How to Choose the Best Concealed Carry Holsters for Women

If you recently purchased a firearm, you may be wondering how to choose a holster for women and you are not alone. According to the 2021 National Firearms Survey, almost half of all new gun owners from February 2019 to April 2021 were women. These numbers show that women are the fastest-growing category of new gun owners, joining the ranks of almost 100 million individuals in the United States.

If you are among these new gun-owning women, you may have realized that finding and configuring a concealment holster can be challenging. What works for men and with men’s clothing may not necessarily fit your body or provide the best comfort.

Learn how to choose a holster for women and ensure your concealment holster safely retains your handgun while offering maximum comfort and the best fit for your body.

Why Choosing the Right Holster is Essential

A good gun holster must possess two essential attributes: safety and comfort.

• It must keep your firearm safe and secure, with a protective shell covering the trigger guard and keeping the firearm inside the holster until drawn.
• It must be comfortable enough to wear often and over extended periods.

If your gun holster cannot fulfill either of these tasks, you will be less likely to carry it due to the risk of your handgun falling out or being too uncomfortable for daily carry. A safe, comfortable holster is one you can confidently wear all day long without safety issues or feeling discomfort.

How to Choose a Holster Type

Many holster styles and shapes are available to women, including products exclusively designed for women (corset holsters, bra holsters, and thigh holsters for women). However, many of these unique designs have downsidesLearn how to choose a concealed carry holster for women that safely retains your handgun while offering maximum comfort and the best fit for your body.limiting the shooter’s choices in handguns or hampering the ease of drawing, carrying, or re-holstering.

For these reasons, classic belt-mounted holsters remain the top choice for concealed carry, even for women. They offer the best combination of concealment, ease of drawing, and handgun compatibility.

Avoid overly-specialized holster types and designs, and stick to commonly-selected models instead. An additional benefit is gaining access to more training resources relevant to your holster type, such as lessons on drawing and shooting from concealment.

Inside the Waistband (IWB) Gun Holsters for Women

An inside the waistband holster (IWB) is a type of gun holster designed to be secured on a gun belt and worn on the inside of the shooter’s pants. It is the most common holster type for concealment because it lets the wearer tuck a shirt or a similar covering garment over the holster.

With the right choice of pants, shirt, and holster, a gun carried in an IWB holster can become almost impossible to detect. The holster’s belt clip is the only outwardly visible element of such a configuration. The primary drawback of an IWB holster is that it sacrifices some comfort and ease of access for maximum concealment. The size of your handgun may also be limited, as larger handguns cannot always be concealed IWB effectively.

Female shooters wearing IWB holsters for concealment may prefer pairing it with a loose-fitting top or shirt. Even summer tops, such as tank tops or T-shirts, can provide adequate concealment as long as it is long and loose enough to hide your gun and holster.

If you want additional insurance against the shapes of your holster printing through, consider wearing a shirt with intricate prints or designs. They can help you break up the holster’s outline and make it less likely that onlookers will notice you’re carrying.

Outside the Waistband (OWB) Gun Holsters for Women

If you want to know how to choose a holster for women that provides an excellent balance of comfort and concealment, the OWB holster may be the ideal choice.

Outside the waistband holsters (OWB) possess a holster shell hanging on the outside of the wearer’s waistband instead of the inside. The design of an OWB holster allows a wearer to carry handguns of virtually any size comfortably, as there is no need for it to ride between your body and your pants.

Naturally, a holster shell riding on the outside means concealment is more challenging. OWB concealed carry requires wearing a second layer, such as a coat or a jacket. Doing so may not always be feasible during the hotter months or in areas with a dress code.

Although female shooters of all body types can efficiently conceal-carry with an OWB holster, some body types may have more natural advantages. For instance, if your body shape is closer to a pear or hourglass, the natural curves of your hips can help you keep your handgun concealed, especially in positions such as behind-the-hip carry.

If you have another body type and find your handgun’s grip tends to poke out and away from your body, consider using a more robust gun belt or installing a holster attachment to fix your holster’s alignment, such as a mod wing.

Appendix Carry Considerations for Women

To carry in the appendix carry position, you must place your holster at the 12-o’clock position: directly in front of you, over your belly area.

While it is possible to configure your gun belt and holster that way, a standard IWB holster is not recommended, as they are designed for more traditional carry positions. If you intend to appendix carry, use a dedicated appendix IWB (AIWB) holster instead. AIWB holsters are designed specifically for this carry position.

The primary benefit of an AIWB holster for women is the ease of access. Because your gun is always directly in front of your body, drawing it from concealment is typically faster and easier than from a traditional carry position, such as strong-side hip or behind-the-hip carry.

Appendix carry typically comes with an increased risk of printing due to the handgun’s grip sagging forward. If you experience this situation, consider installing a concealment claw. It will press against the back of your belt, tilting the grip back toward your body to eliminate printing.

Carry Your Gun Confidently With Incognito Concealment

At Incognito Concealment, our mission is to support the Second Amendment rights of all shooters, including women, regardless of their level of experience with firearms. We carry an extensive selection of IWB, OWB, and appendix carry holsters for hundreds of different handgun models, each covered by our limited lifetime warranty.

Contact us today to learn more about our products, concealed carry and how to choose the best holster for women.