The Big Max Aqua Sport 360 cart bag offers 360 degree storage. What does that mean and is it something we need? Gillon Fabbroni tries it out.

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Big Max Aqua Sport 360 Golf Bag: NCG Summary

NCG Summary

Cart bags have started to move with the times. The Big Max Aqua Sport 360 is the latest iteration of what a well thought out cart bag can be. It is 100% waterproof and has a multitude of clever storage pockets.

PROS

Waterproof
Light
Great, modern looks
Phenomenal storage
Well priced for the features

CONS

Strap position a little unusual for a cart bag

$334.08

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First Impressions

To some extent cart bags have it easy. They have one function and are not really limited by size or weight.

The traditional cart bag still exists with various tweaks and they function admirably. There does seem to be room for (if not necessarily improvement) change. I have seen some less traditional cart bags bringing something new to the table and the Big Max Aqua Sport 360 is one of the new contenders.

First impression is that it looks great with a slick modern design. It is 100% waterproof and the zips look fairly impervious to water.

Pocket-wise it has a deep cool pocket and two storage pockets for gloves, balls etc. on the front in a standard configuration.

On each side there is a large, full-length storage pocket and a valuables pocket.

NCG Verdict

So far, so standard. “But what of this 360 degree malarkey?”, I hear you ask. On the underside, by which I mean the side sitting on the trolley, there are 2 pockets, a smallish pocket at the top and the second, just below it, is a very large storage pocket. But that is not all. There are 2 further long zips on either side towards the underside of the bag which both communicate with yet another large storage pocket. Thus there is storage around 360 degrees of the bag.

Initially I was not too sure about the functionality of this, but it is an excellent design. If, like me, when it rains everything you use gets wet inside and out due to lack of organisation, having multiple pockets to keep more dry clothes in makes sense.

The long zip compartment, close to the underside and easily accessible from both sides, gives an additional storage area. The two pockets on the underside cleverly utilise wasted space. You can keep stuff in here that you are less likely to use but still have with you if needed.

I do enjoy the storage one gets with a cart bag and as I used this bag, the practicality of the extra pockets became apparent.

The top has a fairly standard 14-way club organiser plus large putter compartment.

This bag, by the way, is light at 2.4 kg. That is about 1 kg lighter than many standard cart bags. It made lugging it in and out of my car and locker a lot easier. So, while weight may not be such an issue with cart bags, it surprised me how much I appreciated its lightness.

The bag has a strap on the front side, which is a little unusual, in my experience, for standard cart bags (they usually have the straps on the underside). It does get in the way of the pockets somewhat but I do not think it is intended to be on for day to day use.

I will say that carrying the bag with the strap was much easier than those with a strap on the underside. I removed the strap when playing which gives the bag a much better look and function. The pictures on the Big Max website has the bag with strap removed, which suggests this is how they envisage its usual use.

Additional details include 3 glove patches and a pen holder. The bottom of the bag has a recess which sat securely on my Motocaddy trolley.

I really cannot find fault with this bag. The strap may be a little clunky, but in reality it will not be on for the majority of use. When it is on, it makes the bag very easy to carry. The multiple pockets are supremely helpful in keeping kit dry and I had ample opportunity to verify this as it rained every day that I was testing this.