Buy-it-for-life suitcase hunt #87

Welcome back to this week’s latest installment of what’s hot in brands and products.

I try to buy things once—and keep them for years.

I’m also a proud lurker of the Buy-It-For-Life subreddit, which is basically a support group for people who get weirdly excited about well-made stuff.

Which is why I always assumed Rimowa was suitcase endgame.

We’ve had our two cases for years (pre-LVMH).

The dents? Patina. Love it.
(Somebody even turned that idea into actual “dent stickers” — little badges for the stories your suitcase collects on the road. Pretty genius.)

The problem is: the “stories” part is fine. The “things breaking” part isn’t. We’ve had a wheel come off before, a handle break, and a few other issues I always filed under “heavy travel… other suitcases would’ve come back in half.” After our South Africa trip in October, a wheel snapped off again.

We wrote support. Three months later: silence.

And with that steep price hike a few years back… I’m now hunting for a suitcase that actually earns the “buy it for life” label. If you have one you’d genuinely recommend, hit reply and tell me. (Also options beyond Europe are fine ;) I’m currently looking at Proteca suitcases from Japan—any other recs?)

If you’re new around here: Every week, I share 5 of the coolest products from Europe I’ve discovered in the past 7 days.

I scout, you explore. Let’s get to it!

With love 🌞
Jakob

P.S.: Missed the last edition? The Co Task armrest chair by Audo Copenhagen was the most-clicked product.

PREST makes Batch 001 by hand in their small UK studio: hand-sewn with linen thread, pressed overnight, finished with a hand-embossed mark on the back. Even the cover labels are hot-foil printed in Liverpool. Proper craft, not “handmade-ish.”

And because real hands are involved, some books come out with tiny quirks: a scuff, a mark, slightly uneven trimming. They call these “Seconds”—same materials, same build, just less precious.

If you’re the type who buys a “nice notebook” and then gets scared of writing in it: this is the loophole.

See the Seconds batch.

Tide is a rug that rewards a second look: a geometric circle that sort of “appears” once your eyes settle—two colours blending into a clean optical illusion. It’s from Besana Carpet Lab (founded by Roberto Besana), and yes—sizes + colours are made on demand via their configurator.

Configure your own Tide.

Khaki green + deep brown leather, finished with a “fiery” macramé Samba strap. Assembled in Belgium. I like the travel energy this bag has—like it’s already packed for a spontaneous weekend. Also check their other bags…

Meet Candide.

A pendant that looks like misty gelatine—on purpose. outil.li started with two friends designing a lamp above a diner table in Rotterdam. jello’s 3D-printed “pill” shell hides modular colourful geometry inside, creating a lenticular effect that shifts as you move around the room
(finally: lighting for people who can’t sit still).

Get the jello specs.

A classic French wine tumbler—stretched into a tall, hand-friendly glass, in emerald green. The colour comes from 100% recycled green glass (no paint pigments), so each piece varies a little. The Atlas Works is run as a collaboration between two London-based designers and a traditional factory in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains—modern form, artisanal making.

Pour something good into this.

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