But what is the best Kydex holster for IWB and OWB? The answer obviously varies from person to person as what one person might find to be nice fitting, the other might find to be very uncomfortable. It’s also dependent on the gun that you carry, your environment, and the clothes that you wear.
Nonetheless, we’ve done our very best to bring you what we feel are the 4 best Kydex holsters for IWB and OWB on the market:
Concealment Express IWB Kydex Holster
The Concealment Express Kydex holster is hand molded right here in the United States to fit your pistol. This drastically reduces the chances of your pistol accidentally slipping out while also making it easier to draw the pistol quickly should the need ever arise. Concealment Express Holsters are also extremely durable and lightweight (only just over two ounces), making them one of the most perfect every day concealed carry holsters. The Concealment Express is extremely easy to hide for every day carry no matter how you dress. The variable cant on the side allows it to be adjusted from zero to fifteen degrees for a number of different carry options. This is easily among the best owb kydex holsters.
Advanced Performance Shooting Holsters Protective Services Elite IWB Holster
If you ever need a truly minimalist Kydex holster, the Protective Services Elite Holster is the Kydex holster for you. This holster is comfortable, sturdy, compact, and handcrafted right here in the United States. The reason for all of this is because it was designed specifically for law enforcement and military use, and thus the requirement for it to be both extremely lightweight and nearly indestructible came to fruition. But the real standout of the Protective Services Elite holster in comparison to other Kydex holsters on the market is the fact that it doesn’t use clip on attachments to hook your holster onto your belt, but rather uses more durable and dependable belt loops. These loops allow your holster to ride high on your person and also for better concealment. The Advanced Performance Shooting Holster Protective Services Elite also ships with a lifetime warranty.
Uncle Mike’s Tactical Kydex Pen Top Hip OWB Holster
Uncle Mike’s is a brand in the firearms world known for making entry to mid level holsters and other firearms accessories at nearly unbeatable prices. The Tactical Kydex Open Top Hip Holster is extra adjustable and designed for the fastest draw possible thanks for the fact that the lead edge has been cut down. Both paddle and belt loop accessories are included in the kit, so it rides the body at a mid level height. The holster itself has been designed for the most ergonomic and versatile carry possible, featuring air vents for added ease and pliable and soft materials for added comfort. This holster will fit both men and women very well, and can fit belts up to a width of one and three quarters of an inch. This should be on any list of the best Kydex holsters.
Comp-Tac Flatline IWB or OWB Holster
Want the best OWB Kydex holster and the best Kydex IWB holster in one product? Well, the Comp-Tac Flatline is a Kydex holster that allows you to carry your pistol in either position simply by changing out the flexible yet durable plastic clips. You can arrange the Comp-Tac into three different arrangements: Flatline and Flatline Off-Set for OWB carry and Standard for IWB carry. All three arrangements have a belt width of just one and a half inches. The angle of the gun’s position and smoothness of the draw/re-holstering can be decided by the adjustable retention and ride depth. This is a very comfortable and compact holster that ships with a one-year warranty on any potential defects in the construction and the materials of the holster.
What Makes Kydex So Special?
The four Kydex holsters we have listed are just a handful of the best Kydex pistol holsters selling online. Because there are so many high quality options, the one that you go with will ultimately just have to boil down to what fits your preference. Every holster is more or less comfortable by the person.
But what makes Kydex so special for an IWB or OWB holster? Even though Kydex holsters don’t look like anything cool like, say, Dirty Harry’s leather shoulder holster, they make up for this largely in the function that they serve. A well made Kydex holster will make drawing and re-holstering your pistol faster than any other holster on the market. Kydex holsters are also more easily concealable, lightweight, compact, durable, and stable than most other kinds of holsters as well, such as leather or nylon holsters.
Scientifically, Kydex is an acrylic-polyvinyl chloride composite that takes properties of both and puts them together. From the acrylic side of the spectrum, Kydex gains formability so it can easily fit specific kinds of pistols. From the polyvinyl chloride composite, it gains its durability that it is well known for. Kydex has a very low flammability rating as well as a hard thermoplastic, with a total hardness rating of ninety on the Rockwell scale. This high level of hardness is what makes the material so resistant to abrasive materials and environments.
For these reasons, Kydex is often used as an alternative to leather in a variety of different scenarios, because unlike leather, it holds a better shape, will not stretch under adverse conditions, is waterproof, and has lower friction.
In essence, having a Kydex holster is like having a holster custom designed specifically for you, while offering the best stability, retention, durability, and ergonomics of any holster on the market. You can also easily customize the best Kydex holsters with belt loops, clips, for right hand or left hand configurations, for OWB or IWB use, and so on to meet your optimum comfort needs. If Kydex isn’t the best holster material on the market, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle—and I ain’t that hairy.
