Bag Boy Nitron Push Cart Life-Tested Review
The Bag Boy Nitron is known as the auto-open push cart, but it's so much more than that
The Bag Boy Nitron push cart is like a lawn mower that starts up on the first pull every time. Even if it only saves a minute or two, the hassle and frustration it saves are far more valuable than the seconds it puts back in your day.
I myself was hesitant to get overly excited about the Bag Boy Nitron before testing it. I figured, how much difference could an auto-open push cart make compared to the carts I’d been used to over the past six years, since I took the head-first leap into the push-cart golfer category? The answer is, it’s hard to explain, but it just makes the whole push cart experience better.
Yes, it is hard to explain, but I will do my best to do just that. I’ve been testing the Bag Boy Nitron push cart over the last several weeks, and here is my complete review of golf’s fastest-opening push cart.
Bag Boy Nitron Overview
SHOP BAG BOYFIND ON AMAZON
MSRP: $279.95
Bag Boy Nitron Pros:
- Opens in an instant
- Closes in one easy motion
- More compact when folded than any push cart I’ve tested
- No tension or grinding in the brake or lock mechanisms; those all click smoothly
- Ample storage for accessories, snacks, and valuables
- Cup holder holds various-sized bottles snugly and is conveniently located
Bag Boy Nitron Drawbacks:
- Since we spent weeks testing a brand new unit, the long-term durability of this push cart is unknown
I’ve played easily 90% of my golf rounds over the last six years with one push cart or another. I enjoy the exercise of walking the golf course, but carrying my bag always leaves my body sore and achy for at least 36 hours.
For me, a push cart is perfect, although I completely understand they’re not for everyone.
When it comes to the Bag Boy Nitron push cart, we have to start with that auto-open feature. It’s like the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass – it’s easily the signature hole (or in this case, feature) even though it’s far from the only exceptional hole (er, feature).
That auto-open works like a breeze. The cart opens up in one motion, it could not be quicker or easier. Yes, I can appreciate that this convenience only saves seconds on top of the hours you spend on the golf course, but it’s quite charming and satisfying nonetheless.
The push cart as a whole is easily the best of the half-dozen or so I’ve used. Aside from the auto-open feature, what I love most about the Nitron is that there is no tension on the brake or the lock mechanisms. They simply click and hold. With every other push cart I’ve used, it feels like I’m going to snap a cable when locking the handle, wheels, or brake into place. The Nitron is just smooth, and that applies to the roll as well.
Bag Boy Nitron Storage
In my opinion, there are three pillars of a great push cart. One is the functionality of the unit itself, which we just talked about. The size, foldabilty, ease of open and closing, etc.
Another is its long-term durability. Every push cart I’ve owned has fallen apart in two seasons or less, or somewhere between 50-75 rounds. Sometimes the brake completely goes, sometimes the hinges come irreparably undone. The Nitron does come with Bag Boy's one-year warranty, but there’s no way to tell today what the long-term durability of the Nitron is, although through my testing I have every reason to believe it’s among the highest-quality push carts out there.
The last important pillar of a push cart, in my opinion, is the storage it offers. As golfers, we need things. We need easy access to water and snacks. We need a clipboard for our scorecard. We need to have tees and balls within reach. We need a place to stash our phone, wallet, keys, and did I mention snacks? We might even need an umbrella.
When I first checked out the Nitron, I noticed there was no storage underneath the cart, between the wheels. I’ve owned one push cart with this type of lower storage area, and that was the best push cart storage I’ve experienced, although it seems to be a dying feature.
However, the Nitron offers a significant storage upgrade from the Sun Mountain push cart I used previously. My phone easily fits into the console underneath the scorecard holder, which is a luxury I was not afforded with my Sun Mountain cart.
The cup holder, as trivial as it may sound, is another upgrade over the Sun Mountain push cart I had. If I used the wrong-sized water bottle with my old cart, it wouldn’t fit securely, and sometimes fell through. I actually cracked two plastic water bottles in two years because of that (I know, I should have learned after the first one). The cup holder on the Nitron has a rubber ring on the outside to snugly hold various sizes of bottles, and there’s no chance of a bottle falling through to the ground.
I haven’t had much need for the generously sized accessory bag under the scorecard console, but it’s there, it’s big, and it could easily hold plenty of accessories.
Who Should Consider the Bag Boy Nitron Push Cart?
In case lawn mowers and TPC Sawgrass didn’t give you enough analogies for one review, I’ll close this review with one more.
I’ve written a lot about golf shoes in the last few years, and I liken push carts to golf shoes. You have two options. You can save money and get something that will work until it doesn’t. Or you can spend more up front, and get a high-quality product.
Do you buy cheap shoes, even if you know they're going to fall apart at the seams before long, or do you spend more up front for shoes that will last several seasons?
You have the same choice with push carts. You can find cheap push carts for just over $100 on Amazon, but who knows how long they'll last or which part will break first. Or, you can spend more up front and get a quality push cart.
There’s no right or wrong path. However, if you’re a walking golfer, and you’re either considering upgrading your push cart, replacing a broken one, or joining the growing group of push cart golfers (welcome!), and you want a high-quality push cart, I highly recommend the Nitron from Bag Boy.