Golf Bags

MGS Tested: TRAVEL BAGS OF 2019

BY MyGolfSpy
May 30th 2019
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2019 TRAVEL BAGS BUYERS GUIDE

Picture this: You’ve boarded your flight and are waiting at the gate, peering out onto the tarmac. The baggage handlers are hard at work tossing bags onto their respective planes, heaving suitcases into the lower compartments. In the back of your mind, you sigh and think “my clubs”. Now, imagine the peace of mind that comes with a travel bag that offers your clubs security and protection.

Death has come for the hard case travel bag. Like evolution, the golf travel bag has changed from the hard case to a material that absorbs the blows from those careless baggage handlers while protecting your clubs. Although protection is the main priority of a travel bag, ease of travel should also be considered. We all know that some airports make you walk miles before dropping off your travel bag, so an effective wheel system is a must for a travel bag.

With all those options, it can be overwhelming, and that makes it hard to know which one is right for you. That’s where we come in. We put the top travel bags to the test to ensure you receive the best advice possible when purchasing a new unit.

Whether you’re looking to buy a new travel bag today, looking for some buying advice, or just want a closer look at what’s on the market right now, this guide will help you find the right bag to fit your needs.

How We Test

We're here to help you find the perfect travel bag to fit your needs.

To do that, we employ a thorough and fully independent testing process that leaves no feature unexplored, no wheel unchecked, and no stone unturned.

Our Metrics

Travel bags are tested head to head with rigorous protocols.

The metrics we consider when rating travel bags include Durability, Packing, Maneuverability, Protection, and Storage.

FEATURES THAT MATTER TO YOU

Maneuverability

Golf travel bags have followed luggage trends. Versatile wheels are the way to go. Some have just two, while others have six. No matter how many wheels the design has, it is imperative that the wheels work with ease because travel is stressful enough, no need to add poorly designed wheels to the mix.

Protection

Ultimately, keeping your golf clubs protected at all times is the primary of the function of a travel bag. The top part of the bag has the most padding to keep your clubs snug and rightfully so. But, the rest of your bag needs a little love and protection as well. Note that some travel bags are equipped with more substantial padding than others.

Durability

There are a multitude of travel bag options out, but some are more durable than others. Different materials provide different levels of protection, but it’s a misconception that hard outer shells are always more durable and offer better protection. Hard shells tend to crack more easily, while materials that are semi-rigid and spring back to their original shape tend to be more durable than bags that have loose material.

EXPERT TIP - Hard Case to Sell

Many believe that hard cases provide the best protection for your clubs. It's simply not true. Sun Mountain, Srixon, Club Glove, and others use pliable materials that are more than capable of weathering whatever storm is cast upon them by baggage personnel. Semi-rigid and soft materials can absorb impact while retaining their shape. Hard cases can shatter with any significant impact. It's also important to note that many soft cases provide additional padding to keep your clubs snug during their journey.

2019 Travel Bags Features Chart

Name	Colors	Wheels	Material	Pockets
Athletico Executive Check Price	1	0	600 Polester	0
BagBoy Freestyle Check Price	3	6	600D Polyester	1
BagBoy T-750 Check Price	4	2	600D Nylon	1
BagBoy T-2000 Check Price	5	2	168D Nylon	4
BagBoy T-10 Check Price	4	2	600D Polyester	2
Club Glove Medium Collegiate Check Price	18	2	1600D Ballistic Nylon	2
Decathlon - Inesis Travel Cover Check Price	1	2	Polyester Catlonic	0
IZZO High Roller Check Price	1	6	1680D Nylon	1
OGIO Mutant Check Price	3	3	1680D Polyester	2
OUUL Foldable Cover Check Price	2	6	600D Polyester	1
PING Travel Cover Check Price	1	4	1200D Polyester	1
Samsonite Hard Case Check Price	2	2	ABS Shell	0
Srixon Travel Cover Check Price	1	2	1680 Ballistic Nylon	3
Sun Mountain Club Glider Tour Check Price	2	4	Vinyl	2
Tour Trek TC-Flex Check Price	1	6	900D Polester	1
Tour Trek TC-Pro Check Price	6	2	600D Polyester	3
Tour Trek Hybrid TC-Hard Top Check Price	1	2	1680D Ballistic	2

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Your Four Wheeled Friend

Looking for a travel bag that offers an effortless, no stress journey from the car to the terminal? The Sun Mountain Club Glider Tour has you covered.

From the moment you load your clubs, the Club Glider instantly makes your life easier. It boasts a durable outer shell with a cushion like padding on the inside to protect your clubs for the long flight. The Tour's main feature is its extendable leg system that ensures pulling your bag is easier than any other we tested. We are so confident in its maneuverability, we guarantee you can pull it with one finger.

More Tips

While all travel bags get your clubs safely from point A to B? Not every bag offers the same quality of protection. It is important that you buy a travel bag that can keep your clubs safe against the worst the airlines have to offer.
Many travel bags have side or front pockets that allow extra items to be stowed rather than cramming them in your suitcase. As long as the weight doesn’t become an issue, additional pockets can save space and money.
Golfers who want a leisurely stroll in and out of the airport should consider travel bags with 4 or 6 wheels as they typically require minimal effort to roll and control. Sun Mountain and Tour Trek are good examples of bags with more friendly wheel designs.
If you travel often, durability is a significant consideration. Material that is thin and baggy won’t last as long as thicker and more rigid materials.

2019 Travel Bags Results

Name	Durability	Packing	Maeuverability	Protection	Storage	Total
Sun Mountain Club Glider Tour Check Price	1st	10th	1st	3rd	10th	92.5
PING Travel Cover Check Price	4th	15th	3rd	2nd	7th	91.5
IZZO High Roller Check Price	6th	6th	3rd	3rd	4th	91
Ogio Mutant Check Price	5th	1st	6th	1st	10th	91
Tour Trek TC-Flex Check Price	6th	15th	2nd	3rd	1st	91
BagBoy Freestyle Check Price	9th	1st	6th	10th	1st	90
OUUL Foldable Travel Cover Check Price	9th	10th	5th	3rd	1st	90
Club Glove Meium Collegiate Check Price	1st	10th	9th	8th	10th	89
Srixon Travel Cover Check Price	3rd	1st	12th	11th	10th	89
Tour Trek TC-Pro Check Price	6th	6th	9th	8th	10th	87.5
Decathlon - Inesis Travel Cover Check Price	9th	1st	12th	13th	4th	87
BagBoy T-750 Check Price	14th	10th	12th	3rd	9th	86.5
Tour Trek Hybrid TC-Hard Top Check Price	14th	6th	9th	11th	7th	86
BagBoy T-2000 Check Price	9th	5th	6th	14th	15th	85
BagBoy T-10 Check Price	9th	6th	16th	15th	16th	81.5
Samsonite Hard Case Check Price	17th	10th	12th	15th	17th	77
Athletico Executive Check Price	16th	17th	17th	17th	4th	74.5

FAQ

Q: How necessary are wheels on a golf travel bag?

A: Completely. Keep in mind that every airport is different and you don’t want to be the guy lugging your clubs on your back from terminal A to E. Save yourself and let the wheels do the work.

Q: Why can’t I find many hard shell travel bags anymore?

A: Simply put, the hard shell is dead – at least it should be. There’s little truth behind the myth that a hard case provides the best protection. While some view the hard case as impenetrable, more rigid designs are more prone to impact damage, cracking, and ultimately total structural failure. Softer, semi-rigid materials absorb blows better and will often do a better job protecting your clubs.

Q: Will every golf bag fit in every travel bag?

A: That varies from company to company. Some companies, like Club Glove, offer multiple sizes of travel bags to cater to virtually any size golf bag. Other manufacturers take a one-size-fits-all approach. While your stand bag will likely fit in any travel bag, if you’re a staff bag kind of guy, you’ll want to take extra care in making sure your travel bag can handle your golf bag.

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comments

Join The Discussion

DaveR

4 years ago

I have had the Sun Mountain Club Glider Pro for abou 2 years now. Never traveled for golf before I bought it. I have flown from Philly to Monterrey, to FLA (3 times), to NC, to Wisconsin, to Michgan.

I don’t have anything to compare it to, but that travel bag is freakin’ EXCELLENT. I have been stopped over 10 times by golfers in the terminals asking about the stand and roller, and when I let them walk around a bit with it, their faces light up and their reactions range from disbelief to giddy.

I push that bag through the terminals with a single finger and that is absolutely no exaggeration. My wife described it by saying, “It’s like guiding a cloud!”

No damaged clubs. No problem or extra charges checkin it in.

Easily one of the best purchases of my life. Love. It.

Scott

5 years ago

Generally love MGS’s testing, but this one lands a little funny. Club Glove is number one for a reason. If you’re grading on Packing and Storage, to not have the Last Bag XL Pro Tour in the test is a travesty. Particularly given Club Glove’s customer service (if it breaks, they’ll replace it–period). Not sure I can take this particular test seriously when you’re not including the premier bag from the premier manufacturer.

Nocklaus

Why don’t you include a real travel bag, like A99golf, which is bag and cover all in one, makes for a lighter bag…

Steve S

All major airlines have a limit on “linear” inches(length + width+ height) of 62 inches without extra charges. Do any of these bags comply?

Will any of these bags meet these policies? Anything over results in extra charges.

Southwest: Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per check piece of luggage. Overweight items from 51 to 100 pounds and oversized items in excess of 62 inches but not more than 80 inches will be accepted for an overweight and oversize baggage fee of $75 per item.

Delta: 62 linear inches

American: Weight and size

We calculate the size limits of your bag by adding the total outside dimensions of each bag, length + width + height.

For all regions, your checked bag allowance is:

Dimension: 62 in / 158 cm
Weight: 50 lbs / 23 kgs
For First / Business, weight is 70 lbs / 32 kgs 

Mike D

Delta and many other airlines have special terms for sports equipment. For Delta specifically, the 62 inch limit doesn’t apply, so all of these should be fine. The 50lb weight limit is mostly up to you based on what you choose to pack in there, but if you’re worried about it, stick to the lighter ones. For reference: I had an Ogio Mutant travel bag , always packed extra stuff (two pairs of shoes, additional clothes and towels for padding, extra balls, etc.), and with a standard stand bag, that normally landed in the 50-55lb range (my Delta status waives the weight fee – could easily keep it under 50lb if needed though). Most of these products should be similar to that.

mcgolf

I have pro model of the sun mountain above.
I have never been charged extra on southwest or delta.
I have been to Orlando countless times, Ireland and Scotland and California without issue.

Darrell

When I saw the link for this comparison, I thought if the SM Club Glider is not #1 something is wrong with your testing method. I have had a Club Glider Journey for many years now. Made several trips with it. Best bag every. When people ask me about it at the airport, I show them how much easier it is to maneuver than my luggage. And it is, much easier to move that my spinner bag.

Kenny B

I bought my Club Glove over 10 years ago and have been on 2 trips a year all over the country. No broken clubs and I won’t need another bag.

Berniez40

Though hyperbole is a great writing stratagem for getting the reader’s attention, it is not always helpful when making an objective data based argument. Before one announces, “The Death of The Hard Case”, (eerily similar to “The Death of Equities” announced by Business Week Magazine when the Dow Jones Average was —839.79–back in ’79–That’s right—839…….)
Even in today’s maelstrom of trade tarrifs etc….that 839 vs the 24900-26500 range we’ve been in looks laughable as a call of the top. Hyperbole is a dangerous game in the world of credibility, and Busines wek took a credibility hit that they never really got over. Please Golf Spy—stick with the facts……you are damned good at that stuff—Leave the hyperbole to Golf Digest and their Gold Star Pronouncements for their “Paid Us the Most in Advertising.”..er uh….Hot List. LOL

Boris Markov

After my first travel cover which was a Bagboy T750 I had concerns even with the backbone on for air travel. After 5 trips in 5 months the bag had a hole. One of my golf buddies carries a hard case and thought of getting one. Finally my choice was a Golf Travel Bags “The Vault “Hard Travel Case. After one year with it no major issues except for one of the screws in the wheel base loosening up, but that was easily fixed. For travel I take the extra precaution of putting padded headcovers on all my irons and wedges. I think a hard case can be developed with additional wheels like the glider.

Steve

Stiff arm or equivalent is essential and should be included with any soft or semi soft bag. Another metric seemingly overlooked here is the empty weight of each bag. Given airline weight limits, a bag that starts out at 10 or 15 lbs empty restricts your choice of what is going in. My wife and I have found that with removable heads, etc that we can get two virtually full sets of clubs in one staff bag stowed in our first generation SM ClubGlider. we each take about 12 or 13 clubs. Driver & FW heads and golf balls go in a carry on back pack. At the destination we are usually able to borrow an empty bag for the second set. At a pinch we can pack a Sunday bag. Obviously not the way to go if going on a full blown golf trip, but for a brief visit somewhere with a couple of rounds likely it sure beats rental sticks.

Jon

Years of jr golf, college golf, mini-tour golf and some tours in Europe all using ClubGlove golf bag and luggage without one issue…. I am talking high hundreds of thousands of miles, to not have ClubGlove listed is a travesty… that said spending $30 on a stiff arm regardless of the travel bag being used is a must. Also nothing like cruising through the airport using ClubGlove’s train system

ck52

Got a Sun Mountain Clubglider pro and a Bag Boy Backbone three years ago and have been to Europe and all over the states without an issue. Those wheels make travel easy especially since you can pile more stuff on top and wheel that around too. Take the head off the driver and wrap towels and socks around the other clubs and you’ll be good to go.

HDTVMAN

Hard cases…no way! The biggest issue is your car rental. They don’t fit in full size cars, which in today’s rental world is really a midsize car. Unless you have an SUV or van, and if you’re riding with more than two others, it won’t fit!

10shot

HDTV, try the SKB it’s smaller then the Glider. I’ve had no issue in Ford Fusion, Dodge. My single is 48″ inside, outside floor to top ridge 50.5″. My double is 2″ taller

I’ve been using the Bag Boy T-750 for two years and no complaints! Lots of padding on top, but I always turn my clubs inward and wrap golf towels around the irons and hybrid heads. I also remove the driver & fairway wood heads from the shafts, wrap them in a towel, and place in one of the golf bag pockets. The T-750 also has a lot of room inside for shoes and additional clothing. Just be careful not to exceed the maximum weight limit from the airlines.

Dom

I’ve used the Clubglove for years. Their train system with the carry on are perfect when walking through a terminal. Very easy to use and maneuver. I’m most surprised that you all don’t mention how important a Stiff Arm is when traveling with golf clubs. Also I take off any removable heads and bring them with my carry on. Never had a broken club in dozens of flights.

SW (or some airport worker) recently dragged my Clubglove travel bag along the tarmac and it was shredded but my clubs were safe! Only thing that happened inside is my legs for my stand bag were bent out of shape along with some tarmac damage. I had four conversations with different SW representatives and many e-mail exchanges but I did get some money back. Safe travels for everyone out there!

You made Good points. I have 3 SKB cases with zero broken clubs. The one soft case, 2 broken clubs it is number 1 on this list. Test needs the “after 10 flights category

Paresh

I guess you guys never took lessons in physics and impact forces, you all should have payed more attention in school…..hard cases are dead? Well if you ponied up 3k or more for club and you are traveling to any destination AND want your clubs intact and lie and lofts correct……..we’ll you might want to have a hard case. SKB makes a pretty good hard case and isn’t a pain to trasport around an airport…..

Justin T.

I’m glad to see the Tour Trek TC-Flex do well. I recently received one as a gift and tried it out on a recent trip to Cabo. I agree with the ratings here. It is awesome how little space in my garage it takes up, which is especially great given how little it’s actually in use. The wheels were awesome and made maneuverability easy- I even took it on Seattle’s light rail system with no issues at all. Protection and storage leave something to be desired, protection being especially problematic since that’s job #1. However, it’s pretty easy to supplement by prepacking with bubble wrap or something similar. Great product for those not wanting to break the bank on an item for occasional use.

I’m surprised to see the Ogio Mutant so high, especially in durability. Did they step up their game with material quality? I bought an older version of the Mutant back in 2016, and it didn’t hold up with airline travel — went through two warranty replacements, with the first two bags getting minor rips/holes on leg 1 of trip 1, and the third only lasting ~3 trips before I found significant holes in it. It was the first negative experience I’ve ever had with an Ogio bag.

I just picked up the new Vice Shell to replace it – it looks promising, I’ve had success with their other products in the past, and it was a somewhat lower cost option, so it’s worth a shot.

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Driver Ping G30	Hybrids PXG 0317
3/4 IRON PXG 0311XF	5-GW Srixon Z 565
SW PXG 0317	LW PXG 0311
Putter EVNROLL

Golf Bags

MGS Tested: TRAVEL BAGS OF 2019

2019 TRAVEL BAGS BUYERS GUIDE

How We Test

Our Metrics

FEATURES THAT MATTER TO YOU

Maneuverability

Protection

Durability

EXPERT TIP - Hard Case to Sell

2019 Travel Bags Features Chart

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: Your Four Wheeled Friend

More Tips

2019 Travel Bags Results

FAQ

Support Unbiased Testing.

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comments

DaveR

Scott

Nocklaus

Steve S

Steve S

Mike D

mcgolf

Darrell

Kenny B

Berniez40

Boris Markov

Steve

Jon

ck52

HDTVMAN

10shot

HDTVMAN

Dom

10shot

Paresh

Justin T.

Mike D

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