Stitch MiY SL2 Review: The Most Customizable Bag in Golf?
Stitch has long been making some of the best-looking bags in golf. In fact, the SL2 continues to get my pick as the best-looking golf bag in my best golf bags round up.
And with the release of their new MIY SL2 bag – they’re also making one of the most customizable golf bags I’ve ever seen.
The MIY moniker stands for “Make it Yours,” and it’s a really unique idea.
Essentially they’ve created a modular golf bag. So you can choose which colors and accessories you’d like to include in your bag.
To get started right now you have 3 choices when you buy your Stitch MIY SL2:
- Choose your bag color
- Choose your saddle color
- Choose your strap color
It’s pretty wild.
But how does it work in practice? Is there enough storage? Is it easy to switch out the different components?
Most importantly, how does it feel when you’re carrying it?
We’re going to answer all of these questions and more in this Stitch SL2 MIY golf bag review.
First Impressions of the Stitch SL2 MIY Bag
When I first opened up my Stitch SL2 MIY bag, there were two things that immediately came to my mind:
First, this bag is beautiful. In typical Stitch fashion, it’s a great, unique-looking bag, with some nice colorways to choose from.
Stitch SL2 MIY Golf Bag
Second thought, “Where’s the garment pocket?”
The SL2 MIY bag has a unique design with a “saddle” that’s removable around the lower half of the bag.
But in order to make this work, they’ve essentially deviated from most modern golf bag designs and removed the largest pocket on the bag.
Considering they’re touting that this bag has “50% more storage” than the original SL2 – this caught me off guard and honestly had me a little concerned.
We’ll talk about whether or not those concerns were unfounded later in the review.
The “saddle” portion of the bag has two large pockets on each side, a magnetic ball pocket in the center, and an insulated water bottle sleeve.
The detachable “saddle” on the SL2 MIY
As with most Stitch bags, there’s an option to customize an ingot with your initials for an additional $10.
Their implementation doesn’t feel quite as high-end as the metal engraving on say the Titleist Linksmaster, but is still a nice touch.
The personalized “ingot” on the MIY bag.
Both the bag and saddle are made with faux leather material that feels nice. This is especially welcome in the Pacific Northwest as these types of bags are better in rain than a traditional canvas bag. Although if playing in inclement weather were my main concern, I should have opted for something other than white.
The handle at the top of the bag works fine and is made of durable plastic. After seeing bags like the Sun Mountain Mid Stripe and the Vessel Player IV use a leather handle, it does feel a little cheap in comparison.
The SL2 MIY uses YKK Tough zippers, which is great to see. This will add durability and longevity, especially if you tend to be hard on your bags.
As a whole though, the bag looks and feels high-end, and is certainly among the most unique bags I’ve ever tested. It doesn’t feel quite as premium as the Vessel bags, however, it’s not far off.
How does it perform on the course? And is it easy to set up given how modular it is?
Setting Up the Stitch SL2 MIY Bag
I was a little concerned that getting the SL2 MIY bag was going to be a bit of a pain to setup properly.
Fortunately, these fears were quickly put to rest.
The strap system is the same found on other Stitch bags, and it works great. Simply attach the strap via the 4 clips found at the top and the center of the bag, put it over your shoulders, and adjust to fit your desired length.
The bigger question is how does the new interchangeable “saddle’ work?
Honestly, it’s very simple.
There are two zippers, one on each side of the saddle.
Notice the two zippers on either side.
You wrap it around the base of the bag, zip it up on both sides and away you go.
If you’re going to tout the ability to have an interchangeable golf bag, you need to make it easy to actually make changes – and fortunately, Stitch nailed this aspect of it.
How Does the SL2 MIY Bag Perform on the Course?
If you’ve read my other bag reviews, you know how important the garment pouch is to me personally. Considering I often have a camera with a big lens and like to pack away at least one layer – my first thought about this bag was “this probably won’t be for me.”
So imagine my surprise when after two rounds with it, I’m actually really enjoying it.
My biggest complaint with the original SL2 has always been storage space – there’s very little of it.
So despite claims of 50% more space, it felt like a step backward to get rid of the large pocket.
But the two main pockets on the SL2 MIY bag are noticeably bigger than on previous models, and allow you to hold a deceiving amount of stuff in them.
Stitch bags have never been aimed at “golf packrats” who need 20 pounds of stuff in their bag at all times, but the MIY model definitely increases your quality of life with the updated storage.
The center ball compartment is fantastic. There’s room for plenty of balls and the magnetic opening is well-implemented. Inside is also a felt-lined valuables pocket – which is also perfectly functional. That said, I personally do prefer the more traditional location of a valuables pocket closer to the top of the bag.
Magnetic ball pocket and valuables pocket.
Carrying the bag feels great. The straps are very cushioned, and the stand legs and base are sturdy and work exactly as you’d expect.
Base of the SL2 MIY bag.
The water bottle pouch is easy to access, and I even put a Blue Tees Player+ speaker in there for one round – and it worked well considering that the speaker is definitely not designed to be carried.
Stitch already makes some of the most beautiful bags in golf, but now they make one of the most customizable as well. There isn't anything else like this one the market. Use code "BE20" to save 20%!
Who is the Stitch SL2 MIY For?
The SL2 MIY bag is the only product of its kind, so figuring out who it’s a fit for can be a little bit tricky.
First off, let’s look at this compared to a standard SL2 bag.
Personally, I’d go for the new MIY SL2 over the original.
All customization aside, just the fact that there’s noticeably more storage space that’s actually functional is enough to give it the nod for me.
Second, this bag might be for you if you’re the kind of person who always likes something new.
I liken it to leasing a car. Do you lease a car because you know you want something new every few years? Or are you the type of person to buy a car new and drive it into the ground over 10-15 years?
Personally, I like novelty and always like to have something new. Assuming Stitch continues to invest in this platform, the potential for regular updates to colorways makes this a great way to get something new, without having to buy an entirely new bag each time.
Considering you can get a new strap for just $34, this feels like a good way to mix things up.
A new saddle isn’t cheap at $138, but when you compare it to buying a whole new bag, it’s not so bad.
But with only 3 color options for saddles and straps right now, you’re taking a little bit of a chance that the MIY experiment works out and they invest in the platform long term.
My Favorite Use Case for the SL2 MIY
Perhaps my favorite use case for the SL2 MIY bag is having multiple saddles that you then customize for different golfing scenarios.
For instance, maybe you have a “Summer” saddle and a “Winter” saddle.
One has all the stuff you need for a Summer round, while the other is for rainy or cold weather.
In 2 minutes you can have a completely different setup ready to go, without having to have an entirely separate bag, and without having to fully clean your bag out in between seasons.
Sure this is a little bit of a fringe use case, but that’s how I’ll be using mine.
Final Thoughts on the Stitch SL2 MIY Golf Bag
At $448 for a full set, the SL2 MIY is an expensive golf bag.
The good news is that you can use the Stitch coupon code “BE20” which knocks 20% off of it, and brings it down to a much more reasonable, but still expensive $358.40.
The SL2 MIY is my favorite Stitch golf bag to date. I think it looks great, has more storage than meets the eye, and feels great carrying on the course.
But there are a lot of good golf bags on the market right now. The Sun Mountain Mid Stripe is almost the exact same price, and the materials on it feel a bit more high-end, and some may prefer the throwback vintage styling.
One added bonus of the MIY bag is the fact that you won’t see many of them out in the wild since it’s brand new. If you buy, be prepared for people to say “ooooh, what is that?” as has been the case each time I’ve brought it to the course.
If you’re the person who likes to tinker and switch things up on a regular basis then the SL2 MIY golf bag is likely the best bag on the market for you.
Stitch already makes some of the most beautiful bags in golf, but now they make one of the most customizable as well. There isn't anything else like this one the market. Use code "BE20" to save 20%!
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Good Things
- Unique modular design
- Great looking bag
- Increased storage over previous Stitch bags
Bad Things
- Expensive
- Questions over whether Stitch will continue to release color updates long term
Color selections: black, white, navy blue. Yawn