How Well Do Our OWB Gun Holsters Conceal?

In an age of deep concealment techniques and dedicated inside the waistband holsters (IWB), choosing an outside the waistband holster (OWB) for concealed carrying may sound like a less-than-optimal choice.

You may be surprised to find out that IWB is not the only way to carry a gun concealed. Not only is it possible to use an OWB holster for concealed carrying, but police officers and other law enforcement professionals have decades of experience doing so.

Learn how to choose a holster for OWB concealed carrying and find out how our models perform.

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Why Choose an OWB Holster for Concealed Carry?

Although modern gun owners may think IWB is for carrying concealed and OWB is only suitable for open carry, it’s not that simple in reality. Like every carry method, OWB concealed carrying has its pros and cons.

A dedicated inside the waistband (IWB) holster gives you the highest possible concealability because it tucks inside your pants, letting you easily conceal it with little more than a shirt.

However, carrying IWB requires the correct wardrobe (typically pants one size larger than usual) and limits the practical size of your handgun, as the larger the firearm, the more likely it is to print.

Carrying OWB solves these problems. By moving the holster and gun to the outside of your waistband, OWB holsters are more comfortable, and you can also carry a firearm without buying new pants.

As long as your existing pants can support a gun belt, you’re good to go. It’s also much easier to carry a full-sized handgun this way, and drawing your firearm is typically faster from an OWB holster than from IWB.

Naturally, the disadvantage of an OWB holster is that you need an additional cover garment to conceal your weapon. However, you can mitigate this with the right cover garment and holster choices.

When choosing cover garments, remember you don’t have to use a heavy jacket or a coat as your outer layer. It is possible to carry concealed with an OWB holster even under hot weather with something as simple as an overshirt.

What OWB Holsters Can I Use for Concealed Carry?

When it comes to holster choices, Incognito Concealment offers three of the most popular OWB holster designs:

• The Venture, a covert OWB belt holster
  
• The ST7-Pro, a paddle holster
  
• The Level 2 UBL, an active retention holster

Each holster is designed to fulfill a different purpose. Here’s how each of our holsters fares for concealed carrying.

Covert OWB Holster: Incognito Venture

The  Incognito Venture may be an OWB belt holster, but it is unlike any traditional OWB holster you’ve ever seen. This model belongs to the category of covert holsters, meaning it possesses several features and design elements intended to improve its concealability.

The overall construction of the Incognito Venture resembles that of a standard Kydex pancake holster, with two molded sheets joined together with rivets and screws.

However, the first and most obvious difference with a regular Kydex holster is the shape and orientation of the Kydex sheets: They are contoured instead of being relatively flat, similar to the techniques used in IWB holsters.

The contoured design improves the Venture’s concealability in two ways: It fits the natural shapes of your body more comfortably, and it minimizes printing.

Overall, the Incognito Venture is an excellent choice for the gun owner looking to concealed carry with an OWB holster.

Paddle Holster: OWB Paddle Holster - ST7-Pro

The  OWB Paddle Holster - ST7-Pro is a paddle holster, a specific sub-class of OWB holsters employing a paddle instead of belt loops. The purpose of the paddle is to provide a balance between secure retention to the waistline and ease of installation and removal.

The primary advantage of the OWB Paddle Holster - ST7-Pro is what you’d expect from a paddle holster: Convenience. You can easily attach and detach the holster to your pants, and adjustments (e.g., to change the carry position) take seconds.

This feature can be advantageous when concealed carrying and transitioning to and from a vehicle, as you can simply relocate the holster’s position for comfort.

Best of all, the  paddle holster doesn’t require a gun belt, as its taco-shaped paddle features large, grippy teeth for maximum retention. In turn, you can use a more diverse wardrobe; all your paddle holster needs is a waistline to grab.

The ST7-Pro’s only real disadvantage is the same as all paddle holsters. The paddle system makes the holster wider than a typical OWB holster, making it more challenging to conceal without printing.

If you use a paddle holster for concealment, remember you are trading some concealability for extra convenience.

Active Retention Holster: Incognito Level 2 UBL

The  Incognito Level 2 UBL is an active retention holster. This model features two retention mechanisms: The Kydex shell’s natural passive retention and one active retention mechanism, the thumb break loop.

The Level 2 UBL is intended primarily for open carry and duty use. It features an extra-thick, impact-resistant Kydex shell and a plastic element with UBL belt loops.

Although it is an excellent holster for law enforcement and security duties, it is unsuitable for concealment. Active retention systems are  not necessary when concealed carrying.

The purpose of a retention mechanism is to mitigate the drawbacks of an openly-visible gun by making it more challenging for an attacker to extract your weapon from the holster and use it against you. Concealment naturally mitigates this possibility by hiding the gun from the attacker until you draw.

Get a Dependable Concealment Holster, Get an Incognito Concealment Holster

At Incognito Concealment, we understand your CCW is only as good as the holster you use to carry it. For this reason, we strive to offer the highest-quality concealment holsters on the market, molded to fit your handgun perfectly.

For advice or more information about our products, call us at  (586) 333-4240.