The Best Cart Bags of 2022
How long have you had your cart bag? Five years? More?
A lot of golfers rock golf bags I haven’t seen in a long time. Some date back to the ’90s 😬.
But why do they still have those bags? They can’t have changed that much, right?
WRONG!
For the last five years, I have seen cart bags evolve faster than anticipated and become great functional bags. Good pocket placement, full-length dividers, large expanding pockets … the list goes on.
As a result, more and more bags are contending for this year’s No. 1 spot in the Best Cart Bags of 2022. So 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, read on.
Features That Matter
Storage
Just because you have 20 pockets on your cart bag doesn’t mean it’s the best bag for storage. I guarantee you half of them will intrude into other pockets, making them unusable. The Best Cart Bags utilize each pocket by expanding each one and having that pocket statically placed. Golfers will need space for a rain suit, a sweater, refreshments and more.
Magnetic closures are the standard for rangefinder 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 2022 for maximum functional storage, there’s no better option than the Stitch SL Cart. Others that performed well in this category are the PING DLX, Maxfli Honors + and the PING Pioneer.
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.
Dividers
Dividers are often overlooked. I would recommend making this one of your higher priorities when purchasing a bag.
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 Vessel Lux XV and the Motocaddy Pro Series are the best of the best.
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 DLX, feature a flawless implementation of a strap pass-through. The COBRA Ultralite Pro is also excellent in this regard.
Best Cart Bag For Storage - Stitch SL Cart
If you're looking to pack the kitchen sink and a 6 pack then you should consider the Stitch SL Cart. It scored the highest for storage in the test and it wasn't close. It looks like a mini staff bag but has pockets that run deep. It also looks very swanky if you ask me.
BEST CART BAGS OF 2022 - FEATURES
| Product | Weight | Dividers | Pockets | Putter Well | Cooler Pocket | Strap Passthrough | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | BagBoy Chiller Check Price | 6.3 lb | 14 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | BagBoy Revolver XP Check Price | 9.0 lb | 15 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Bridgestone Inline Cart Bag Check Price | 6.3 lb | 15 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Callaway Org 14 Check Price | 6.3 lb | 14 | 10 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Cleveland CG Cart Bag Check Price | 5.4 lb | 14 | 9 | NO | YES | NO |
 | Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Check Price | 5.9 lb | 14 | 12 | NO | YES | YES |
 | Datrek Lite Rider Pro Check Price | 6.o lb | 15 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Datrek DG Lite II Check Price | 5.6 lb | 15 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Maxfli Honors+ Check Price | 8.4 lb | 14 | 10 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Mizuno BR-D4C Check Price | 6.9 lb | 14 | 12 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Motocaddy Pro Series Check Price | 7.9 lb | 15 | 11 | YES | YES | NO |
 | Motocaddy Dry Series Check Price | 6 lb | 14 | 7 | NO | YES | NO |
 | Nike Performance Cart Bag Check Price | 5.7 lb | 14 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | PING DLX Check Price | 8.2 lb | 15 | 15 | YES | YES | YES |
 | PING Pioneer Check Price | 7.7 lb | 15 | 14 | YES | YES | YES |
 | PING Traverse Check Price | 5.7 lb | 14 | 13 | NO | YES | YES |
 | Stewart Golf Staff Pro Check Price | 9.4 lb | 14 | 10 | NO | YES | NO |
 | Stitch SL Cart Check Price | 9.9 lb | 5 | 10 | NO | YES | NO |
 | Sun Mountain Maverick Check Price | 5.2 lb | 14 | 11 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Taylormade Supreme Check Price | 6.5 lb | 15 | 11 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Taylormade Cart Lite Check Price | 5.6 lb | 14 | 8 | NO | NO | YES |
 | Tour Edge Xtreme Cart 7.0 Check Price | 5.5 lb | 15 | 11 | YES | YES | NO |
 | Tour Edge Xtreme Cart 5.0 Check Price | 4.6 lb | 14 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Vessel Lux XV Check Price | 8.6 lb | 15 | 12 | YES | YES | YES |
 | Wilson Staff Exo Check Price | 5.7 lb | 14 | 9 | YES | YES | YES |
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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.
- If you’re a golfer who enjoys refreshments, look for a cart bag with a large cooler pocket.
- Do you carry a GPS or rangefinder? While many choose to keep it in the cart, the Best Cart Bags of 2022 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.
- Weight might not be too much of an issue for cart bags but if you struggle to get your bag out of your trunk, you should consider a cart bag that is lighter for an easier transition from car to cart.
- Sometimes 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.
BEST CART BAGS OF 2022 - RESULTS
| Product | Storage | Dividers | Weight | Features | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PING DLX Check Price | 2nd | 5th | 20th | 1st | 93 |
| Vessel Lux XV Check Price | 5th | 1st | 22nd | 3rd | 92 |
| PING Pioneer Check Price | 4th | 8th | 18th | 3rd | 91.5 |
| Motocaddy Pro Series Check Price | 6th | 1st | 18th | 6th | 91 |
| PING Traverse Check Price | 7th | 8th | 5th | 5th | 91 |
| Cobra Ultralight Pro Cart Bag Check Price | 7th | 11th | 5th | 6th | 89.5 |
 | Motocaddy Dry Series Check Price | 15th | 1st | 11th | 11th | 89 |
| Sun Mountain Maverick Check Price | 15th | 8th | 2nd | 6th | 89 |
| Maxfli Honors+ Check Price | 2nd | 24th | 20th | 1st | 87 |
| Taylormade Supreme Check Price | 15th | 5th | 11th | 19th | 87 |
| Callaway Org 14 Check Price | 18th | 1st | 11th | 20th | 86.5 |
| Stitch SL Cart Check Price | 1st | 16th | 23rd | 11th | 86.5 |
| Wilson Staff Exo Check Price | 11th | 11th | 5th | 20th | 86.5 |
| BagBoy Chiller Check Price | 7th | 17th | 11th | 11th | 86 |
| Stewart Golf Staff Pro Check Price | 7th | 7th | 23rd | 16th | 86 |
| Taylormade Cart Lite Check Price | 18th | 14th | 5th | 16th | 85 |
| Cleveland CG Cart Bag Check Price | 12th | 20th | 2nd | 11th | 84.5 |
| Mizuno BR-D4C Check Price | 12th | 18th | 17th | 9th | 84 |
| BagBoy Revolver XP Check Price | 12th | 15th | 23rd | 11th | 83.5 |
| Datrek Lite Rider Pro Check Price | 22nd | 11th | 11th | 20th | 83 |
| Datrek DG Lite II Check Price | 18th | 20th | 5th | 9th | 83 |
| Tour Edge Xtreme Cart 7.0 Check Price | 18th | 22nd | 2nd | 20th | 81 |
| Nike Performance Cart Bag Check Price | 24th | 18th | 5th | 24th | 79 |
| Tour Edge Xtreme Cart 5.0 Check Price | 24th | 22nd | 1st | 25th | 77.5 |
| Bridgestone Inline Cart Bag Check Price | 22nd | 25th | 11th | 16th | 76.5 |
Best Cart Bags of 2022 – FAQ
Q: Which golf cart bag is the best?
A: From our testing in 2022, the PING DLX is the best cart bag. Closely followed by Vessel Lux XV and the PING Pioneer. Those who want to save a little money should look into the Wilson Staff EXO.
Q: Do I need an insulated pocket?
A: Maybe. 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: Are cart bags worth it?
A: For those golfers who don’t like to carry, a cart bag is a must. It also tends to have more storage for those who like to keep things organized.
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: Why do cart bags have 15 dividers?
A: Cart bags tend to have 14/15 dividers to keep each club separated from one another. It can sometimes help with club snagging if the dividers are wide enough.
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.
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gerry h
6 months agoFor me one very important requirement has been overlooked without mention. There is simply nothing worse then pulling you bag out of the trunk/boot (I’m a Brit too Harry) and wham bag falls over with $2500 worth of clubs hitting the concrete ground. I would have thought this was a more important test then some of the other features mentioned.
I need this info for my next bag purchase.
Larry
8 months agoLove my Ping pioneer but will change for a moto caddy pro , fits well my M7 , I have a moto caddy push cart also and it fits well , club electric cart , but what I love is the PUTTER “tub “ that prevents the clicking from the irons .
Good job Moto caddy…
Dave Marshall
8 months agoPlease include the sun mountain c130 line of bags. I have had mine for 15 years, 100 or so rounds a year. I am just now in the market to replace it. Outstanding bag.
The BogeyMan
12 months agoSolid article. I used to love my cart bag but lately I’ve actually been carrying my clubs individually. I find that the exercise I get from carrying all 17 clubs (I carry two putters) is really what the game of golf is all about. I take less shots than the average golfer and tend to hit it straighter (I’m a +4) so I don’t really have to carry the clubs in various directions so maybe that plays into it.
Mike
12 months agoI bought a Prosimmons bag from Walmart for $99. I walk all the time & this bag is awesome. Lightweight, full dividers & built to work on a pushcart. I don’t need or like a bunch of bells & whistles, would gladly buy again.
Scott Kalina
12 months agoVessel bags are outstanding, one of the best purchases I’ve ever made. If you get one, go ahead and personalize it, because you’ll be using the bag for a long time.
WYBob
12 months agoHarry: very well done, One thing that MGS does not apparently take into account is the overall aesthetic. Some of the bags reviewed look chunky and/or like a walking bill board (with logos plastered everywhere). Personally I prefer a bag that is brand agnostic, What I like about the bags from Vessel is that the branding is extremely discrete, the design is well thought out, plus the quality of the materials and craftsmanship is exceptional. Yes they are relatively expensive, but not when you amortize it over it’s expected lifespan.
Erick
12 months agoDo you test for durability of dividers? That’s really the only feature I care about. All of my bags’ dividers have torn and I just want something with some stronger stitching or at least an easy way to open it up and do it myself
Glynn
12 months agoWould love to see a review on who makes and the best trolly/buggy bags. Cart bags do not work very well on a buggy as the putter tube is at the top.
Jon Silverberg
12 months agoAgree…..powered or unpowered push carts have had greatly expanded usage in the last couple of years….eagerly awaiting an MGS article on cart bags and stand bags on push carts…
Everardo
7 months agoThis! I haven’t seen this on the site or forums….unless I missed it?
Alex
12 months agoHow many waterproof bags were tested? (I understand that there may have been inventory limitations)
Javier
12 months agoWould the metric of “how a cart bag works with a push cart” matter, cause that’s how I’ve used mine in the past and it works better that way than on a riding cart. Does anybody else use a cart bag on a push cart?
Ryan
12 months agoI use the cobra ultralight cart bag (not the “pro”, non-pro has a putter well) with my Rovic RV1s push cart and I love it. Works great.
John Richardson
12 months agoWHY no Sun Mountain C130?
Isn’t that a picture of it 3 down?
Anyway, I LIKE mine, fine.
Harry Nodwell
12 months agoWe tested the Maverick
Chet
12 months agoThe SM C-130 has the most important feature. It has the “Smart Strap System”. It prevents binding of your clubs. It makes everything accessible. It prevents twisting on the cart. It prevents the need to use the cart strap which only gets in the way.
In addition, your bag will never fall off the cart. If your cart bag doesn’t have the “Smart Strap System” it is inferior. There’s no two ways about it. Once you go “Smart Strap” you will never go back. If a cart bag doesn’t have that feature can it even be called a “cart bag”?
Ed
12 months agoAgree about the C130. For many years it was arguably one of the top 3 cart bags out there. And it seems like it’s there signature cart bag with the Maverick being a. ‘light’ cart bag
Terry
11 months agoI agree that not having the C-130 included is a miss as it is the cart bag I see most frequently. I am on my third or fourth as they are just that good.
roger
12 months agoWas hoping to see the Motocaddy Protekta in this years evaluation. Interesting bag and love the locking feature on the bottom for Motocaddy carts.
Pete
12 months agoWhy have manufactures moved away from designs that hold the club snug, ala the Ogio Silencer System? I absolutely love my Ogio and have resisted replacing it simply because of the Silencer system having been discontinued. I consistently get top dollar when I upgrade my irons because there is never any damage or wear due to “bag chatter”. This bag has paid for itself many times over just based on the premium that I get each time I upgrade my irons. You could achieve the same with iron head covers, but what a PIA….
Ryan F
12 months agoAny info on when that NEW Ping Pioneer bag shown in the photos is releasing? It looks substantially different than the one currently on the Ping site and at retail?
Harry Nodwell
12 months agoIt is in the works but I can’t imagine it taking too much longer to come to market
Bill
12 months agoGet the old style, which was on the market in 2019, 2020, 2021 as I recall. It won most wanted by MGS like 3 or 4 years in a row. I can’t remember, but it was crazy and total domination.
I got one and never looked back. Best bag I’ve ever owned.
Anthony Z
8 months ago+1 here for the PING Pioneer bag that I purchased 2 years ago based on the MGS review/ranking at the time. It’s a unique shade of royal blue with red accenting — easy to pick out amongst a crowd of bags. Great cart bag and fits my MotoCaddy nicely. I passed on the PING DLX at the time as it seemed just a bit too big for my needs.
MGS equipment reviews are great and accurate — I do experience club snagging occasionally but far than 25% of the time (indicated in the reveiw) and I carry 14-clubs.
Matt G
12 months agoI was hoping to see the best cart bag for push carts. I think the push cart mafia expanded its ranks during the pandemic. I only saw a passing comment on the Motocaddy Pro. I was hoping to see the Sun Mountain Sync, a bag designed for push carts in the review as well as other bags better suited for push carts.
Alan
12 months agoNot a single ogio in the list?
Harry Nodwell
12 months agoBecause of inventory issues, they couldn’t get any product in time for testing.
Rob
12 months agoJust a guess, and based on buying experience last yhear. Many of the companys didn’t have bags available all fall and into the winter. That may still have been the case when testing was done. Why send a bag for testing, when you know you can’t fulfull and order for 6 months or more.
David
12 months agoGreat review!
Maxfli – White/Green…
Glenn
12 months ago$350 for a bag. Translates to about $500 in Canada. That’s crazy!!! I paid under a $100 for my current bag. It does everything I need it to.
The Most Wanted bag in the least expensive bag IMHO.
Richard
12 months agoI’ve had a few different iterations of the Ping Pioneer bag over the years, and all of them have been great. 15 full length dividers with an extra large one for the putter. East access to balls, etc. Huge insulated pocket. Tons of storage. Keeps its shape over time. And waterproof in most areas of the bag when it rains. Just an all-around great bag.
RC
12 months agoPlus one on the Ping Pioneer. It’s been consistent for me, and if I wear one out or the squirrels ruin it, I always go back to the Pioneer.
Peter
12 months agoNot a single Titleist bag was tested? Kind of surprising.
Harry Nodwell
12 months agoBecause of inventory issues, they couldn’t get any product in time for testing.
Mike Garcia
12 months agoI have used a version of the Titelist lightweight cart bag for well over a decade if not two. While I haven’t tried many others, haven’t felt the need, I must say I have really liked them. I mostly use my bag on a Stewart X9 follow (and a Clickgear before that), has worked great.
Dino
12 months agoI bought the Maxfli Honors last year based in part on MGS’s recommendation. More storage than I need. Durable so far, and the price was excellent. Cooler pocket is snug if you try to put a 6-pack in and want ice too. But minor quibble considering the value.
Andrew
12 months agoWhy not review the Ogio golf bags?