With the greatest of respect to the myriad of golf brands that develop the best cart bags in the world, it's hard to get particularly excited when a new one comes to market. With a 14-way divider, loads of pockets and plenty of other storage features, it certainly feels like the cart bag has been done over and over again.
That was until the new Big Max Aqua IPX Tour found its way onto my doorstep a few months ago. This bag can proudly make the claim that it is the world's first non-stitched, welded golf bag. Crafted with a fancy new IPX material, it looks to set the new gold standard for waterproofing on the best golf bags in the industry.
By eliminating traditional stitching between the fabric on a normal golf bag, Big Max has here used an industry-first welded structure to create a seamless, impenetrable barrier against the water. I liken it to a wetsuit, which is, famously, very waterproof.
Coupled with the waterproof zippers fitted to each bag, you really do have a bag that water simply won't penetrate. I took this bag up to Scotland a few weeks ago, and it handled the heavy Scottish early Spring showers with ease, keeping all of my belongings bone dry as water simply wicked off the fabric.
Eight pockets in total result in a vast amount of pocket volume that leaves you with perfect organisation of all of your belongings. The best pocket for me is the cooler pocket, which can easily fit two large bottles in it.
Cleverly, Big Max has designed it with a waterproof inner layer and a spout at the bottom of the bag that can release water. So, you can fill this pocket up with ice, and hide the cans of your beverage of choice within it, and keep them perfectly chilled for the entirety of your round. Once you're done, you can open the spout at the bottom of the bag and let the melted ice out.
It touches like this that make Big Max one of the leading forces behind golf bag design and innovation. Each pocket is meticulously thought about, and you can tell each product has been designed with golfers in mind, by people who are passionate about both golf and design.
These touches of detail carry on across the bag and include the XL putter well at the top of the 14-way divider, the quick access zips on the front ball pocket and an additional valuables pocket
I think this is a great-looking, premium cart bag, too. I've had plenty of compliments on the course about it, especially in this green colourway. The IPX material creates this beautiful matte finish that is unique in the cart bag world. It really stands out in a very pleasing way.
One issue with the IPX material, however, is that it makes the pockets of the bag quite firm and tight. There's very little give, even when the zips are fully open, to reach into the lower parts of a full pocket. The large apparel pocket is where this is the most frustrating, where you can't really reach down into the bottom of the pocket without having to take everything out first, such is the tightness of the bag.
One design element I would like to see changed, and this goes for the vast majority of the best Big Max golf bags, is a reduction in the amount of writing across the bag. I don't mind a bit of branding here and there, but printing the word 'Soft Touch' across the zipper of the valuables pocket and '14.0 WD' on the side of the back are unnecessary additions that take away from what is a very premium-looking bag. Why do I need to know that the valuables pocket is 'Soft Touch'? I've already got the bag!
All in all, this is, for me, the best waterproof cart bag money can buy right now. The new technology is impenetrable, and the byproduct is also a bag that looks sleek and performs perfectly. Yes, the new material does hamper the stretchiness of the pockets when they're full, but this is a fine tradeoff in my opinion for what is a well-designed and beautifully executed cart bag.
