- Brittany Olizarowicz
- Reviewed by: Tyler Moyer
- Updated on February 19, 2023
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We talk a lot about golf clubs and golf gear, but not always enough about how to protect this gear. When you sit on the plane and look at your clubs being tossed around as they make their way on board, it can be a bit disheartening. That’s where it makes sense to go with one of the game’s top golf bag travel covers.
Pros
Very easy to pull
Low weight considering all the features
Retracting wheel design
Driver easily fits
High quality
360-degree maneuverability
Has received Golf Digest Editors’ Choice
Cons
Single Zip opening is not as convenient as other travel bags
Basic handle is not very ergonomic
Not much exterior storage
Sun Mountian ClubGlider Meridian Overview
The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian is an impressive golf travel bag with easy motion, excellent protection, and plenty of features to keep golf geeks happy. The name of the game here is peace of mind, and Sun Mountain does a good job of providing it. Look at our experience traveling with the Sun Mountain ClubGlider to see if this is a bag for you.
ClubGlider Meridian Features and Benefits
To help you get a better idea of The ClubGlider Meridian got a total of 4.6/5.0 in our golf travel bag testing. This star rating was one of the top three of all the golf bags we tested. To be honest, I expected this with the Sun Mountain name on the golf bag.
Features
The features of the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian travel cover include large internal dimensions (52” x 14” x 14”), a retracting leg mechanism, exterior access pockets, dense foam padding, and pivoting wheels.
The entire design of this bag is built around the idea of being the best travel bag for maneuverability, and that is exactly what we found. In addition, the number of colors that you can find in the Meridian line is kind of a nice bonus. I know when all the bags start coming out, I like having a bright color that stands out.
Maneuverability
The maneuverability is where the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian stands out. With the ability to use the retractable wheels when loading or pulling, you can move at whatever pace. The wheels are also built on a swivel, so turning and getting around tight spaces is not a problem.
You won’t find a better travel bag from Ogio, Bag Boy, Callaway, and other top brands that has better maneuverability than this.
Protection
The protection is good, not the best on the market. After all, this is a soft sided travel cover. However, the wear areas are very well reinforced, and the top part of the bag has extra protection for woods and drivers that may need it the most.
I know anything can happen when you hand your clubs over to baggage, but I wasn’t concerned with this Meridian holding on to my gear, and when arriving at my destination, everything was intact.
Internal straps also help to secure things exceptionally well.
Storage
The overall storage and size of the Meridian is good, but the outdoor storage doesn’t help the bag stand out. Sun Mountain may have been trying to keep the weight down, but the exterior pockets are not all that great.
However, inside the bag, I had no trouble storing extra golf balls, my shoes, tees, the two putters I have as backup (if you know you know), and all the rest of my golf gear. Essentially, there is plenty of storage.
The bag is designed to hold a single cart or carry bag; staff bags will not fit. I like this bag best with a stand or carry bag; it just sets up really easily to hold all of the extra gear around the bag and fits in with ease.
Material
The ballistic grade nylon does not rip or tear easily and will hold up well over time, even if you travel quite a bit. My bag was also left out in the rain for a little bit, and the material dried well and didn’t show marks.
Packing
The only negative to the SunMountain ClubGlider Meridian packing system is that it is just a single zipper. However, the rest of the packing process should be one of the best on the market. I don’t know about you but kneeling on a hotel carpet to sort through my golf gear is not a favorite pastime.
With the retractable leg system in the Meridian, I can stand and work on packing and unpacking my gear without having to think about the last time that hotel floor was cleaned! Keeping everything up higher like this also seems to make packing neater.
Getting the golf shoes to fit in was really not a big deal.
Weight
The total weight of the bag is 11.3 pounds. Overall, this is pretty light and helped with the maneuverability we saw from this product. If you can keep your golf bag weight down just a bit, this model is not even that difficult to lift into the car, but for the most part, you will be using the impressive wheels.
Construction
This is a soft sided golf travel bag made with heavy duty ballistic nylon. For those set on hard covers, the Meridian may not do it for you. It’s not as rigid. However, considering this is a soft-sided cover, I was impressed with its overall protection.
In addition, the driver fits in easily, and I didn’t feel like it had excess pressure on it when the golf bag was zipped closed. I had no issues getting a full-length driver into the bag with how the material moves and stretches.
The bottom part of the bag does have some plastic to help support the area where the retracting wheels will be stored. This is heavy-duty plastic and does not feel flimsy in any way.
Size/Compact
The overall size of the ClubGlider Meridian is about average. You can get it smaller when compacted but remember that the retractable leg mechanism still takes up some space. This means that it won’t get quite as small as some other soft-sided covers.
However, when extended, this travel cover becomes an excellent option for both men’s and women’s golf clubs because of the average size and the easy ability to maneuver the clubs around the airport. Save some space in your closet for this model but don’t be incredibly concerned with overall size.
Additional Sun Mountain Golf Travel Cover Options
The ClubGlider Meridian tends to be the most popular of the golf travel bag options from SunMountain, but there are a few other models to choose from as well.
ClubGlider Journey
The Journey is the most affordable of all the Sun Mountain travel solutions for golfers. It still has plenty of foam padding and easy loading but slightly smaller internal dimensions than other options on the market. The pivoting wheels make this travel cover much easier when it comes to maneuverability through the airport.
Click Here to Shop The ClubGlider Journey
ClubGlider Tour Series
The Tour Series can hold a single cart bag or stand bag; the leg mechanism is very easy to use with the Tour Series and will hold up quite well over time. The biggest difference you will see here is the extra external pockets for storing that last-minute gear.
Click Here to Shop The ClubGlider Tour Series
ClubGlider Pro
The ClubGlider Pro is for a professional traveler. If you are looking for something a bit more heavy-duty to take care of your golf equipment, this could be it. In addition, the ClubGlider Pro can manage a staff bag or two smaller bags. The leg mechanism is durable and will hold up this heavy golf equipment. Even though this travel case is large, the maneuverability is still quite good.
Click Here to Shop The ClubGlider Pro
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the ClubGlider Meridian and what it brings to the market.
Does the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian have a warranty?
Sun Mountain has a one-year warranty on any defects in materials and workmanship for one year after the date of purchase. This will likely not be the case as the quality control at Sun Mountain is quite good.
Can you return the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian travel bag?
The return policy on the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian is not excellent. You have to return it within 7 days of purchasing. You can get store credit or a return to your original credit card, depending on where you purchase the golf bag.
Is the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian made out of plastic or metal?
Most of the ClubGlider Meridian is made with a Nylon material. However, some hard plastic is also incorporated into the retractable wheels and the bottom part of the bag that holds the wheels in place. The nylon and plastic make up help to make the bag more lightweight without losing stability.
Why is the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian called a “glider”?
The glider name for the SunMountain Meridian comes from the ease of maneuverability you will see with this golf travel bag. The bag pulls through the airport easily, spins around, and can turn corners without you having to fight with it. The bag truly glides, even when holding quite a few pounds worth of clubs and gear.
What is the weight limit for the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian?
Sun Mountain does not advertise a top weight capacity for the ClubGlider Meridian, but your airline certainly will! Since this bag weighs just 11 pounds, we had no problem keeping the total weight under 50 pounds and making it easy to keep the bag within the proper weight requirements to avoid overage charges.
Who Is The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian For?
One of the things that I find interesting is when golfers purchase Titleist, Mizuno, or Miura golf clubs and then get a $30 travel cover from Amazon and throw all of this gear inside and hope for the best. This just doesn’t make sense to me. If you care about your golf equipment and travel fairly often, this is a great golf travel bag.
Sun Mountain products have good quality that holds up over time and encourage more travel. I trusted putting everything from my rain gear to rangefinders, golf shoes, and brand new driver in this travel bag, and it worked out well on several trips.
Final Thoughts: Is The Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian Worth It?
If you are shopping for a new golf travel bag in 2022, put the Sun Mountain ClubGlider on your list. For a soft sided cover, we were impressed with the protection; in addition, the maneuverability beats all other options on the market. I liked the ability to choose colors that would stand out and make it easier to find my clubs when they all get dumped out at the same time. Overall, Sun Mountain continues to create products with excellent durability and longevity, and even though they aren’t the cheapest, this one is worth the money.
Brittany Olizarowicz
Britt has close to 30 years of experience in the game of golf. She has played college golf, turned professional and worked as a Class A teaching professional, and has years of writing experience. Her passion is for sharing what she knows about the game and helping others succeed. If Britt is not writing catch her on the golf course as she still loves to play golf several days a week.
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About Critical Golf
Our testing staff includes players ranging from low to high handicappers to provide perspectives relevant to all golfers, regardless of ability level. Each product is tested by all staff members to give you the best insight possible.
