There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried
BagBoy Volt Electric Cart
Your Cart Driver
Dave Wolfe– Dedicated walking golfer and lover of high-tech playthings.
BagBoy Volt Electric Cart is the Killer App
I’m not going to bury the lede today. Without a doubt, the BagBoy Volt electric cart is the best golf product I have reviewed this year and the best electric cart I’ve ever used.
Why do I feel so strongly positive about the BagBoy Volt?
It’s simple, really. After I finished testing it, I’m still using it. That may not seem like high praise to you but I test a lot of golf products. It is rare that something new is able to kick one of my usual pieces of gear out of rotation.
(Maybe with the exception of putters. Those are subject to swap at any given moment.)
Outside of putters, I am a creature of habit. I find something that works and I stay with it. For example, my Leupold laser is from 2015 and my Bushnell Neo Ghost is from about that same time. They are old, excellent and going nowhere.
I’d have said the same thing about my push cart. Then I tested the BagBoy Volt.
I told you I think the BagBoy Volt is the best electric cart I’ve ever used. Let’s get into some of the specifics as to why.
BagBoy Volt Key Elements: The Battery
The battery in the BagBoy Volt is not like the battery in other electric carts. Many other electric carts use batteries that look like car batteries. They hold a ton of juice but they make the carts very heavy.
The battery in the BagBoy Volt is more like an e-bike battery. It is going to add weight to the cart, but nowhere as much as the other battery type.
The Volt’s battery sits in the lower frame of the cart, easily clicking in and out of place with the press of a single button. Its position helps to stabilize the cart by keeping the center of gravity low.
Once in place, you’ll likely forget it is even there. You will need to turn it on to get the cart moving but, after that, you’ll never think of the battery again. Not even when you fold up the cart. That’s right, the battery integrates so well into the Volt that it can stay in place when you fold the cart. As a bonus, its small size means it won’t make the cart too heavy to lift when you place it in your trunk.
Be prepared to easily lift the Volt in and out of your trunk. That’s a claim other electric carts cannot make.
As for longevity, every time I finished a round with the Volt, it still had two of four bars left on the battery. Does it have the endurance to go 36 holes? I’m not sure since I have not tested my 36-hole endurance, either.
Having two bars left on the battery after 18 makes me think it would make it 36 or close to it. If not, pushing the cart for a hole or two would be no problem. The BagBoy Volt is an excellent push cart with the motor off.
BagBoy Volt Key Elements: Ease of Use
If you have ever used a push cart, you will quickly master the mechanics of the BagBoy Volt. It folds and unfolds like a push cart. Way easier than my Clicgear, to be honest.
Just unhook the console lever and lift. The cart will unfold as you lift up. When folding, just do the opposite. It is a 10-second operation in either direction.
Pairing the remote to the cart takes a few seconds. Once paired, just press the buttons on the remote and the cart will hustle off.
“Hustle” may be an exaggeration. The cart’s top speed is well shy of zooming, slower than other electric carts I’ve used. At first, this was concerning but, after using the cart, speed was never an issue.
Honestly, having a lower top speed may help keep the cart in range of the remote, preventing perilous plunges into bunkers and lakes.
It moves faster than I walk and that is really all the speed that is needed.
BagBoy Volt Key Elements: Wonderful Wheels
The wheel plan for the BagBoy Volt is typical for remote control carts. The main power goes to the rear wheels. Turning is accomplished by alternating power to the rear wheels.
This type of turning can be choppy with a fixed front wheel. Thankfully, the front wheel of the Volt can swivel and easily turn to match the turn direction of the cart. When you make sharp turns, the Volt may lift the front wheel off of the ground. This is a good thing.
Popping a wheelie is something you’d typically not want to see when your clubs and cart are 50 yards away from you. With the Volt, the wheelie adds another level of precision to turning.
When the front wheel pops up, it swivels back to a neutral position, pointing forward. When the wheel drops back to the ground, this forward position allows the cart to go forward immediately.
If you are worried that the Volt will flip over backward, don’t. The retractable wheelie bar in the back will keep the cart from tumbling backward.
No flipping to a point, that is. There will be some slopes on the course that could induce a backward somersault. Side hills, too, if very steep. Be cautious at your course until you get a feel for the cart ,otherwise tumbles are possible.
Aside from extreme terrain, the rear wheel keeps the cart from flipping and retracts nicely when you fold up the cart.
BagBoy Volt Key Elements: Size and Push Cart-ness
One of my favorite things about the BagBoy Volt is that it seems like a regular push cart. It is about push cart size, even. The photo above shows the size of the cart compared to a “helpful” medium-sized dog.
The BagBoy Volt has a significantly smaller folded profile than your typical electric golf cart. With other electric carts, I would need to fold down my car’s back seat to fit the cart and my clubs.
With the smaller profile Volt, everything fits with the seats up.
The Volt is also lighter than most other electric carts. With the battery installed, it weighs 28.5 pounds. Other electric carts are closer to 40 pounds. This lighter weight makes getting the Volt in and out of the car is easier as well.
In addition to being push cart sized, the BagBoy Volt also behaves like a push cart when you need it to.
While it is super-fun to send the cart on its way down the fairway, there are times when you will want to push it.
With other electric carts, getting the cart to just freewheel can be laborious, sometimes requiring you to unhook the rear wheels to do so. It’s like needing to get out and lock the wheel hubs of your truck when you switch to four-wheel drive.
With the Volt, turning off the motor is a two-button process. First, push the stop on the remote to stop the cart. Then push the big button/dial on the console to move into “Manual Mode.” In this mode, the motor and brakes are off and the cart behaves like a normal push cart.
For those of you new to electric carts, this may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Some other carts are cumbersome and no fun to push by hand, even with the motor and brakes disengaged.
Yes, the whole point of the electric cart is that you don’t need to push it by hand, but there will be times when doing so is necessary. To and from the car, around the pro shop and having a dead battery are all gotta push now situations.
Pushing the BagBoy Volt is easy, both in how to convert to manual mode and the actual pushing.
If you want to use the motor again, just press the button on the remote and the Volt will sail down the fairway.
BagBoy Volt Key Elements: Use a BagBoy Top-Lok Bag
If you are going to buy the BagBoy Volt, you will need to buy a BagBoy golf bag with Top-Lok.
I understand you have already dropped $1,500 on the Volt and you are not keen on spending more. Trust me, you want one of the Top-Lok bags.
For reference, I used the BagBoy ZTF Stand Bag during testing.
BagBoy’s Top-Lok system couples a plastic fitting on the back of the bag with the top bracket on the cart. The pieces match up, securing the bag to the cart.
The fit is so secure that I never even unwrapped the elastic cords on the top bracket. I’m not kidding. Check the photos.
I did attach the elastic cords at the bottom of the bag but I’m not sure that was even necessary.
With the marriage of the Volt and a BagBoy Top-Lok bag, you can pop wheelies and drive the bag with complete freedom, knowing your bag will stay firmly attached to the cart.
It Can’t Be Perfect …
While my experience with the BagBoy Volt has been overwhelmingly positive, there are a few things that could be improved. None of them are major issues, more irritants than problems.
The console is a typical BagBoy design, similar to what you would find on a BagBoy Nitron or other cart. That is a good thing—and a bad thing.
The integrated cup holder is great. Just remember to remove your open container from it before sending the Volt down the fairway. The cart will have no problems with bumpy terrain. Your beer? Not so much.
The remote control storage slot in the console is a great addition, especially if you are like me and don’t like things in your pockets when you play. I’m not as keen on the cell phone holder. Hit a big rut and the phone could go flying. I put my phone in the console and use the cell phone spot for my Bushnell Neo Ghost GPS which fits perfectly in the slot.
The interior design of the console could be improved. There are two spots for balls but they are not really secured. In a cart that is flying solo, these will come unmoored.
The scorecard holder is on the underside of the console lid but does not really have enough space for the scorecard. It fits if you bend it a little.
The extra storage bag under the console is amazingly useful. This is one of the best BagBoy design elements. You can stuff more than you think into that bag.
The only other criticism is that the accessory/umbrella mounts for the cart are at the edges of the handle. I’d prefer to see one in the middle. Middle-mounting positions the umbrella in the ideal spot for shade while pushing.
Ultimately, this may prove a non-issue with the Volt since the cart with the shade umbrella would likely be rolling somewhere away from me anyway. Maybe I can practice driving it next to me as I walk so that it can provide shade as it paces beside me.
Final Thoughts on the BagBoy Volt Electric Cart
If you are in the market for an electric cart, you need to try the BagBoy Volt. It represents the ideal marriage of push cart and electric cart.
As I mentioned, the Volt has now become my “gamer” push cart. I expected the Volt to be cool to test but not so amazing that my beloved push cart is collecting dust in the garage.
I’m sure I will forget to charge it before a round at some point. When that happens, I’ll leave the battery at home to charge and take the Volt to the course regardless.
Electric golf carts are expensive and so is the BagBoy Volt at $1,500. Obviously, you’ll want to try out as many as you can before buying one. The last thing you would want to have happen is that you buy one and using it is so annoying that it sits in the garage unused.
That is not going to happen with the Volt. It is easy to charge, with the battery popping out with a push of a button. It works like a push cart. You won’t need to buy a truck to transport it or find a friend to help you lift it in and out of the car.
If you are looking to start walking the course again and would like a little power assist, the BagBoy Volt is the answer. Depending upon how much it costs to ride at your course, it will pay for itself in a season or two.
More information about the BagBoy Volt at DynamicBrands.com
FAQ: BagBoy Volt Electric Cart
How many holes can you play with the BagBoy Volt?
I’m totally confident the Volt will make it through the first 18. Even when I used the battery as much as possible, there were still two charge bars left after the round. If your course has lots of hills, climbing will likely consume more charge
When I was pushing the cart as well as using the battery, I would see three bars after 18. I think in this situation, 36 would be a near lock. Even if it came up a hole or two short of 36, pushing the cart to the finish would be easy. You could also give it a charge while you have lunch between rounds. The charger is not huge.
Did the cart ever get out of remote control range?
That was my greatest fear: that the cart would be rolling toward a cliff or lake, ignoring the commands of the remote. Thankfully, that never happened. The Volt has an auto-stop feature where it will stop rolling after it travels about 50 yards or so without a command. That should keep you from washing it in the lake or sending it over the cliff at Bandon Dunes.
Do other golf bags fit on the BagBoy Volt?
Of course. The strap system should work for the majority of golf bags. I did try out the fit with other bags. However, the Top-Lok system is so good that I can’t really see using the Volt cart without a BagBoy Top-Lok bag. I’m looking into a BagBoy Chiller Hybrid for summer play so the Volt can tote around my adult beverages.
Is there a warranty?
BagBoy warranties their products for a year. Should anything go wrong in that time that did not result from abuse (aka in the lake) you should be good. Find more info on their FAQ page under warranties.
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