Holster Up

There is one word that springs to the front when you look at how holsters are marketed, and that word is “comfort.” Some holster makers (especially less-than-optimal hybrid holster makers) talk about how comfortable their holsters are to wear, which fine. After all, comfort is one of the things to look for in a holster. 

But it’s not the only thing. Consider this analogy. The most comfortable you can be in your car is just sitting in the seat, not wearing seatbelt. You have complete freedom of movement, nothing is holding you in place, and you can get in and out as you like. But is that safe? No, it’s not.

Conversely, the safest you can be in a car is strapped into your seat with a six-point racing harness and all other manner of safety gear around. Yes, you are safe, but unless bondage is your kink, you’re probably very uncomfortable, you’re not going to be able move in and out of the car with any sort of speed at all. So we clearly make compromises between comfort, safety and speed of access when it comes to staying safe in our car. 

Now pick up everything I just said, and drop it on top of holsters. Comfortable holsters tend to have access and safety issues, and retention holsters slow you down. Good compromises exist (I’m kinda partial to Blade-Tech, JM Custom Kydex and Dark Star Gear), but first you have the make the decision that comfort isn’t the only reason to buy a holster.