The best golf trolley for you will depend on your budget, the features you want, how much you are worried about the weight and size, and the type of operation that suits your playing needs.
If you want a trolley but aren’t sold on electric then make sure you check out our guide to the best golf push trolleys too. And whichever trolley you choose to buy, you’ll need a bag to match, so head over to our best golf cart bags guide for some inspiration. Electric Motor
Best overall: Motocaddy M7 GPS Remote | View Offer
Best for storage: Stewart Vertx Remote | View Offer
Best follow: Stewart Q Follow | View Offer
Best value: Powakaddy FX1 | View Offer
If you are thinking about switching to a trolley but have concerns over losing the health benefits of carrying your bag, you might be interested to hear that research has evidenced players expend the same amount of energy using electric and push trolleys as they do carrying their clubs. The exercise is in the walk itself!
So, without further ado, here’s our pick of the best electric golf trolleys on the market right now to help you choose the model that’s best for you.
Motocaddy's most tech-packed electric golf trolley
Powakaddy's super compact GPS electric golf trolley
Powakaddy's remote-control GPS electric golf trolley
Stewart's "ultimate remote machine" delivers everything you'd want and expect
The first remote electric golf trolley released by Motocaddy
An impressive golf trolley that can easily tackle any terrain
A very clever electric golf trolley that can follow you around the golf course
A well-built and extremely stable follow electric golf trolley
Motocaddy's budget-friendly electric trolley
The cheapest electric golf trolley offered by Powakaddy
Push trolleys and electric golf trolleys are considered beneficial to your performance and body.
Carrying your golf bag requires you to lift and set down your clubs up to 100 times a round, placing extra weight and stress on your body which can lead to fatigue and, in some cases, injury.
And while many bag carriers claim that carrying is better for their health and fitness, Dr. Neil Wolkodoff, medical director of the Colorado Centre for Health & Sports Science, believes the benefits are less pronounced than they might think.
His research showed that over nine holes, golfers who carried clubs burned 721 calories, as opposed to the 718 calories burned by someone who pushed their clubs.
Dr. Wolkodoff said: “People who push a cart have a lot fewer health issues and a lot less potential for issues. The golf swing is tough on the back no matter how you look at it. If you can push a cart and keep one more stress away from the back, that’s a great thing.”
But, assuming you choose to follow the doctor’s orders, should you buy an electric or push model? Let’s take a look at other factors you should consider before purchasing an electric trolley.
Purchasing an electric golf trolley isn’t massively complicated but it should require some thought. One of the first factors to consider is what mode of operations you would like. By this, I’m referring to whether you would be happy controlling your electric trolley manually, or if you would prefer controlling your device with a remote, or have it follow you around the course.
Depending on which mode of operation you would like most, this will inevitably whittle down your options and make it easier to find the electric trolley of your dreams.
Once you have chosen whether you want an electric trolley you steer, control via a remote, or follows you, the next feature to consider is whether you want a GPS device built into your electric golf trolley or not. It’s likely that most golfers will already own a GPS device, such as a rangefinder, a handheld device, or a GPS watch.
You’ll need to think about whether you would benefit from having a GPS built into your electric trolley because they do increase the value of the trolley and if you don’t think you’ll get full use out of the GPS then it probably isn’t worth investing in a GPS electric trolley. However, before owning the M7 GPS Remote, I would never have owned an electric trolley with GPS, but now I don’t think I’d be happy with anything less.
When purchasing any piece of golf equipment it’s never a bad thing to have a budget in mind. Obviously, with something like an electric golf trolley you should be expecting to spend more than you would on a push trolley. However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend more than £1,000 if you don’t want to.
It probably goes without saying, but the more technology and functionality packed into an electric trolley drives the price up. The best way of sticking to a budget is by chalking off all the products you deem to be unnecessary, this way you’ll hopefully land on an electric trolley within your budget that does everything you require.
It’s all well and good having an all-singing all-dancing electric trolley, but if you don’t know how to use it then it’s pretty redundant. You’ll be able to work the basics on any electric trolley, but if you can’t operate much more than that then why not purchase a basic electric trolley and save yourself some cash?
Size and storage only becomes important if, like me, you drive a car with limited storage space. The other time it comes into consideration is if you have little storage space within your home. The vast majority of the best electric trolleys do fold away very compactly, but some don’t.
The more compact trolleys do tend to be more expensive, but they’re worth it because they’re also easier to transport and carry.
Weight doesn’t really matter when the electric trolley is in use because the motor is doing all the heavy lifting. However, it’s still important to factor in weight because if you own an electric trolley that’s awkward to lift and transport then it can become tedious to actually put it in play.
Electric trolleys aren’t the most difficult pieces of equipment to navigate once you’ve folded them down and unfolded them a couple of times. However, you don’t want a model that requires a lot of time and effort in order to get it ready for your round or pack it away once you’ve finished.
Many of the best electric trolleys feature a one-step or two-step folding mechanism that’s incredibly straightforward. Some electric trolleys even have retractable parts that fold down and up when another part of the trolley is manually collapsed or erected.
There are two battery options to choose from – lithium or lead-acid. Lithium batteries are much more popular, but lead-acid batteries are used to reduce cost. Another difference is lead-acid batteries are much heavier than lithium batteries and they need to be removed during storage. Most lithium batteries can now be kept in the trolley even when charging thanks to innovative designs.
Unless you have your heart set on an electric trolley that is sold with a lead-acid battery, I would suggest purchasing one with a lithium battery.
You can pimp out your electric trolley with all kinds of accessories. Some accessories are necessary but others are much less needed. Certain brands throw in a selection of accessories with the sale of one of their electric trolleys. The most wanted trolley accessories are the umbrella holder, drinks holder, scorecard holder, and travel cover.
Sometimes you might not have a choice of which accessory is thrown in as a ‘free gift’ with the electric trolley, but other times you might be able to choose. In either situation, I would suggest you opt for the travel cover, providing it’s an option.
If you have the budget to invest in an electric trolley it will have much more positive impacts on your body and your golf game than a push trolley.
Electric golf trolleys are more expensive than push trolleys due to the additional technology, mechanics, and lightweight, super-powerful lithium batteries. While a push trolley is far more beneficial than carrying, an electric trolley lightens the load even further.
Many electric trolleys can also do things like charge your phone and receive your messages and notifications via their screens, while the likes of Motocaddy and PowaKaddy even produce models that include GPS, saving you from buying a separate Distance Measuring Device (DMD).
It depends on the brand and model. Many of the best push trolleys have integrated stations with storage pouches and a holder for an umbrella, drink, and scorecard. Electric trolleys can often require you to buy the parts separately. Most brands have loads of accessories to choose from, including GPS and phone cradles, drinks and umbrella holders, rain covers, winter wheels, and travel covers.
There isn’t a massive difference between push and electric trolleys. It all depends on how simple or complicated the folding mechanism is. Most electric trolleys have the battery already installed so you don’t need to worry about adding or removing the battery during the folding down or unfolding of the trolley.
Despite being heavier than push trolleys, electric trolleys effortlessly glide around hilly golf courses. Electric trolleys are far more beneficial to your game and body than carrying your bag around a hilly golf course. Just make sure the battery is fully charged!
There’s no chance of your precious clubs trundling down a hill because all of the best electric trolleys have brakes. Certain electric trolleys feature technology that prevents them from diverting off-course on even the most undulating terrains.
Even in the high-tech, modern world, weight tends to be less of an issue with push trolleys due to the lack of motors and having no battery. But size really depends on the folding technology. If boot and storage space is at a premium then be sure to check the size of the trolley folded down and measure your spaces before making a purchase. The last thing you want is to splash the cash and then find it doesn’t fit in your car with your clubs.
Most golf trolleys include easy-release wheels to make transportation, storage, and cleaning even easier.
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James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer
James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.
He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.
James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.
You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.
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