Since finding out that the folks at Clicgear had made improvements to their award-winning push cart, I eagerly anticipated getting my hands on one to find what the fuss was all about with this easy-to-store, easy-to-use push cart.
Personally, I would much rather walk when playing golf versus having to use a motorized cart but don’t like having to sling my clubs around anymore (must be a sign of getting old) so a push cart is a vital piece of equipment for me and the enjoyment I get from playing golf.
You may not think of a push cart as being that big of deal but having had some not-so-pleasant experiences with some push/pull carts in the past, I was hoping that the Clicgear would be the final answer to my search for the “perfect pushcart.” Read on to find out whether my search is over.
Design and Technology
The Clicgear cart’s frame is made from aircraft-grade oversized aluminum tubing, which seems to be the industry standard for this style of push cart. Total weight is about 18 pounds, or about a pound less than comparable carts. The Clicgear sits on three wide, six-spoked tires made from EVA (foam) and rubber. Solid rubber wheels would be quite heavy, so Clicgear has designed a process and compound unique to them, offering markedly better performance than their competitors. Solid EVA wheels are very soft and fall apart easily, but the EVA/rubber compound is quite durable. This is a pretty major upgrade from the air-filled tires in version 1.0 from last year. No longer do you have to worry about getting a flat on the course, which always seems to happen at the hole farthest from the clubhouse. Also, you don’t have to worry about rust or maintenance with plastic tires. Personally, I think the spokes look a lot cooler than the other more “bicycle-like” spokes I’ve seen on other pushcarts.
For those of you who have version 1.0, don’t worry as you can now upgrade your old tires to the new version. I’ve pushed both versions around and I would highly recommend the upgrade as the new tires seem to roll much more smoothly than the air-filled tires.
The Clicgear cart is sleek looking and easy to use. Note the new EVA/rubber compound tires, one of the many changes from 1.0.
The covered console sits next to the handle that allows you to store extra golf balls, tees, a rangefinder, snacks or whatever you need to get through a round. It’s of decent size but I could only fit two extra balls in there with my rangefinder.
I would like to see the console made bigger on future versions or even a small netting web on the outside to keep my rangefinder in while walking the course. I didn’t lose much time having to open and close the console everytime I wanted to use my rangefinder but it would be even easier just to have a small net on the outside so that I could toss my rangeinder into it between uses.
With the console closed, the small straps that run across the top hold your scorecard or yardage book snugly to the door with ease. Located conveniently next to the handle, you’ll find the hand brake. It’s very simple to use and locks the wheels into place. Just a quick pull and turn and the wheels are locked into place. Not once did I have a problem with the Clicgear moving while the brake was engaged. I just needed to remind myself from time to time to disengage it before moving on!
The Clicgear cart comes with a bunch of features designed to make your round of golf more enjoyable. First up is a beverage holder that I found would fit quite an assortment of various sized bottles, cans, and cups. There is also an umbrella holder located underneath and to the side of the the handle to store your umbrella. I’ve always kept mine on my bag, so it didn’t get much use.
Not to be confused with the umbrella holder (which carries a folded, stowed umbrella), an Umbrella Tube is clipped and stored beneath the console when not in use. The tube screws into the handle and positions the umbrella over you and your clubs to keep them dry. The only time I used the tube, it was pretty windy out so I ended up holding the umbrella.
There are two towel hooks located under the console that allow you to attach your towel to the Clicgear, making it easy to clean your clubs. The hooks are big enough to accommodate carabiners, which seem to be what all the new towels are using today as a means of attachment.
It’s important to note that all of the Clicgear Cart 2.0 accessories will work on both 2.0 and 1.0 cart models.
The console was a bit snug with my rangefinder and I could only fit two rather than three balls in their little slotted area.
Setup
This section is going to be short. To set up the Clicgear 2.0, you take it out of the box. Then you unfold it. That’s it. Okay, it’s a bit more than that but not much. I’m not going to go over the six very easy steps it takes, but you can see for yourself in these videos how easily it is to unfold and fold the Clicgear back up. All told, we’re talking about ten seconds or less and your Clicgear cart is ready to be loaded. Add whatever short amount of time it requires to get your bag attached and you are ready to roll. I would like to shake the hand of the person who thought of this ingenious system.
What makes the Clicgear stand out above the rest of the push cart crowd is how easy it is to store it. When folded up, it measures a measly 13″ x 15″ x 24″, which is more compact than other comparable push carts. It was even more compact folded up and easier to store that my daughter’s stroller!
Storing the Clicgear in your trunk is a snap and it takes up very little space in your garage. You can even get the hook accessory and hang it on the wall to keep it out of the way. Compared to push/pull carts I’ve had in the past, the Clicgear is by far the best when it comes to storage.
Operation and Performance
After spending the thirty seconds or so it takes to get the Clicgear locked and loaded it was time to take it out for a test drive. And how did it perform you may ask? Pretty much use any adjective of “fantastic” and that would sum up how great the Clicgear was to use.
The Clicgear is ready and is loaded for birdies! Okay, in my case, bogeys. The wide stance makes it very difficult to tip over. Unless you really, really try.
The Clicgear rolls very fluidly as you push it along and often times I would just give it a slight push when going down slight declines and found it would roll on its own for quite a bit of distance. I’ve even had some playing partners ask if it was an electric cart as it seem to track perfectly to where I pointed it.
If your Clicgear doesn’t roll straight, don’t worry as changing the alignment is pretty easy as you just need to loosen the axle nut and plate screw and make adjustments using the adjustment screw. Also, the braking system can be adjusted as well by adjusting the cable tension. That like everything else with the Clicgear is, yes you guessed it, easy to do.
Overall, there is very little mainenance that is required to care for you Clicgear cart. To clean, just take a wet towel to wipe off any dirt and it looks as good as new.
When folded, the Clicgear is about half as tall as a standard cart bag. And yes, I am aware that the colors match up nicely, thank you very much.
The Clicgear rolled nicely and very smoothly over the various types of terrain you would expect to see on a golf course, fairways, rough, paved cart paths and gravel cart paths as well. The wide spacing for the wheels makes it simple to push around as well as a very stable platform that makes it very difficult to tip over. The only times this happened to me was when I would find the steepest hill on the course I was playing and thought “let’s try to tip it over.” Point being, I really had to try to get the Clicgear to tip over.
Perhaps the most unheralded feature is the adjustable straps. Big deal you say? If you’ve ever had a bag come flopping off your push cart due to strap malfunction, you tend to pay attention to how your bag is secured to the cart.
Compared to some other straps I’ve seen on other push carts at the same price point, which include some variation of hard to adjust buckles or Velcro, the Clicgear’s straps are in my opinion, the best on the market. The flexible straps accommodated every style and size bag I could find either in my garage or with playing partners and were a breeze to connect together as well as take apart. Again, the folks at Clicgear made the operation of their cart as easy as possible.
Specifications
The Clicgear cart costs about $200 and comes in various colors including Black, Blue, Silver, Red, Orange as well as two limited-edition colors Kiwi and Lavender (White is not available in North America). Whatever color you choose, the powder coating will help resist scuffing and scratches. I’ve put my through the paces pretty well, and it looks the same as the day I took it out of the box.
I have the Black model but I must say that if I had to do it over again, I would shoot for either Orange or Red or perhaps Blue. All the colors look very sharp compared to other push carts I’ve seen on the market and I find myself looking at the various colors every time I happen to pop in to my favorite golf shops.
The attachment straps are easy to use and keep various sized bags secured to the Clicgear.
Several accessories are available as well. The first is a shoe brush attachment that secures to the tubular frame. I am definitely picking up one of these.
A storage hook is available in order to hang your folded Clicgear cart in your garage. Also available is a wheel cover that covers the wheels prior to loading into your trunk. For those who have a version 1.0 cart, you can purchase the 2.0 wheel kit so that you can have the cool, airless wheels and no longer have to worry about getting a flat on the course.
Two new accessories are coming out soon. The first is a new umbrella adjuster and the second is a sand bottle to fill your divots. I don’t have a timetable for these new products as of this review so be sure to check their website to find out when these come out.
Conclusion
You would be hard pressed to find a cart that works as well or offers as many features as the Clicgear. With an incredibly smooth ride as you navigate around the course to the ease of folding and unfolding as well as the compact storage it provides, the Clicgear is the standard against which all push carts should be measured. It certainly has made my walking experience more enjoyable and I’m betting if you give one a try, it might just do the same for you.
Thanks for the review, Alan.
My “slinging” days, I think, are coming to an end, since I can’t carry my bag for 9 holes without my neck and shoulders stiffening up. Bad for the swing. Long-story-short, I’m in the market for a decent pull cart. The Clicgear is certainly at the high end of the price range for non-powered carts, but it sounds like the value justifies the price tag.
Out of curiosity, if there was one thing you could change about the cart, what would it be?
Great review of a super product.
I’ve had my Clicgear 2.0 for a couple of months now and have really enjoyed it.
It is a high quality product that exceeded my every expecation. I can’t state in words how easy it is to deploy. Suffice to say that it takes longer to my golf shoes on than it does to get this cart set up with my bag strapped down.
It is a breeze to push around the course and is highly adjustable for any number of hand positions.
I’ve even pushed it around the course with two bags strapped on it….mine and my son’s. It was very stable and smooth.
Super product in every aspect.
Man, I wish more courses in Tampa would allow walking, then I would have a reason to buy this thing. I love to walk and play. I play better golf. Most courses here don’t permit walking, like Westchase which is like 5 minutes from my home. If it did I would become a member.
Still a good review and looks like a great product.
I have been using the Clicgear 2.0 for over 4 months now and I couldnt be happier. It is light, super compact, easy to fold and unfold, full of features, durable, and a joy to use. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it for those who want to walk, but not carry a bag.
Nice review –
Did you have any conclusions about how durable you expect the cart to be? Did the clipping/unclipping mechanisms appear sturdy/
Is there anything that appears underengineered which you think might fail?
Thanks.
I’ve had my clicgear 2.0 for over 4 months and I second what Alan’s great review said. This is in my opinion the very best push cart on the market and I don’t even really find it close. Nothing matches its storage ability which is a huge plus for me and it doesn’t sacrifice anything in the way of features to do it.
I’ve used it a ton this season and the craftmanship is second to none, I’ve had zero problems everything feels sturdy and well thought out and if I cleaned it up a bit would look and feel brand new. After seeing my cart this year my girlfriend, her mother in law and one of the guys I golf with all got the same cart.
Its no contest for me, this is the best on the market!
The one feature that is noticeably missing from both ClicGear versions (1 & 2) is a lack of an appropriate area to attach a drink bag. Having used Sun Mountain Speed Carts for the better half of 5 years, the one feature that I love is the ability to attach their Cool-Paq bag to the back of the cart. Sadly, as much as I love the ClicGear, I have not found a way to attach this type of bag to it and keep it secure and stable. Perhaps a third edition may incorporate something similar? Other than this, I would say the cart appears to be a real winner (appearance, weight, foldup size).
I have the original and it’s awesome. I bought it (in white) after owning a Sun Mountain. I think it’s an unbelievable cart and definitey much sturdier than the SM. I did have the brake handle break off one day as I was applying it. one quick email to the folks at Clicgear and I had a brand new handle along with installation instructions in the mail after about two days. The thing works great and I’ll be ordering the new wheels and shoe brush.
I’d love to see a seat attachment for this thing, which I think is the one thing that’s missing. I know of some people taking the SM seat and fitting it to the clic gear, but I don’t want to do anything to mess mine up trying it!
The solution for the lack of a Cool Paq-esque option is to use the Cool Paq. Once I’ve unfolded the cart I simply attach it to the neck–the two side velcro straps don’t attach anywhere, but I’ve never had a problem with it falling off.
This is one of my best purchases for sure and the fact you can make upgrades to an older model made spending this money very worthwhile.
I would change the console to be a bit larger in order to accommodate bigger rangefinders or a separate pouch/netting in order not to have to have open/close the console every time I need to grab the rangefinder to check for distance.
After having my bagboy LS for 1 yr I have decided to switch to Clicgear (RED). One word “Awesome”. Per your review it ease of use, compact, colorful, my list goes on and on. If there is anything complains about the cart is just the price. But you get what you pay for. In fact, I love the cart so much I bought one for my father-in-law on his b-day!! I can tell you that you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you so much for great review!!
Well, one month after my initial posting, I took the plunge and purchased a ClicGear 2.0 and sold off my Sun Mountain Speed Cart v2. Having now played four rounds with my new cart I can honestly offer this opinion…WOW!!! What a fantastic cart in all areas! I even managed to find a way to attach my Cool Paq using a bungee cord system and now there is nothing this cart doesn’t have.
I will offer this much as a comparison for anyone that is interested. The only area of even remotely scratches a concern are the tires. They are great on dry surfaces, but when the grass is wet and heavy, the cart tends to slog through rather than flow as my old Speed Cart used to. Still, if that is the only issue (very minor) then it really is no issue for me. This cart has so many advantages (size, weight, stability) over disadvantages (slow treading in wet grass) that you really can’t say anything bad about it.
Thank you to Alan Olson…Your review was the clincher for me!
I’ve owned the 1.0 for over a year and it is a fantastic cart. Two points for me worth mentioning again:
1. You can replace the older inflatable tires with new newer ones found on the 2.0 with relative ease and it defintely makes a difference. For those interested, the cost for the three tires was $60.00 including shipping through my local golf superstore. And pretty easy to do. These guys are pretty bright, the instructions are printed on the outside of the box with pictures.
2. The two elastic straps that hold the bag do work like a charm. Much better than velcro, and seems to hold up better. But the little sliding piece that shims the “hook” portion in place is the key for me. So simple, but exactly what was needed. i have lots of bumps and holes on the courses i play and without that “shim”, the elastic straps could pop out, and i’ve had straps/ties loosen up over time from heavy use or poor quality. Hasn’t happened yet and don’t expect it to. It’s been over a year and it’s just as good as when i first got it.
It might be the one of the most expensive, but for all the benefits, worth every penny.
Just got my 2.0, and on the maiden round it rained for the first few holes. Lots of thick, wet rough and wet leaves on the ground and so forth; the cart pushed through it all like a floating dream. Seriously, the rolling resistance seemed almost nil, regardless of what I was pushing through. The course was hilly, too, and the hand brake worked a treat for parking on hillsides next to elevated greens and the like. My main gripe is the handle-mounted tube for holding an umbrella: my umbrella’s rubberized handle is too large to fit into the tube, so that feature is useless to me unless I buy a new umbrella. Would have been nice to be able to use it during the rain! Another aside: the console was water-resistant enough I had no problem storing my cell phone there during light rain. Not sure how it would hold up during a downpour, though. Another thing: if you have a beer in the drink holder, and hit a lot of bumps, expect there to be some foamy reaction!
Another positive development: I recently replaced my unsatisfactory bag with a Grom by Ogio. It fits the Clicgear very nicely; the bottom bracket of the cart reaches past the extender foot (for the bag legs) and makes very secure, stable contact with the bottom of the bag. There’s no wobble or tendency for the legs to try to extend. The only imperfection is the top mounting strap interferes with attaching the Grom’s rain hood; you have to settle for attaching the snaps around the carry handle of the bag and just stretch the hood around in back. It seems to work fine that way, but I figured I’d mention it.
I have the newer Clicgear 2.0 and will not belabor all the positive comments. It really is a very high quality, well engineered product with outstanding customer service. Now I will pic a few nits.
The elastic bungees that secure my Ping Hoofer 2 carry bag to the Clicgear don’t work as well as advertised. First the adjusting barrels slip allowing the bungees to loosen so the bag can slip and I have to straighten it periodically during a round. Second, the constant pull of the elastic had caused the fabric on my bag to chafe against the bag’s internal plastic form that gives it shape causing premature wear and holes on the bag.
The bottom bracket on the Clicgear is fairly small and doesn’t support the entire bag base. The bracket rests on the inside edge of my Hoofer, but the inside edge isn’t rigid because that’s the part that collapses to extend the legs. As a result, the bottom of my bag is partially collapsed and can make it a little difficult to remove and replace clubs.
Lastly, the legs of my bag rest on the curved plastic cradle of the Clicgear, which I believe encourages it to slip.
It may be fair to say that, I just need to buy a bag that is more compatible with the Clicgear. Just be aware that there may be other bags out there that experience similar issues. It’s just a shame the best push cart doesn’t work better with the best carry bag in golf.
To John Gray: Using a Ping Hoofer bag is an unfair assessment of the ClicGear 2.0. I honestly do not believe you could have chosen a worse bag to use on any pushcart than this one, it’s just not made for anything but carrying (and it does that more than well). The ClicGear 2.0 is made for cart bags and not carry bags; it never advertised itself as anything but. I for one, would be interested in hearing your opinion again should you choose to use a cart bag.
I might also add that when I wrote my review above I was using a stand bag: A Pinemeadow “Universe” bag, which fit the cart perfectly. I’ve since replaced that bag with my own vote for best carry bag on the planet: the Ogio Grom, which also fits the ClicGear cart very nicely. I fully understand that stand bags were not made for push cart use, nor were push carts made to facilitate use with stand bags. That being said, some judicial testing (it’s simple to take the cart into the store with you and try it with various bags) can result in the best of both worlds.
On the lower support bracket, since that’s the point of highest conflict potential with the extender foot on stand bags: with both of my bags the bracket does arc down and then up again so just the end rests under the bag’s bottom. I believe this is by design, to allow space for a possible extender foot. Both of the bags I’ve used have nice, rigid plastic bases which accommodate this type of support very well. If the bottom of your bag is somewhat yielding I can see where that might be an issue.
I use both a stand bag and cart bag on my Clicgear and they’re both great. The C-130 is a beast of a bag and it doesn’t budge one bit. I’ve also got a Nike Pro Combo stand bag and it’s just as secure. I haven’t noticed any excess wear on the bag and the legs don’t stick out at all although this could be because there are two elastic loops that hold the legs in place.
I use my Speed Cart DLX cart bag and it functions as perfectly on the ClicGear as it did on the SM Speed Cart. In fact, the strap system of the ClicGear holds my bag even more securely than it did on my previous cart. I can’t say I have noticed any wear or even any slippage with the strap mechanism. The only thing that I have noticed, and it was actually fun to correct, was the front wheel alignment. You push the cart ahead of you and make adjustments until it actually rolls straight. A perfect day would be a morning of dew on the fairway that would provide you with a visual alignment line. The instructions, as noted, are so easy to work with and once you have it straight, you simply lock it down. Correct you are Mark in NY, sometimes its as simple as putting any bag on the cart and testing the fit. The ideal is going to a store that has the cart and muliple bags for this test. All in all, the cart has so many pluses over any minuses.
I have recently bought the clicgear 2.0 cart. I couldn’t be happier. My golf bag is an xlite callaway stand bag, similar to the one posted in callaway’s website as CHEV18 STAND BAG. Therefore I was worried by John’s comments. I must say I had no problem at all. The stability of the cart is perfect, the bag holds on perfectly even when pushing the cart around hills and letting it go in steep slopes (as i love to do). The clicgear must be one of the best inventions I have ever seen. It is incredible to see how sturdy it is and how small it goes when packed. It is so easy and friendly it is to set it up, you can fold and unfold it in a matter of seconds. Im glad I was petient to get this cart, it was very difficult to get it because it was out of stock in Argentina. I hope it lasts many years. Congratulations to all people at Clicgear!!
This cart is great. The only problem I have run into, is that the wide track does not always fit when crossing narrow foot bridges and you have to carry everything high enough to clear the railings. This does build arm muscle, though.
I own this cart. It is a great cart compared to the Bag Boy Tripod I owned previously. All my pals own the Sun Mountain carts. Side-by side comparison shows that the Cliq Gear cart is more precisely made, has fewer potential points of failure, folds down to a smaller size and is just more fun to use!
Here is a link to our local newspaper talking about the designer of the Clicgear.
http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=058f3327-8b6b-48f3-87e3-5e066f554d04
I love this cart. I have the silver 2.0. This cart is a huge improvement over the 3 wheel bagboy 500 I used to have in terms of use and size. The clicgear fits into the trunk of my 2002 Nissan Sentra with clubs and other stuff no problem. Great handle, brakes, console, drink holder (fits Arnold Palmer ice tea), bungee chords for holding bag, and “hole” in the bottom bracket to allow for my Walter Hagan stand bag. Goes from trunk to bag on cart in less than a minute. It seems extremely well put together and durable, I guess time will tell… I also appreciate that Clicgear as a company decided to make one awesome cart rather than a bunch of models that are good, but not great like bagboy and sunmountain. The only thing the bag boy has over it is smoother tires. The 3.0 will have smoother tires… I paid $185 for it including shipping on ebay. I plan to use it over 400 times over the next 10 years so that’s less than 50 cents per round. I also think this cart will have a good resale value. Buy it for $185 use it for 400 rounds and then sell it for $75 and get the 5.0 as a replacement. Sweet.
I have my 2.0 for two years but the bottom section has started to sag so my bag rubs against the front wheel.
I put in the CD-ROM maintenance disc which will not come up on my computer. Any help would be appreciated.
B. Kuhn
Bad cart. One wheel of my daughter’s cart broke off after six months of use. I wouldn’t buy another, but she’s nagging me to buy her a replacement. Sheesh! 😥
Why not elaborate on HOW she broke her cart. Rather than just venting, you could provide some facts to help people like me decide which cart to buy.
Thanx
Seriously! I’ve been beating h*ll out of mine for a year now and it’s still running rock-solid as though it were brand new. Never a hint of a problem with it, best accessory I’ve ever bought. I’m guessing a defect (they happen) or something really bizarre happened to it that was left unsaid.
Did you call in to clicgear to talk to them? I had a problem where the hand brake snapped off after a year of owning the cart–they sent me a replacement no questions asked. I don’t know why I would ever buy another push cart…
I bought this cart in the summer of 2009 after 2 months the wheels started to disintegrate 1 phone call and I had a full new set of wheels no charge no arguments the best cart I have ever owned great service
I’ve used my clic gear cart almost 4 times a week last year and it still looks almost new. I believe it is by far the best push cart on the market. Yes to some type of mess net attachment and also a clic gear quality gps holder. I would also recommend making the rubber covering on the bottom bag support alittle more durable. I scratched my up pretty good folding and unfolding in the parking lot.
Has anyone figured out how to securly attach a cooler and if so how big and what type? I love to walk with my son who has just started playing but am getting too old to carry one bag, let alone both bags. ( He’s only 10. ) Thanks
Would like to know where I can get a rain cover for my cart.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Thank you for taking the time to write this review. You convinced me to go for this push-cart. Even the comment about the colour was helpful. I was thinking about buying it in black but now I am looking at adding some colour to my golf rounds.
Thanks!
We have 2 of them > myself , and my girl use em constantly . I play close to 20 rounds a month . Really glad the tires are not inflatable ( no tube to mess with ) . Roll like a dream , and have no problems with a fully loaded tour bag . Great cart , couldn’t ask for anything more . Btw , it does fit in the trunk of a vette . Hit em long , an straight .
It’s a great cart – so compact to transport and substantial when you put it into action. My buddy has a SM 4 wheel cart, and he’ll be replacing that thing well before I need to replace my clicgear.