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]
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