A few weeks ago, Vessel released their new Player Air Carbon bag. The overall design plan of the new bag is based on their popular Player V base bag. The main difference is that the Player Air Carbon bag is lighter, making it more suitable for backpacking rounds of golf.
This new bag caught my attention for many reasons.
First of all, I’m using a Vessel Player V bag and I love it. There’s no denying that carrier bags are expensive, but the quality of the bags is industry leading. There is a reason why other companies copy ship designs.
If you missed it, I wrote a piece about it what goes into the ship model upgrade process. Learning about the Vessel design process and using a Vessel bag for the past two seasons has made me a believer in the brand.
The main reason I’m so interested in the Player Air Carbon is that I try to backpack as much as I can in the summer.
First, I started wearing my clubs last summer just to see if I could still do it. After a few rounds, I realized that I really enjoy holding more than pushing.
(Riding is almost punishment…)
I shot a career low round last summer with my bag on my back, so it looks like carrying it might help my game too.
As such, I had to explore the new carbon air craft. Can this bag actually offer the design and playability of the Player V in a lighter package?
Comparison of ship carbon air with V player
The purpose of this project was to compare the new Player Air Carbon stance bag to the Player V bag. Naturally, I would have to check for weight differences.
More importantly, I wanted to see which aspects of the Player V were still present in the Player Air Carbon and which features were sacrificed for weight reduction.
I was also curious to see if the Player Air Carbon has any new features besides the lighter weight. Perhaps these would also make it a better choice for transport than the Player V.
The general patterns are very similar
Ship wasn’t kidding when they said the design of the Player Carbon Air was similar to the Player V stance bag. Side by side you can tell they’re siblings.
Both have many of the same ship elements. Here are some of the common features:
- 6-way or 14-way tops covered with velor
- Rivetless upper design (no rivets = no scratches on axles)
- Rotator Stand System with built-in club divider at base
- Leather touch points
- Two water bottle holders
- Magnetic and zippered pockets
- Velor-lined compartment and pockets for valuables
- Carbon fiber legs
- Removable, self-adjusting EQ2 system with dual straps
- Raised strap attachment points for improved carrying balance
The list goes on, but you get the idea. Vessel made some significant weight-saving changes to the Vessel Carbon Air model, but they retained many of the features of the Player V bag.
Giving up everything that makes jetpacks great just to save weight wasn’t the plan. To me, it looks like the plan was to originally keep the ship model, but make it lighter.
Visible and subtle changes to save weight
The most obvious weight saving difference between Vessel Player Carbon Air and Vessel Player V is the material difference. The Vessel Player V is constructed from “touring grade synthetic leather”. The new Player Carbon Air is made primarily from lighter weight CORDURA® Naturalle nylon fabric.
Fabrics vary greatly in weight and feel. However, both are interesting tactile experiences. I expected the nylon to have a very smooth feel, but it has a texture to it. It feels very light but also very strong. Not as tough as the synthetic leather of the Player V, but I don’t foresee a bunch of random scratches this summer.
Additionally, the spine of the Player Carbon Air is constructed from flexible carbon fiber. The carbon fiber panel “reinforces the spine of the bag for improved structure and stability without added weight.”
I think it makes the bag about 1000 percent more attractive than it would be without the carbon fiber element.
Although this material change is likely responsible for most of the weight change, Vessel made several other design changes that contributed as well.
Pocket change
Although the Player Carbon Air looks a lot like the Player V support bag, there are some differences. These changes reduce weight and tailor the bag to the golfer’s needs.
First of all, the valuable interior pocket is missing from the full-length storage pocket. With the Player V, this inner pocket is extra secure for your keys and wallet, but also a bit redundant as it has two more velour-lined pockets.
Both of these lined pockets are still present on the Player Carbon Air. So far, I haven’t lost my keys on the course.
(Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…)
The next two pocket changes affect your hydration plan.
To save weight, Anija did not include insulating material in the bottom pocket of the Player Carbon Air. The weight savings likely weren’t significant on their own, but the ounces add up.
While this change results in a loss of functionality, it makes sense if you carry the bag.
If your goal is to reduce carry weight, adding a few beers and ice to an insulated pocket is not a good plan.
The ship also reduced the size of the opening water bottle holders. As with the loss of insulation, this looks like a negative change at first pass. Once you really think about it, you realize that 40 ounces of water adds 2.5 pounds to your weight.
If you really want this bag to ride on your back, you’ll skip the secret sodas and go with a smaller water bottle that you’ll simply refill more often on the course.
Say goodbye to bottle openers
The last change is one I understand, but I’m not that excited about. To save weight, Vessel replaced their portable metal towel rack/bottle opener with a simple fabric loop. In their defense, removing the metal tool reduced the overall weight of the bag.
Not sure about the savings from removing the glove holder Velcro though.
I’m not sure the amount of weight saved justifies the loss of one of the bag’s iconic elements. Players who found themselves overweight could simply remove the tool.
(By the way, removing the tool first makes it easier to use as a bottle opener.)
I suppose if using the Player Carbon Air means you’re not bringing bottles on course in the now-missing insulated pocket, you also don’t need an opener.
Weight differences between models
Although Vessel publishes all bag weights on their site, I thought it would be interesting to see how they compared in person.
Contrary to Vessel’s published weights, I weighed all bags with the straps attached.
As you can see, the boat’s carbon airbags are about 1.75 pounds lighter than the equivalent Player V model.
The posted boat weight differences of 1.5 pounds for the six-way top and 1.35 pounds for the 14-way top were close to what I measured. Don’t forget the Player Carbon Air straps are also 0.1 pounds lighter.
What surprised me was the minimal measured weight difference between the six-way and 14-way versions of the same model bags. On their site, Vessel shows a difference of 0.4 pounds for the Player V six-way vs. 14-way and a difference of 0.35 pounds for the Player Carbon Air six-way vs. 14-way.
I prefer the 14-way top, but assumed I would have to avoid it to save weight. However, the actual weight saved isn’t enough, at least for me, to not play my favorite 14-way tip.
On the back, on the course
After taking the bag to the course, I was able to see if the weight loss came with a loss of Ship-ness. The way Vessel makes their bags is why I’ve been playing one for the past couple of years.
After a few minor adjustments to my water bottles and meal plan, I found myself not even paying attention to the bag during the round. This is not a knock; is a testament to the design of the bag.
The Player Carbon Air luggage plays very similarly to the Vessel Player V. The only noticeable difference was how much lighter it felt on the back compared to the six-way Monarch Player V. That gorgeous purple bag was the last bag I carried before switching to the Player Carbon Air.
To be fair, the Monarch bag allowed me to pack sneaky drinks and the larger water bottle that added to the carry weight. Since this is not possible with the Player Carbon Air, it forced me to modify my behavior and lose weight.
It’s like the golf bag version of Ozempic.
Lightweight, but still engineered into the ship
Overall, I’m impressed with how Vessel was able to shave some weight off the Player Carbon Air and maintain the functionality and quality of their Player V bag. If you’re a fan of vessels and looking to take some weight off your back, you’ll be pleased with the Player Carbon Air.
The only thing I would like to see change with the Player Carbon Air line is the color palette. Although the olive-green appears with my purple covers, the actual color choices are quite common.
If they made a Monarch version of the Player Carbon Air, I would consider buying multiples to make sure I had backups.
(Dear Ship: Please remove the Monarch’s thick gold metal chains. They just aren’t as zippy or smooth looking as the normal Player V chains.)
When I first wrote about the Vessel Player Carbon Air bag, some of you commented on other carry bags that were lighter. I appreciate that info and will check those bags as well. I’m always curious about bags.
However, those other lightweight bags are not Vessel bags. To me, that matters. I appreciate the design commitment and durability of the shuttle golf bags. I’m not looking for the lightest bag out there. I’m looking for a lighter The ship bag.
I’m not sure how much weight savings I would need to give up the design quality of the ship. In fact, I am currently using a new training aid to get stronger instead of looking for a lighter bag.
Switching to the Vessel Carbon Air made the task of carrying easier, but if I want it to be even easier, this is for me.
Find out more about the Boat Carbon Stand Bag at VesselGolf.com.
