REVIEW: Sun Mountain 2023 Eco-Lite Stand Bag – You Won’t Believe How Light It Is!

In the past, I’ve reviewed the Titleist Players 4 Sta-Dry Golf Bag, and I even walked nine holes with it. It was lightweight, comfortable, and easy to carry for nine holes, even for someone who rarely walks a round of golf.

However, Sun Mountain decided to send me their 2023 iteration of the Eco-Lite Stand Bag, and when it arrived at my door, the box was so light that I had thought they had sent me a picture of the bag on some printer paper and not the bag itself. However, when I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Java-Coyote-Pecan colorway inside.

I must admit, online images painted a different picture. It seemed smaller in the images Sun Mountain provided, but it seemed to be just as spacious as any bag I have that is a stand bag. I loved the colors, they are unique and classy, and reminded me of one of my favorite things to drink on a chilly morning when I play 18 with my friends: a cup of warm coffee.

Sun Mountain describes the bag on its site:

“Eco-lite bags have many of the great features offered in Sun Mountain’s top-selling bags and are made with Repreve fabric, which is made using recycled plastic bottles. Approximately twenty-five 20-oz bottles go into the material used in each bag.”

One of my main draws to this bag, in particular, is the recycled materials. My main job requires me to write about electric vehicles and sustainable energy; at one time, I was very passionate about it. While I still believe in recycling and being sustainable where we can, I am not as hellbent on it as I once was. 

With that being said, I really enjoy these types of everyday things that take recycled materials and take advantage of them. A nice golf bag that utilizes sustainable materials to decrease waste is a win-win in my book, and that was one of my favorite things about this bag, without a doubt. Shoutout to Repreve fabric for their great work here.

However, there are a lot of great things about this bag that are applicable to the golf course:

• Five pockets of storage
• Incredibly lightweight at just 4.2 pounds
• Four dividers
• The *most* comfortable straps I’ve ever felt on a golf bag

Storage

There is so much storage on this bag that it is insane. I haven’t yet found a use for the side pocket, but usually, that’s where my rain gear ends up. As you can see, when I took this bad boy out to the range for some pictures, it was a beautiful day, so I didn’t pack it.

However, the ball pocket is huge, and you can fit more than a dozen in here with additional space for your rangefinder, gloves, or whatever else you want to put in here. I also thought fitting two standard water bottles in that particular pocket was a nice touch. Usually, it’s perfect for one on other bags.

There’s so much room for things here that it is no wonder this bag weighs nothing on its own. Fill it up with a lot of necessary things, and it will probably get heavy, simply because there is so much room for accessories and necessities you’ll need for the round.

Four Dividers and Plenty of Room

I play the T100s from Titleist, a blade that is minimal. I asked my friend with Callaway CBs to put his irons in here to see if there was any difficulty with space. Needless to say, there was not.

We fit his mallet Odyssey Putter in there as well, as I also play a Scotty Cameron Newport, a blade. I tried to be as invasive as possible with clubs in here, and it was no issue. Everything went in and came out with ease. In the past, I’ve had bags that are extremely tight when certain grip thicknesses are concerned or even club head sizes, even with four dividers.

This managed to handle all of his clubs, the oversized putter head, and wedges, with no issue. I was very impressed.

These Straps…Goodness Gracious

These straps are like a fresh bookbag on the first day of middle school: they’re thick, comfortable, and provide more support than any bag I’ve had in the past. 

When I reviewed the Titleist Sta-Dry 4, my biggest complaint was the straps, and I wasn’t sure if much could be done. 

Sun Mountain proved me wrong.

Because I couldn’t get a great image of them myself, I decided to use Sun Mountain’s. I promise you, you won’t have any discomfort with these.

The Bottom Line

This is a quality bag. I am excited to see if the material holds up and how the colors respond to the elements. But all in all, for $249, this is a great pickup. Well done, Sun Mountain.

Cover Image via Joey Klender