The Motocaddy Hydroflex bag has been designed as a flexible carry/cart bag. Does it achieve this, and will it answer the question, how many bags do I actually need?

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Motocaddy Hydroflex Waterproof Stand Bag Review: NCG Summary

NCG Summary

Has my search for the one perfect bag finally come to an end? I think very possibly. It’s a great stand bag, it’s a great cart bag, it’s waterproof and it has a really good cool pocket!.

PROS

Waterproof
Performs well as both a carry and cart bag
I love the Easilock system
Well priced for the features

CONS

None

First Impressions

Aah, the search for the perfect bag. I am currently in the “very small carry bag and large cart bag” camp. In reality, there’s never enough time, storage, inclination, you name it, to actually transfer my clubs from one bag to the other. I either carry and, in the heat, end up a broken man by about 12 holes or put my stand bag on my trolley and keep repositioning it as it twists and turns in a bid for freedom from the cart for most of the round. Could the Motocaddy Hydroflex be the answer to my bag-related anguish?

I reviewed the charcoal/lime version, although they are primarily charcoal with the trim/piping having the option of lime, red or blue. It has a classy look to it, and the immediate impression is one of quality.

NCG Verdict

I first want to talk about the weight of the bag. Can this be a one size fits all carry and cart bag? It’s weight is 2.3kg. That puts it at 600g heavier than my current carry bag, which is particularly small. According to my kitchen scales, that is about 12 golf balls. Looking at other similar bags, they are around the 2kg mark or more so it is in the ballpark weight-wise.

The other specs are what you would expect from this size of bag. One large pocket and a velour-lined valuable pocket on one side. A medium pocket and excellent cool pocket on the other and a large ball pocket and smaller accessory pocket at the front. There is a separate umbrella sleeve too.

The zips and seams are all sealed and it has YKK zips. As I have found with waterproof bags, having one zip on the front pockets does make one-handed opening and closing a little fiddly but that is to maximise the waterproof nature of the bag.

There are five full-length dividers and a moulded hip pad for comfort. The shoulder straps are easily removable if using it as a cart bag.

It has the Motocaddy Easilock ™ system for those with a compatible Motocaddy trolley. For me, this is what makes this bag potentially the only bag you need. The Easilock system means you do not need the bottom strap on the trolley, and it sits absolutely rock solid. The removable straps make this ergonomic and it all adds up to a pretty slick system. It will of course, function perfectly well with other trolleys as it does not have a separate plate for the legs which makes some stand bags a pain to use with a trolley.

As a cart bag it performs extremely well (my wife has had one of these for a few years and she uses it solely as a cart bag). The pockets are large enough to accommodate all the paraphernalia required for a rainy round of golf. While not as capacious as the dedicated cart bags it is, in my opinion, large enough to perform as one year round.

I found this to be extremely comfortable when carrying. It was easy to get it well balanced and, despite its size compared to my current bag, did not feel too heavy. I had accumulated quite an amount of extraneous items as I transferred my equipment to this bag and their removal made this bag feel no heavier than what I am currently using.

The five dividers are big enough that my clubs didn’t get trapped in the bag. Fortunately, or otherwise, the weather was particularly warm and dry when I was testing this bag. I know from experience, however, that the waterproofing is excellent and will weather the rainiest of conditions.

Final Thoughts:

I have mentioned the weight a fair bit in this review as I see this bag as a potential all round, all year bag. It is definitely easy to carry, its weight is commensurate with its competitors. So, as a stand bag, I think it performs extremely well in this department in its own right. It is also an excellent cart bag. For me this may be the perfect all round bag.

The RRP is £219, but pretty much everywhere I looked it was £199, which, I think, represents exceptional value.