Best Lightweight Golf Bags: Quick Menu
1. The list in brief
2. Stand bags
3. Cart bags
4. How we test
5. How to choose
6. FAQs
It's easy to underestimate how staying organized on the golf course can impact your game for the better. And that's where having the right golf bag for your needs can really help improve your performance and your overall enjoyment of the game. You may have already taken a look at our ultimate guide to the best golf bags, or our guides to the best golf stand bags currently available. But in this guide, we'll be looking more specifically at the best lightweight golf bags available right now – carry and cart.
Carrying a bag gives you more freedom to move around the golf course, you can walk straight up to your ball wherever it’s sitting and play it as it lies. It’s also quicker and easier to deal with pre and post-game without having to faff around with trolleys. If you like to carry, you’re inevitably going to expend more energy than someone with a caddy or taking a cart or trolley, which may not suit every golfer out there. Yet, to minimize energy loss and maximize carrying comfort, you might want to look out for a bag that’s super lightweight and comfortable, that also sits well on your back.
Even so, that shouldn't rule you out from picking up a lightweight bag if you prefer to use a trolley or buggy around the golf course. They are very easy to move between car and cart and easy to maneuver out on course if needed. There are a number of extremely lightweight bags on the market right now – stand bags, cart bags and pencil bags. So, without further ado, here are our top picks of some of the lightest bags on the market, but while you're here, be sure to also check out some of our other golf bag guides too - such as the best golf trolley bags, best waterproof golf bags, or the best golf pencil bags.
The Quick List
A very lightweight golf bag that offers an excellent combination of comfort and quality. Although not waterproof, it's a sturdy bag that's perfect for the summer months.
The Mizuno K1-LO Stand Bag is extremely lightweight and comfortable whilst also offering good storage space, although It’s best suited to the summer months.
A thoughtfully designed and practical lightweight stand bag. We were particularly impressed with the magnetic rangefinder pocket and sturdy legs.
A durable stand bag that offers decent storage and great comfort from a double strap. It is well-balanced on the back and easily adjustable and compact.
Weighing under 3lbs, the Callaway Hyperlite Zero is one of the lightest stand bags around. It’s also a highly functional bag that everyone will find effortless to carry.
A well-designed premium quality stand bag that offers a lot of features, storage and is comfortable to carry. It is also available in plenty of colorways that will appeal to all tastes.
Load the next 2 models
For golfers who use a push cart, the IZZO Ultra Lite Cart bag is a great choice at an appealing price because of the storage on offer and lightweight design.
A super-lightweight cart bag that will handle all weather conditions with ease. The well-proportioned pockets will leave you plenty of room for storage.
Best Lightweight Golf Bags
Why you can trust Golf Monthly Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Top pick
We featured the standard Ping Hoofer stand bag in our best golf stand bags list and unsurprisingly, another bag in the excellent Hoofer family of bags makes it onto this list: the Hoofer Lite stand bag. Weighing just over 1.5kg, the Hoofer Lite has a well proportioned 4-way top that feels well made and protective as we walked around the course. It has seven pockets, one more than the Hoofer Monsoon despite it being a slightly smaller bag. The water bottle pocket is our favourite feature on the bag as it was so conveniently placed that we were able to access our water bottle as we walked the fairways.
Ping has also added some great new features to its already comfortable carry strap, which kept our shoulders feeling nice and relaxed on the golf course. It's now more easily adjustable, with Ping having changed the design from a backpack style to a new one-strap system that can be comfortably carried on one shoulder. The strap also uses Ping’s SensorDry technology to wick water away and kept our shoulders dry on a particularly wet day on the golf course. If you are a fan of Ping, be sure to read our best Ping golf bags guide.
- Read our full Ping Hoofer Lite Stand Bag Review
Best looking
An excellent looking golf bag that is as light as a featuer, the Mizuno K1-LO is designed to help you traverse the course in some of the harshest weather conditions while staying bone dry. The bag, while being suited to summer months, can withstand heavy rain and will easily hold all 14 clubs too. Its versatiliity makes it one of the best golf stand bags on the market.
Visually, this bag is excellent. We tested it in the blue and white colorway and it offers up a premium look that many golfers will enjoy. It also comes in five other colors that we think will appeal to many different kinds of golfers. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience on offer here, with the high-density foam shoulder straps on this bag making it a joy to carry. In fact, it is one of the best and lightest stand bags on the market.
There is plenty of storage space on offer here too, with the bag coming with nine pockets including a full-length apparel pocket and fur-lined valuables pocket that are great additions. The bag also boasts a velcro glove patch that is great for any one who takes their glove off to putt. Lastly it comes with a five-way top cuff that can carry all 14 of your golf clubs. The legs are lightweight and sturdy and helped this bag stand up on a pretty windy testing day on the golf course.
- Read our full Mizuno K1-LO Stand Bag Review
Best value
The Exo Lite Stand Bag is a thoughtfully designed and practical bag, that has been crafted to help you improve and enjoy your round more. It is one of the most lightweight stand bags on offer and as more golfers are loading their bags up with the best golf accessories on the market, we loved the functionality and storage options it delivered - striking the right balance between sufficient space and weight. It comes in at just 1.8kg and is super easy to carry, with only the Callaway Hyperlite Zero stand bag and Big Max Dri Lite Feather coming close to this weight.
Some golfers like to have their clubs in a neat order when stored inside their bag, and here, we found the 4-way top divider kept our clubs neatly packaged, and not over crowded. The bag feels both premium and sturdy and one important point to note is that we never felt like the legs were not kicking out when we placed the bag on the course. The straps weren't the most high-tech, but they were comfortable nonetheless and very easy to adjust. It also comes with a magnetic rangefinder pocket which was the highlight of the bag. That pocket adds to the premium feel on offer here and makes it very easy to grab your rangefinder whenever you need it.
- Read our full Wilson Exo Lite Stand Bag Review
Most lightweight
Weighing in at just 1.3kg, the new Titleist Players 4 Carbon features an ultra-lightweight frame with carbon fibre legs for style, practicality and stability. It is one of the lightest bags in golf and when we took it out on the golf course, it delivered a fatigue-free, effortless carry. It comes with a 4-way player-preferred top cuff that is well padded and protected our clubs from clicking together when we walked the course.
It was also very easy to access all of our clubs from this divider with no congestion or clubs sticking together when trying to select a club from the bag. Carbon fibre legs provide excellent strength and support and we had no problems teeing this bag up on the golf course. The bag isn't fully waterproof as the pockets are not sealed but a rip-stop material adds to the durability and style on offer here. An exterior water bottle pockets is another great feature of this bag and makes for an altogether practical, lightweight and well built bag, that certainly holds its own against some of the best stand bags on the market.
- Read our full Titleist Players 4 Carbon Stand Bag Review
Best color choice
Weighing under 3lbs the Callaway Hyperlite Zero is one of the lightest stand bags around. Some of the weight saving comes from the fancy carbon fibre legs, which are like a pair of graphite shafts in their appearance. Strong and stable with wide angular feet that enable the bag to stand up even when placed on a slight slope. The Hyperlite has a very clever strap system that’s self-balancing and makes it a great option as one of the best callaway golf bags on the market.
A central circular swivel device between the double straps basically adjusts to keep the bag straight on your back as you walk, so it doesn’t tilt and your clubs can’t fall out. Not only was this highly practical but it was great to not have to mess about adjusting the strap once you found your optimal position too!
- Read our full Callaway Hyperlite Zero Double Strap Stand Bag Review
Most comfortable
With a self-adjusting strap system and four full length dividers, the TaylorMade FlexTech Lite is a bag designed for ease of use and we certainly found this when using it. The Strap Slider System allows the bag to stay stable while carrying and adjusts itself as you move. Meanwhile the FlexTech stand system is easy to use and means the bag is easy to access while walking - something we particularly enjoyed. The 4-way top provides plenty of space for clubs and it was a breeze to select our club and draw it from the bag.
Akin to the best TaylorMade golf bags this option boasts some stunning visuals, particularly in the jet-black colorway which offers up a very sleek and elegant design. Eight pockets include a suede lined valuables pocket which was great for all our valuables, as well as a large apparel pockets and a large insulated cooler pocket meaning there is plenty of space to store all the essentials and more!
- Read our full TaylorMade FlexTech Lite Stand Bag Review
Best value cart
The Izzo Ultra-Lite is an excellent cart bag that boasts a simple aesthetic that is designed to be used nicely with a push cart. The big bonus here is that unlike many of the best cart bags on the market, this is by far one of the lightest going, coming in at 1.72kg. With all the storage space on offer, it can get quite heavy if you do fill up the six spacious pockets on offer. Yet, we found that gave us more than ample room for a box of the best golf balls, one of the best golf towels and even one of the best golf sweaters. And believe it or not we had space left over for more goodies!
It's also worth noting that this is an excellent bag to carry as the single strap is very well padded, and while it doesn't offer the same lumbar support as some of the best stand bags, it is an excellent carry option too. The 14-way divider adds to the appeal this bag offers and is great for those players who like to efficiently keep their clubs in check. Best of all, the Ultra-Lite sits nicely on a push or powered cart, which is great for any player who likes to use a cart on the course!
- Read our full Izzo Ultra Lite Cart Bag
Best waterproof cart
Generally speaking, the best cart bags in golf are quite heavy. However, at just 1.8kg (just under 4lbs) the Callaway Chev Dry 14 waterproof cart bag is easily one of the most lightweight golf bags we have ever tested. Despite the lightweight design, there is still plenty of space in this bag thanks to seven pockets.
We first tested the bag on a very damp day on the golf course and we were happy to see the waterproof materials working as advertised. Nothing in our bag got wet and the seam-sealed zips on every pocket worked well. The bag comes included with a rain cover and all of the pockets are back-lined with more waterproof materials.
Our only gripe would be that some of the materials feel less than premium in some places. The lightweight nature of the waterproof materials means they are a bit scratchy to the touch while the materials covering the 14-way divider don't scream premium either.
- Read our full Callaway Chev Dry 14 Waterproof Cart Bag review
How we test golf bags
When it comes to our process of testing golf bags, we take it very seriously. Whether we are sent a product or buy it ourselves, we put each bag to the test out on the golf course to ensure we can provide thorough and reliable advice. Most importantly though, manufacturers cannot pay for a good review because we tell it how we see it. Every member of the Golf Monthly team is an avid golfer and as such, knows what does and doesn't make for a good stand bag.
As far as our methodology goes, if we say we have reviewed a product, that means we have done so properly. We also endeavour to use all the features on the golf bag. That means, for example, if the valuables pocket claims to be waterproof, we will pour water on it to find out. This comprehensive testing style is not just exclusive to golf bags either, we test using the same ethos and methodology across all gear categories.
How to choose a new golf bag
So what are some of the factors to consider when you are purchasing a golf bag? Well below we have listed some that we think are the most important and most of the bags above will satisfy all our criteria.
1. Weight
If it is going to be on your back and shoulders during the round, then it has to be light and it is important to realize that some models are lighter than others, as shown by our selections above. That being said if you want heavier models or ones you can use on carts too, there are models designed for that.
2. Comfort
On that same kind of note, comfort is also vitally important. It has to fit properly on your body whilst also having comfortable straps. Some also have padded areas around the hips and back as well which helps.
3. Strength
Whilst a good bag will be light and comfortable, it should also be strong whether it be the core bag section, the strap, or the stand itself. Preferably the sturdier the better because it has to protect your golf clubs properly.
4. Storage
If storage for all your gear is important, then some bags have more, and larger, pockets. The top models will have specifically designed pockets for your apparel, balls, accessories, perhaps a beverage pocket and definitely one to house valuables.
5. Waterproof
If you see yourself playing in the rain a lot then waterproofing will be a factor to consider. Some models above are better than others in this regard because they have been designed as such.
6. Looks
Importantly many brands have started to realize that we want our golf bags to look good as well as be functional. As such there are loads of unique designs and colors to choose from so it is a case of finding something you like the look of.
7. Budget
The final factor to consider is of course price. When choosing a golf bag you have to be aware of what you can afford because there are good models at every single price point. If you want to spend more, or less, then there is a bag for everyone.
For more advice on purchasing top quality golf bags, check out our guides to the best golf trolley bags, the best pencil bags and the best waterproof golf bags.
FAQs
Should I use a stand bag or a cart bag?
That comes down to personal preference. Golfers looking for more mobility should opt to use a stand bag and that will help them navigate the course much easier. Although those looking to carry more equipment on a trolley may be better suited to a cart bag.
How many clubs should I carry in my bag?
That depends on the type of game you want to play and the clubs that you tend to regularly use and the gapping between them. 14 clubs may be too much for a beginner golfer but may just enough for others!
What equipment should I carry in my golf bag?
Aside from your clubs, we definitely recommend bringing with you a bag of tees, enough balls to get you through your round, and some waterproofs incase the heavens open! You can also bring snacks, jumpers, a divot tool - anything you think will help you in your round. Why not take a look at our guide to the best golf accessories for inspiration!
-
New Balance 997 SL Golf Shoe ReviewNew Balance produce some extremely stylish footwear and, in this review, Matt Cradock takes their spikeless 997 SL onto the course
-
I’ve Been A Single-Figure Golfer For 30 Years. These Are The Seven Keys To Getting (And Keeping) A Low HandicapIt takes time and it takes a bit of work, but there are key techniques and strategies you can employ to reach your golfing goals
