Customer Reviews Rimowa Salsa Air - 26" Multiwheel®

This suitcase is the lightest and most maneuverable suitcase I've used. I use the 22" for short trips; the 26" for longer ones.

This was a total splurge that is worth it. The weight is great. The wheels perfect for airplanes or taking through city streets. I was concerned because it was smaller than my other carry on. This fit just as much because it is so well designed. Will be using this for decades to come.

Perfect size, nearly weightless! Too big to carry but certainly large enough for casual wear for a week! For me, the perfect size with the unsurpassed durability of Rimowa.

After a decade of various misguided luggage purchases that resulted in a closet full of random too-heavy and/or too-flimsy suitcases, we decided to give the polycarbonate thing a whirl. I bought this Rimowa Salsa Air after some research, and just before a transatlantic trip. It performed wonderfully. It's lightweight, firm-sided but flexible enough to accommodate some stuffing, and still looks brand-new after four crowded flights in terrible weather. I will be purchasing other suitcases to match it, and I don't mind spending the big bucks because I suspect I'll be bequeathing these to my grandchildren. Favorite features: the built-in lock, swiveling wheels, and the stylish appearance.

I just returned from a 62 day journey flying on 8 separate flights from the USA to France via the UK. In between, there were daily luggage transports from hotel, or albergue, B&B, or gite, as we walked across France on the Via Podiensis. I chose the 26" Acid Green Rimowa Salsa Air because of its lightweight quality, as well as the maneuverability of the case itself. I knew I'd be carting it up 2 flights of stairs most days, and then back down in the mornings, ready for the baggage transport van. I chose wisely! I was able to easily carry the suitcase up/down the stairs. I appreciated the two separate zippered compartments inside to keep my items secure, and clean. I used the Eagle Creek Pack It Specter Cubes to keep everything organized. This suitcase made it all smooth and easy. It traveled through airport luggage belts wonderfully without any damage. I also own the 30" Salsa Air size, and used it on a similar walk across Spain 2 years ago. After the success of the 26" Salsa Air, my husband purchased one upon our return for our next trip. Very happy with this Rimowa.

I love my purple Rimowa luggage. This is my third piece...looking forward to adding the fourth and having the complete set. It is lightweight, easy to pack, and rolls like a dream. I managed all three pieces and my carry on tote by myself on a recent trip. People are always asking what it is and where I got it and I tell them Zappos! This particular piece is perfect for a multi-clothes change weekend or that extra bag for a long trip. There is no excuse for not being properly prepared and with my Rimowa I can take it all!

I also purchased this product and experienced the cracking on the end caps. In an extensive discussion with Rimowa Rep in Canada, he admitted it was a weak point of the bag. He also informed me there are after market end caps available to reinforce this area. He also agreed to send me a new bag if I returned the old one. I agreed to this and paid the extra to upgrade to the stronger international model. Have used two and no issues. I travel internationally more than 250 days each year.

This suitcase cracked during its first use while it was in my car trunk! Of course, there were no sharp objects or anything else that could damage the case. The polycarbonate material is extremely brittle. Of course, Rimowa's warranty does not cover cracks, scratches or pretty much anything else. Consider this before buying this low-quality product with a useless warranty.

We compared this bag to the Victorinox, Tumi and Zero Halliburton. We love our salsa air 26" for its light weight and durability. Our concerns after reading several reviews were about possible cracking, other damage, and warranty. We discovered that Rimowa has a 5 year warranty against damage including cracking. Depending on the damage, they will either repair it or replace it. Most bag companies will ask you to report it to the airline at the time you pick up the luggage in case they will accept a claim for damage. Also, the colors of the Rimowa bags are imbedding in the polycarbonate material so the case is the same color throughout. And the green by the way, is a lighter shade than depicted. It is a lovely iridescent color closer to color shown on the Rimowa website. Last, we found the wheels to be better quality than some of the other bags we considered.

Superb purchase! Exactly what we needed. Price was right (high, but less than stores), very prompt delivery. We've been fans of Zappos for shoes for some time, but this was our first major non-shoe purchase. And, the bag proved itself on a recent trip to Chicago and New York; soon, to Europe also.

Great light weight, easy rolling suticase. Fits more than it looks. Only problem is the lock stuck and had to cut it off...read afterward online that it is common, but that Rimowa dealers repair for free.

DO NOT buy this bag if you are expecting the brand quality that Rimowa typically brings. I travel for my job, so I need quality, and I replaced my older case that was probably about 12 years old with this and the 29" companion size in the color Pearl Rose. The luggage is a pretty color and light weight. However, this product is completely overpriced, and not close to quality you would expect from this brand. First, the Pearl Rose color is see-through and the lining is sheer - so if you don't pack with packing cubes people will be able to see your socks, bras, and feminine products right through the case (I'm not exaggerating). Second, the wheels are not that durable, they are quite flimsy, so if you go over a door frame, change in laminate, the wheels will not easily glide over without considerable muscle - which is hard to do when you have a laptop bag and coffee in hand rushing to your flight connection. Third, the zippers are massively flimsy inside. As mentioned before, I use packing cubes, so my belongings are strategically packed and easily fit into the case. After 3 months with the cases the zippers inside the case broke, the mesh didn’t rip, the zippers came completely apart, one fell off completely. Fourth, the security locks built into the case BROKE completely, and no longer can be used. I’ve never seen anything like this happen, but you insert the zipper ends into the lock and the lock just doesn’t hold. All of these points, plus the poor design of the handle have left me infuriated with the price point. Complete ripoff.

Best luggage I've ever had. Light, durable, wheels are awesome, super easy to pack. I have white ones.

Excellent for travel. Lightweight but durable. Easy to maneuver through airport. Worth the price.

Right size for more than 4 days of travel. I have the 21 inch as well as the 29 inch luggages. Prettier in person and it is super lightweight.

Great. I researched a whole load of luggage before settling on this one. I had bought a Tumi 28 inch before and it was just slightly too big for me as a petite woman to haul around. I needed something to take on a 3 week trip and this did it really well. I had no problem getting it off the baggage claim as it is so very light. The wheel system is also a joy and breeze. I do recommend!

Discovered RImowa Salsa Air in Cologne while on a river cruise in 2012--discovered we needed another bag for stuff we'd bought. Purser suggested the Rimowa store, and the 25" Salsa Air (their lowest-priced line) fit the bill perfectly, especially with the in-store VAT discount. Rolled it smoothly back to the ship, even over cobblestones. Liked it so much that in 2013 I added a 28" and in 2015 a 30" (both from Zappos) and Cabin Multiwheel (from a local authorized vendor). Never ever went overweight no matter how I packed it. I thought this might be the last luggage I'd ever need--took a licking but kept on ticking...till it didn't. First malfunction was that first the zipper pulls and then even the sliders came off the zippers on the interior mesh dividers. No problem--local vendor replaced them for free, w/in a couple of days. Next, the monopole handle on the 30" began collapsing (telescoping downward) while in use. Local vendor tightened the release button on the T-shaped handle but warned me that I had to hold it "just so" to avoid triggering the release button with my palm. Then the T-shaped handle on the Cabin first cracked and then fell off the monopole completely (I'd had to gate-check it twice, a year earlier). Shortly thereafter, one of the "catches" inside the tumblers of the wheels in 25-incher's combo lock cracked, making it impossible to dial in the combination to reopen it after I'd locked the zippers. Brought the latter two bags to my vendor, only to learn that it no longer repaired nor even sold Rimowa (which company rescinded its contract with all vendors, restricting its sales & repairs to only its own site & boutiques). The store manager tried to jimmy the lock's wheels, to no avail--had to cut the zipper pulls, making the bag no longer lockable. They informed me I'd have to send both bags back to Rimowa in NY--at my own expense--and be prepared to pay for repairs that were out-of-warranty. To add insult to injury, after returning home from a trip with the 25" and 30", I discovered a huge crack running parallel to one of the ridges on the 25", and several corner dents, one of which spawned a small crack in the 30". I did the math and realized that for what UPS would charge to box up and ship the suitcases, plus what Rimowa would have charged for the repairs, I could buy two new Away bags (the 22" Bigger Carry-On and the 26" Medium)--both of which have lifetime warranties. (I'd bought a Brics carry-on spinner to replace the Salsa Air Cabin bag--at half the price of the latter). As to the lost interior zipper sliders on the 28" I think my local tailor or shoemaker can install new ones, so that bag will remain in use. Pros: all the bags are extremely lightweight and the smooth-gliding wheels equally adept at spinning or being dragged behind me. When the interior zippers work, the simple mesh dividers perfectly keep stuff from spilling out when small hotel luggage racks require me to open the bags in an L shape rather than flat. Cons: the monopole handle collapses when you least expect it--but worse, you can't add a tote bag on top lest it flop around (more than once causing me to have to keep stopping on the jetway or tarmac staircase to re-adjust it, incurring the wrath of passengers & crew alike). I realize that in order to reduce weight to the absolute minimum, Rimowa had to use thinner polycarb and a monopole handle on the Salsa Air than on its more upscale models (as if anything Rimowa could be termed a "budget" bag), but at a serious hit to durability & functionality. I understand that the entire Rimowa range has been reconfigured (with the only tweaks being new colors and a higher price, the Salsa Air is now the Essential Lite) and certain intermediate sizes discontinued. Sorry, but if I have to send a bag back to the maker to be repaired, I'll go with a bag that's half the price (or less than half for the larger models) with a lifetime all-inclusive warranty; hence my switch to Away (which unlike Rimowa has a boutique here in Chicago).

This suitcase is the lightest I have personally carried. I only have two complaints with the suitcase, after several airline flights the lock on the top becomes virtually unusable and the interior zippers are not what I would expect for a suitcase at this price. Other than that the suitcase rolls well and is very light, I will not buy another one due to the fact that I need zippers that work and suitcase that locks.