Best 2021 stand bags
Your golf bag is with you every step of the way on the course, so it pays to do your research and invest in one that provides the level of storage, protection and ease of use that works for you within your budget. It’s a crowded market and therefore can be a bit of a minefield, but we recently tested 13 of the latest models to help you narrow down your search and choose the one that ticks the most boxes for you.
Styling
A subjective category, of course, but there were some bags that stood out for their appearance more than others, notably the trendy camo pattern on the Srixon Z Series that really grabbed our attention. Other bags that caught our eye with the aesthetics were the bold pattern on the Cobra Ultralight all the way down the side and the simple but contemporary Sun Mountain H2NO Lite Speed.
Some others, like the Taylormade Flextech and the Ping Hoofer Lite, offered up something more subdued, but one thing is for sure: there’s a bag out there to suit everyone’s taste. bag, but not all the models in our test were, like the Ping Hoofer Lite and the Taylormade Flextech, so check before you buy. In terms of storage space, the Titleist Players 4 Plus Stadry stood out with its eight waterproof pockets (including an expandable full-length apparel pocket) while still coming in under the 2kg mark, which was very impressive. The Taylormade Flextech Crossover has a whopping ten pockets, including two apparel pockets and a suede-lined valuables pocket.
Weight, or the lack of it, is certainly an asset and the
“THE VARIETY OF DESIGNS IS VAST, SO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHICH FEATURES MATTER MOST TO YOU” Joel Tadman, GM technical editor
Macgregor 7 Series, Sun Mountain Two5 Plus and Ping Hoofer Lite really excelled at minimising weight while still offering good storage and durability. The Callaway Hyper Dry 14 also comes in under 2kg and boasts the self-balancing X-act strap system, which worked very well in practice. We also enjoyed the variety of storage options on the Wilson Staff Exo II bag.
GM pick: Titleist Players 4 Plus Stadry
Versatility
More storage and waterproof protection means you’re more likely to use a bag all year round, so those are two key boxes to tick. Pretty much all the stand bags we tested come with leg-lock straps in some form, which stop the legs popping out when sat on a trolley and so are versatile in that regard.
But the Big Max Dri
Lite Hybrid Tour has taken this a step further by starting the legs lower down and having a reinforced area above that rests on the trolley. This design means it fits much better on a trolley and doesn’t twist
during the course of a round, but you can still easily use it as a stand bag if you wish. That said, we’d have liked the legs to protrude a bit further for a little more stability.
GM pick: Big Max Dri Lite Hybrid Tour
Value
The Macgregor 7 Series (£125) was the least expensive bag, and given how lightweight and comfortable it is and the fact it has five spacious pockets, it certainly offers great value if you aren’t fussed about full waterproof protection.
But if this is a must for you, the Motocaddy Hydroflex arguably offers the best value for money overall – it features ample storage and the Easilock base means you can use it with a Motocaddy trolley if you so desire. It was pushed all the way by the Big Max Dri Lite Hybrid Tour, which comes in well under the critical £200 mark.
GM pick: Motocaddy Hydroflex