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Although there are golf bag handling services that will ship your bag to your final destination, many of you still prefer the DIY route and “need” a golf travel bag. Although packing right for that bucket list destination has its own ramifications, having the right golf travel bags for your needs can eliminate some of the concerns.
It’s been stated before but bears repeating: “Few things are more exhilarating than touching down at the location of your dream golf trip. On the flipside, nothing is more excruciating than worrying if your clubs are going to make it safe and sound.”
First and foremost, a golf travel bag’s primary purpose is to protect your investment and get your clubs to their destination safe and sound. On the other hand, all of us want a bag that not only protects but is easy to store, maneuver, pack and is durable to boot.
Not sure where to start in your search for a new golf travel bag? Here are the best golf travel bags of 2025.
We’ve tested and analyzed golf travel bags for years to find the best of the best. Our expert staff has spent hours testing to provide you with the travel bag for your next golfing adventure.
We’ve tested 16 different golf travel bags head to head. Here are the ones you should consider.
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The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian with its retractable leg mechanism and pivoting wheels is near effortless to pull and maneuver.
Even though the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian may not walk itself to the station, you will note the ease with which it rolls and not be constantly changing hands to shift the load.
While the wheels are a joy when deployed, the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian with its retractable wheel mechanism and molded tray is among the heaviest travel bag tested when not in use.
The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian is the “Best Overall” golf travel bag of 2025. If you’re looking for a balance of club protection, packing room, and easy of maneuverability then this travel bag is sure to meet your needs.
While every tester undoubtedly appreciated the ease with how the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian moved, one tester said it best: “I think I could dance with this thing.” We wouldn’t suggest dancing with your travel bag in public but you get the idea.
If the thought of dragging a fully loaded travel bag through the airport makes your shoulders and back hurt, the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian may be the answer to your woes. With its retractable leg mechanism to bear the load and pivoting wheels to maneuver, you’ll truly be “gliding” as its name implies. Even though the retractable leg mechanism takes a little effort to deploy, this same tension keeps its secure in the molded tray during baggage handling and travel. Rest assured that the ClubGlider Meridian isn’t just about mobility but has dense foam padding to protect the clubs, too.
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Some golf travel bags are cavernous but don't let the OGIO Renegade's size fool you. This travel bag will fit stand bags through cart bags with ease and offers excellent protection to boot.
On the OGIO Renegade, the golf bag storage compartment flap opens fully for more user-friendly access and peace of mind.
The OGIO Renegade is only available in black or forest camo.
The OGIO Renegade Travel Cover is the runner-up for best golf travel bag of 2025. With oversized “off-road” wheels for any terrain and impact resistant base, the Renegade is ready for whatever you throw at it.
Testers loved the OGIO Renegade’s slender profile and the rigidity of the SLED impact-resistant base. Many felt the SLED base and the oversized wheels gave a nod to an off-road vehicle and nicknamed the Renegade “the 4×4 of golf travel bags.”
Without a doubt, the OGIO Renegade lives up to the “the 4×4 of golf travel bags” moniker. Its impact-resistant base, oversized off-road wheels, protected corners, heavy-duty grab handles and cushion padding were designed for the go-anywhere golfer in mind. When not in use, the Renegade collapses and folds neatly for easy storage. As OGIO states, this bag is “rugged, reliable, and made to protect.”
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If you're in the market for new luggage and a golf travel bag for your golfing adventures, the Club Glove's Train Reaction System when paired with compatible luggage will leave you gliding through the airport with ease.
The Club Glove Pro Traveler is built and equipped to give you peace of mind. It comes complete with a stiff arm included for added protection and built-in TSA combination lock to minimize unauthorized access.
While the Club Glove Pro Traveler will set you back a pretty penny, it's made with premium materials and built to last. So, buy once, cry once.
The Club Glove Pro Traveler is the “Best Premium” golf travel bag of 2025. With its durability and functionality, the Pro Traveler is perfect for the frequent golf traveler looking to protect their club investment.
When testers first examined the Club Glove Pro Traveler, almost all of them noted its build quality. One remarked, “this thing is built like a tank. Bet you it’ll outlast me.” Beyond the external build quality, testers were further impressed with details like the 360-degree velour-lined and padded clubhead area and built-in TSA combination lock.
The Club Glove Pro Traveler is an all-new medium-sized offering designed for hybrid and stand bags. The Pro Traveler’s new features include 360-degree velour-lined clubhead area, premium synthetic leather handles, built-in TSA combination lock and heavy-duty/abrasion-resistant linings. The Club Glove Pro Traveler is designed and built with premium materials and comes complete with a stiff arm included. Even though it’s available at a premium price, it may be the first and last golf travel bag you’ll ever need.
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The PING Rolling Travel Cover folds into a compact size suitable for storage on a garage shelf, tucked into a closet or rolled under your bed.
Whether empty or fully loaded, the PING Rolling Travel Cover stands on its own with an almost rigid framework and can be maneuvered easily standing or tilted on its fixed and pivoting wheels.
Even though the PING Rolling Travel Cover does have an external pocket and two interior mesh pockets, its slim profile doesn't lend itself to stuffing the kitchen sink in this one.
The PING Rolling Travel Cover is the “Best Compact” golf travel bag of 2025. While this travel cover’s stowed size is sure to impress, rest assured its structured framework and padding lead the way in protecting your clubs and won’t leave you disappointed.
Among all the testers, the PING Rolling Travel Cover was lauded for its compact, stowed size. Not only were testers impressed with its stored size but also its structure when unfolded and the fact that it could stand on its own loaded and/or unloaded.
If your golf equipment is taking over your abode, however, you still need and/or want a golf travel bag, you may want to consider the PING Rolling Travel Cover. This cover folds and stows neatly into a package that can fit under the bed or stored in the back of a closet. Even though the PING Rolling Travel Cover is impressive stored, it continues to impress in use.
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Even though the CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag will set you back just over $200, it may just be the last travel bag some of you will ever need with its premium materials and quality construction.
The CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag has a very structured and padded upper shell area designed with maximum club protection in mind.
Although the CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag does have two large internal pockets with exterior zipper access, a full bag may hinder these pockets' volume as they are not isolated from the internal cavity.
The CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag is the “Best Value” golf travel bag of 2025. This bag’s design, construction and protection rivals that of travel covers outside its weight class at a more competitive price.
Testers noted the CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag had design elements and protection comparable to bags costing considerably more. It was further said that “the golfer who travels once or less per year could probably get by with this bag for a lifetime of golf.” Maybe a lifetime is a stretch but the sentiment speaks to its quality.
Value is not about being cheap but rather a balance of cost and quality and the CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag checks both boxes. The First Class does come in at over $100 less than top-quality brands. Even priced less, its durability, materials and club protection won’t leave you disappointed or longing for more. The CaddyDaddy First Class Travel Bag is a tremendous value ready to take wherever your next golf travel destination may be.
Narrowing down the best golf travel bags is a challenge to say the least. You’ll notice that the difference in score from our top choice to our last choice is quite tight. If one of the best golf travel bags above is not a good fit for you, here are some outside of our top picks worth considering.
Buying a new golf travel bag doesn’t have to be hard. Even though the choices can be confusing, we’ve highlighted the most important features to make your decision process a bit easier.
Not only do we want to make it easy but we want you to get what you pay for. Some of the best golf travel bags may set you back a bit but, then again, protecting your clubs on that bucket list trip becomes a priority. The last we looked, club prices continue to rise.
It’s difficult to separate the top bags and it becomes a matter of splitting hairs. When choosing between various golf travel bags, decide what features matter most to you and pick accordingly. Is it build quality/materials, mobility, club protection, bag volume, storage, or a balance of them all?
Here are some elements you should look for when you’re on the quest for a new golf travel bag.
When we buy luggage, the expectation is that we’ll have it for the long haul. The same should be said for your golf travel bag. Your golf travel bag should withstand the rigors of travel and time. This isn’t a one-time use investment.
While one can buy a travel bag at the third of the cost of some others, this does often come at a price. Design, materials, build quality, zippers, straps, wheels, etc., often suffer and so too does your travel experience. A durable golf travel bag is meant to last and get your golf equipment to their destination safely and intact.
Some of the most durable golf travel bags for 2025 are the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian, PING Rolling Travel Cover, Club Glove Pro Traveler and OGIO Renegade Travel Cover. Each of these feature impact-resistant bases, build quality and materials meant to go the distance.
Luggage fees continue to rise and, therefore, many of us are looking for ways to save a buck. A good golf travel bag should have some extra storage space for the rest of your golf gear including golf shoes, golf balls and maybe even a few golf towels. This could save you some cash by eliminating an extra bag that you might bring otherwise.
One of the most intriguing travel bags in the test was the Sunday Coaster Travel Roller with its removable storage bag that attaches to the outside creating a 2-in-1 travel system. With some careful preparation, you may be able to pack your clubs, clothes and shoes in this one bag alone. The PING Rolling Travel Cover, OGIO Renegade Travel Cover and Ghost AWOL Golf Travel Bag were standouts in the packing category, too.
No one loves crowds and the last thing you want to do is navigate through one with an unwieldy golf travel bag. A highly maneuverable bag should go where you go almost like a good dance partner. If you’re looking for a travel bag that is nearly effortless to pull along, look no further than the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian. It’s been said to “practically roll itself.”
A couple of other great options with their spinner wheels that are easy to maneuver while upright are the PING Rolling Travel Cover and Bag Boy Freestyle.
If a golf travel bag had one primary function, it would be to protect your clubs. Not all travel bags, however, are created equal. Some lack the padding and structure necessary to keep your gear from getting damaged. A well-designed bag features well-designed and well-padded areas around the entire club head area to protect them in transit. Furthermore, quality design features include mechanisms to snugly secure your golf bag to keep it from shifting within the travel cover.
While many golf travel bags added appropriate padding around the clubheads, the Club Glove Pro Traveler stepped it up with a 360-degree velour-lined padded clubhead area. Club Glove takes it further yet by including a “stiff arm (aka torsion bar) within each of its travelers for insurance against mishandling.”
Another golf travel bag that took clubhead padding a step further was the Ghost AWOL Golf Travel Bag with its wrap-around foam padding at the top to help safeguard your clubs during their journey.
In this case, we’re not talking about the travel bag’s internal storage but rather its stowed size when not in use. This may not seem like a big issue at first but if you have limited space, it can become a big problem if not considered in advance. Some collapse, while others merely fold or tuck into themself.
It seems many of the companies have taken this to heart and some fold into a more compact version while some collapse even further. Few take up as little space as the PING Rolling Travel Cover, the Sun Mountain Kube or the Bag Boy Freestyle. Each of these can be tucked into the corner of the garage, the back of a closet and/or under a bed.
Each golf travel bag is tested by our expert staff. They undergo rigorous tests using strict protocols to ensure each meets our standard before receiving a final score.
Golf travel bags are scored based on the following criteria:
To determine durability, we evaluated the stitching, straps, rivets, materials, design, etc., in each bag’s build. Regardless of what you’re buying, you expect it to last. Travel bags, especially because they’re used so infrequently, should be durable enough to last several years. Some bags are made of inexpensive materials while the top performers in this category offer highly durable wheels, zippers, buckles, materials and design.
Simply put, how much gear can a given bag hold? Luggage handling/checked bag fees these days continue to rise. Therefore, we are packing our clubs and other gear to maximize our returns. The best bags in this category offer room for the necessities as well as plenty of room for extras.
We closely examined the design of the wheels and the handle placement as well as the structural base of the bag. Bags that performed poorly were awkward or pulled on your shoulder while walking. The top performers not only made for easy walking and less joint stress but were also able to stand without assistance. Bags that were more stable through the middle section and had a lower center of gravity generally performed better.
Your golf clubs are a significant investment. A travel bag must protect your clubs in every situation. We closely examined the top portion of the travel bag because it is where clubs are the most vulnerable. Manufacturers use a variety of different methods to protect the clubs but one constant is that poor performers lack coverage on the top and sides of the bag. The bags that provided effective protection do so by combining protective padding with a snug fit.
Wherever you store your golf travel bag, how much space does it take up? Some bags simply fold up while others are designed specifically with space-savings in mind.
Some bags depend upon their contents and your clubs to supply the structure of the travel bag. This puts undue torque on your equipment. Better to look elsewhere for a more quality build.
The best golf travel bags for 2025 hover in the $250-$400 price range. In some cases, you get what you pay for. However, with careful packing and following some tips to add padding, you can improve the protective properties of bags costing much less if you’re on a really tight budget.
While all golf travel bags will hold your bag and clubs, some do so with greater features and versatility. Decide on and prioritize your personal needs first. Maybe it’s protection, extra storage capacity, maneuverability or a combination of them all. There are bags that check all the boxes and then some that only check a few.
We found golf travel bags with external skid plates and/or sleds offered more impact protection, structure and upright stability than most of their soft-sided counter parts. There’s nothing more frustrating than to tip over a standing golf travel bag only to have it snap off your driver head.
| OEM | Model | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Mountain | ClubGlider Meridian | 9.6 |
| OGIO | Renegade Travel Cover | 9.6 |
| PING | Rolling Travel Cover | 9.6 |
| Club Glove | Pro Traveler | 9.5 |
| Sunday Golf | Coaster Travel Roller | 9.5 |
| Ghost | AWOL Golf Travel Bag | 9.5 |
| COBRA | Travel Club Bag | 9.4 |
| CaddyDaddy | First Class Travel Bag | 9.3 |
| OGIO | Alpha Slim Travel Cover | 9.2 |
| Big Max | Dri Lite Travel Cover | 9.2 |
| BagBoy | Freestyle | 9.0 |
| BagBoy | T-10 | 9.0 |
| Founders Club | 89M | 9.0 |
| Sun Mountain | Kube | 9.0 |
| Vice | Vault Travel Cover | 8.8 |
| BagBoy | T-750 | 8.5 |
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1 month ago
I was chosen to be a tester of the SM Club Glider Meridian last year, it was a game changer for me on trips to Ireland and Pebble Beach last year. I was coming off back fusion surgery and did not look forward to lugging my Club Glove travel bag through DIA or any other airport for that matter. The Glider wheeled around nicely to and from airports and saved my back and shoulders additional strain.
The only reservation I had on it was the long term durability as it was showing some wear on the bottom around the rivets. That is the one advantage of my Club Glove, the sled like bottom has been 100% durable on the bottom and has been on many trips, but it is much harder to maneuver without the glider legs the Sun Mountain has.
1 month ago
I have had a SKB standard hard case for many years and have traveled all over the world with it. Surprised no test was done on that brand. Never a dent or break and clubs always safe. Currently travel with my Titleist Cart Bag with ease. Meets the airlines measurements to qualify as luggage and can pay regular luggage costs. Flying them to Ireland for $35 in August each each safely, again. Have had a couple of issue in past with a couple of wheels, but called customer service and replacements were mailed at no charge. Outstanding CS, seems to have a lifetime guarantee. Think I purchased in the 90’s. I highly recommend one of these. Guess the biggest drawback would be it does not fold up. So always need a larger vehicle if you plan on driving. I always go on a golf planned event, so there is always a van. So no biggie for me.
1 month ago
Airlines now require us to sign a waver stating that they are not responsible for damage if we do not have the clubs in a hard case (for sure this is the policy with United and Delta). I assume this is due to airlines having too many claims. All of the cases reviewed are soft cases. Does the waiver requirement change the way golf travel bags are reviewed? I would like to see a review of hard cases.
Kellen
1 month ago
Curious of any SM glider users can talk about escalators. How does that work with the glider wheels out? Do you have to wait for an elevator instead? Or does it trust protrude over the step below?
Will never buy a hard case. Not all Ubers can take them and you never really know what kind of car you’re going to get. Traveled 100+ times with a clubglove and have had zero incidents. Don’t even use a stiff arm.