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Jonathan Taylor brings you the low down on the Sun Mountain Two5 Plus carry bag
Sun Mountain was founded back in 1981, over 40 years ago, by Rick Reimers, a golf professional from California. The company is responsible for a whole host of ‘industry firsts’, including the invention of the first golf bag with built-in legs. Many of us will also be familiar with the H2NO, the first waterproof golf bag, which was introduced by Sun Mountain in 2007.
Today’s review introduces no dramatic new technology. It’s just the story of the latest version of their popular lightweight Two5 Plus carry bag, subtly updated for 2023.
This latest version of the Two5 Plus arrived in a Red/Nickel/Black colour. It’s one of four colour options, and looked quite smart but not particularly exciting. At first glance it looked the same as the 2022 model but after a bit of ‘spot the difference’ I managed to find a number of changes, most of which are improvements. There is the same 9 inch (or 23 cm) 4-way top with full-length dividers and there is certainly plenty of space for all fourteen clubs. And there is same incredibly impressive light weight of 1.31kg (just under 3 lbs) as the previous year’s model.
Despite the light weight, there are six pockets. There is the usual full length apparel pocket and adjacent valuables pocket which is pretty standard on all carry bags. The velour lined valuables pocket has been slightly repositioned for 2023 but that is of no functional relevance. The central ball pocket is pleasingly compact. I don’t know about you but if I have large pockets on golf bags, I tend to fill them with, well, stuff. Another pleasing feature was that the ball pocket (slightly squarer in shape than 2022) had two zips which, for me, is an important design feature. There is a useful (again quite small) accessories pocket just above the ball pocket where I tend to keep ball markers, marker pen and pencils.
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I keep tees , ‘used’ balls and gloves in the final pocket on the other side from the full length apparel pocket. Adjacent to that is a beverage pouch which feels like it could do with being a little bit deeper. So, in summary, the pocket configuration was pretty standard but I was entirely comfortable with that.
The fabric of the bag looks and feels a little flimsy. It is constructed from 100 denier rip stop nylon, which, as the name suggests, is resistant to tearing and ripping. I have to say that my golf bags do get a fair amount of hammer, being chucked in and hauled out of car boots, so only time will tell how resilient this fabric is. And the combination of the colour and overall design of the bag did produce a rather generic look. It certainly didn’t stand out from the crowd or look particularly interesting. What I did like was the pretty subtle Sun Mountain logos which are a little less prominent than the 2022 model and all the better for that.
Anyhow, looks are one thing. How did the bag perform on the golf course?
On the course
Although I’m not convinced by the look of the bag, I have to say that it is beautifully light, well-balanced and comfortable to wear. The two carry straps have a little bit more padding than the previous year’s model. In addition, the hip pad is thicker and slightly larger.The X-Strap system (another Sun Mountain invention) offers easy adjustability and the overall result is an excellent carrying experience.
All the lower pockets are easily accessible when on the move. This is a feature that I think all bags should have but plenty don’t. It’s made easier by the presence of two zippers on the main ball pocket.
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The smart-looking carbon fibre legs fold away tightly with no flopping around when striding down the the fairway. I’ve not yet tested the bag in strong winds but the legs appear to offer solid stability. I should add that the bag is not waterproof (take a look at the Sun Mountain H2NO Lite Speed at £65 more and 50% heavier if you need waterproofness). Furthermore the full length apparel pocket will house a set of lightweight waterproofs but not much more. So for these reasons I would not really recommend this bag if you’re someone who ventures out in all sorts of weather conditions.
In summary, I think this is an excellent lightweight carry bag that has all the features you need and expect from a premium manufacturer. It’s not the most interesting looking, it’s not waterproof but other than that it just works really well. Considering that I don’t really regard it as an all year round bag, it is a little on the pricey side but in terms of weight, comfort and function it’s hard to beat.
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