply clicking the tabs.

This would lock the suitcase using the TSA combination lock. Although this appears sleek, it may not be the best way to lock your suitcase. So, ensure you lock the suitcase properly with the zipper. 

The suitcase uses a multi-wheel system, often called spinner wheels, making it convenient to move the luggage piece while standing. The ball-bearing mounted wheels are highly durable and have essentially remained the same for years. This is because the wheels are great and require no significant change or adjustment. 

On the inside, the suitcase has two flex-dividers designed to hold your clothes in good shape. The divider also has compartments for underwear, socks, and other minor clothing items. 

The interior, just like every other Rimowa Essential, is dark.

Additionally, the interior comes with a water-repellent cloth, making it difficult for the inside to get stained. This is a great addition, given that many previous editions didn’t have this feature.

 

Materials

Rimowa Essential Cabin is made with durable but thin polycarbonate to achieve its lightweight feature. The suitcase has strong wheels and cushioned axles, making it convenient to navigate without noise. This improves the overall experience of using the suitcase while traveling.

Additionally, the suitcase has a telescopic handle, KK metal zippers, and a TSA-approved lock. The suitcase is designed to be scratch resistant too. Since the suitcase is meant to be a carry-on, it is compact and ready-to-go. 

Storage capacity

As a carry-on, this Rimowa suitcase has just enough space to cover your basic clothing needs for nearly a week’s trip. You can use the flex-dividers to carefully arrange your clothes and ensure they don’t come out rumpled. 

You may struggle with using this suitcase if you find it hard to choose outfits. For instance, if you’re the type to travel with 30 outfits for a 4-day trip, using this Rimowa carry-on may not work. 

Therefore, your best bet would be to choose the clothes you need and take them along carefully.

How much does the Rimowa Essential Cabin cost?

The Rimowa Essential Cabin costs about $875. The carry-on is less expensive than the original cabin, costing around $1,400. Many things determine the cost of a suitcase, including high-end features and extras. A suitcase with plenty of extras will cost more than those without these features.

Perks that come with some suitcases include a laundry bag, battery pocket, and garment bag. All of these determine what a bag’s overall cost will be. But a Rimowa Essential Cabin is much more cost-effective if you want to travel light and compactly.

Best uses for the Rimowa Essential Cabin

The Rimowa Essential Cabin is most suitable for packing a few clothes and making a quick trip. Using it this way is an effective method to have a wholesome experience with the suitcase. The manufacturers designed the suitcase to offer you just enough space for light packing. 

To enjoy the suitcase for a long period, you should use it according to its specifications. Don’t attempt overpacking many clothing items into the limited space. 

This will stretch the box and damage some of its interior materials. If you suspect you need to pack many clothes, you may as well get a bigger bag. 

Ensure you keep the suitcase in a cool dry place when it’s not in use. This can be somewhere in your wardrobe or room where water or too much sunlight doesn’t reach the bag. This helps to protect the bag’s matte finish and external design. 

You should also handle the flex-divider carefully not to damage them. Over stuffing the suitcase can adversely affect the strength of the dividers. 

Maximizing your Rimowa Essential Cabin carry-on luggage

Using your Rimowa Essential Cabin well requires you to know some best practices when traveling. Most of these tips could help you have a much better experience maximizing your carry-on. 

These tips allow you to use improved organizational hacks to travel with more clothing items.

Prepare a list

When traveling with your carry-on, list the things you need to travel with. This will ensure you don’t forget travel essentials such as sunscreen, device chargers, and other basic items.

Making this list also helps you visualize how to arrange your suitcase without overstuffing any area or damaging any interior part.

Pack first, then evaluate

A great way to maximize your carry-on is to pack only useful things. This may be challenging if you find it difficult to choose the clothing items you need. Therefore, you should pack it all first, then remove what you don’t need.

All you have to do is assess the purpose for which you’re traveling. Then remove clothing items that don’t align with that purpose. 

Roll your clothes

If you’re traveling for leisure and need many t-shirts, consider rolling your clothes instead of folding them. This allows you to maximize your carry-on without overworking the flex-dividers. 

Rolling allows you to carry more than you can imagine without overwhelming the bag. 

Consider a travel cube

This hack is suitable for organizing your suitcase in neat colored cubes. Consequently, you’ll find your clothes and other items pretty easily. 

Travel cubes allow you to neatly arrange your accessories, including your Rimowa luggage tag, stickers, iPhone cases, and wheel sets. Travel cubes also help your unpacking process, as you conveniently figure out the location of every item. 

If you need help with organizing small items, Rimowa also has a series of packing organizers that might come in handy.

Separate your immediate items

As you proceed to the airport and during your flight, there are some items you’ll need. These are often your day-to-day items, such as headphones and a wallet. 

Separate these items into a pouch or a mini bag. You don’t need to use a plastic bag. Or you can get a piece from the Essential Sleeve collection, which offers you an attached pouch to carry these items. 

This will ensure you don’t rush to open your carry-on frequently, reducing any risk of damaging the suitcase or scratching its body. You should also consider wearing your bulkiest clothing during the flight to save valuable packing space in your Rimowa carry-on.

Pros and cons of Rimowa Essential Cabin

Using Rimowa Essential Cabin comes with its pros and cons. Although it’s compact and makes for easy traveling, some downsides exist that you need to consider before making your purchase. This will ensure you make an informed decision.

Pros

Glides easily

The Rimowa is built with a 360 multi-wheel system, allowing it to glide easily across all surfaces. Whether on carpet or tiled floor, you can conveniently transport the suitcase from one point to another. 

This wheel system offers you a smooth experience in the airport. You don’t have to lift or carry the luggage piece while walking across the airport. This reduces the stress involved in the airport experience. 

Since the tires also roll 360, you can push the suitcase from any point, and it moves immediately.

Sturdy suitcase

The suitcase has a strong foothold. Weighing 8.6 pounds and designed with four wheels, the Rimowa Cabin can stand without toppling over. You can also put a backpack on it conveniently. Because the suitcase is sturdy, it’s more reliable to use.

Flex-Divider

The suitcase has flex-dividers built to help you organize your clothes in the bag. These flex-dividers are easy to use. After arranging your clothes, you use them to hold the items correctly. 

Irrespective of your movement, the clothes remain orderly and well arranged. 

TSA-approved locks 

The suitcase has TSA-approved locks, which you can use to lock your luggage piece safely. These locks also make it convenient to undergo airline baggage checks without damaging your zipper. 

It’s a much more convenient way to access your suitcase’s content.

Telescopic handle

The telescopic handle adds to the seamlessness of this suitcase. This feature improves the bag’s maneuverability. 

Since the handle slides up and down, it’s easy to hold and navigate the bag.   

Warranty

One notable perk of Rimowa is that the manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty. Therefore, when you purchase the Rimowa Essential Cabin, you only have to register it to be entitled to the lifetime guarantee.

This warranty boosts users’ confidence, knowing they can return the luggage piece if there’s a defect. It also guides your purchasing decisions; you know you won’t be left out to dry if things go wrong. 

Great Finish

When it comes to design, Rimowa does a great job with a fine finish. The brand is attentive to style and creates exquisite products with impressive beauty. These suitcases have a matte and glossy finish, making them appealing even from a distance. 

The bags exist in multiple colors, though. You will need to choose the one you find most suitable. 

Cons

The polycarbonate may scratch

Although the brand says the suitcase is anti-scratch, it’s possible that the suitcase may get some scratches. This is especially so if the luggage piece goes through different activities. 

Such scratches may happen if you’re visiting a bubbling city with many people interacting with one another.

Too many activities create too many engagements with the bag. The suitcase may retain some scratches in this process. The downside here is that scratches on the suitcase tend to show on the matte finish, which may take away from the suitcase’s beauty.

This reiterates the importance of exercising care while handling the luggage piece to avoid situations like this. 

Handle shape

The shape of the handle may make it tasking to slide your backpack on the suitcase. The handle has lips on the edges, which don’t make it convenient to remove your backpack after putting it on the Rimowa suitcase for some time. 

This can be frustrating if you have to expend some energy every time you want your backpack off the suitcase. 

Storage may be insufficient for long journeys

As already established, this carry-on is designed to be close to you while traveling. This is to avoid issues concerning waiting for luggage or losing luggage. Since it’s compact, it won’t be sufficient to pack too many clothes for a long vacation or journey. 

Is the Rimowa Essential Cabin a good investment?

Before purchasing a Rimowa Essential Cabin, you want to know if you’ll be getting value for money. The practical answer is yes if you’re still contemplating whether Rimowa is worth it. The suitcase is durable, fashionable, easy to use, and comes with a lifetime warranty.

These qualities are crucial features you want to prioritize when buying a suitcase for travel purposes. Nobody wants to have a suitcase malfunction during their journey. 

You also don’t want to struggle to move your suitcase to and from the airport.

Rimowa invests in high-tech design and customer satisfaction. This carry-on is a good fit for short travels that require packing a few outfits. 

The brand continues to improve its suitcases, optimizing the recent editions for great customer satisfaction. 

One notable thing about Rimowa is the brand’s passion for refining how we travel. From TSA-approved locks to water-resistant and telescoping handling features, Rimowa aims to offer a seamless traveling experience through suitcases with effortless steering. 

Even though the suitcase may retain scratches in some instances, they have a scuff-resistant external shell. 

This offers general protection for the bag’s design and ensures external components don’t adversely affect the suitcase’s matte finish. This, in addition to the five-year warranty, makes the Rimowa Essential Cabin a worthy buy. 

If you need an exquisite and fit-for-purpose carry-on suitcase for your travels, Rimowa Essential Cabin is a great option. 

Rimowa’s shipping policy

Rimowa processes orders for US customers within a business day. Buyers can get free ground or express shipping options across all 50 US states. The rate card for and timeline are as follow:

• Ground: this takes between 3 and 5 business days and is free for orders over $300
• Express: This takes 1 business day and attracts a $50 fee. 

Once your order is shipped, the brand will email you your shipping number and all relevant details. The brand will also require your signature once you receive your order. 

On the other hand, the cost of shipping orders from outside the US will depend on where you live. After selecting your country from the drop-down menu, the cost will be calculated, and you will see the amount during checkout. 

Rimowa’s return policy

An interesting thing about Rimowa is the brand’s return policy. You have free returns for unused and undamaged products within 30 days of delivery. Suppose you receive your suitcase and have complaints; you can utilize this option to return it and get a full refund. 

You can also do the same for limited edition products. However, you only have 14 days for this. To return any product, you have to do that from your account. You can contact the brand’s client care to complete the process if you run into any trouble. 

Takeaway: Use Rimowa Essential Cabin to pack seamlessly and have great trips

Traveling for a weekend or a few days? The Rimowa Essential Cabin or Rimowa Essential Lite is your best bet. The suitcase offers you impressive packability that satisfies your clothing and travel needs. 

Offering up to seven different colors, you have many options to choose from based on design and color preferences.

As a carry-on, it doesn’t come with extras that affect your travel mobility or prevent you from having a seamless trip. Additionally, the suitcase is convenient to maneuver, with great handling and wheels. 

Prepare for your next short vacation using a Rimowa Essential Cabin. This Rimowa Essential Cabin review has provided you with all you need. 

Want to learn more about Rimowa luxury suitcases? Check out Gracefuldegrade for more useful information.