MGS Tested: TRAVEL BAGS 2021

2021 Travel Bag Buyer’s Guide

How wonderful does a golf getaway sound? Pretty darned good after all the travel restrictions necessitated by COVID-19!

With that in mind and to make your golf trip worry-free (the travel part, anyhow), we tested the Best Travel Bags in 2021.

Rule No. 1: Don’t cheap out on a golf travel bag. You invested thousands of your hard-earned dollars into the gear you are putting into it so it makes sense to ensure your investment is protected.

Although travel bags come in all shapes and sizes, the hard-case versions are becoming obsolete. They tend to break into pieces when dropped. After testing both kinds over the years, I recommend a durable soft-case travel bag.

Whether you’re looking to buy a 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 one for you.

Winner: Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series

If you want the best travel bag money can buy, go for the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series. It may be one of the heavier travel bags on the market but the four wheels and durable material compensate for the weight of it. Its wheel system allows you to pull it with your pinky finger. It’s that effortless. The Tour Series also has good padding in the right spots, ensuring your bag and clubs are protected. Throw in a one-year warranty and you have the winner of the 2021 Most Wanted Travel Bag Test.

• 1st in durability
• 13th in packing
• 1st in maneuverability
• 3rd in protection
• 7th in storage

Features That Matter

Maneuverability

Versatile wheels are the way to go. Some have just two. Others have six. No matter how many wheels the design has, it is imperative they work with ease because travel is stressful enough.

The travel bags that made getting A to B that much easier were the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series. Others that performed well also were BagBoy Freestyle and the Tour Trek TC-Flex.

Protection

Keeping your golf clubs protected is the primary function of a travel bag. The top part of the bag has the most padding to keep your clubs snug. Rightfully so. But the rest of your bag needs a little love as well.

Ogio, PING and Sun Mountain ensure your clubs are tucked up safe and sound for the journey.

Durability

There is a multitude of options. 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.

What’s the point of having an item that only lasts a season? The best travel bags that will stand the test of time are Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series, ClubGlove Last Bag XL Pro Tour and Srixon Travel Cover.

BEST TRAVEL BAGS 2021 – FEATURES

	Product	Colors	Wheels	Material	Pockets	Weight
	Amazon Basics Soft Sided Travel Bag Check Price	4	2	1800D Polyester	5	8.29 lb
	Bag Boy Freestyle Check Price	3	6	600D Polyester	1	10.3 lb
	Bag Boy T-10 Check Price	4	2	600D Polyester	2	9.6 lb
	Bag Boy T-750 Check Price	4	2	600D Nylon	1	7.4 lb
	Bag Boy T2000 Check Price	5	2	168D Nylon	4	9 lb
	Champkey Professional Golf Travel Bag Check Price	1	2	1200D Polyester	6	6.4 lb
	Club Glove Last Bag XL Pro Tour Check Price	16	2	1600D Ballistic Nylon	2	11.2 lb
	Club Glove Medium Collegiate Check Price	18	2	1600D Ballistic Nylon	2	8 lb
	Inesis Travel Cover Check Price	1	2	Polyester Cathlonic	0	6.6 lb
	Izzo High Roller Check Price	1	6	168D Nylon	1	12.8 lb
	Ogio Mutant Travel Bag Check Price	3	3	168D Polyester	2	8.2 lb
	Outdoor Master Golf Club Check Price	2	2	900D Oxford	2	8 lb
	Ping Rolling Travel Cover Check Price	1	4	1200D Polyester	1	8.9 lb
	Srixon Travel Cover Check Price	1	2	168D Ballistic Nylon	3	7.4 lb
	Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series Check Price	2	4	Vinyl	2	13.2 lb
	Titleist Players Travel Cover Check Price	1	2	1200D Polyester	5	8.5 lb
	Tour Trek TC-Flex Check Price	1	6	900D Polester	1	10 lb
	Tour Trek TC-Pro Check Price	6	2	600D Polyester	3	6.6 lb

More Tips

• Not every bag offers the same quality of protection. The best travel bags of 2021 keep your clubs safe against the worst the airlines have to offer.
• Many of the best travel bags of 2021 have side or front pockets to stow extra items rather than cramming them in your suitcase. As long as weight doesn’t become an issue, additional pockets can save space and money. But beware some airlines charge an additional fee for overweight items.  Check that out before you arrive at check-in.
• Golfers who want a leisurely stroll in and out of the airport should consider travel bags with four or six wheels as they typically require minimal effort to roll and control. Sun Mountain Club Glider and Tour Trek TC-Flex 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.
• Wrap extra material—a towel, perhaps—between your clubs before closing the bag. This will protect them from rubbing against each other and hopefully avoid breakage.
• Stand bag legs can be damaged from time to time. Again, try to cushion them when packing your travel bag.

BEST TRAVEL BAGS 2021 – RESULTS

	Product	Durability	Packing	Maneuverability	Protection	Storage	Total
	Sun Mountain ClubGlider Tour Series Check Price	1st	13th	1st	3rd	7th	92.5
	Ping Rolling Travel Cover Check Price	5th	17th	3rd	2nd	4th	91.5
	Izzo High Roller Check Price	8th	10th	3rd	3rd	3rd	91
	Ogio Mutant Travel Bag Check Price	7th	4th	5th	1st	7th	91
	Tour Trek TC-Flex Check Price	8th	17th	2nd	6th	1st	90.5
	Bag Boy Freestyle Check Price	11th	4th	5th	9th	1st	90
	Amazon Basics Soft Sided Travel Bag Check Price	5th	2nd	10th	9th	7th	89.5
	Club Glove Last Bag XL Pro Tour Check Price	1st	2nd	10th	9th	17th	89.5
	Club Glove Medium Collegiate Check Price	4th	13th	8th	6th	7th	89
	Srixon Travel Cover Check Price	1st	4th	10th	14th	7th	89
	Tour Trek TC-Pro Check Price	8th	10th	8th	6th	7th	87.5
	Bag Boy T-750 Check Price	17th	13th	10th	3rd	6th	86.5
	Titleist Players Travel Cover Check Price	11th	4th	10th	9th	13th	86.5
	Bag Boy T2000 Check Price	11th	9th	5th	16th	13th	85
	Inesis Travel Cover Check Price	11th	4th	10th	15th	13th	85
	Outdoor Master Golf Club Check Price	11th	13th	10th	9th	13th	85
	Champkey Professional Golf Travel Bag Check Price	18th	1st	10th	18th	4th	83
	Bag Boy T-10 Check Price	11th	10th	18th	17th	17th	81.5

The Best Travel Bags of 2021 – FAQ

Q: How necessary are wheels?

A: Completely. 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. 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 for virtually any size of 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.