Star Frame sent us the RETRO disc golf bag with with cooler to review. We were excited to test this unique idea and have concluded that between the low price-point and practical design, it is a bag worth considering.
We are not currently affiliated with Star Frame but we believe in the quality of their products.
If you’re quick, you can catch 20% off everything at Star Frame’s Black Friday sale through 11/29 using code “BLACKFRIDAY”!
See Star Frame’s Shop here!
What Makes Star Frame Unique?
Star Frame is a family-owned business located in the Midwest, in Wisconsin just across Lake Michigan from us! They are best known for their disc golf bags with built in insulated coolers for carrying drinks. Star Frame currently offers the BRICK disc golf bag and the RETRO disc golf bag, both with built in coolers.
You can see details on the BRICK here.
Both bags (as of writing this) are on sale for under $100. The company supports all levels of disc golfers but has a particular appeal to those who are dedicated to disc golf life over tournament competition.
Star Frame also offers a line of apparel, mostly black with sleek white logo, but a few other fun options like a Retro shirt and the “Throw Discs, Drink Beer, Eat Wings Redneck” shirt.
Order your Disc Golf Redneck shirt here!
Retro Bag Features
The most notable feature on Star Frame’s The RETRO bag is the built in insulated cooler. The cooler is built into the bottom of the bag to ensure a low weight distribution allowing the bag to sit comfortably on your bag. The cooler pocket easily holds a 12 pack of cans, 8 twelve-ouce bottles of water, or for you bourbon lovers out there, 2 bottles of Buffalo Trace. I can attest to the effectiveness of the cooler which keeps your drinks cold for hours without freezing your back.
Star Frame says the RETRO bag holds 16 discs. I find it holds 18 discs without difficulty but it may differ for you depending on how many high profile discs. The RETRO bag has one zippered pocket on the front above the disc area. This pocket is sufficient for holding most of my typical disc golf items. This pocket works well as a putter pocket when not being used for storage, but items are liable to fall out if you’re doubling as storage and putter pocket.
The RETRO bag comes with many other features:
- Drink holder with elastic pull-string
- Top handle with rubber grip
- Pull-strings for each zipper
- Metal bottle openner
- Chest clip for the shoulder straps
- Ring to clip disc golf towel
- Four plastic nodules on the bottom to stabilize the bag when sitting
Retro Bag Quality
Overall, the RETRO is a quality bag. We did not experience any issues with loose threads, tears, holes, or detaching pieces. Considering the low price point, we were pleased with the amount of padding on the back and the thick shoulder straps. The size of the RETRO bag is comparable to the Grip bag that I commonly use.
We were initially concerned about the balance of the bag with a cooler built in. When the cooler is empty, the bag will fall over. When the cooler is full, the bag sits up just fine. It is also important to note that the bag itself is relatively light weight and the total weight will obviously depend on how many drinks you fill the cooler with.
The cooler area feels well enforced, although we have not used it long enough to speak to long term durability. The cooler pouch sits at ground level and there are no drainage options so we recommend using ice packs instead of ice which would melt and spill when the cooler is opened.
Star Frame Retro Video Review
We have only used Star Frame’s RETRO bag for a month now, and although we had a positive experience, we thought we should bring in an expert. We reached out to a friend from the Disc Golf Podcast Slack channel, Doth Savek, who has an amazing collection of disc golf bag reviews.
Star Frame Retro Conclusion
Star Frame’s RETRO bag with cooler is a great bag to consider if you play frequent rounds with thirsty friends. This is probably not a bag that you would use for tournaments because of the addion weight of the drinks. I found it great for a round with my young daughter who loves to bring mulitple juice boxes! The quality is high, the price point is low, and we love the unique built in cooler design. The retro colors are also very appealing!
Ready to try the RETRO bag yourself?
You can get your own RETRO bag here!