It’s been said that, “It’s better to have one and not need it, than need one and not have it.” The proper holster makes toting your favored handgun easier, making you more likely to have it should the need arise.
It can also shave seconds off your draw time, which is critical in encounters where time is of the essence, while keeping your defensive firearm concealed. Here are some of the best concealed carry holsters introduced for 2020.
Inside the waistband carry is more popular than ever, and more manufacturers are expanding their offerings to keep pace with demand. New for 2020, Versacarry introduced a new IWB option called the Comfort Flex Deluxe.
This budget priced holster is loaded with premium components, including water buffalo leather and padded foam backing. The leather sandwiches a layer of polymer, which provides rigidity but won’t mar your favorite handgun thanks to the protection afforded by the water buffalo hide.
A metal clip provides easy on and off, and holds the pistol with a forward cant for fast draws. A setscrew adjusts tension as the leather breaks in over time. Sizes are available to fit everything from 1911s to subcompacts. MSRP: $45
Galco’s QuickTuk Cloud line of holsters has been around for a while now, but was only available for semi-auto handguns. That all changed with the introduction of a new model designed to safely cradle Smith & Wesson J-frame revolvers.
The inside the waistband holster is a hybrid design, using Kydex for rigidity and ballistic nylon and closed cell foam for comfort. The Kydex pocket allows for a fast draw and easy holstering, with access to the wheelgun’s full grip.
The Comfort Cloth lining adds moisture wicking properties to the padding, and the ballistic nylon front provides a long life without being abrasive to your garments. Galco’s Tuckable polymer UniClip is adjustable for ride height, and lets you tuck in a shirt so you can maintain a professional appearance while concealing your favorite revolver. MSRP: $55.
One of SHOT Show 2020’s biggest handgun introductions was the Ruger-57. The American gunmaker was only the second to deliver a pistol chambered for the speedy little round, and they did so relatively inexpensively. Despite the recent introduction of the Ruger 57, a few holster makers have already brought some options to market.
If you’re looking to carry your new 57 concealed, look at the Infidel Max from Comp-Tac. The all-Kydex IWB holster features adjustment holes that allow you to choose reverse cant, speed cant and FBI forward cant while providing a smooth fast draw, along with safe and easy one-handed re-holstering.
The single polymer clip provides easy-on, easy-off holster wear and retention adjustment for ease of use. Noting the how popular red dot sighting systems have become, the Infidel Max is cut to permit their use. MSRP: $60.
Uncle Mike’s bills their Apparition holsters as the “first true inside-the-waistband or outside-the-waistband holster.” The unique design uses a skeletonized polymer fob that allows the holster to conform to your body.
The key to the system is the removable clips that can be repositioned to securely hold the holster whether inside your garments or not, and still allow you to draw from your preferred side. Adjusting these clips can also change cant, giving you your favored draw angle.
The Apparition comes in models that fit the Taurus PT111, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9/40/45, and various Glock makes. MSRP: $30.
The Inside Heat TB updates DeSantis’ inside the waistband classic with the addition of a thumb break for added security. The original Inside Heat is a bare bones IWB holster constructed of black saddle leather that relied on the precise molded contours for retention.
The Inside Heat TB builds upon that chassis, adding another level of retention with the thumb break. The reinforced top also eases re-holstering. A spring metal clip means you don’t need to wear a belt.
A unique quality of the Inside Heat line is that they are manipulated before they are packaged so that they arrive to the customer feeling like they are already broken in. Available for right or left handed users with a variety of Glock, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, and Sig Sauer handguns. MSRP: $60.
Gun Tote’n Mamas has made the most popular concealed carry handbags on the market for the last decade. They took their 40 years of experience designing luggage and used it to create conceal carry bags that are as stylish as they are functional.
The new Slim X-Body RFID Purse is a perfect example of form meeting function, with a bag that will impress your coworkers and cut down on your draw time. The dedicated handgun compartment is secured with two rare earth magnets, and facilitates rapid left, right, or top draw.
Beyond keeping your firearm quickly accessible, the Gun Tote’n Mamas handbags keep your personal information safe. Many of the cards we carry, from identification to credit, have use some sort of electromagnetic fields that automatically identify themselves to point of sale terminals or other radio frequency identification (RFID) readers.
While this technology can make life more convenient, it also makes personal and bank info easier to steal. To combat this, Gun Tote’n Mamas has built their new bags with RFID-blocking materials to keep your information safe. MSRP: $170.
The Crossbreed Hybrid line is a cross of two of their most popular holsters, combing the comfort of leather with the retention of Kydex. The newly released Hybrid MT2 features the adjustable retention pocket from Crossbreed’s popular Reckoning holsters with the leather backer from the MiniTuck line.
The backing pad distributes the weight of the firearm while maintaining a minimal footprint, and holds the Kydex holster with zero forward or reverse cant. This allows you to easily adjust cant by offsetting the front and rear clips.
The pocket has multiple points of retention, allowing you to customize your draw by tightening or loosening the mounting screws. Crossbreed’s “Combat Cut” allows for better access to your pistol’s grip, for faster, more secure draws. MSRP: $73
Most non-holster carry options are aimed at the female demographic, but the Galco FasTrax PAC Waistpack takes a more unisex approach. The FasTrax PAC outwardly resembles a typical fanny pack, but this one conceals a pivoting holster designed to deploy your handgun at a moment’s notice.
Pulling upward on an external activation cord rotates the holster upward, facilitating a fast draw. To keep you comfortable even on the hottest days, the FasTrax PAC’s back panel is made of Galco’s Comfort Cloth, a soft and breathable adaptive performance mesh that breathes during aerobic activities like sweaty trips to the gym or summer jogs.
The front has a zippered pocket for keys or other small items, and features a pass-through port for ear buds. The FasTrax adjusts to fit a wide range of handguns including 380s, smaller pistols like the Glock 43X, and small-frame revolvers. MSRP: $79
New to the Gun Tote’n Mamas line is the RFID-protecting Hobo purse. This stylish bag is designed to hold all your essentials, and built tough to shrug off the abuse that your day-to-day routine dishes out.
Two main compartments allow you to organize your necessities, while the dedicated gun pocket and holster make drawing in a hurry as simple as can be. To prevent printing when the Hobo is stuffed to the gills, the gun pocket is foam lined. An RFID lined zippered pocket and additional slip pockets safeguard your personal and financial info.
The comfortable leather strap conceals an 11-ply steel cable that is slash resistant to help ward off would-be thieves. MSRP: $180
Bianchi is known for their excellent fitting leather holsters, and the new Model 145 Subdue inside the waistband for wide range of handguns suits that legacy well. Premium full grain leather exterior envelops a padded liner to provide comfort not normally found on bare leather designs.
The holster’s interior offers a smooth draw and easy re-holstering. The heavy-duty spring-steel belt clip anchors the holster without the need for belt. The 145 Subdue has a high back with foam padding treated with anti-bacterial and -microbial coatings to prevent germ buildup that can lead to odors.
Models available to fit a number of firearms from full-size 1911s down to compact 9mms. MSRP: $68
