Big Max Blade Trio Review: Say Goodbye to Bulky Golf Pushcarts

I’m a golf push cart devotee.

Have been for quite awhile.

To me, if you’re a walking golfer, I don’t know why you wouldn’t use a push cart. The experience is superior to carrying your bag in just about every full-round scenario and situation, at least in my opinion.

But you know what’s always been a bit of a hangup? One of those few exceptions to my “pushing-is-better-than-carrying” rule?

It’s that push carts are a bit of a pain when you’re off the golf course.

Size and space is the challenge. These things typically take up a lot of room. Transporting them to and from the course and storing them when you’re not playing are, well, a bit of a problem.

In fact, the most common situations when I’ll choose to carry my bag instead of push are when I’ve got too much stuff in my car and I can’t easily fit my push cart for my trip to the course, or when I’ve had to shoehorn the bulky cart into some corner of my garage and I’m too lazy to unearth it before my round.

See what I mean? It’s the size of push carts that’s the biggest issue.

So, at the risk of spoiling the suspense of this review, let me just tell you that I have never come across a push cart that’s as space-saving while still functional as the Blade Trio by Big Max.

How small is it?

What’s sacrificed or left out to make it so compact?

Is the build quality legit?

And how well does it operate on the golf course?

I’ve got those answers and more for you in this Big Max Blade Trio review. So sit back, and say hello to my little friend.

First Impressions of the Big Max Blade Trio: Small, but Mighty

There’s one unmistakable feature that makes Big Max carts distinctive and immediately recognizable: It’s that they fold down to nearly flat.

Most push carts fold down to some degree, some becoming more compact than others. But almost every push cart on the market collapses into a still-bulky cube or block. Almost always, even when folded, a push cart remains a bit unwieldy. They’re usually just as awkward or even more so than a golf bag. If I’m taking a road trip with other luggage, I often don’t have the luxury of bringing a push cart along because my golf bag is already taking up too much space.

Then there’s the Blade Trio.

Big Max has designed a proprietary Autofold collapsing system that is just super slick. With the pull of two-quick release levers, the cart practically folds and unfolds itself, snapping into place so that everything is perfectly secured. It collapses inwards so that, when folded, it becomes a flat rectangular shape that’s only 8 inches wide.

You can store the cart laying flat or standing vertically. There’s even a handle to make lifting and carrying very convenient.

The first thing I did when I unboxed the Blade Trio was fold it and unfold it like five times consecutively just because it was so impressive and weirdly satisfying. It’s like some kind of magic trick, and the whole process takes like three seconds.

Big Max has long been a popular push cart (or trolley) brand in Europe but didn’t start distributing and making noise stateside until five or six years ago. The Blade Trio is the evolution of the Big Max flat-fold system, which they’ve continued to refine and improve.

Folded, the Blade Trio is 27.9 x 23.2 x 8.2 inches. It weighs 14.77 pounds.

What’s crazy is that the Blade Trio isn’t even Big Max’s most compact push cart. Their Blade IP folds down flat to less than 5 inches in width. But it’s not as nice of a cart as the Blade Trio. I said at the beginning that this was the smallest-while-still-functional push cart I’ve come across. While the Blade IP is smaller, the Blade Trio has more features and is a higher-quality cart that I would consider as more functional for regular use.

When folded, dealing with the Blade Trio is so much simpler than with other carts. I use the Sun Mountain Speed Cart for a lot of my rounds. But compared to the Big Max Blade Trio, the Sun Mountain is like a tank. The Blade Trio is so much smaller when folded. Lifting it, carrying it, packing it, storing it — it’s so, so much easier than with the Sun Mountain or many other brands and models I’ve tried.

Sometimes, when I get home from the golf course I’ll put my clubs and push cart in the corner of one of the main-floor rooms of our house. My wife isn’t always impressed with this storage decision. That’s because most of the push carts I parade through the house are like some kind of albatross that are unavoidable to the eye.

But with the Blade Trio, I tidily tucked the cart into a corner of the room, up against the wall, and my wife hasn’t said a word for a few days running. I’m not saying this room is the full-time home for this push cart, but I am saying that the Blade Trio is a lot less conspicuous than other carts.

The same goes for the to-and-from-the-course transport. This flat-fold system is brilliant for positioning the cart in any number of packing configurations. Because it’s so much smaller and because it snaps into place so that it’s one flat unit that also includes a handle, it’s just a lot more flexible when it comes to fitting into the back of my car.

Big Max Blade Trio Review: How Does it Perform on the Course?

This is a very light push cart. Noticeably light, in fact, especially when pushing it up hills and comparing that feeling to what I’m accustomed to with heavier push carts. I didn’t fully realize how much I’d appreciate how much lighter the Blade Trio is compared to other carts I’ve used until I walked 18 on a fairly hilly course. That’s when it became clear to me that a light, smooth roll makes a massive energy-output difference over time.

But don’t mistake “light” for “cheap.” The Blade Trio has a powder-coated aluminum frame that’s plenty strong. I stood on the push cart just to see if I could note any stress in the frame. Nothing. It’s rock solid and fully capable of supporting even a large cart bag. Also, it comes with a five-year warranty, so you’re covered in the event of any breakdowns.

The Blade Trio has foam wheels, which is the only type that any golf push cart should have if you ask me. Who’s got time for flat tires when we’re trying to play golf?

This cart also has a height-adjustable handle, which is another fairly standard feature for most modern push carts. But what I like about the Blade Trio’s adjustable handle is that the locking mechanism, once you’ve chosen your preferred position, is very secure. With some carts, I’ve experienced some slipping of the handle’s position when I go over rough terrain. Not so with the Blade Trio.

One feature on this golf push cart that I absolutely love is the very deep valuables pocket on the main console. There’s a lot of room in there for a rangefinder, phone, wallet, water bottle, golf balls or whatever items you might want to store. There’s even small dividers if you want to keep things organized. The pocket is considerably larger than what I’ve found on other carts, which I love. I will say that when the Blade Trio is folded, the mesh pocket collapses and is pushed into the mainframe of the cart, so you can’t keep items in there full-time.

I have to say that I’ve been overall very impressed with the Blade Trio’s on-course performance. It’s very easy to maneuver, and it seems rugged enough to hold up for several years

Pump the Brakes: Things I Don’t Like About the Big Max Blade Trio Golf Push Cart

For all that’s great about the Blade Trio, there are a few things I wish were improved.

First of all, the Blade Trio has a footbrake. To me, handbrakes are just a lot simpler. They’re easier to get to in whatever situation and I just find operating a hand brake to be a lot more convenient than the slight awkwardness of having to kick your foot out to engage and release a foot brake.

I think that including a handbrake would require brake cables that maybe compromise the flat-fold design, so I get it. And as much as I do prefer a handbrake, I like the compact flat-fold feature even more, so I’ll gladly deal with the footbrake. Also, the Blade Trio brake did work flawlessly. Even on steep hills, I could park it confidently without any worry of it rolling away.

Maybe I’m nitpicking, but I was bummed to find that a cupholder wasn’t included. I know that Big Max can include a cupholder in their flat-fold series because the smaller Blade IP model has one. So, what’s up with the Blade Trio? Why nowhere to comfortably store an open container? You can buy a Big Max beverage holder that attaches to the cart for $15. But it feels to me like they could have just included one with the purchase. There’s also no umbrella holder included, which is a standard feature with some competing brands.

Also, while I love the deep valuables pocket on the Blade Trio, I wish there was at least one additional larger pouch. Somewhere to put extra pieces of clothing.

And without an additional pouch, there’s nowhere to put your headcover after you pull it off to hit a shot with your driver or woods.

Overall, these are very minor annoyances. And if I didn’t have experience with other golf push carts, I probably wouldn’t even notice any of these things.

Final Thoughts on the Big Max Blade Trio Push Cart

The pros far outweigh the cons with this golf push cart.

At $299, it’s priced competitively with other quality cart manufacturers. Yes, you can find cheaper options. But for something that’s going to last and that includes features any regular golfer is going to want, this is right in line with the price point you’re going to find.

The Blade Trio is available in five different color combos:

• Phantom black
• White
• Grey-charcoal
• Phantom black-red
• White-pink-charcoal

To my eyes, the overall aesthetic is fairly basic, which is perfect for me. I don’t need a push cart with a bunch of bling. I just want something that gets the job done and is fairly neutral in color.

What’s not basic about the Big Max Blade Trio is its functionality. It’s a lightweight, durable golf push cart with an ingenious flat-fold design that significantly addresses the bulkiness issues that compromise the practicality of so many push carts.

If you’re a walker, you may want to become a pusher. And if you take that step, here’s a cart that’s going to serve you very well for a very long time.

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