Best Concealed Carry Holster

Responsible gun owners will never flap around their firearms in public. No Sir, they respect themselves and they respect others by using a concealed carry holster to carry their handgun discreetly. What type of holster you should buy depends greatly on your specific needs and requirements. The best concealed carry holster for a law enforcement officer carry may not be so for you. The basic rule that a good concealed holster must have is that it should not cause an imprint when worn. Imprint usually happens when the holster is too bulky or cannot hold the gun close enough to the body. Some suggest that you should wear loose clothing to prevent imprint. This suggestion doesn’t sit well with many women, though. They feel loose shirt is unflattering to their figure. Many men also dislike wearing a shirt one size bigger than they normally do just to hide the fact that they’re carrying a gun.

Concealability is not the only thing that matters here. Comfort is also important. For people who need to carry a handgun at all times, the holster better be very comfortable. There are plenty of low-quality holsters that pinch your skin when you sit, dig into your bones, too hot to wear on warm days, or give you itches because of bad material selection. And then there are those that require constant adjustment throughout the day because they keep slipping and just won’t stay in place. Even when you only need to carry a firearm three to four hours a day you would want to buy a comfortable holster. Otherwise you’ll keep noticing it’s there and that can be very distracting.

Comfort is really a subjective matter. Some say belly-band holsters are comfortable. Others prefer hybrids between Kydex and leather or neoprene while their friends claim full-Kydex holsters are the best. The fact is all of those types can be comfortable to wear but you need to judge them individually instead of as a whole.

Next is carry ability. You can choose between gun-specific holsters or the more versatile ones that can carry different kinds of firearms securely. If you have only one gun, a Glock 19 for example, then holsters made specifically to carry Glock 19 is the one you should get. It ensures proper concealment, fit, and retention so the gun will not accidentally fall when you move around. Those who have two or more firearms can pick the holsters with swappable shells or holsters with large elastic pocket that can accommodate different types and sizes.  There are also holsters that are more than just gun carrier. They have extra pockets to keep extra mags and various other small items you might need.

And now we talk about accessibility. How easy is it to draw the gun from the holster when you need it? How important it is for you to be able to draw your gun quickly? Ideally, the holster should allow quick and easy draw without compromising concealment, carry ability or comfort. In real life, that’s not always the case. It comes back to what your needs and wants are. An undercover detective needs a concealed carry holster that enables quick draw should the need arises. If you’re a civilian who carry a gun for the sole purpose of covering your hide when an emergency happens then speedy draw may not be your main concern.

Yes, there are a lot of important factors that come into play here. To help you find the best concealed carry holster just read the following reviews.  These are ten of highly rated holsters that should suit your needs.

Best Concealed Carry Holster Reviews 

Hip Hugger Classic Concealed Carry Holster for Women

The Hip Hugger Classic is specially made for women who wish to conceal carry a firearm. This belly-band style holster does that really well. It’s easy to wear too. Put the gun in the pocket and you’re all set. It has slim profile without any Velcro that will make it bulky. People can’t tell if you have a gun on you even when you wear form fitting shirt. That’s a big plus because most women don’t like wearing loose shirt.

This holster has enough pockets to carry 4 handguns plus 3 magazines. It’s excellent for appendix and back carry both on the right and the left. When you don’t feel like carrying that much fire power you can use the extra pockets to keep your phone, license, keys, lipstick, or money. This holster has good fit and feel. It’s super comfortable for all-day use even on warm days. Sitting down or standing up you won’t feel it’s there.

Can Can Concealment deserve a praise for their thoughtful design.  Both the holster and the gun stay in place when you walk, jog, and do your daily activities. It feels safe because the gun doesn’t ride up and slip out of the pocket. Drawing and re-holstering are both easy to do. This holster is also machine washable. At the end of the day just throw it in the washer and let the machine do the cleaning.

CrossBreed Holsters RH SuperTuck Concealed Carry Holster

This is the go to holster for Smith and Wesson Shield handgun. It’s a leather and Kydex hybrid holster. You can immediately see the excellent craftsmanship on both the leather backing and the Kydex mold. CrossBreed got it right with the thickness of their leather. It doesn’t make the holster bulky. It leaves no prints when you don’t tuck in your shirt and very minimal print when you do tuck it in. The Kydex mold fully covers the trigger and trigger safety so there’s a very minuscule chance of it accidentally firing

The SuperTuck has good retention on S&W Shield. The Kydex grip the gun well yet allows easy drawing and re-holstering. Since the Kydex is riveted to the leather, you cannot adjust the retention. However, if you need to adjust it you can do it easily with a hair dryer and a moist towel. This holster uses a pair of spring steel clip to attach to your belt. These are really nice metal clips with their signature cross on them. Ride depth and cant are easily adjustable by adjusting these clips.

A good sign of a comfortable holster is when you forget it’s there. That’s how it is when you’ve broken in your SuperTuck holster. Even on long car rides you just forget that you’re wearing it because it doesn’t pinch your skin when you sit.

This holster is made in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty. That kind of warranty speaks volume of the quality of this holster.

Concealed Carry Deep Cover Holster

This is an elastic band holster that offers excellent concealability. On each end of the band there is a Velcro tab that runs vertically making this holster easy to wear. The elastic band fits chest sizes from 36 inches to 50 inches. It’s a good holster to carry a compact or sub-compact automatic handgun. You slide the gun between the four layers of elastic under your armpit and it will be hidden from view. Tuck in your shirt and people will still need to look hard to see the concealed gun. The elastic band provides excellent retention too. The gun won’t slide or fall when you move around.

This holster is designed for right-hand draw. It includes a tough HDPE trigger guard to prevent the trigger from accidentally getting pulled by hooks, table ends, or other objects. It is comfortable enough to be worn all day long. It gets warm under the part where the elastic band wraps around you but nothing that can cause major discomfort. For added comfort you can wear it over and undershirt.

The high concealability comes with a price. It is difficult to deploy your quickly. In case of emergency you will need to unbutton your shirt before reaching the gun. This is a tradeoff that you need to consider beforehand. Which one is more important? Maximum concealment or the ability to draw quickly?

Hidden Hybrid Holsters Concealed Carry Gun Holster

If you can’ t decide if you prefer IWB or OWB then you will love the Hidden Hybrid because you can use this as both. Use the belt clips when you need an IWB holster. The clips allow you to adjust the cant and ride height. The clips mount position enables you to tuck in your shirt when you wear the holster. When you need an OWB holster use the belt holes. However, you cannot adjust the cant or ride height in this setup. Both the clips and the holes fit 1.75-inch belt.

This holster is made from Kydex with perfectly dyed, high-quality leather backing. The leather is lined with suede to improve comfort. Overall quality is great with excellent craftsmanship. It’s comfortable to wear even without an undershirt. It’s perfect to carry Glock 19, 23, 32, and 38. For an easy draw and re-holster you can adjust the retention using the retention screws. The Kydex hugs the gun well and you can continue your active lifestyle without worrying if the gun will shift around in the holster.

One unique thing about the Hidden Hybrid is that it includes a copy of US bill of rights. How many holsters do you know comes with it?

Concealed Carry Hand Gun Level-3 Retention Holster

This is a level-3 retention holster made specifically for Sig Sauer SP2022 and SP2009. A level-3 retention holster keeps your gun securely while allowing easy draw in emergencies. It adds a cap above the firearm to complement the dual retention mechanism. The extra security makes it harder for someone who wants to grab and take your gun by force. It is also ideal for situations where you need to move through many obstacles and require the extra assurance that your firearm will not fall off no matter what. You do need to practice drawing to disengage the two releases quickly.

IMI make this holster from highly durable polymer. It is contoured fit and comfortable to wear. It easily connects to various platforms such as belt clip, belt loop, paddle, low ride, and drop leg. Such versatility cannot be found in its competitors. The cant is fully adjustable. A whole 360 degrees and you only need an Alley key to adjust it.

Due to its size, to use this as a concealed carry holster you really need to wear a jacket or a coat. It cannot be hidden from view by simply wearing loose clothing. In addition, this holster is only available in right-hand version.

Lethal Lace Universal Concealed Carry Holster

A conceal holster with a lace? Who would want that? Apparently, many women would.

The Lethal Lace is made of a long strip of very stretchy lace. You put the gun in one pocket at the end and wrap the lace around your body several times then use the clasps to keep it in place. It includes a neoprene foam pad that you can insert into the gun pocket as cushion for more comfort or you can skip it for maximum concealment. The lace ultimately conforms to your body and it’s comfortable to wear. The fabric is breathable and doesn’t get too hot on warm days.

Since this is just a long strip of stretchy fabric without any Kydex mold to hold the gun you can carry whatever firearm you have with it. It also can be used to carry your phone, knife, pepper spray, or money. The Lethal Lace can be worn around your chest, thigh, waist, hip, and calf. However, if you bend a lot you should avoid wearing it around your waist. It will roll up and you will need to readjust it all over again.

The Lethal Lace is meant to allow women to carry a firearm discreetly regardless of their choice of outfit. However, if you wear this then you need to compromise on the ease of drawing and re-holstering. Because the lace partially or fully covers the gun’s grip, drawing is inherently slow. Re-holstering is no different.

Ultimate Belly Band Holster for Concealed Carry

The Ultimate Belly Band holster uses neoprene with Velcro fasteners to secure it on your waist. It contours well with the body and fits up to 48-inch waist. It doesn’t slide around while you’re walking, running, or sitting. Neoprene is a synthetic sponge rubber that handles sweat and oil well so it’s a good material for a belly band holster. It’s comfortable, doesn’t irritate your skin, and on hot days it wicks away sweat keeping the area under the band dry.

This bellyband has an elastic holster that fits subcompact to full-size firearms. You no longer need to keep changing holster to carry different guns. With this holster you are free to position the gun in different places on your body. Appendix, on hip, behind hip, or shoulder. It’s easy to adjust the position too. There’s an extra pocket to keep spare mag, knife, flashlight, money, or anything else you may need. Even with the extra stuff you put in there concealment remains excellent. Loose or thick shirt is no longer necessary to prevent imprints.

The elastic holster hugs the gun snugly but for extra retention support you can use the retention strap. Just make sure you practice pulling the retention strap to release it before drawing the gun. Yes, it will compromise your draw speed. If you prefer speedier draw you can just cut the strap away.

Galco AL636 Lite Ankle Holster

This Galco Ankle Lite holster uses wide neoprene band with sheepskin padding to provide additional comfort. It does not cause irritation on the skin or anklebone. It remains comfortable on prolonged wear and you barely notice it’s still there. Other people will have a hard time noticing if you have a gun down there too. The Ankle Lite conceals and secures your Ruger very well. It practically makes your firearm invisible.

The neoprene band provides tight fit, adjustable using Velcro. It doesn’t matter if you have skinny or fat legs. The Velcro makes it easy to fasten the holster tightly around your ankle. It stays put while you’re actively doing outdoor activities like running or hiking. Retention is good and still allows for easy draw. Thumb strap provides extra security and can be easily snapped with a flick. A little practice is all you need to do it efficiently.

This Galco Ankle Lite holster is recommended for Ruger LC9. But is this the perfect ankle holster for the Ruger LC9?

Yes, yes it is.

It’s also an excellent choice for Beretta Nano 9mm, Glock 27, and other semi-automatic guns. It’s a dependable holster with excellent Galco craftsmanship. Definitely one of the best concealed carry holster on the market.

Hidden Heat Lace – Ladies Waistband Concealed Carry Gun Holster

Yet, another belly-band geared towards women. The Hidden Heat Lace can be worn around the waist, hips, or in between. It’s available in four sizes (small, medium, large, and extra-large) and offers excellent concealability and comfort. It doesn’t irritate or cause itches on your skin when your wear it from 9 to 5.

The Hidden Heat Lace has three pockets. You put the gun in the center one and use the other two one the sides to keep spare mags, phone, money, or whatever it is you need to carry. The center pocket fits small as well as large handgun. The side pocket is big enough to fit a large-screen smartphone. A multipurpose concealed holster like this is incredibly useful in daily situations when you want to leave your purse at home.

Each side of the band is strengthened with boning. The kind you normally find in corsets. It prevents the band from sagging due the weight of the gun. With its ambidextrous design, both right and left handed person can use this with no problem.

The only thing that makes this less than perfect is the fact that it rides up a little bit after being worn for a couple of hours. It’s not a major concern because you can adjust is easy.

Daltech Force Safestcarry® Belly Band Holster

The Daltech Force Safestcarry is a good belly-band holster for both men and women. It’s a 7-inch wide elastic band with heavy duty Velcro. It’s really easy to wear. You just need to wrap the band around the back, pull it to the front and attach the Velcro together. Spin it around to adjust your carry position to your left, right, or right at the back. You can also wear the band on the waist, hips, or a bit higher on the chest. With nine different band sizes (S to 5X) this holster covers waist sizes from 26-inch all the way to 60-inch.

This holster is a good choice for semi-autos and large revolvers. The elastic band holds the gun securely including the one with a laser attached. There’s also an additional strap to loop over the gun for extra security. This additional strap means drawing is a two-handed action. You can try using just one hand but it will be quite difficult with the strap attached.

Daltech Force specifically designed and tested their holsters to be used by law enforcement officers. The high quality elastic and Velcro used in the Safestcarry ensures that this holster will serve you for years to come. The holster comes with a lifetime warranty covering torn or frayed stitching which shows how confident Daltech Force is about the quality of their product.

Conclusion

With so many options available, picking the best concealed carry holster can be an overwhelming task. However, the ones shown above have been proven to be excellent choices for people who conceal carry just like you. Any one of them will make a great holster.  Pick one that serves your specific needs and requirements. The one that offers the most in concealability, comfort, durability, and accessibility is the one you should get. If there are any compromises you need to make then pick the one with least compromise.