The stand bag market is awash with products from pretty much every major golf brand under the sun. To help guide your search for your next stand bag, Dan Parker has taken what he thinks are the best eight stand bags of 2023 to discuss the pros and cons of each model. In this video, he discusses the general trends and the features you should be prioritising for when buying a stand bag.
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00:00 With so many standbags on the market, it can be hard to find the right one for your game.
00:05 So here at Golf Monthly, we've tested what we think are eight of the best standbags for 2023 to help you decide.
00:11 I've got five here with me today. So from your left to right, we've got the Titleist Players 5 Stay Dry,
00:18 Ping Hoofer,
00:20 the Wilson Exo-Lite,
00:23 OGO All Elements,
00:25 and Big Max Dry Light Hybrid.
00:28 We've got three others to chat about today, the TaylorMade FlexTech,
00:33 the Callaway Fairway C HD,
00:36 and the Sun Mountain Eco-Lite 14 Way as well.
00:40 I'm going to split this video up into three sections, starting with styling,
00:43 then going to move on to the features of each bag, and then ease of use.
00:48 And finally, stick around for a conclusion where I'm going to crown my favourite standbag of 2023.
00:53 Okay, let's start with our first category, and that is styling.
00:56 Now, I appreciate this is totally subjective, and your opinion might differ to mine,
01:01 but I'm going to point out a few key styling pieces I think are great on these bags in front of me.
01:06 Firstly, if you play a certain set of clubs or have a preference for a certain brand,
01:10 you might want to go down that line.
01:11 So if you've got a bunch of Titleist clubs, you might go for the Titleist bag.
01:14 Same with Ping.
01:15 I think whatever brand you prefer, you're going to get a great standbag from any of the brands out there.
01:20 So that's important to note firstly.
01:21 Let's talk about some key styling features in these bags.
01:24 I think the Titleist Players 5 Stay Dry is a classic-looking bag.
01:27 It always has. They've improved it slightly for 2023.
01:30 I think it's black and red colourway. It looks fantastic as well.
01:33 And then we've got to take a look at the Ojo over here.
01:36 Some really bold colourways coming from Ojo in 2023.
01:39 This is actually one of the more subtle ones, this sort of black and white space effect.
01:42 But I think they've really nailed it with colours this year,
01:44 if you want to go for something a little bit bolder.
01:47 If we look at the TaylorMade FlexTech bag, the one we've got in red,
01:50 that we'll flash some pictures up of now.
01:52 Again, great to match if you've got the Stealth Driver in your bag,
01:54 or you've got other red head covers, something like that.
01:57 It really is really subjective when it comes to styling.
02:00 So as I said, totally subjective.
02:01 Those are a couple of my opinions on why some of these bags look fantastic.
02:04 I've got to crown a winner for this section though, and it has to be the Ojo bag.
02:08 I think these look fantastic.
02:09 Check out the rest of their colourways for 2023, because I think they look really, really awesome.
02:13 Okay, let's move on to talk about the features of these golf bags.
02:16 Now, it's firstly important to say they're all feature-packed,
02:19 and I'm nitpicking here between the differences.
02:21 We'll start with the dividers.
02:23 Now, most of these come with a four or a five-way top.
02:26 I've noticed brands recently really working hard on avoiding club crowding in bags like this,
02:31 and the five-way tops in the Ping Hoo from the Titleist are fantastic.
02:33 And this four-way top in the Wilson ExoLite,
02:35 I've carried 14 clubs in this really comfortably and not had any club crowding situations.
02:40 So no need to worry about that in these sort of bags.
02:43 We've got a really unique dividing system here from Ojo.
02:46 This eight-way divider, which has four slots down the side and four through the middle,
02:52 it might divide opinion.
02:53 Go check it out for yourself.
02:55 It's a bit different.
02:56 But again, no club crowding in a bag like this because of the way they've sorted that out.
02:59 And then finally, we've got 14-way dividers in the Big Max and the Sun Mountain.
03:04 Again, one that really divides opinion, but if you like a separate slot for each of your clubs,
03:08 there are options there in pretty compact sandbags at that.
03:13 So those are the dividers.
03:14 And now we've got to talk about pockets.
03:16 Now, they come anywhere between sort of five or six pockets, all the way up to about 11.
03:20 Again, I probably felt the Wilson was a pocket light,
03:24 whereas the bags like the Ojo, the Titleist, have got absolutely plenty.
03:29 Now, I'm a sucker for a magnetic pocket.
03:31 And the Wilson ExoLite and the Ping Hoofer have got two brilliant magnetic pockets for your rangefinders.
03:37 They're really convenient, but more than anything, it adds to the really premium feel of the bag,
03:41 I think, when you've got a magnetic pocket that opens and shuts like that.
03:44 So as well as this, all of the eight bags featured in this video have got valuables pockets.
03:48 Often, even in non-waterproof bags, I'll pick the Wilson out again here,
03:52 these are waterproof. You can see it's seam sealed there.
03:55 So that's really impressive. So even if you've got a waterproof bag, your valuables will be safe.
03:58 Often, these pockets are lined with velour or some sort of fleece.
04:01 Again, stops your phone scratching, really nice touches. Again, all of those brands have that.
04:06 A great feature in the Big Max and the TaylorMade FlexDeck is how versatile they are.
04:11 Now, they use a base that allows that to easily be attached to a golf cart, a push cart, or an electric one,
04:16 or a buggy as well. So if you tend to carry and use a trolley as well, I would recommend something like that.
04:22 I love how they've added that versatility to it.
04:24 And finally, on features, there is no excuse anymore for standbags to not feature a leg strap
04:30 that allows you to keep the legs in place.
04:33 Having a leg strap when you're loading it into your car or if you're travelling with the clubs
04:36 is really important so they don't kick out and accidentally get snapped.
04:39 Now, all of them have it apart from the PING, so that was a bit of a bugbear for me that they haven't added that yet.
04:44 I'm sure they will potentially on a later version.
04:47 So loads of features in all of these bags depending on what you prioritise.
04:50 I've got to give a winner though, and that is absolutely the Big Max.
04:53 Loads of pockets, a great cooler pocket, that versatility between carry and between cart.
04:59 And you know what? That 14-way divider, it's alright. It divides opinion, but I'll dig it.
05:03 So the Big Max DryLite, top for features.
05:06 Okay, third and finally, and probably the most important category when it comes to picking the right standbag for you,
05:11 is ease of use.
05:12 So I'm going to be chatting about how comfortable these are to carry, how good the straps are,
05:16 how lightweight they are, and generally what they like to carry around the golf course.
05:20 Now, there's two really lightweight standbags I've picked in our top eight,
05:23 which is the Wilson X-O-Lite, which is about five pounds without any clubs in,
05:26 and the Callaway Fairway CHD is only four and a half pounds.
05:30 So these are super, super lightweight bags that even when you load all your golf clubs and accessories in,
05:34 they're still really lightweight to carry.
05:36 So I like those two if you like a lightweight option.
05:40 Now, if you want a bigger option that's still really comfortable to carry,
05:42 I've got to say the Ojo and the Big Max have really excelled at that.
05:45 You can see they're slightly larger bags. They come in at about six pounds, maybe a little bit heavier.
05:50 But because of the straps on there and the hip pads on both of them, they're really, really comfortable to carry.
05:55 So if you want a bigger one, absolutely fine, and the lightweight ones are excellent as well.
05:59 So it's important we chat about the straps as well.
06:02 I've got to say the Ping and the Wilson, real highlights for this,
06:04 they're almost self-adjusting in so much as they distribute the weight pretty evenly over your shoulders by themselves.
06:09 So really, really like that.
06:11 But the Big Max and the Ojo, the TaylorMade, the Callaway got great padding on there.
06:15 I've got to give a shout out to Titleist.
06:16 I really think they've stepped up the quality of their strap and the amount of padding on there.
06:21 Don't neglect the hip pad either.
06:22 So that's the bit that sort of bounces against your back.
06:25 Some have better ones than others. The Wilson's a bit better than the Ping, for example.
06:29 So bear that in mind as well alongside straps.
06:31 And last but not least, we've got to talk about waterproofing.
06:33 Now, bags like the Players 5 stay dry, fully waterproof, the rest sort of water resistant.
06:38 Now, this is entirely dependent on the conditions you play in.
06:41 If they're changeable, get yourself a fully waterproof bag. You'll feel the benefits of it.
06:44 If not, you'll get away with these bags that are sort of water resistant with that fully waterproof valuables pocket.
06:49 So one to bear in mind as well.
06:52 So for ease of use, then, which one I'm going to pick as my champion?
06:54 Again, all very, very good. I'm nitpicking here as to which one I like the most.
06:58 But for that magnetic range finder pocket and that self-adjusting strap, I'm going to give it to the Ping Hoofer.
07:04 Okay, so there you have it. My opinion on what I think are the best eight stand bags of 2023.
07:09 I really think if you go for any of these bags in the three, the TaylorMade FlexTech,
07:13 the Callaway and the Sun Mountain, you're not going to go wrong either way.
07:17 But I have to crown a champion, of course.
07:19 And even though I didn't win any of the outright categories, an absolute all-rounder,
07:23 and my best stand bag for 2023 is the Titleist Players 5 stay dry.
07:27 I think it looks fantastic and sleek. Love the work done on the strap.
07:31 And it just hits all of those points. Waterproofing, pockets, strap, ease of use.
07:36 It's a fantastic golf bag. I really, really enjoyed testing it.
07:40 But I'd love to hear what you think. Which of these bags is your favorite?
07:43 Or is there one I've missed out? Please let me know down in the comments.
07:47 But for now, thank you very much for joining me. I'll see you next time.
07:50 [Music]