3 of the Best Concealed Carry Holster Lines – You DON’T Want to Overlook

When it comes to concealed carry, the holsters we employ for carry can be as diverse and unique as we all are as people. There is an endless varietal buffet of holster options currently on the market. While holsters should not be chosen as a fashion piece; rather for their utility and safety, they often say a lot about their owner and need to check a lot of boxes along the way. The best concealed carry holster may need to answer these questions:

Do you want to carry Inside-the-Waistband (IWB) or Outside-the-Waistband (OWB)?
Do you need a locking holster or will a friction-fit design suffice?
Do you like leather or synthetic materials?
Shoulder holster or ankle carry?
Small-of-the-back or hip?
Appendix or pocket?
Fanny pack?!

While there are a lot of great individual holsters out there on the market your friends, family, and shooting buddies might rave about it is often nice to have a single brand to turn to for all of your needs. In my travels and carrying experiences, I have seen everything from the tip-top to the bottom of the barrel. Holsters that are truly the good, the bad, and the ugly. So whatever your need or application might be, here are 3 of the Best Concealed Carry Holster Lines on the Market.

Best Concealed Carry – Alien Gear Holsters

If you travel around on the interwebs enough you likely have heard of or encountered Alien Gear Holsters before. I have always viewed this brand as somewhat being shrouded in secrecy (like an actual alien) because everybody has heard of them, but who has actual seen or touched one in person?…

I took the leap of faith and am glad I did! Their “Shapeshift” system of holsters is one of the most modular on the market and can accomplish some of the most common and popular positions of concealed carry. With one holster system from Alien Gear Holsters you can choose from:

IWB Belt Clip Holster
IWB Appendix Holster
OWB Paddle Holster
OWB Belt Slide Holster

With components like a stainless-steel core, soft CoolVent neoprene base, and other more rigid polymer materials the Shapeshift holster system can conform to your needs, but will not be stiff and uncomfortable. If you do not already own a holster from Alien Gear Holsters this is definitely a company to keep on your radar.

Best Concealed Carry – Bravo Concealment

One thing that the concealed carry community loves to do is customize our firearms. Whether it is a more aggressive stipple job, we add a threaded barrel, and/or hang a flashlight off the front, we are constantly tailoring our weapon to our distinct style and needs. As a result of all of that modifying it often obliterates our choices for holsters, but that is where Bravo Concealment comes into play.

Bravo Concealment makes a library of kydex holsters that can accommodate abnormal firearm configurations. If you have suppressor height sights – no worries. If you are running a Trijicon RMR or similar red dot – not a big deal. If you have a weapon mounted light – you are still good to go.

Through simple drop-down menus on their website you can hand select most anything that could be hanging off of your chosen best concealed carry firearm, and customize a holster to fit it. I did exactly that with my favorite odd duck carry gun. With a Glock Gen4 17 9mm that has suppressor height sights, a Streamlight TLR-1 flashlight, and a Trijicon RMR red dot on top I got a custom molded holster without a “custom molded bill” vacuuming out my wallet. Affordable, versatile, and accommodating is the name of the game for Bravo Concealment holsters.

Best Concealed Carry – Front Line Holsters

While kydex, neoprene, and similar material might be all of the rage these days in regards to holsters, Front Line Holsters has taken a different more attractive approach to theirs. They have created and deployed new materials like KNG (Kydex-Next Generation) which is a proprietary, hybrid element affording the concealer carrier the benefits of multiple components at once. It not only is classy enough to carry with the appearance of a true professional, but it is also more gentle on your firearm and own clothing. The last thing any concealed carrier wants is to ruin their gun and/or pants because the holster is abrasive like 60-grit sandpaper.

Another reason to entertain a Front Line Holster is their wide utility. They make a nearly all encompassing holster – the Quad – which not only can be worn inside and out, but is also suitable for all of our often forgotten lefties out there. If you invest in the Quad, you could cover almost all of your bases at once:

Right-Hand IWB
Right-Hand OWB
Left-Hand IWB
Left-Hand OWB

Just like we do not want to get into the habit of carrying 7 different guns in 7 different calibers each day of the week, it can be similarly best and more simplistic if we could all stick to one choice in a holster for continuity on our brains. For that reason, the forward-thinking materials and extra utility of Front Line Holsters could benefit a lot of people.

While there is no such thing as the perfect holster there sure are some top-notch ones out there! We just need to have an internal dialogue with ourselves and ask a lot of questions to figure out what we truly need and want. All of the aforementioned brands are of high quality, have great warranties, and I have had great personal success with. What truly matters though is what do you think? Do you currently own any of the brands discussed? Have you thought of trying any of them? Let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.

Adam Scepaniak