Most conceal carry holster systems have one thing in common, they require you to wear a belt or an outer garment. This is the case with virtually all belt holsters, including outside the waistband and inside the waistband, and solar holsters that require you to wear a button-down shirt or jacket in order to have quick access to your gun.
Overall, belly holsters are a very effective way to carry a gun if you buy the right model. Here are the best belly band holsters on the market, and a few tips and tricks to make sure that you don’t pick the wrong one.
Position & Versatility
One of the best things about belly been holsters is their ability to be placed anywhere between your shoulders and your waist.
Many belly band holsters are designed to be used when you are able to wear a belt. The thick elastic provides the support of material to attach the holster to your body, and many times that elastic material is wide enough to wrap around your chest, as well as your waist.
This allows you to wear the holster as a traditional IWB holster or as a shoulder holster or anything in between.
This is in addition to you being able to swivel your gun to carry it anywhere inside your waist. Because many of the holster designs that are incorporated into belly bands are just loops of elastic material, you can place your gun in either direction and anywhere along your waist.
This means appendix carry, strong side hip, weak side, small back, and even Crossdraw carry can be done with a belly band holster. This makes them one of the most versatile holster designs on the market.
Top 8 Best Belly Band Holster Reviews on the Market
1. GalcoUwbkmed Belly Band Under Wraps Holster
When it comes to holsters, nothing beats Galco. They’re one of the largest manufacturers of off-the-shelf holsters in the world and make by far the most premium and high-quality production-grade holsters money can buy.
This is also the most recommended belly band holster by experts. Belly band holsters have the reputation of being cheap, unreliable, and disposable pieces of equipment. Galco has fixed that by utilizing premium materials from high-grade Velcro, neoprene, and elastic to hand stitching and ensuring that each and every component of this holster is built to last.
This holster is a very good reputation for being soft to the touch and comfortable even in hot, muggy weather. All the components selected are used because they will prevent chafing while maintaining adequate retention on your firearms and any accessories you tuck inside the pockets.
It is great as a concealment holster if you want to carry multiple firearms, even an ambidextrous holster, or want to carry multiple items. There is space for a flashlight, a knife a spare magazine, and badges or credentials.
A favorite among off-duty and undercover law enforcement this is an excellent holster for anyone who wants to invest in a good quality belly band holster.
2. Relentless Tactical Hidden Agenda Belly Band Holster Concealed Carry Holster fits All Handguns
This holster is probably made in the United States by relentless tactics. It is one of the lowest-profile belly band holsters on the market because it is comprised of a single loop of an elastic band, a small elastic holster, and one magazine pouch. It is available in three sizes, full-size, compact, and subcompact, and is extremely comfortable with its designated holster size.
The great thing about this holster is that unlike other belly band designs this holster does it chafe and breeze well. Neoprene, leather, or other heavy designs will make you sweat in the summer and will hold moisture in the winter leading to chafing and an uncomfortable feeling after a long day of wearing your gun.
The carefully selected materials from this belly band holster are comfortable even without an undershirt, and the near-perfect sizing for each category gun means that you have adequate retention when worn underneath a belt. Available in four different colors and multiple different sizes you can bet that this holster will last you a long time and you’ll enjoy carrying it.
3. Kaylle Belly Band Holster for Concealed Carry – Most Comfortable Neoprene IWB with Elastic Hand Gun Holder
When it comes to trying new holster methods, if you bounce around a lot it can get very expensive. Belly band holsters are very much a love-it-or-hate-it piece of equipment. In order to dip your toe into belly band holsters look at a model like this one from Kaylle.
While certainly the most low-profile or comfortable belly band holster out there, this is a durable well-rounded holster that is inexpensive and ready to be used right out of the box. It includes a retention strap to make sure that your firearms territory put it, a spot for your cell phone, and a place for a credit card, ID, or credentials. These features make this a great belly band holster for running because of the added retention in several pockets to hold not just firearms-related objects.
The entire belly band is made from a strategy 2.5 mm neoprene with an elastic holster section. This provides plenty of stretches to prevent chafing but also means that in very hot weather it is going to hold moisture and sweat against your skin.
While it is low-profile enough to wear underneath a bathing suit or leggings, it is going to print mildly, especially around the gun and Velcro sections. Other than that, this is a great choice and one most popular online for anyone looking to get into concealed carrying and find themselves in need of a belly band holster.
4. Concealed Carry Holster, Fullmosa Mi Belly Band Holster
If you’re really looking to carry a lot of gear and a low profile, look no further than this holster from Fullmosa. This belly band holster goes above and beyond to make sure that you can carry everything you need with you and conceal by adding multiple different pockets of all sizes for different objects.
There’s a pocket holding cash, cards, and keys as well as small cell phones. The high-quality Velcro backs each and every pocket and the band itself doesn’t scratch you or your gun and allows you to adjust the tightness of the band easily. They include a retention strap for your firearm is backed with genuine leather to hold your gun in even if you must run.
The bulk of the material that comprises the belly band is made of a breathable mesh design that is perfect for a long time wearing even in the summer. Finally, the critical points of the pockets and seams are backed with genuine leather to avoid stretching or formation after loading this holster down with weight.
With very careful attention to detail an almost universal holster built into this belly band makes it one of the most promising and feature-rich belly band holsters on the market. Perfect for anyone looking for a low-profile holster to carry more than just their gun.
5. Defender Belly Band Holster for Concealed Carry
Belly band holsters are popular partially because they allow you to carry guns in outfits that would otherwise be impossible. This holster takes that philosophy in and cranks it up a notch. This is one of the lowest-profile belly band holsters on the market and is perfect for anyone looking to conceal a small gun. Great for men or for women this is a great low-profile design for any hip shape.
A small gun Glock 26 or for handguns like a snub-nosed revolver is going to be perfectly at home in this holster. It is designed to carry a small gun, weighing less than 25 ounces or so, and do it very discreetly. The entire holster is made to be as compact as possible to ride low on your hips below your waistline.
There are no protruding clips, or bulky stretches of neoprene to give away the fact that you are carrying a concealed handgun. You can effectively carry a small gun inside the elastic holster, secured with elastic retention strap, and an extra magazine or speech trip, literally anywhere you would be wearing pants.
This is a great holster for even a medium-sized gun like the Glock 19 because it will be too bulky to fit inside the sewn-in holster, as well as being too heavy for the material, but is perfect for .380 ACP-sized guns or small 9mm pistols. This is also a great holster for jogging because of how low profile and study it is, perfect for running tights.
6. ComfortTac Ultimate Belly Band Holster
ComfortTac does make some of the most comfortable belly band holsters on the market, this is a model that they designed to carry more than just a gun. Generous amounts of Velcro, backed by a sturdy neoprene include and magazine pouch, a small pouch for a knife or credentials, and plenty of space in the holster pouch for up to a Glock 19-sized firearm.
The great thing about this holster is that while the sticker than other designs it is supremely comfortable, even in hot weather. The neoprene design incorporates a neoprene band sewn around all edges of the holster to prevent chafing from the Velcro or any freight edges.
Retention is achieved by the addition of straps anywhere they are needed that are secured with but in snaps rather than additional Velcro. The sturdiness of this belly band is better than just about every other on the market, except for models that cost over double.
With thousands of reviews, online this is one of the most favored belly band holsters on the market for anyone looking for a way to comfortably carry the gun in just about any outfit.
7. LIRISY Belly Band Holster
This is a one-size-fits-all, up to the 45-inch waist, an ambidextrous design that can be rotated left or right for a one-handed draw. The belly band itself is made of a soft neoprene material that is ventilated and is much more breathable than other competing models.
The holster pocket of this belly band holster is open on the bottom to allow debris to escape but also to incorporate pistols or revolvers with full-size or service-length barrels. This is great because many other designs do not take into account longer-length barrels.
While this is certainly thicker than other designs it supports the weight of an all-steel gun much better than many of the thinner elastic-only models. This belly band incorporates a second pouch that can carry a magazine or phone-sized object like a knife or flashlight.
December pouch is perfect for credentials or edification and measures just 5 inches across this belly band can be used anywhere from your shoulders down to below your belt line, making it easily one of the most versatile belly band holsters on the market.
8. Alpha Holster Belly Band
Belly band holsters have a reputation for being flimsy and lacking support. Out holster is specifically designed for this belly band holster system to support the weight of your gun and two additional magazines for commentary guns, including full-size guns for the Glock 17.
This is a great belly band holster because it allows you to carry a large-frame gun, and to spare magazines in comfort with a high degree of retention. The sewn-in loops that hold the magazines to your side depend on gravity to hold the base plates from slipping through the loop, but the holster portion of the belly band incorporates an elastic and Velcro retention strap.
This belly band holster will fit nearly every Glock model including a Glock 19 and Glock 23 exceptionally well. You’re able to crank down the retention to your body to make sure nothing will shift around if you must run while wearing this belly band holster.
Part of the reason this holster sells so well is a high-quality latex that is used in generous amounts creating a wide band across your belly. This distributes the weight of your gun easily and allows you to carry comfortably from below your belt line all the way up to your shoulder. Increasing the options you have for carrying.
Is available in three different colors black, tan, and white, and just about anyone’s way size. Look to this belly band holster if you want a simple and effective way to carry just about any gun on the market.
Belly Band Advantages & Shortcomings
The main disadvantage of using a belly band holster over other holster systems is comfort and retention. Because many belly band holsters on the market are made with a universal holster pocket, you will lack retention and comfort when carrying a gun, especially during heavy activity.
This may be a problem for some, especially if you are carrying a very lightweight gun like a Glock 43, but anything larger is going to get uncomfortable. The belly has holsters that are made for specific models of firearms tend to cost three or four times more than typical belly band holsters.
If you are going to use a belly band holster long-term, as a deep-cover concealment option, this makes sense.
However, many people can get away with using a lightweight gun and a Kydex IWB holster in everything but the most form-fitted outfits. However, careful experimentation with different models can yield different results. The best holster for fat guys is going to be different than the best holster for women. Body shape and wardrobe matter just as much as the holster and gun combination.
Many people either love or hate belly holsters and this is because they offer the distinct advantage of being able to carry a gun without a belt or an outer garment as in the case of a shoulder holster. If you need this capability, which many people do not, belly holsters offer that distinct advantage. Otherwise, you lose all advantages of a belly band holster once you are wearing pants with belt loops or a jacket and can accommodate either a traditional belt holster or shoulder holster system.
The Verdict
Belly band holsters are certainly a nice item. Especially high-grade models that will last you a long time. However, if you’re looking for the unique ability that the best belly band holster offers no other holster system will suffice. Belly band holsters are cheap enough that you can afford to buy one to experiment with several different outfits before you commit to a more expensive model.
Above all else, don’t expect to get your concealed carry set up right on your first try. Be open to experimenting and trying several different holsters or several different carry methods before you decide on which carry method is best for you.
Not to mention, make sure you get a consumer rig that is going to afford you the ability to carry all the time, you just may need it the one time you leave your gun behind.