BEST GOLF STAND BAGS 2023

2023 Golf Stand Bag Buyer’s Guide

Your choice of a golf stand bag could be the difference between shooting your personal best or heading home with a sore back and aching shoulders.

Golf is hard enough. One of the few variables you have full control over is your golf bag. This year we tested 42 stand bags with you, the golfer, in mind. We put each bag through a rigorous test to ensure your hard-earned money is being spent on something that delivers what it promises.

Let’s find you a new stand bag.

Winner – PING Hoofer

Who is it for?

• Those who walk more than they ride
• Someone who needs ample storage
• The golfer who values functionality over fashion

Best Golf Stand Bags 2023 – What to Look For

Storage

If you’re looking for a new stand bag, obviously you would rather walk than ride. In any case, it’s important to find a bag with ample storage. You shouldn’t have to decide which accessories to bring to the course.

Not only does the amount of storage matter but the usability does, too. Don’t let looks fool you—some bags hold a lot more than meets the eye while others punch well below their weight in this category. If maximum storage is important to you, you’ll enjoy the spacious real estate in the PING Hoofer or Vessel Player IV.

While some golf bags include gimmicky pockets, we found the best storage to be the most simple. Take, for example, the COBRA Ultralight Pro. Its water bottle holder is simple but functional. It sits at the perfect angle for easy access while the bag is on your back and makes placing or removing a bottle a one-handed experience. Other golf bags require the use of both hands which made it nearly impossible to retrieve a water bottle without setting the bag down.

Dividers

While a 14-way divider provides the most protection against bag chatter, this often makes for a less smooth club pull. The best dividers ensure that your clubs go in and out of the bag easily. Some stand bags also feature shortened dividers that don’t extend to the bottom of the bag. This can result in your bag becoming a jumbled mess with grips and shafts pointing every which way.

We found that the four-way divider on the Mizuno BR-D3 and the five-way divider on the PING Hoofer provide the best separation and organization without sacrificing smoothness.

Comfort

A good stand bag MUST be comfortable to carry. Good luck shooting your personal best with an uncomfortable strap or poorly placed support beam digging into your shoulder for 18 holes.

The PING Hoofer Lite and Sunday Golf Ryder 23 provide excellent comfort and straps that mold to your shoulder.

Weight

Another significant factor in the overall comfort of a stand bag is weight. While it may not seem like much on the first hole, an extra pound or two can take a toll on your body over an entire round.

Golfers looking for the lightest stand bag should opt for the Mizuno K1-L0 or Maxfli Air, which are lightweight yet durable.

Stand Leg Stability

The stand mechanism should be both durable and stable. Without a good stand, your golf bag could collapse and damage your precious sticks. Not only should the stand be stable but it should deploy and close with ease when the bag is fully loaded.

Best Stand Bags of 2023 - Features

	Product	Weight	Dividers	Pockets	Colors
	Callaway Fairway 14 Check Price	7	14	7	18
	Callaway Fairway C Check Price	4.9	4	5	23
	Callaway Fairway C HD Check Price	5.2	4	5	5
	Callaway Fairway+ Check Price	5.5	4	6	14
	Callaway Hyperlite Zero Check Price	4	4	6	11
	Cobra Tour Stand Check Price	8.3	4	5	1
	Cobra Ultralight Pro Check Price	5	4	7	7
	Cobra Ultralight Pro+ Check Price	5.6	5	8	4
	Finally Stand Bag Check Price	5.8	8	6	2
	IZZO Ultra Lite Check Price	3.8	4	4	6
	Jones Trouper R Check Price	5.4	5	6	15
	Maxfli Air Check Price	3.1	4	4	10
	Maxfli Eco Tour Check Price	6	14	11	6
	Mizuno BR-D3 Check Price	4.7	4	8	6
	Mizuno BR-D4 Check Price	6	6	13	5
	Mizuno BR-DX Check Price	4.8	14	14	5
	Mizuno K1-L0 Check Price	3.1	5	7	4
	Motocaddy Hydro Flex Check Price	4.3	5	5	3
	OGIO Fuse Check Price	4.8	4	6	12
	OGIO Woode 8 Hybrid Check Price	6.4	8	9	11
	Ping Craz-E-Lite Check Price	3.2	4	4	5
	Ping Hoofer Check Price	5.2	5	6	7
	Ping Hoofer 14 Check Price	5.7	14	11	7
	Ping Hoofer Lite Check Price	5	4	5	10
	PXG Carry Check Price	5	4	8	1
	PXG Hybrid Check Price	8.4	6	12
	Srixon Z Check Price	5.3	4	5	4
	Stitch SL2 Check Price	5.3	4	3	3
	Sub 70 5-Way Check Price	4.9	5	10	7
	Sun Mountain 2.5+ Check Price	3.1	4	6	8
	Sun Mountain Eco-Lite Check Price	4.2	4	5	6
	Sunday Golf Ryder Check Price	5	5	8	5
	TaylorMade 5.0 ST Check Price	4.6	5	6	5
	Titleist Players 4 Check Price	5.8	4	7	15
	Titleist Players 4 StaDry Check Price	4.3	4	7	11
	Tour Edge Extreme 7.0 Check Price	4.8	7	8	4
	Vessel Player IV 14-Way DXR Check Price	7.1	14	9	1
	Vessel VLS DXR Check Price	4.8	4	4	2
	Vice Force Check Price	5.7	6	5	2
	Vice Force Agua Check Price	5.5	6	5	1
	Vice Smart Check Price	4.5	4	5	4
	Wilson Exo Lite Check Price	6.6	4	6	6

More Tips

• Do you carry a GPS or rangefinder? Look for a golf bag with an accessible rangefinder pocket. We found the magnetic rangefinder pocket on the PING Hoofer and Vessel Player IV particularly easy to use. Chances are you’ll use this pocket 70 to 80 times per round, making it one of (if not the most) important pockets on your bag.
• Need a waterproof bag for those rainy rounds? Keep in mind that waterproofing has its tradeoffs. Often this makes the zippers more stubborn and pockets harder to access. The Motocaddy Hydroflex strikes the right chord with a waterproof design and decent zippers.
• Some stand/carry bags also provide cart pass-throughs for those days when you just don’t feel like walking. One stand bag that features a great cart pass-through system is the PXG Hybrid bag.
• Lighter isn’t always better but if your biggest concern is the weight of your bag, there are plenty of lightweight options that make carrying a breeze.
• While it shouldn’t be the sole factor, the style of a bag is important to any purchasing decision. Luckily, most manufacturers offer multiple styles and colors, making it easy to find one that suits your taste.
• More pockets don’t always make for a better bag. The DNA of any good stand bag takes into account the function of pockets, not just the number. Useless pockets add extra weight, making the bag less walkable, while useable pockets add to the overall positive carrying experience.

Best Stand Bags of 2023 - Results

	Product	Storage	Dividers	Weight	Walkability	Features	Total
	Ping Hoofer Check Price	1st	1st	23rd	2nd	1st	95.5
	Ping Hoofer Lite Check Price	7th	1st	11th	1st	3rd	94.25
	Cobra Ultralight Pro Check Price	4th	4th	11th	5th	4th	92.75
	Ping Hoofer 14 Check Price	1st	37th	30th	6th	1st	91
	Ultralight Pro+ Check Price	5th	4th	30th	21st	4th	89.75
	Sunday Golf Ryder Check Price	15th	8th	11th	8th	4th	88.25
	Mizuno BR-D3 Check Price	14th	1st	11th	8th	16th	86.75
	Vessel Player IV 14-Way DXR Check Price	3rd	31st	40th	18th	8th	85.5
	Sun Mountain Eco-Lite Check Price	11th	6th	7th	13th	22nd	85.5
	Mizuno BR-D4 Check Price	9th	11th	30th	15th	10th	85.25
	Vessell VLS DXR Check Price	15th	8th	11th	6th	22nd	85
	Ping Hoofer Craz-E-Lite Check Price	40th	25th	1st	2nd	10th	84.25
	Maxfli Air Check Price	39th	35th	1st	2nd	14th	84
	PXG Carry Check Price	24th	11th	11th	26th	9th	83.75
	Sun Mountain 2.5+ Check Price	31st	11th	1st	8th	28th	83.25
	Maxfli Eco Tour Check Price	9th	31st	30th	34th	7th	82.75
	Mizuno K1-L0 Check Price	24th	21st	1st	8th	30th	82.75
	Tour Edge Xtreme 7.0 Check Price	21st	6th	11th	34th	17th	81.75
	Titleist Players 4 Check Price	24th	21st	7th	34th	14th	81.5
	Motocaddy Hydro Flex Check Price	11th	18th	30th	21st	26th	81.5
	Mizuno BR-DX Check Price	11th	31st	38th	26th	10th	81.25
	Wilson Exo Lite Check Price	22nd	30th	11th	8th	26th	81.25
	Srixon Z Check Price	18th	38th	23rd	15th	19th	81
	Callaway Hyperlite Zero Check Price	31st	25th	5th	13th	33rd	81
	Jones Trouper R Check Price	15th	18th	23rd	26th	28th	80.75
	OGIO Fuse Check Price	37th	35th	11th	15th	17th	80.5
	Titleist Players 4 StaDry Check Price	31st	21st	7th	34th	19th	80.25
	Sub 70 5-Way Check Price	24th	11th	11th	33rd	24th	79.75
	Callaway Fairway C Check Price	31st	11th	11th	24th	35th	79.25
	OGIO Woode 8 Hybrid Check Price	24th	21st	37th	30th	19th	79
	Vice Force Check Price	24th	25th	30th	18th	33rd	78.75
	PXG Hybrid Check Price	6th	29th	41st	41st	10th	78.25
	TaylorMade 5.0 ST Check Price	18th	25th	11th	38th	31st	78.25
	Callaway Fairway C HD Check Price	31st	11th	23rd	24th	38th	78.25
	Callaway Fairway+ Check Price	24th	8th	23rd	30th	35th	78
	Cobra Tour Stand Check Price	7th	11th	41st	39th	24th	77.25
	Vice Smart Check Price	22nd	38th	7th	29th	40th	76
	Callaway Fairway 14 Check Price	18th	18th	38th	40th	35th	74.5
	Finally Stand Bag Check Price	42nd	31st	30th	21st	31st	73
	Vice Force Agua Check Price	36th	38th	23rd	30th	42nd	72.75
	IZZO Ultra Lite Check Price	37th	41st	5th	42nd	39th	71.25
	Stitch SL2 Check Price	41st	42nd	23rd	18th	41st	71.25

Best Golf Stand Bags of 2023 – FAQ

Q: Do I need an insulated pocket?

A: Keeping your drinks cool on a hot day is a must. Most stand bags have an insulated pocket to ensure your beverage of choice stays chilled.

Q: What is a “hybrid” golf bag?

A: A true hybrid golf bag is half stand bag, half cart bag. The versatility to walk one day and ride the next without having to switch bags should not be overlooked.

Q: Can I use my stand bag on a cart or push cart?

A: While most aren’t designed to fit on a cart or push cart, you should be able to use your stand bag on a cart. Some bags offer a cart strap pass-through which helps to hide the strap and avoid blocking access to the pockets. Other stand bags may not have a dedicated cart strap pass-through. In this case, the strap can generally be threaded through a carry handle. Push carts are a different story. If your push cart offers a stand lock-in design, opting for a stand bag shouldn’t be an issue at all. Motocaddy’s stand bags are designed to fit perfectly onto their push carts.

Q: How much does the carry strap matter?

A: That depends on whether you like a strap digging into your shoulder all round. If you want to play your best, you need to feel your best. A comfortable carry strap will send you well on your way to a pain-free round.

Q: What is a “Sunday” bag?

A: Sunday bags are lighter and smaller than standard carry/stand bags. The compact design and light weight make them ideal for par-3 courses or a quick nine.

Q: Which divider setup is right for me?

A: As a general rule, fewer dividers make it easier to get your clubs in and out of the bag. If this is important to you, opt for a four-way or five-way divider. For those who like to keep all of their clubs organized and separate, a 14-way top is the ideal setup.

Q: How much should I spend on a bag?

A: The answer to this question depends on what you’re looking for in a stand bag. However, our winner for the Best Stand Bag of 2023 and our other top choices all hover around the $250 mark.