Exposing your firearm in certain environment may trap you in danger or tension. Thus, you may want to conceal carry your firearms when sitting, driving, or walking. Hiding your weapon from sight eases your tension and distractions, reduces attention from the crowd, and allows you to blend into the crowd secretly.
However, concealed carry is a big challenge for most people, especially you have to sit for long. Here, you will learn common considerations when picking up an IWB holster and choose the right IWB holster for your firearms.
Part 1. Do You Need a Holster for Concealed Carry?
New gunners or shooters who have never handled their handguns with holsters may wonder the necessity of using concealed gun holsters. Below are the three basic functions of a concealed carry holster:
- Always keeps your firearm accessible
- Secure your gun and hold it in place during travel so you can locate it easily
- Safe, convenient, and comfortable carry
Note that gun and holster laws or regulations vary in different states. Thus, please check the gun regulations in places wherever you go and bring a holster that is in accordance with the sate or city gun legislation.
Part 2. What to Consider when Choosing the Best IWB Concealed Carry Holster?
You need to consider a few factors when choosing the best IWB holster. Here is a list of primary criteria to help you select a quality IWB holster.
Materials
Current gun holsters on the market are made of different materials, such as leather, Kydex, polymer, and nylon, and each material has its own features.
For example, leather holsters that have been around for centuries come in various styles and feel good. Kydex holsters are more durable than leather holsters and the retention is great. You can fast locate your firearm anytime you need to self-defend yourself. However, the disadvantage of kydex material is that it is too rigid and uncomfortable to carry for long periods.
The polymer holsters today are high strength, high toughness, and high-temperature resistance. Besides, they are also cheaper, more flexible, more comfortable to carry, and more gun-friendly than Kydex holsters.
While nylon holsters are the cheapest and lightest material, they have no retention and require both hands to re-holster the gun. Besides, nylon holsters may also easily suck in oil, water, sweat, and dust, which can lead to corrosion and increase the difficulty of cleaning.
Therefore, when choosing a holster, it is essential to consider the material. In terms of material, the best IWB holsters at present are polymer holsters. There are different polymer IWB holsters in our store. If you are interested, go choosing your favorite ones.
Comfort for All-Day Carrying
If you need to carry your weapon all day long, being comfortable is very critical. A good holster should fit your gun well and feel like a part of your clothing so that you are unaware of it, or you will find excuses not to use it. Many new holster users buy their first holsters as an add-on purchase from a gun store, only to find that it is not comfortable to wear. So, how to tell if an IWB holster is comfortable? The answer is try it.
You can wear the chosen IWB holster with a pistol in it and drive for a thirty-minute route or wear it all day long. If there is no discomfort when sitting or standing and there is no abnormal in the skin, it’s OK. Hence, we recommend you to buy a holster with a 30-day return period from the manufacturer, so you can return or change the holster if needed.
Right Fit for Your Firearm
While the holster fits your body well, it should also perfect fit for your pistol. A well fit holster should protect your firearm from accidental bumps and scratches when carrying and resist extreme climates and corrosive chemicals. Apart from that, the perfect fit for you handgun also means that your firearm doesn’t move in the holster while walking or running and it keeps the pistol in place, neither too tight nor too loose.
Concealment from View
Concealment is the most direct purpose when using an IWB holster. Hiding a weapon from view is not only user’s voluntary behavior on certain occasions, it is even required by the law in some jurisdictions. However, some bulky holsters don’t close fit your firearm, which exposes your holster, the gun, or both to keen eyes and even increases dangers and risks of accidental discharges.
I-Mini-guard Holster (Gen3) is a comfortable and concealed carry holster for a range of popular handguns, like Glock 26, 27, 33 (Gen 1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Sig Sauer P365, P320 carry, Springfield HellCat, etc. Its slimline design and low-profile build make the gun and holster fit snugly against your body shape, invisible from the view.
Since an IWB holster exists between your pants and waist, it requires high to weight. I-Mini-guard Holster (Gen3) is delicate and lightweight to carry all day long. On top of that, the ambidextrous mode and carrying cant adjustment make it the best daily carry choice for armed civilians and on-duty plainclothes policeman.
Easy to Access
Apart from concealment, you will also need to have quick and easy access to your handgun. As IWB holster is put inside your pants, theoretically, it takes more time to locate and draw out the gun. Thus, you get two options when choosing the best IWB holster for easy access.
Most people incline to carry their handguns on the strong side near their dominant hand. If you prefer cross-draw your gun, you can also try put the holster on your weak side.
Then, mind your correct hand direction and measure the belt or pant size when purchasing an IWB holster. If the size is inappropriate, it will affect the wearing cant and increase difficulty in accessing the gun in an emergency.
Safety
Check twice the security before paying.
- Inspect the draw/sweat shield size and shape to ensure that it well protects your skin from abrasion when drawing out the gun from the holster and the seat shield sucks moisture from your body.
- Ensure the holster covers the trigger guard well. Although it is minor, but even a trifle may lead to unpleasant tragedy. Imagine that the hem of your shirt works its way into the trigger area, breaks the trigger, and cause negligent discharge.
- Examine the holster retention. Generally, IWB holsters are level I retention adjusted by screws or nuts. You can put the pistol into it to test whether it is the perfect retention.
Try It On During Vigorous Activity
If the gun shop owner permits, you can try the IWB holster on and practice drawing out the gun to see if it works smoothly. You can also don it when running, walking, or fighting to ensure whether the gun fits well with the holster or the holster is secure to your body.
Allow a Consistent Grip and Draw
Ensure the grip of your gun and the draw is consistent. If the gun sits too low in your holster or the gun is held loose in the holster, it will be difficult for your fingers to wrap around the grip of the gun.
Period of Stay
What kind of IWB holster is suitable for you also depends on how long you need to wear it. If you only sit a few minutes or drive for a short distance, appendix carry holster is the easiest to access your pistol. Otherwise, an appendix carry holster may hurt your belly.
Design
A comfortable IWB holster must be ergonomic in design, especially if you need to sit or walk long hours. Moreover, it is also wearable in any position and angle and adjust to your body shape well with the stretchy elastic.
Affordable
Affordable here means a lot to you, maybe it is something of high quality and expensive price but you think it is worthwhile, or something out of other people’s reach. The fact is that you don’t need to spend too much on a functional IWB holster, a reasonably affordable is enough. You can check the IWB holsters here to get one to hide under your cover garment with the cost-efficient price.
Protect the Trigger
It rather dangerous to go if the trigger constantly exposed outside because a negligent discharge may occur unexpectedly. Thus, your IWB holster should always protect the trigger.
Part 3. Find the Perfect IWB Holster
Concealed carry your firearm makes you safe and confident at home, range, or the field. You can refer to the above suggestions to choose the best IWB holster. If you can’t avoid discomfort and anxiety when carrying the weapon for long, you should practice accessing your gun and drawing out it quickly.
K-Master Claw Combo Holster is another hot-sale IWB holster that supports appendix carry for Glock 19 (Gen 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and ambidextrous mode. It comes with the K-Master thermoplastic polymer material that can be heat-resistant to over 100°C. Padded with lint inside, it effectively protects the gun’s finishing and offers a quick draw. On top of that, the versatile holster also features other functions:
K-Master Claw Combo Holster (Item No. IWBG19)
- Concealable, comfortable, ergonomic, and easy to access.
- The attached single magazine pouch can be worn independently from the holster.
- Tough, Durable, and Anti-sweat.
- Ride height adjustable.
- Fits 1.5” to 1.75” belt.
- Retention and tension adjustable.
- Right hand and left hand convertible.
- 0 – 15°carrying cant adjustable.
- Affordable.
You can check this tutorial to learn how to use it properly. If you are interested in it, please contact our sales team for more queries.
