The Best Cart Bags of 2021

It’s hard to reinvent the wheel. Right?

Yes, you can tweak something here and there but you don’t mess with the basic concept. A car still needs wheels and a chassis, a house still needs walls and a roof and a golf club still needs a shaft, a head and a grip.

Just like the basic golf bag. While the concept remains the same—you have to put your clubs somewhere, right?—it is being continually refined and improved.

As a result, more and more bags are contending for this year’s No. 1 spot in our Best Cart Bags 2021 competition. Yes, there are some that need improvement but there’s less mediocrity. There’s little in-between. It’s either good or it’s not. We’ve looked at the “good” and now we are telling you what we consider the “best.”

Whether you’re looking to buy the best cart bag today, seeking some buying advice or just want a closer look at what’s on the market right now, we’re here to help.

Best Waterproof Cart Bag

Its rare to find a waterproof bag that doesn't lose its overall structure. Motocaddy Dry Series cart bag however holds its own allowing the pockets to remain poised which results in easy access with one handed opening and closing system. Storage is substantial and its dividers provide no snagging.

Cart Bag Features That Matter

Storage

Some cart bags have multiple pockets but many of them may intrude into other pockets so check that glitch out. Golfers will need space for a rain suit, a sweater, refreshments and more.

Magnetic closures are the standard for GPS pockets. They provide easier access to your device while eliminating the need to clip one more thing to your bag.

If you’re looking for the Best Cart Bag of 2021 for maximum functional storage, there’s no better option than the Mizuno Tour Staff Mid. If you’re looking for plenty of storage with less bulk, consider the TaylorMade Supreme.

Best Cart Bag For Storage

Not the most obvious bag to include in the test but the Mizuno Tour Staff Mid can hold everything including the kitchen sink. It comes with a 5 way divider, 9 pockets and a sleek look design will catch the eye of many. Granted its more designed for the serious golfer but trust me, if you play competitively, everyone needs a smaller looking staff bag.

Dividers

Typically, cart bags offer 14 to 16 individual slots. Some even have a couple of putter wells. While few of us keep two putters in the bag, the extra spot can hold your driver or a ball retriever.

If your clubs are snagging, consider a bag with individual full-length liners with no excess material. If club organization and snag-free access to your gear are your primary concerns, the PING Pioneer and the TaylorMade Supreme are the best of the best.

Location – Golden Horseshoe Gold Course 16th

Cart Strap Pass-Through

For frequent riders and many push-cart users, the cart strap pass-through is a necessity. Assuming a competent bag design, a pass-through channel helps ensure full access to all your pockets when the bag is on a cart. Bags without pass-throughs force the straps to hug the pocket which limits access, rendering some pockets all but inaccessible.

PING bags, notably the Pioneer, feature a flawless implementation of a strap pass-through. The Srixon Z85 is also excellent in this regard.

THE BEST CART BAG 2021 - FEATURES

Product	Weight (LBS)	Dividers	Pockets	Putter Well	Cooler Pocket	Cart Strap Passthrough
BagBoy Chiller Check Price	6.4	14	9	Yes	Yes	Yes
BagBoy Revolver XP Check Price	8.12	15	9	Yes	Yes	Yes
BagBoy Shield Check Price	6	14	8	Yes	Yes	No
Big Max Dri Lite Sport Check Price	5.15	15	10	Yes	Yes	No
Burton LDX Plus Check Price	5.9	13	7	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cleveland CG Check Price	5.4	14	9	No	Yes	No
Cobra Ultradry Pro Check Price	5.1	14	8	No	No	Yes
Cobra Ultralight Check Price	5.13	14	11	Yes	Yes	Yes
Datrek DG Lite II Check Price	5.14	14	7	Yes	Yes	Yes
Datrek Lite Rider Pro Check Price	6	15	9	Yes	Yes	Yes
Inesis Check Price	7.3	15	8	Yes	Yes	No
Inesis Waterproof Check Price	7.3	15	8	Yes	Yes	No
Maxfli Honors+ Check Price	8.4	14	10	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mizuno Tour Staff Mid Check Price	9.6	5	7	No	No	No
Motocaddy Dry Series Check Price	6.2	14	7	No	Yes	No
PING DLX Check Price	8.3	15	15	Yes	Yes	Yes
PING Pioneer Check Price	6.13	15	14	Yes	Yes	Yes
PING Traverse Check Price	6.1	14	13	No	Yes	Yes
Srixon Z Cart Check Price	6.2	14	10	No	Yes	Yes
Stewart Golf Staff Pro Check Price	8.12	14	10	No	Yes	No
Stewart Golf Super Sport Check Price	6.9	15	10	Yes	Yes	No
Sun Mountain C-130 Check Price	7.13	14	13	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sun Mountain Maverick Check Price	5.15	14	11	Yes	Yes	Yes
Taylormade Cart Lite Check Price	5.7	14	8	No	No	Yes
TaylorMade Supreme Check Price	6.11	15	11	Yes	Yes	Yes
Titleist 15 Check Price	7.3	15	11	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tour Edge Xtreme 5.0 Check Price	4.1	14	8	No	Yes	Yes
Wilson Staff Exo Check Price	5.7	14	9	Yes	Yes	Yes
XXIO Lightweight Check Price	6.3	4	8	No	No	No

EXPERT TIP - Zippered Access to the Bottom of the Bag

About half of the bags we tested offer a zipper that provides access to the bottom of the bag. If you sometimes accidentally drop stuff between your dividers or if you have sensors attached to your grips, it's an especially useful feature.

More Tips

Trunk slammers should look for handles at the bottom of the bag and on the dividers so they don’t throw out their back lifting it.
Do you carry a GPS or rangefinder? While many choose to keep it in the cart with them, the best cart bags of 2021 have a thoughtfully placed magnetic pocket to provide easy access.
If you have an oversized putter grip, a separate putter well is beneficial. Be sure the bag you choose can accommodate the diameter of your putter grip.
Don’t just count pockets. Consider quality and functionality. A pocket with limited accessibility is all but useless. Look for pockets that are easily accessible and can hold everything you need.
If you frequently play courses with few or no water stations, consider a bag with dual water-bottle pouches or larger insulated pockets.
If your bag gets wet, wipe it down, empty it and put it in a warm place. Allow it to fully dry.
Some cart bags don’t work well on a push cart. However, Bag Boy has a patented design to ensure their bag remains upright and secure when matched up with their push cart.

How We Test

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

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

Our Metrics

Cart Bags are tested head to head using rigorous protocols.

The metrics we consider when rating cart bags include Storage, Weight, Features, and Style.

THE BEST CART BAGS 2021 - RESULTS

Product	Storage	Style	Weight	Features	Total
PING Pioneer Check Price	2nd	1st	11th	3rd	95
TaylorMade Supreme Check Price	2nd	7th	11th	1st	93.5
Cobra Ultralight Check Price	7th	5th	3rd	4th	92.5
PING DLX Check Price	4th	2nd	24th	1st	92.5
PING Traverse Check Price	7th	3rd	11th	4th	92
Srixon Z Cart Check Price	5th	7th	11th	7th	91
Sun Mountain Maverick Check Price	5th	7th	3rd	9th	91
Titleist 15 Check Price	4th	5th	24th	7th	90.5
Taylormade Cart Lite Check Price	12th	11th	3rd	7th	90
Sun Mountain C-130 Check Price	7th	7th	21st	9th	88.5
Maxfli Honors+ Check Price	12th	15th	24th	5th	87
Wilson Staff Exo Check Price	7th	11th	3rd	18th	86.5
BagBoy Chiller Check Price	7th	15th	11th	17th	86
Motocaddy Dry Series Check Price	22nd	5th	11th	13th	86
Stewart Golf Super Sport Check Price	16th	15th	11th	12th	85.5
XXIO Lightweight Check Price	16th	11th	11th	13th	85.5
Cleveland CG Check Price	22nd	15th	3rd	13th	85
Datrek DG Lite II Check Price	14th	15th	3rd	19th	84.5
Mizuno Tour Staff Mid Check Price	1st	3rd	28th	25th	83.5
Stewart Golf Staff Pro Check Price	22nd	11th	24th	9th	83.5
Cobra Ultradry Pro Check Price	22nd	15th	2nd	20th	82.5
BagBoy Revolver XP Check Price	19th	15th	24th	16th	82
Big Max Dri Lite Sport Check Price	19th	15th	3rd	25th	80
Datrek Lite Rider Pro Check Price	15th	23rd	11th	22nd	79.5
Burton LDX Plus Check Price	16th	25th	3rd	22nd	79.5
BagBoy Shield Check Price	22nd	23rd	11th	21st	79
Tour Edge Xtreme 5.0 Check Price	26th	25th	1st	27th	76
Inesis Check Price	27th	25th	21st	22nd	75
Inesis Waterproof Check Price	27th	28th	21st	28th	70

Best Cart Bags of 2021 – FAQ

Q: How much should I spend?

A: Well-designed, fully featured cart bags generally start at $169.99 with the majority of our top choices being in the $250 to $300 range.

Q: Do I need an insulated pocket?

A: Maybe. However, if you’re on the course for the full 18 and travel with a selection of refreshments, an insulated pocket is essential. In general, when it comes to insulated pockets, bigger is better.

Q: Should I buy a bag from one of the big equipment brands?

A: While it’s true the top performers in our tests often come from names you know, many equipment OEMs source their bags from third parties like Sun Mountain and Vessel. However, rarely do these white-label offerings match the performance of the top bags in the supplier’s own lineup.

Q: Does the cart strap pass-through matter?

A: The short answer is yes. Cart strap pass-throughs ensure access to key storage spaces within the bag without limiting access to the vital pockets.

Q: Do dividers really matter on a cart bag?

A: Dividers are one of the most important features. Dividers that don’t have much space between each slot will cause snagging when taking your clubs out. Trust us … It gets annoying. Well-spaced dividers allow for easy extraction of your clubs.

57 Comments

Join The Discussion!

Pete

2 years ago

Hi Harry & Team,

I’ve been trying to find the Taylormade Supreme cart bag but can’t find it anywhere, not even on the Taylormade site itself. Is this a new bag coming some time this year or have Taylormade renamed it?

Thanks.

James

I would just love a cart bag that has a putter well big enough for my frontline pistol grip. Bought a new putter which won’t fit and now I ‘need’ a new bag

Vin M.

Not sure exactly how large your putter grip is, but I have the Datrek DG Lite II bag, and the putter well is pretty big. And it’s one of the least expensive bags on this list. Highly recommend.

Trevor

Thank you MyGolfSpy for all the work you do, keep it up. I recently bought the Maxfli Honors+ “baller on a budget bag” based on this years review. My decision criteria included this review, cost, and styles available. I have run into one disappointing aspect however, the strap pass-through. Further I am wondering if it is unique to my golf cart.

I had a working assumption MyGolfSpy tested the fitment to golf carts but maybe not all types. If the entire three section of the Maxfli Honors+ bag are used the strap doesn’t fit properly on an EZGO RXV. I can forgo the side two pass-thoughts, relying on the one on the back, and it works but obstructs the larger zipper pockets. Might be an opportunity space; fitment review across a section of golf cart fleets.

Bob Kirkwood

Why no Callaway bags included?

Luke

How is the Ping Pioneer the best overall cart bag but the Pioneer Monsoon not the best waterproof bag? Is there a big difference between these bags?

Mat

Pockets aren’t the same, and have less space. Zippers aren’t the same.

WYBob

Harry: a suggestion for next year- subdivide the category into the best cart bag for an electric cart and the best cart bag for a golf trolley (aka push-cart). There are different considerations for both applications. For example weight- I like to walk and use a trolley, but I also play fairly hilly courses in the Mountain West. A heavy bag on a trolley is a pretty good workout especially on the inward 9. If my bag is on an electric cart, I really don’t care what it weighs. However, if I am walking with a trolley, weight is an extremely important consideration. So is the bag’s top organizer and where clubs ride relative to each other. Another design consideration when using a trolley- Sun Mountain’s cart bag base is molded in such a way as to fit the Sun Mountain trolley base thus avoiding bag twisting during the round. If I am riding on an electric cart, that doesn’t matter. I appreciate you listening. Cheers…

Bruce_Almty

Excellent suggestions; I’m a push cart walker myself.

Jim Cowley

Since I am unable to walk a course anymore I use a riding cart and I love my Bagboy Revolver. The club I want is always just a few seconds from being right in front of my hand and I can keep my clubs in numerical order without having to search for the opening to replace it.

P.J.

I’ve been a Ping Pioneer bag guy for over a decade, but recently switched to the Revolver XP bag. Why?!? Simple, I use a push cart – and being able to rotate my clubs around, so my driver is on top, putter isn’t clattering around – is a big deal to me. HUGE deal!! That being said, we need bags that fit better on push cart and still functional. Hate the slanted angle that push carts are designed for these days. Really wish Upright Caddy golf cart was still available, but alas, I digress. PLEASE MyGolfSpy.com, the push cart market exploded in 2020, do a review of push carts/bags that fit well on them and still have functional pockets available. This winner, Ping Pioneer (like most cart bags), on a push cart is backwards – if you want to access the “front” pockets. And then, the clubs are in the wrong spot. Help us!!

O2BGolfn

Totally agree with P.J. ! Bought a SM C130 for my BatCaddy and the more I use it the more I realize how poorly designed it is for this motorized push cart . Love to see you review these bags used with a push cart . Should not be too hard to do since you already have them there to test .

Mike

Wow, funny should say that about the clubs sitting in the backwards, I could never figure out what was going on with all the pushcart bags. I actually bought one off the Walmart website for $99. Very light, no frills, not a ton of pocket space but that’s not a big deal to me. So far, it’s worked fantastically, the club sit in there as good as any bag costing twice as much

Alex

I use the Ping Pioneer on my Stewart X9 Follow. I do have to switch my clubs around but I like the bag on there because the pockets are useful. Such as the small pouch above the ball pocket makes an easy phone pouch. The Stewart is designed so bad with awful accessories that this bag saves it.

Jeffrey Reed

Are there any differences between the 2020 and the 2021 version of the Pioneer?

Looks like the update is just colors.. It’s been the same bag for awhile.

Jeff R

On the Ping Pioneer. Sorry I left that part out!

Ty Kelley

What is the difference between the PING Pioneer 2020 and 2021 bag?? Why would I get the new 2021 over the 2020? Also how waterproof is this bag? And how wills does it fit on Clicgear 8 cart?

I currently have the PING Hoofer 14 and it gets soaked in the rain and doesn’t fit on cart very well.

CampagnoloBob

When I heard that you planned to release the testing results this week, I bet my friend $20 that the winner would be a Ping bag. Not because it’s a better bag than several others, but because you guys seem to have a soft spot for Ping. There are some great bags out there like the Vessel HV Cart that didn’t even get a look which is a shame. With Vessel’s presence on Tour, it has to be a well made and functional bag. Plus it is brand agnostic regarding which clubs (i.e. Mizuno) I put in it.

Jim

Bought the Ping Pioneer and love it. Only downside is the location of umbrella holder. As a right handed person, I tend to carry the bag on my left shoulder which makes it very uncomfortable with an umbrella on the bag. Not a carry bag, but you have to carry from car to bag drop, so this is the only negative I have.

Mles

Bag Boy Defender & Compact 3 cart have served very well over the past 2 seasons. Top-Lok system works as advertised, and extra points for having drainage holes in the cooler pocket. Two minor complaints: 1) zippered (instead of magnetic) rangefinder pocket, and 2) no mesh pocket on the cart for wayward clubhead covers.

Tom D

Datrek bags also have the Top-Lok system that integrates with the Bag Boy carts. Absolutely no twisting, and you can have the bag out of the trunk, attached to the cart, and be on the way to the course in under a minute. Highly recommended !

Bill

Do you have to fasten the bottom strap on the cart with top-lok? I’ve been itching to get a bag boy/datrek bag for that exact reason.

I haven’t needed to secure any bottom straps. Top-Lok secures the entire bag. IIRC Bag Boy and Datrek are under the same banner, so I guess it makes sense that they both use Top-Lok.

Ken

Are there any cart bags [not staff bags] that have top opening of 5 or 6 slots?

dr. bloor

Sun Mountain has a five-opening option for the C-130 in addition to the 14-slot model.

Jeff Franke

Why do all these modern bags look like they are made on the same assembly line in CHINA? They all seem to have the same plastic handles of one or two types on the top..
Are these really made at the same place or do they source the frames from one place and “brand” it.

Kansas King

It is certainly possible that some of these bags are made by the same company. However, I think many bags are similar simply based on the fact that they all have the same design constrains (hold 14 clubs on a cart) and over time the industry has found what works. There may be some differences in features or number/type of pockets but there is really only so much that can be done without sacrificing utility.

PD69

Because the hardware parts like the top, handles, zipper pulls, towel clips, buckles, and bottoms are mostly catalog parts from companies that specialize in those items. Some OEMs will design their own, but the same supplier makes the molds and handles the production for those items as well. I know this information from first hand experience as a softgoods/accessories product designer.

Dennis Whitehead

Have you done any testing on zipper quality? I have had 2 TM bags, zippers failed on both.

Steven

First off I think that these huge cart bags obscene. Too big and too heavy. I have a Ogio carry bag that fits perfectly fine on my older clicgear cart or just walking.
I also have a Bagboy stand bag that’s a little larger and a little heavier for when I ride while playing with my older friends.

David Silkroski

Somehow I’ve survived without a special cart bag for 70+ years; light / versatile carry bags seem to work for me (even when using a cart) Choose wisely!

Gary

How do you do this test without any Titleist cart bags included?!?

Harry Nodwell

The Titleist bag was included but didn’t make it in the import. It has now been added to the charts.

Steve Uhlenbrock

Thanks Harry. Will do.

Doug

It’s too bad that you didn’t get to review one of these wheeled bags that I’ve seen lately. Maybe it’s the old finally coming out of me, but being able to roll your bag from the car to a cart seems like a great idea, but I wonder how that translates into lost storage or even fitting in or on carts.

Jeff

Just curious, why wasn’t Ogio nor Titleist bags included in the test? Might be good to put a section on those brands omitted as to why they were omitted.

The Titleist bag was included but didn’t make it in the import. It has been added to the charts.

Fredrik Berglund

Thanks for the article! I love mygolfspy consumer first approach.

For me the best cart bag is Titleist 14 hybrid. I know. It is a stand bag. But I use it as a cart bag when I play and as a stand bag when I train. For looks, I would go with the Titleist Premium Cart Bag. And it is waterproof and seems to be of high quality. Oh yes, I am biased. Titleist fan boy with wedges and Woods from Titleist. But evert time I see picture of the premium I have to think for myself that I don’t need it to reduce the urge…

We need a push cart bag review. I have to use the our club’s push carts and I need a bag that doesn’t twist and is meant for push carts.

We have looked into this. However, there are multiple different cart designs out there and quadruple that with the amount of cart bags on the market. There are endless amount of configurations that could materialize depending on the cart and bag combo. There are bags and carts that have lock systems that prevent you bag from twisting. Check out Bag Boy and Motocaddy to ensure your bag remains upright.

Tom

Harry, of the top bags, which would be best for a pushcart in your opinion? I know pushcarts can very, but which bags would be appropriate for a pushcart?

Jim Clifton

I have the Ping Pioneer and love the design, but the biggest issue is that after just 9 months of use, the material is BADLY faded. I have the black version. Will not purchase again.

Hi Jim,

Unfortunately, this is true with all dark color bags that attract sunlight no matter the brand. Look for a bag with grey, white etc. You will have a better chance of keeping the color vibrant for longer.

chrisK

I got the Ping DLX bag about 13 months ago, it’s a wonderful bag. I will say that the “PING” lettering and the “DLX” lettering are starting to peel off in pieces. That sucks, but the bag is still awesome. It’s about the only thing Ping can improve upon, most likely 🙂

Chris

Really need to rate them on push cart use. A good riding cart bag will not work great on a push cart and vice versa. I have 3 bags for this reason, riding, pushing, and carrying.

Gordon Stephen

2 thing that I believe you should consider in your 2022 test.
1 – how easy is it to get the cart in and out of a vehicle. Many do not have 2 grip points of contacts on the same side of the bag and as a result it is very difficult to get agrip on the bag when taking it in/out of a vehicle.
2 – many new bags also have multiple grommets in their insulatated pockets. This allows you to pack your hydration fluids with ice in the pocket and as the ice melts it flows out of the grommet. Your fluids stay colder and the ice is gone at the end of the round.

Mitchell Heller

The other alternative on a ClicGear 3.5 or 4.0 cart is an accessory called the bag caddy. Works wonders for not having stand bags twist on the cart.

Mitch B.

Thanks for the Buyer’s Guides!

While Cart Bag is a clear category, is there the potential to break up stand bags into “Best Hybrid Stand Bag” and “Best Stand Bag for Walking?”

Love having legs for the range, but love storage and club management for the cart and pushcart.

Hi Mitch B

There is a separate category for stand bags which will include best walking and hybrid bag. The results will be published a week from today.

Really comprehensive review. I looked at the Ping pioneer bag but since I walk nearly all my rounds, it just didn’t work on a push cart. Since I’m back to walking over the past t minwo years, I’ve learned there are major differences among bags, even among push-cart bags, in terms of how they work/sit on a push-cart.

The only problem I’ve had when buying any type of bag is that I prrfer to see it, touch it &test it in person, that’s the only real way I’ll know if I like it. And the big box stores near me don’t carry all these choices.

If your problem is having your bag twisting on your push cart, look at Bag Boy and Motocaddy as they both have patented lock technology integrated into their bags. Granted you have to purchase their bag and push cart combo but it eliminates your problem.

Brett

So I would like to get a cart bag as I either walk with my Nitron push cart or ride in the cart. Harry would you buy the Bagboy to march up or get the Ping? Thanks, MGS Rules!!

shortside

Bravo…….Nice catch Harry.

I’ve had a Bag Boy Defender paired with their Quad XL for several years now.

I don’t miss cart straps. Drop it in and go.

No stems and seeds that you don’t need.

My Ping traverse works well on a push cart.

I currently have an Ogio GROM carry bag that I put onto my CaddyTek push cart. With the straps the cart has, and the slight cutouts at the top for the leg brackets to set into, no problems with the bag being securely affixed.

Brett.

For the best result, I would recommend purchasing a bag from Bag Boy to get the best fit with the Nitron push cart

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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

The Best Cart Bags of 2021

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