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So you’ve gone out and gotten yourself the most popular handgun in America, the Glock 19. You’ve hit the range a few times to practice your marksmanship and get comfortable with how it handles, and now you feel confident enough in your marksmanship that you feel ready to start carrying it in your daily life. Now you have to find a holster that will work for your needs, and with thousands of options on the market, it is easy to get overwhelmed. For this reason, we have put together this guide on the best Glock 19 holsters.
In this article, we’ll show you some of our favorite picks as well as some of the more niche options. In addition to laying out a variety of Glock 19 holsters, we will go through our process of wading through some good, great, bad, and ugly holsters in order to save you some time and frustration when choosing the right holster for your needs.
- Best Overall: PHLster (Light Bearing Enigma)
- Best Value: FDO Pyre
- Honorable Mention: INCOG Shadow Eclipse
- Best Shoulder Holster: DeSantis New York Undercover
- Best Sidecar: Tier 1 Concealed Axis Elite
- Best for Duty Use: Safariland 6384RDS
Methodology
When it comes to guns, I’m more than a hobbyist. I’ve worked in the gun industry for about nine years and, in that time, I’ve stayed on top of the latest trends and I’ve attended courses by renowned shooting instructors like Dave Maynard, John Correia, and other training schools as well. Additionally, I’ve been concealed-carrying a firearm everyday for the past three years. I have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of marksmanship, and I’ve tried and used countless pieces of gear while carrying a concealed weapon. I know what works best for me and I’ve developed a sense of what works best in general.
While there are thousands of holsters available, we set out to find the best Glock 19 holster. We narrowed the search by looking at recommendations by other online sources and identifying key features that work best overall. We limited the search to designs constructed from hard plastic — in other words, we’ve excluded leather, nylon, and hybrid designs. The holsters we picked were obviously formed to fit a Glock 19 handgun, but also designed to completely cover the trigger guard. We also tried to keep our picks at a manageable price point — most land somewhere between $65 and $135 — and offer different types of carry.
For this review guide, I tested a total of 10 holsters by wearing them as I would normally. I judged each Glock 19 holster on comfort and concealability. Given that the biggest issue for any concealed carrier is getting your gun to “disappear” behind your clothes, I wore the holsters with a variety of outfits. The most difficult test was concealing the handgun while wearing leggings and a T-shirt. Most of the holsters on this list did OK with that test, but there were a few that exceeded my expectations.
I did additional testing on outside-the-waistband holsters. Since they’re typically equipped with active retention — a button or switch that locks and releases the gun — I wore them and practiced my draw stroke. I noted anything that hindered my ability to get my gun out quickly. When wearing an OWB holster, I am usually wearing a plate carrier as well, so the test was whether or not I can draw without snagging on the cummerbund.
Best Overall
PHLster (Light Bearing Enigma)
Best Value
FDO Pyre
Honorable Mention
INCOG Shadow Eclipse
Best Shoulder Holster
DeSantis New York Undercover
Best Sidecar
Tier 1 Concealed Axis Elite
Best for Duty Use
Safariland 6384RDS
Our verdict on the best Glock 19 holsters
The PHLster Enigma is the best overall holster for concealed carry because of its ability to adapt to your style no matter your clothes or the way you want to carry. It is a forward-thinking design that has truly never been done before and has quickly become my go-to EDC setup. If you are on a budget, the FDO Pyre is a solid option. It’s a simple design that retails at an affordable price and hits all of the major requirements when it comes to what I look for in an appendix inside-the-waistband holster.
What to consider when buying Glock 19 holsters
Before you buy a holster, you should first think about how you want to carry your firearm. Do you want to carry it openly or concealed? The second thing to think about is where you want to carry it. However, while you can find a holster for just about any part of your body, most holsters are designed to wear somewhere on your waist. After you figure out those two things, you should think about comfort, quality, and ease of use, and concealability for concealed-carry holsters.
Types of Glock 19 holsters
Outside the waistband
An outside-the-waistband holster, or an OWB holster, is typically worn for open carry — like the way cops or security guards do — but it’s not an uncommon mode for concealed carry. The biggest benefit of OWB carry is comfort because you don’t have a bulky hunk of metal and polymer rubbing against your body. The downside is that everyone can see your gun unless it’s hidden behind a cover garment.
If you do wear an OWB holster, you’ll want to clip it by your hip on your strong side. There are cross-draw holsters, but they’re meant for specific circumstances. Also, when concealing an OWB holster, it is important to consider your cover garment. Heavier layers like jackets or coats are usually the standard, but if you are carrying a smaller gun, you can get away with a light button-up shirt.
Inside the waistband
An inside-the-waistband holster, or an IWB holster, is only worn for concealed carry. The benefit is that it makes concealing a handgun fairly easy because it’s wedged between your pants and your body, but for that same reason, it’s not as comfortable as OWB carry.
When you wear an IWB holster, you put it wherever you find it most comfortable. However, the most common areas are strong side at the four- or five-o’clock position, or in the front over your appendix (called appendix carry). Small-of-the-back carry is also a thing, but it’s largely discouraged because if you fall and land on the gun, you could suffer a severe back injury.
Shoulder holsters
Shoulder holsters come in a variety of styles, the most common being where the gun/holster is under the armpit suspended by shoulder straps looped around both arms. You can find a shoulder holster that positions your gun either parallel or perpendicular to the ground. The latter is best for larger handguns with longer barrels.
When you wear a shoulder holster, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind. First, you’ll need to wear a cover garment like a jacket or loose-fitting shirt to conceal your firearm. Next, you’ll also need to be able to access your firearm through the front of your garment. And, lastly, you’ll need to consider your surroundings before you draw your handgun. If you draw from a shoulder holster parallel to the ground, you’ll flag any person behind you.
Since the Glock 19 is larger compared to some options specifically marketed for concealed carry, a shoulder holster can help tremendously with carrying comfortably so long as proper cover garments are worn.
Key features of a Glock 19 holster
Rigidity
The most important feature of any holster is rigidity, or the inability to be bent out of shape. This is especially important in the trigger guard because if the holster flexes when you are putting a loaded gun into it, there is a possibility that the trigger can get snagged on the edge of your holster and result in a negligent discharge.
Concealability
This is only important if your goal is to carry concealed, otherwise it is a non-issue. Several features factor into the overall concealability of a holster such as the thickness of the material it is made of, how far out the hardware and belt clips stick out from the holster, and the use of a concealment wing or claw which pushes out on the belt/pants and pushes the end of the grip into your body.
Comfort
Once you have picked out a good quality holster from a reputable manufacturer, next comes finding the right fit for you. This will depend on how and where you want to carry your firearm. I find that when carrying appendix, the biggest issue is hard edges and corners. This is why I try to look for holsters that have rounded edges near the muzzle end and near any corners that will be poking in towards my body.
Glock 19 holsters pricing
Depending on the quality and manufacturing process, Glock 19 holsters can range from $20 to $250, and even higher. For a good, quality appendix inside-the-waistband holster, expect to pay at least $60, with most going for anywhere between $80 and $100. For outside-the-waistband duty holsters, expect to pay between $80 and $270.
Tips and tricks
Concealment holsters:
- Select a holster with a modwing, a sort of lever that pushes out on your belt, which will help push the end of the grip into your body.
- Wide belt clips make for a more solid foundation and will prevent the gun from rocking side to side.
- Dark shirts and shirts with patterns hide the outline of your firearm/holster better than light-color clothing.
Duty holsters:
- Active retention is a must.
- All holsters which require the trigger finger to be used to defeat the retention are awful and should be avoided at all costs.
- Mid-ride holsters are the most secure and still allow plenty of clearance to avoid getting snagged on your plate carrier.
FAQs about Glock 19 holsters
You’ve got questions, Task & Purpose has answers.
A: As long as a good holster is selected, and it is worn with a proper cover garment, concealing a Glock 19 can be done even by smaller-framed people.
A: You can, but you might have to look in the 1970s-era section of the thrift store for some pants that are flared wide enough.
A: Navy SEALs do, in fact, carry the Glock 19, as well as MARSOC and other SOF groups.
A: It depends, but generally speaking, no.