For the last 4 years, Vessel bags have continued to get my pick as the best overall golf bag on the market.
Whether it was the old Player III or the new Player IV Pro – these bags continue to be best in class when it comes to quality and features.
There’s just one problem: weight.
Even the lighter Player IV DXR comes in over 6 pounds – which isn’t that much of a weight savings over the regular models.
So what do you do if you want to carry a Vessel bag, but don’t want it to weigh you down?
Well now, you might want to pick up the brand new Player Air.
Love the quality, look, and features of Vessel bags - but don't like the weight? At less than 4.5 pounds, the Player Air is the bag for you.
What is the Vessel Player Air?
I first saw Player Air at the 2024 PGA Show, and it’s exactly the bag I’ve been hoping to see from Vessel.
It still has all of their hallmarks like a leather top handle, equilibrium straps, and jam-resistant base.
But they’re now using a super lightweight nylon material called Cordura that makes the bag significantly lighter.
The fact they’re able to do this while retaining most of the high-end features they’re known for is really impressive.
This bag isn’t quite as light as the new Jones Rover or the Stitch Airwalker – but you can expect a bump in fit and finishes with the Vessel over those two bags.
But while everything sounds good on paper, how does it perform? For as much as I love about it, there was one surprise that I’m not totally thrilled about.
Let’s jump in and I’ll cover it all in this Vessel Player Air review.
First Impressions of the Vessel Player Air
Taking the Player Air out of the box, it immediately feels like a Vessel bag.
One of my favorite features of their bag is often overlooked: the leather top handle.
This handle is how I almost always pick up a golf bag. Not only are Vessel top handles thick and sturdy, but the genuine leather wrap truly adds to the experience.
I thought they might do away with this on the Air in the name of weight savings, but am very happy to see it included.
This is especially true after being underwhelmed by the quality of the top handle on the Stitch Airwalker – and the fact the Jones Rover omits it altogether.
The top opening is the same size as the Player IV and has plenty of room for your clubs. It isn’t quite as spacious as the Player IV Pro models, which have a larger opening, but most people won’t notice.
The carbon fiber legs both look good and help keep the weight down.
Two other carryovers from standard bags are the Equilibrium straps and the Rotator base. Again, these are high-end touches that serve very functional purposes. So to see those make the cut on this bag was exciting to see.
The Cordura material the bag is made out of feels much more thin than I expected it to be. After the thick synthetic leather of the standard Player IV – this feels very different. Despite being so lightweight, the Cordura material still seems to be very durable. Just not quite as much so as their leather, or even DXR material used on other bags.
One very clear place they’re saving weight is on the zipper pulls. They are remarkably thin, but also have a cool minimalist look to them that’s different from other Vessel bags.
As I expected, the Vessel bag both looks and feels very high quality.
Light as Air? Not Quite.
From a style perspective, most people are either going to be all in or all out on the Vessel style.
Their bags have a modern, luxurious look, that sets them apart from other brands.
If you’re looking for a cool retro vibe, look to Jones or the Sun Mountain Mid Stripe – as you’re not gonna get that here.
The Player Air with the 6-way top is 4.45 pounds and an extra .5 pounds for the straps – just shy of 5 pounds all in.
Not bad, although the Jones Rover comes in at 4.2 pounds and the Stitch Airwalker at 4.6.
So while it’s not as light as those bags, I like the fact they kept some of the high-end touches that make Vessel brand what it is.
Considering the whole point of the Air is to be a lightweight bag that’s easy to carry, I think most people will (and should) opt for the 6-way top as opposed to the 14, which adds an extra half pound.
As a comparison, Vessel’s previous lightweight full-featured bag is the Player IV DXR which comes in at 6.3 pounds with the strap. And if you opt for the Pro version it’ll jump up to 6.65 pounds.
So the Air does represent a solid weight savings when compared to the DXR, but it’s still slightly heavier than lightweight bags from other brands.
Player Air Features: Yep, This Feels like a Vessel Bag.
Carrying the Player Air is fantastic. The bag is lightweight and the equilibrium strap system continues to be one of my favorites in the industry.