First Look: Stitch SL2 Air Walker Golf Bag

Stitch, maker of premium golf goods, has announced an update to their flagship SL2 golf bag.

The new Stitch SL2 Air Walker is designed to be the ultimate carry bag. Both lighter and less expensive than some of the competition in the premium golf bag space, Stitch is hoping to position themselves in a favorable light in a market that’s growing ever more crowded.

Have they succeeded? Here’s what you need to know about this new(ish) release from Stitch.

SL2 Air Walker Tech Specs

• Retails at $298 ($150 less than the new Stitch SL2)
• Just over four pounds
• 50 percent more pockets than previous generation
• Magnetic ball pocket
• YKK zippers

Why?

The Stitch SL2 Air Walker is something that the brand has been severely lacking. Their golf bag lineup has been missing a more budget-friendly (yes, it’s still pretty darned expensive) bag that still offers the same performance benefits of their mainline SL2 MIY.

But does the cost reduction come with tradeoffs?

For one, the Air Walker is considerably lighter. That’s a positive tradeoff, one that comes by way of using less expensive (and less heavy) materials in its construction. But, even still, at more than four pounds, the Air Walker is fighting in more of the middleweight class than the featherweight.

For comparison, the Maxfli Air stand bag weighs in at just 2.5 pounds. The use of the “Air ” designation does, in my opinion, open up Stitch to fair comparison between the lightest bags on the market.

Outside of weight, the Stitch SL2 Air Walker has the same performance benefits of its more expensive counterpart, the flagship SL2 MIY. The expanded storage space, magnetic ball pocket and ultra-tough YKK zippers are all still there.

And while I don’t (yet) have the SL2 Air Walker in hand, the fit and finish of the performance nylon construction does look (almost) as premium as Stitch’s typical touring fabric.

Is it a Win?

Offering consumers a more budget-friendly (again, I use this term loosely) option that still features most of the same performance benefits of the big boys is something to celebrate. In the world of sneakers, the phrase I would use to describe the bag is a “takedown model.”

A true takedown model is a piece of gear, in this case a bag, that shares DNA with a flagship product yet features cost-saving measures to bring you a more fair price. And, with the ultimate goal making the bag lighter than their other offerings, Stitch did a decent thing here with the Air Walker.

For what it’s worth, I wish more companies would provide takedown models of their flagship products.

Is it worth your cash? That’s for you to decide. Until our February golf bag test, I can’t fully recommend the Air Walker. That said, if you’re already a Stitch fan but want something more economical (and easier to carry) the SL2 Air Walker is probably right up your alley.