Vessel Lux Air Bag Review: Why Vessel's most affordable stand bag might be its best

Key features

• Cordura construction provides the abrasion and water resistance of nylon with a more luxurious feel and finish
• Insulated elastic bottle sleeve folds away when not in use
• Carbon fibre legs with rotator for lightweight stability on any surface or slope
• Five-way divider
• Magnetic soft-lined rangefinder pocket

Anyone who's been golfing enough will tell you that there are a few key investments worth breaking the bank on. Your first proper set of irons, for instance, or a high-quality pair of golf shoes. Golf, after all, is a game of equipment designed to be used and loved for years, not just seasons.

High-end golf bags like those made by Californian company Vessel have come increasingly into this conversation in recent years, offering a premium alternative to the cheap-looking everyday bags you so commonly see parked outside your local pro shop. Yes, they're an investment, but having tested bags from brands like these before, they invariably prove that they're worth the added outlay.

Interestingly, however, the latest model to come out of Vessel's design lab is perhaps its best yet because of its restraint. While luxury golf bags tend to overwhelm the user with a deluge of high-end materials and opulent finishes, the Lux Air, as it's called, is more stripped back and decidedly functional, yet still delivered with a premium mindset; it is to stand bags what an Audi RS3 is to cars. 

It's also one of Vessel's cheapest fully-sized stand bags to date, clocking in with a £339 price tag (around £60 less than the standard Lux and £90 cheaper than the top-end Player V).

We've been lucky enough to play a few rounds with the Lux Air since receiving it ahead of its release a few weeks ago, testing it against some of the very best stand bags in the market to see if this more lightweight offering still justifies the price tag. Here's what we thought.

Looks and features

Let's start with the basics, and exactly what the Lux Air has been introduced to achieve. In both a price and product standpoint, the Lux air, like its slightly roomier and more expensive brother the Player Air, is designed to straddle the line between Vessel's full-sized Lux carry bags and its Sunday bags. 

While the Player line focuses more on pro-level functionality and providing ample room for more experienced golfers, the brand's Lux range is more minimalist, prioritising a tactile experience that encourages a more minimalist approach to filling up your bag without skimping on the materials. 

This is the case with the Lux Air, being Vessel's lightest, slimmest and cheapest full-sized stand bag to date. It weighs in at just 1.9kg, a smidge lighter than the Player Air, has a narrower top with a four-way full-length divider as opposed to the Player Air's six, and one less pocket than its slightly bigger brother (although it still has 10 in total).

None of this is to say that the Lux air skimps on storage space—rather the pockets built in to the Lux Air feel decidedly more considered in an effort to make the most efficient use of space possible. This is not a bag that encourages you to chuck your gear anywhere and forget about it, rather everything has its place, and it feels all the more clever for it. 

The front of the bag houses two main compartments: one a magnetic flip-out pocket with a soft touch lining designed to hold a rangefinder, and a more functional zip compartment to store balls and tees. The sides of the bag have fairly modestly-sized zip compartments for storing spare clothes, hoods and the bag's included cart strap pass-through, and a soft-lined valuables pocket is also included for good measure. Cleverly tucked away on the side of the bag is also an elasticated, insulated drinks pocket, which is more than capable of holding a 1L metal flask before folding away discretely by way of a magnetic clasp

Perhaps the  biggest innovation Vessel have implemented with its two air models is its introduction of Cordura fabric for its main construction: a material commonly seen in high-end outdoor gear. Similar in make-up to nylon, it's tear, abrasion and water resistant, but has a cotton-like, almost satin-y look and feel that instantly elevates the bag compared to other nylon/polyester bags in its class, without being overly showy (as a lot of faux-leather bags tend to be). 

True to form for the brand, Vessel have also included plenty of premium little details that add a little more luxury to the overall experience of using the bag. The main touch points of the bag are lined with real, hand-stitched leather, the zippers are taped for additional waterproofing, while the main front storage compartment houses a serialised ID plate.

Performance

I've always been a golfer who prefers a more minimalist, functional experience in the equipment I buy and use. As such, I found myself warming to the experience of using the Lux Air very quickly. It does the basics extremely well, the legs and folding feeling sturdy and durable enough to take plenty of heavy use. 

The Cordura material holds up incredibly well to the daily rigours of life on the course , and despite taking it out for both walking and cart rounds in sun, mud and rain, is yet to really show any marks. It's also incredibly comfortable to carry, with the Equilibrium 2.0 Double Strap adjusting automatically to suit the wearer's gait and a high strap-attachment positioned at the top of the bag making for a better-balanced bag on walking rounds.

Outside of this, the Lux Air does an admirable job providing you with just about everything you need and none of the superfluous extras that manufacturers are increasingly stuffing their bags with an artificial boost to value. Yes, the pockets in the Lux Air are smaller and less numerous, but I still found ample room in the bag hitting the course with a full complement of golf balls and accessories, a rangefinder, a jacket and all the bag's included extras. 

If you feel the need to stuff your bag with half a wardrobe's full of clothes every time you hit the course, a bigger stand bag or a cart bag will suit you better. I, however, came to appreciate how the Lux Air forced me to be a little more considered when packing my set-up for the day.

The only area I found the Lux Air fell slightly short was in club storage. While the space mesh-lined club compartment is well padded and comfortably capable of housing 14 clubs, Vessel's decision to narrow the club compartment and reduce the dividers down to four often means things can quickly get cramped if you're not careful about returning your clubs evenly between the dividers every time. 

Oddly, I also found that the larger bottom divider often struggled to fit three wedges and a putter cleanly as it ostensibly should, with one often sticking out and requiring me to jiggle it about to get it to sit flush against the bottom. It's a small bugbear, but one I'd rather not have to deal with if I'm handing over almost £350 for a golf bag.

Should you buy the Vessel Lux Air?

If you've been golfing for a long time, you'll likely already know exactly what kind of style of bag best suits your game and lifestyle. If you prefer a more minimalist approach but don't want to skimp on materials or features in the way a lot of smaller stand bags or Sunday bags tend to do, the Vessel Lux Air will be right up your street.

Despite being the brand's cheapest fully-sized stand bag yet, the Lux Air feels expensive both to behold and use, and will reward the investor with years of sturdy use while the functional choice of materials provide an elevated finish that'll last season after season.