Using a push cart is a great way to get some exercise while golfing, without breaking your back carrying a bag. For golfers who own a push or pull cart, finding the right bag can be a challenge though.
You’ll want a bag that sits well in the cart, and most importantly, doesn’t come loose. Too often bags won’t fit snuggly and you’ll need to readjust the bag in your cart mid-round, which is annoying at best.
Best Golf Bags for Push Carts and Pull Carts
I arranged the following recommendations according to a handful of criteria, which I outlined below.
Best Golf Bags for Push Carts and Pull Carts
Features to Consider
In reviewing bags, I took a look at a number of different factors. These considerations helped me determine the best choice in each category.
Carry Straps
It’s common for a cart bag to sport at least a single shoulder strap, but not necessarily a given. Without a shoulder strap, you likely won’t be able to use the bag for walking a round. This is important for those who want a cart bag, but want the versatility to occasionally walk. If you’re looking for a cart-style bag that’s better suited for occasionally carrying, then I suggest reading our hybrid bag review.
Pockets
Larger cart bags have up to 20 pockets, like the BR-D4C Cart Bag from Mizuno, and smaller ones like the Chev 14 Cart Bag from Callaway only have 5 pockets. All pockets aren’t created equal either. Many cart bags have waterproof fleece-lined valuables storage, accessory pockets, ball pockets, garment pockets, or even insulated cooler pockets.
Weight
For those who use push carts often, the weight of your setup matters, which includes your bag. Weight matters less for golfers who also use their bag for riding a lot of the time. Durability of materials also comes into play when evaluating how heavy a bag is. Generally speaking though, lighter bags are more desirable.
Club Storage
Most of the push cart bags I reviewed had 14-way and 15-way divider systems, but others came with 4-way, 5-way and 6-way organizers. Of course the organizing system is all personal preference, but I also considered whether the bag offered full length club dividers, which make it much easier to pull your clubs in and out of your bag.
Durability
Bags made out of polyester will hold up differently than canvas. A waterproof bag will protect your clubs and valuables, but also the bag itself. Additionally, some brands simply produce a better product while others frequently rip or have broken zippers.
Price
Perhaps the most important factor of all. How much does it cost! I found cart bags as cheap as $119.99 and expensive as $569.99 (Sun Mountain Leather Cart Bag). On average though, of the 45 bags reviewed, they cost $276. You can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $350 for a quality bag.
Taking all of those features into consideration, I made specific bag suggestions in a variety of categories. I encourage you to read the full reviews for each bag, where I spent time outlining my experience using them.
If you’re just starting your search for a new golf bag, I suggest checking out the post on choosing the right type of golf bag first. You may be looking for a hybrid golf bag and you don’t even realize it.
Read on below for why each bag was selected…
Best Overall Push Cart Bag
Sun Mountain C-130 Supercharged Cart Bag
- 14-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 14 pockets including ventilated cooler pocket.
- Phillips Power Bank 10,000 mAh capable of charging phone or speaker.
- Smart strap system.
- 7.1 lbs
Sun Mountain is one of the premier golf bag manufacturers, and they have been for quite some time. With good reason too, everything they produce is made of high-quality materials and they’re built to last.
There are a few versions of the popular C-130 series, including a 5-way and a 14-way organizer with and without charging capabilities. All versions offer full length dividers.
I like the Supercharged version because of the two USB ports, one standard and one rapid-charging. If you don’t mind spending a little extra money then it’s a no brainer.
The bag is slightly on the heavier side for a cart bag, however, the added weight packs a punch.
Among the 14 pockets are two full-length apparel pockets; a ventilated, cooler pocket; a range finder pocket; and two velour-lined pockets, one of which is water-resistant. All pockets are forward-facing as well, to provide the best accessibility when on a cart.
Perhaps the most important feature is the smart strap system, which I found works very well on a push cart. It works really well at preventing the bag from becoming loose.
As with most Sun Mountain bags, a matching rain hood is included.
Runner up: Callaway Chev 14 Cart Bag
Mizuno BR-D4C Cart Bag
- 14-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 20 pockets including ventilated cooler pocket.
- Cart strap channel w/ durable, abrasion resistant material.
- Push cart notch on bottom cuff
- Fleece lined valuables pocket
- 7 lbs
Most golfers don’t think of “premium” when they hear Mizuno, but I’m not sure why. They have been in the sports equipment industry longer than most, founded in 1906! With all that experience, they’ve managed to create a formidable golf bag line.
The BR-D4C Cart Bag has some nice features to back up the honor of best premium bag.
With 20 pockets, storage won’t be an issue. These include a fleece lined valuables pocket, mission control organizer panel, full length apparel pockets, quick access mesh pockets, and an extra large insulated cooler pocket with drain holes.
What I love most about this bag, especially when using with a push cart, is the notch at the bottom cuff. It allows for an extra level of stability for those who take their push cart over the bumpier path less traveled.
The cart strap channel works well too. Many bags I’ve used get damaged by pulling the push cart straps too tight. This feature protects the bag and helps stabilize it.
My final selling point on this bag is it feels much lighter than the 7 lbs. it’s listed at. Weight is obviously an important consideration when you’re pushing something around over 5,000 or more yards at a time.
Runner up: Titleist Golf Tour Cart Bag
Best Value or Budget Cart Bag
Datrek DG Lite II Cart Bag
- 15-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 7 pockets including ventilated cooler.
- TOP-LOK® Technology, a patented bag-to-cart attachment system.
- Soft grip lift assist handles.
- 4.2 lbs
The DG Lite II Cart Bag offers a lot of features for a bag that costs under $200, earning the title of best value or budget bag.
Theres a lot to like beyond the price too. At 4.2 lbs. DG Lite II Cart Bag is one of the lightest bags reviewed. For those concerned about price and weight, this is a great option.
If style is important to you, this line has 13 different color options. Color combos range from classic to colorful patterned designs, some of which are very unique too.
Storage options are very adequate as well. There’s plenty of space to put your stuff with 7 total pockets, including an oversized insulated cooler pocket, fleece lined valuables pocket, large ball pocket, 2 full sized garment pockets, and 2 accessory pockets.
Datrek Golf has been around for a while, since 1979. Then, in 2004 they moved under a parent company called Dynamic Brands, which also offers Bag Boy products.
I only mention this because it’s a great bag to couple with a Bag Boy push cart, especially if you already have one. The TOP-LOK Technology will work beautifully with that particular setup.
Here’s a video review of the bag that I found quite accurate:
Runner up: Wilson Staff Xtra Cart Bag
Best Bag for Those Who Sometimes Walk
Datrek Transit Golf Cart Bag
- 14-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 8 pockets including ventilated cooler.
- Retracting telescopic handle with push-button adjustment.
- Unique two wheel base system for rolling.
- 7.4 lbs
Another bag from Datrek makes the top push cart bag list. For good reason too.
The Transit is very popular amongst those who sometimes walk because of the built in luggage style pull handle, which extends to two different lengths.
The wheels are a little loud when rolling on pavement, but that’s not a game changer in my opinion. Built-in functionality like this is very unique and makes for a super versatile bag.
As expected with a cart bag, there are plenty of pockets. An oversized insulated cooler pocket, fleece lined valuables pocket, large ball pocket, 2 full size garment pockets, and 2 accessory pockets are included.
I personally like this bag because of how portable it is. Even the ability to roll it like a suitcase from your car to the course is so useful. There’s just not another bag on the market like this.
Runner up: Ping Hoofer
Best Lightweight Bag
Sun Mountain 2021 EcoLite
- 14-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 11 pockets including vented cooler pocket.
- Made of recycled fabric.
- Two utility handles.
- 5.5 lbs
If you want a lightweight cart bag that doesn’t sacrifice features, then the Sun Mountain EcoLite is for you.
Usually a bag advertised as lighter weight sacrifices features like full length club dividers and dual utility handles. Not this bag.
Sun Mountain also makes notoriously durable bags, so the lighter weight shouldn’t scare you away.
If you’re reading this post you’re in the market for a bag that works well with a push cart. I can confidently say this bag meets that criteria.
Finally, what makes me feel good about this bag is that twenty-five 20-oz bottles are recycled to manufacture the fabric for each Eco-Lite golf bag.
You won’t be disappointed with this bag.
Runner up: TaylorMade Cart Lite Bag
Best Bag With an Insulated Cooler Pocket
Ogio WOODĒ Cart Bag
- 15-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 11 pockets including ventilated cooler.
- Push cart lockdown straps.
- Logo ready.
- 6.3 lbs
I love this bag for a few reasons (and many others agree)…
First, the built in cooler is perfect. It holds a six pack, with ice, and it works really well. My drinks were still cold at the end of the round. The pocket also has two little drain holes for the ice to melt through, someone was thinking!
Next, I’m really digging the color combinations. The Twilight Tropics Light Grey pictured above is a real head turner. For reference, the 2022 line has more eccentric color choices, while the 2021 colors are more traditional.
It just keeps getting better.
The club organizer is really easy to use as well. Your driver, fairway woods and hybrids are housed in the top wells, allowing for easy access to your irons and wedges in the front wells. Check out the video from OGIO explaining how it works:
Additionally, there are 11 front facing pockets including a rapid access snap ball pocket (very cool feature), rapid access snap fleece lined valuables pocket, and oversized insulated cooler pocket.
The most important functionality to highlight is that the push cart lockdown straps actually secure the bag in place. Seriously, it works really well.
Runner up: C-130 Cart Bag
Best Waterproof Bag
Titleist Cart 15 StaDry
- 15-way organizer w/ full length dividers.
- 9 pockets.
- StaDry™ waterproof construction.
- Integrated cart strap tunnel.
- 6.5 lbs
This is the bag to buy for the golfer who will play in any weather. I mean it. The high-quality waterproof fabric, taped seams and water-resistant zippers keep the water out.
Honestly, on top of being waterproof, the Cart 15 StaDry bag is just an all around great bag.
An integrated cart strap tunnel provides bag protection and added stability. That means the bag will last longer, with less wear and tear all around.
The symmetrical design is an underrated feature too. I found it helped stabilize the bag on my push cart, since the weight was more evenly distributed.
I found that the bag felt really light on my push cart, even though it’s not the lightest bag weight-wise.
Here’s a great video from Titleist showing all of the bag features:
Runner up: Sun Mountain H2NO Lite Cart Bag
Frequently Asked Questions
Often sold in the general bucket of “cart bag”, these are made for push carts, pull carts and riding carts. A distinct feature of these bags are that they have a rubber, non-clip base to help secure the bag in the cart. Typically, cart bags also have plenty of pockets and don’t have a fold out stand system.
A golf push cart is a three or four wheeled device, very similar to a dolley, that you can attach your golf bag to. It is designed to carry your golf bag around the course so you don’t have to lug it around on your back.
Typically, you’ll want to arrange your bag in descending order, front to back. What I mean by that is the short irons are in the front pocket or well, the middle clubs are in the center, and the long clubs are in the back of the bag. This allows for expedient retrieval of your clubs when you are hitting your shot. This way, you’ll know where every club is.
You attach a golf bag on a push cart by placing it in the bottom bag support, then using the lower and upper straps, firmly secure the bag into place. This allows for the cart to traverse uneven terrain while preventing the bag from rattling around and coming out of its holder.
Yes, most modern stand bags will fit into a push cart. That said, in my experience many stand bags, especially older models, don’t fit well in push carts. This is because the stand mechanism won’t allow for the bag to sit flat in the bag support, causing it to rattle around and even come loose during the round.
It depends. If the cart bag comes equipped with a shoulder strap, you certainly could use it to walk the course. That said, cart bags are typically heavier and it may make walking not very enjoyable. It’s worth noting that some cart bags don’t even have shoulder straps so carrying wouldn’t be an option.
No, push cart bags come with 4, 5, 6, 14 and 15-way dividers. That said, an overwhelming percentage of cart bags had 14-way and 15-way dividers, many of them full length.
It depends. If the cart bag has a shoulder strap, you can certainly lug it from your car to the range. Even if it didn’t have one, you could probably still get it from your car to the range using the handles. My recommendation is to avoid a cart bag at the range, but it all depends on your preference.
I reviewed cart bags that weighed as little as 4.2 lbs and as much as 8.6 lbs. So, depending on which cart bag you choose will determine how heavy the actual bag is. If your preference is for a lighter push cart bag because you don’t want to push extra weight around, then I recommend choosing a lighter bag like the Datrek DG Lite II Cart Bag (4.2 lbs) or the Chev 14 Cart Bag (4.3 lbs). If for some reason you want a heavy, more durable bag, the heaviest bags I reviewed were the BagBoy Revolver XP Cart Bag (8.6 lbs) or the Warrior Cart Bag from the Subtle Patriot.
No, typically cart bags do not have stands. In fact, I reviewed 45 push cart bags and none of them had a built-in stand. That said, there were some bags being sold as hybrid bags that could pass as cart bags, all of which had stands.
