3 Tips For Comfortable Concealed Carry

When first trying out concealed carry, you might have started with a standard inside the waist-band leather holder to hold your gun. While these are well suited for most occasions and clothing, they may not be the most comfortable for all day wear. No one tells you that leather holsters are actually really hard to wear, gather a lot of heat, and leave imprints on your skin. 
Being able to discreetly carry, regardless of weather or clothing, is important for maintaining your safety. While jeans lend themselves to comfortably carrying, they aren’t suitable for every occasion.. Not only that but finding the right holster and gun combination are key to comfortable concealed carry.
Here are three tips on how you can carry comfortably all day long without wearing jeans and a belt. 

How to Comfortable Concealed Carry

Tip 1: Buy the Right Gun 

If your gun is too big, you’re going to struggle to conceal your firearm. The weight will be more than you can handle. This can cause your pants to sag and give you hip and back pain from whole day wear. However, when your firearm is too small, it will be difficult for you to shoot well or it can get lost in your clothing when you need it the most.
There’s a fine line between too big or too small. We suggest focusing on purchasing guns between 6”-6.5” in overall length for concealed carry. Popular concealed carry models include the S&W M&P Shield, Glock 26 and Glock 43, Taurus G2, Walther CCP, and many more. 

Grip is also something to consider when choosing the best gun for concealed carry. You’ll typically shoot better with a full grip gun compared to a partial grip gun. However, a full grip tends to result in your gun being visible through your clothing for this reason a partial grip gun may be better option for concealed carry.

Tip 2: Buy the Right Style Holder 

There are multiple different types of holders you can use to conceal carry. You need to buy the right style for your needs and how long you would like to carry comfortably. 
Here is a list of different types of holders that you can try out.

 
IWB (inside the waistband) Holsters: These holsters can be a bit uncomfortable because you have to tuck them into your pants. To make them more comfortable, you can wear pants that are one size larger than your normal size and a belt. 

OWB (outside the waistband) Holsters: These are more comfortable because you don’t need to tuck them into your pants like IWB holsters. On the other hand, they tend to stick out farther from your body to make concealment difficult to achieve. OWB requires you to wear a belt, which restricts your wardrobe options. 

Belly Band Holsters: This band keeps your firearm pulled tight to your body without having to tuck your gun into your pants. The band wraps around your torso to give you back support while carrying a firearm. This makes it great for everyday wear or carrying concealed carry while working out. Belly band holsters work great for compact and subcompact sized firearms, but they’ll struggle to carry full size pistols. 

Fanny Pack Holsters: These holsters are great for comfort and can hold subcompact and compact firearms. Sometimes, fanny pack holsters can be dangerous because they have the gun held horizontally. This is unsafe because you’re pointing the gun at someone when they are next to you during concealed carry. It also gives you an unnatural drawing position. However, ComfortTac’s Fanny Pack Holster is the best fanny pack holder because it holds the gun vertically to keep you and the people around you safe. 

Tip 3: Dress Appropriately 

• If the way that you concealed carry forces you to change how you dress you’ll be less likely to carry daily. Finding the best gun and holster for concealed carry given your local weather and current wardrobe is key. Evaluate your wardrobe and see what you tend to wear during the hottest months in your area. It is easy to conceal when it's cold as a sweatshirt or flannel over your holster will always do the trick. Hot months pose the largest challenge as it’s too hot to layer up. Focus on what you wear during these warmer months to see what holster is the best for you. Then you will be set all year long.  
• When you conceal carry, you need to make sure that you are dressing appropriately for the type of holster you choose. If you are going to use an OWB holster, you’re going to have to wear pants with a belt to keep it up. To keep your firearm concealed with a OWB holster, you’re going to need an undershirt with another over shirt like a flannel or vest. 
• If you don’t want to change your style much, ComfortTac’s Belly Band Holsters are perfect for any outfit you put together. 

Founder of ComfortTac, Joe Cochran, was running into the same issues as a first time concealed carrier. He found leather inside waistband holsters to be hot and disliked having to wear jeans and a belt all the time, “I was ready to give up until I remembered why I started carrying in the first place. I made a decision not to be a victim. To stand up to predators if they threatened violence against me or my loved ones.”

This led to the creation of our popular belly band holster. To learn more about Joe’s story watch the video below.