The Best Holsters for Glock 26 in 2024

The Glock 26 is a fantastic gun for concealed carry. It’s tiny but also controllable, has decent magazine capacity, and is compatible with Glock 19 and 17 magazines as well. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for a backup or concealed carry firearm, the Glock 26 is worth considering.

So if you’ve already bought a Glock 26 or are sold on it, the next question is how to carry it. I’m going to assume you’ve already given this some thought, so we’ll jump right into the product recommendations. If you’re still on the fence about deciding how to carry the G26, you can scroll down to the buying guide and read that first.

There are a lot of ways to carry a Glock 26, so I’ve tried to label each product with a “best” label that indicates what situations you might want to use it in. As always, the best for me might be different than the best for you. A lot of these rankings are subjective, which can be both good and bad. 

My choice for best overall is the Amberide Glock 26 Holster. It gives you some adjustability while staying small and maneuverable, and being made of both Kydex and Boltaron gives it added strength.

Product Reviews

1. Amberide Glock 26 Holster

There are a lot of IWB holsters out there for the Glock 26, and honestly, it’s hard to go wrong as long as you check reviews first. But if you’re looking for one that is a cut above the rest, I’d suggest looking at the Amberide.

It has adjustable cant, which is often not the case for IWB, and adjustable retention, which is a great thing to have for a holster like this. Adjustment is done via a hex key, as opposed to a Philips-head screwdriver which is a bit more common.

The holster is made out of both Kydex and boltaron, which are both thermoplastics with slight differences in strength and how they handle extreme temperatures. I haven’t had the pleasure of stress-testing the Amberide, but theoretically, the combination of the two should provide the best of both worlds and give you a tough holster that will keep its shape in heat and cold.

The Amberide is not cut for optics, so if you want to have a red dot on your G26, you won’t be able to use this holster. Starting with Gen 5, you can get your G26 optic-ready, so this may be a big deal to you.

Pros:

• Kydex + boltaron construction
• Adjustable retention
• Adjustable cant
• Slim profile
• Lots of color options available

Cons:

• Won’t fit with an optic (unless you cut out the shape in the holster)
• No adjustment on ride height

2. Pole.Craft Glock 26 Holster

If you like the Amberide but want something a little more affordable, you may want to look at the Pole.Craft holster. It’s not made in the U.S.A, but it does many of the same things as the Amberide. Instead of a hex key, adjustment on the retention and cant is done using a Philips-head screwdriver.

The biggest difference between the two is that the Pole.Craft covers the mag release button, while the Amberide does not. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on who you ask and how or where you wear the holster. 

The trouble with covering the mag release button is that now if you put pressure lower down on the holster by bending over or something, it could squeeze in tight enough that it pops the mag release where it wouldn’t otherwise.

Keeping the mag release uncovered, however, makes it easier to pop it when you put pressure directly on it. Ultimately, you just need to pick your poison and carry it in a way that doesn’t allow the magazine release to be pressed either way.

Overall, the Pole.Craft holster is very similar to the Amberide and a good alternative if you’re looking to save a few bucks.

Pros:

• Adjustable cant
• Adjustable retention
• Kydex
• A few color options

Cons:

• Not as many color options
• Kydex only, not Boltaron

3. Blackhawk Serpa CQC Holster for Glock 26

Realistically, not many of you will be carrying a Glock 26 as your main duty firearm. But just in case you find yourself in a situation where a baby Glock needs a home on your duty belt, this is the holster I’d recommend for that situation. It can accommodate up to a 2.25” belt width, has level II retention, and has room for an optic.

As I mentioned earlier, the Glock 26 is far too small to be a good fit for duty carry, but this is also great for open carry and daily carry OWB. It comes with a paddle attachment you can swap for the belt loops if you prefer, and overall has a discreet profile that shouldn’t grab too much attention.

You can adjust the cant either forward or backward here, which is really nice on a Glock 26. The grip is small enough that if it’s not in the exact right position for you, it can be difficult to draw predictably each time.

The retention is done via a forefinger release button and works well. The gun fits snugly in the holster and doesn’t rattle around, thanks to the adjustable passive retention. You might need to adjust things when the holster first arrives from the factory, but overall it’s a great OWB holster for a Glock 26.

Pros:

• Comfortable
• Compatible with duty belts
• Level II retention
• Adjustable cant & retention
• Cut for optics

Cons:

• Harder to conceal
• A little pricier
• No adjustable ride height

4. ComfortTac Ultimate Belly Band

Belly bands are a great option for carrying concealed, and they work well for the Glock 26. The ComfortTac Ultimate Belly Band is one of the best ones you can find. It gives you an extra mag pouch, which is great for a sub-compact pistol, and it holds the gun in place using a stretchy strap with a snap at the end.

Having that strap holding the gun in place is a good addition, in my opinion, because belly bands are more likely to shift throughout the day than an IWB holster.

In fact, one of the best things about belly bands is that you can decide how high up your torso you want to wear it. If you want to wear it low enough that your pants go over it, you can, and if you want to wear it up higher, you can do that too.

You’ve got to watch out for it sliding down, but as long as you get it situated well and do a few test runs with it, you should be able to find a way to make it comfortable for you.

Things like adjustable cant and retention don’t exist on a belly band, but because you can easily twist the band to place the gun exactly where you want it, this isn’t usually a big deal. If you want a comfortable way to carry an extra mag pouch, this can be a good option.

Pros:

• Extra mag pouch
• Soft and comfortable
• Concealable

Cons:

• Velcro will wear out faster than anything else
• Can get hot, especially in summer
• Mag pouch is a bit big for the G26 magazine

5. Houston Gun Holsters ECO Leather IWB Holster

A common complaint about holsters, in general, is that they tend to scuff your firearm over time, which is a somewhat natural by-product of the holster holding tightly onto the firearm unless you want it to come out.

Another common complaint about IWB holsters specifically is that they have corners and angles that make wearing them uncomfortable, even when they’re rounded.

Houston Gun Holsters has attempted to address both of these problems with its holster. The inside of the holster is made of soft fabric to avoid scuffing your firearm, and the outside is eco-leather. Eco leather is just regular leather that was made using more eco-friendly processes. The leather exterior makes it comfortable against your skin.

The flexibility and softness of the leather make it much more comfortable to wear IWB, which in turn makes it more likely that you’ll carry your firearm more often. The belt clip is made of steel and mounted on a reinforced pad that is then double-stitched. Since this is the part of a holster that is most likely to fail first, it’s nice to see them reinforce it so much.

All in all, it’s clear a lot of thought went into this holster design, and it is a good fit for a Glock 26.

Pros:

• Soft cloth interior (won’t scuff firearm)
• Leather exterior
• Reinforced belt clip and pad
• Fits other sub-compact handguns

Cons:

• No adjustability
• Won’t fit with an optic

6. Concealment Express IWB Kydex Holster

The Houston holster is solid, and the leather will last a long time, but the stitching on the leather may not last as long. Leather also has to be maintained in order to stay nice for longer. Kydex, on the other hand, tends to stay nice without much maintenance at all. If you want an IWB holster that is going to last a long time without any effort, you may want to look at this one.

The tradeoff is that Kydex is stiffer and can dig into your skin while you’re wearing it. Making adjustments to the cant and positioning of the holster can help, and you can always go up a pant size to make some extra room.

The Concealment Express is one of the most popular holsters for the Glock 26 in the world, and for good reason. It uses Posi-click retention (level 1), has adjustable cant, adjustable retention, and a lifetime warranty, making it a solid choice if you want to carry a Glock 26.

This model of holster will work with other Glocks as well, as long as they use the same magazine, so the width of the pistol is the same.

Pros:

• Will fit other Glock models
• Adjustable retention and cant
• Lifetime warranty

Cons:

• Ridges and bumps on the inside
• No color options

7. Blackhawk Serpa Sportster

Paddle holsters hold your gun out a little further from your body than a belt clip holster, which can be nice, especially if you’re a heavyset person. The other nice thing about paddle holsters is that they are a lot easier to slide around on your waist to different spots based on what you’re doing.

If you’re going from standing to sitting (or vice versa), you can slide the holster to a different spot to make each stance as comfortable as possible.

The other side of the coin on this, however, is that it’s also easier for someone to snatch your gun & holster off of your belt. If you’re open-carrying, you’ll at least want to make sure that the paddle goes to the inside of your pants to make the holster more secure. If you do that, it’s tight enough to be a struggle to take off without undoing your pants first.

You’ve got level II retention along with adjustable passive retention, which means the gun won’t rattle around in the holster, and you’ll have to press the forefinger button to release the firearm before you’ll be able to yank it out.

The biggest drawback to this holster is the polymer construction, so it will make a better off-duty or daily carry holster than an on-duty one. The polymer is strong enough to rely on, but it won’t have the durability or performance of Kydex.

Pros:

• Will work with duty belts
• Easy & quick to put on
• Can slide (with some difficulty) as you go from sitting to standing

Cons:

• Polymer construction
• Can’t adjust ride height

8. LPV Ankle Holster

I’ve added two ankle holsters to this list for the simple reason that ankle holsters work well for a lot of folks. A lot of shooters don’t take them particularly seriously, but ankle carry can be a great solution in certain circumstances. Conceal-carrying a Glock 26, especially if your work or lifestyle requires you to have a tucked-in shirt, is the perfect use case for an ankle holster.

LPV’s ankle holster comes with an extra mag pouch, which is a great addition to a sub-compact pistol like the G26. I also consider it a great addition that the calf strap has adjustable snaps instead of just velcro. Velcro works fine for a while but tends to be the first part of a holster to fail. Having the snaps ensures a much longer useful life for this holster.

The LPV is designed to work with more than just the Glock 26, so the company also included a little pad that rests on your ankle to protect it from rubbing against the end of the barrel. The G26 is too short to rub on your ankle anyway, but if you throw in a Glock 19 or similar, you’ll be glad that little pad is there.

Ankle holsters aren’t always practical, and they’re probably the slowest draw of any concealed carry location on your body, but they’re worth considering.

Pros:

• Extra magazine pouch
• Snap instead of velcro
• Snap retention on firearm & spare mag
• Fits more than just Glock 26

Cons:

• Ankle is slower draw
• Neoprene won’t last as long as leather

9. Bianchi 56 Serpent Holster

If you like carrying outside the waistband and are more trusting of leather than Kydex, you can take a look at the Bianchi 56 Serpent holster. It uses a thumb break snap for retention and is molded to fit the Glock 26 frame snugly and securely.

It rides a little high, but that’s not a bad thing if you’re aiming for concealment, and it’s something you can get used to even if you’re open carrying. The holster fully covers the trigger guard and is even cut to accommodate an optic if you have one.

All-in-all, it’s a great holster that should do everything you need it to do if you’re looking for OWB carry. You’ll pay a bit more for the leather than you would for a Kydex holster, but leather has its own unique advantages and a style that’s hard to beat.

The snap retention may not be as high-tech as some others, but it works just as well and is easy to get the hang of with just a little bit of practice.

Pros:

• Two color choices
• Thumb break snap retention
• Rides high for concealability

Cons:

• Will only fit Glock 26, 27, and 33
• Leather needs to be treated occasionally to stay good

10. Galco Ankle Glove

As promised, here is the other ankle holster on this list. What’s interesting about the Galco is how under-the-radar it seems to be flying in certain circles. Galco is a well-known brand among military and law enforcement, but their ankle glove is seemingly unknown. 

Granted, it’s the most expensive holster on this list, but it’s a holster that’s worth the price and made by an American company.

The inside of the holster that touches your skin is layered with sheepskin, making it incredibly soft and comfortable to wear. You can purchase it with a calf strap to suspend it up a little higher than your shoe or boot line or let it rest on the top of your boot.

It has a thumb break snap that is high quality and is double-stitched everywhere to help it last for a long time. It’s a slimmer profile than the LPV ankle holster we discussed above, so it’s easier to conceal and easier to reveal quickly when you’re ready to draw.

Pros:

• Premium saddle leather
• Double-stitched neoprene & sheepskin
• Optional calf-strap

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only fits Glock 26, 26, and 33

Buying Guide

Convenience and Size

The Glock 26 is affectionately known as the ‘baby Glock.’ As a general rule, the smaller the firearm, the more difficult it is to handle and shoot with precision, and the Glock 26 is no exception to this. For this reason, it is not typically used as a duty firearm since a larger handgun is much easier to control.

If you use a Glock 19 or 17 as your main duty firearm, then a Glock 26 utilizes the same magazines and could come in handy as a backup firearm. This is yet another reason why ankle carry for the G26 should not be dismissed out of hand.

The G26 has gotten its renown from being a great concealed firearm. Because it’s so small, you can carry it virtually anywhere on your person and keep it hidden from the rest of the world. It has good magazine capacity, especially given its size, and overall is incredibly convenient. The best holsters for the Glock 26 reflect the role that the gun plays in the industry at large.

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Concealability

Since the most common purpose of the Glock 26 is to be concealed, the best holsters for it should contribute to its concealability. Even the OWB holsters we’ve included on this list should be suitable for concealed carry when you’re wearing a jacket or a baggy shirt.

But concealability also depends on your wardrobe and body type. If you have a uniform that you wear for work, you’ll need to find a holster that you can wear while on the job that still gives you ready access to your firearm when you need it.

If you’re a larger-than-average person, it may be easier to conceal the gun & holster in one position than another. The same is true for a smaller person. If it’s not immediately obvious where the best place to conceal your firearm is, you might consider just picking up a cheap one that looks like it might work and giving it a whirl.

Retention

The word ‘retention’ refers to how the firearm is secured inside the holster until you want it to come out and is accomplished in a few ways. First, level I retention is when the holster itself is molded to the shape of the firearm and squeezes it when it’s inserted, making it take a deliberate pull in order to draw.

Additional retention can be added via locks or switches that have to be hit to free the gun so you can draw it. The most basic of these is the thumb break snap found on a lot of leather holsters. More advanced forms that do the same thing are the forefinger release and thumb press release on many Kydex and some polymer holsters.

The amount of retention you need depends on a lot of factors. When you’re carrying concealed, you can relax a bit on level II and III retention because the whole idea is that no one knows you’re carrying. This means that no one should be trying to get your gun out of your holster. You still don’t want it to come out accidentally, but good level I retention is enough for that.

Features

There are a few features that may not seem to matter much until you start using a holster without them. An oft-overlooked feature is adjustable retention, followed closely by adjustable cant. No holster is perfect, and even holsters designed to fit one specific model of firearm may not have perfect retention when it arrives at your door.

Being able to slightly tighten or loosen the retention can make the difference between an unusable holster and a perfect one. This doesn’t matter as much with leather, neoprene, or suede, but it’s absolutely critical on a Kydex or polymer holster.

Adjustable cant is similar. Many leather holsters don’t have adjustable cant. That’s fine as long as you already know what level of cant you prefer because then you can just buy one that’s set to how you like it. When you’re still figuring things out, though, you may want to look past the leather holsters until you’ve got a bit more experience. 

Comfort

If you aren’t comfortable when carrying, then you’re just not going to carry. You might carry for a while, especially if your desire to carry was triggered by some kind of event in your life, but eventually, the urgency will die down, and the annoyance will outweigh the risk.

You owe it to yourself and everyone you’re trying to protect to make sure you’re comfortable when carrying. If that means OWB, then find a way to make it work. If that means ankle, then figure it out. If that means IWB, then make it happen. You know it’s important to carry, or you wouldn’t be reading this article, so make sure discomfort is not an excuse you can use.

In my experience, OWB is hands-down the most comfortable way to carry. It also happens to be the most difficult to conceal. If you’re carrying IWB, I lean more towards leather or some other soft material, though plenty of people would disagree with that. 

Durability

Durability is sometimes the flip-side of comfort. The softest, most comfortable materials also tend to be the least durable. Again, if you’re carrying OWB, this isn’t a big problem, because you can just choose something really durable like kydex. 

Leather is a good middle-ground between softness and durability, but leather holsters have their own set of drawbacks that you should be aware of before going that route. Often, though, the part of the holster you have to worry about isn’t the main material, but is instead things like velcro, belt clips, or stitchings.

It’s important to make sure that those components are made with high-quality materials and reinforced to last for a long time. 

Adjustability

We talked about this a bit in the ‘Features’ section, but this is one of those drawbacks of the leather holsters I mentioned. Leather tends to be “what you see is what you get,” and you don’t have the ability to modify or adjust the holster much when it arrives. 

The more experienced you are with holsters, the less this matters because, again, you can just buy a leather holster that sits the way you want it to sit. But if you’re not sure what cant you like or how high you want your gun to ride, buying a leather holster can be a toss of the dice.

Of course, if you go with an ankle holster, that’s not as true because a lot of ankle holsters aren’t adjustable in those ways. The main way to adjust an ankle holster is how high up the leg it sits.

Safety

Safety goes right along with retention, but there are a few other considerations. Avoid the temptation to save a few bucks by buying a gun holster that doesn’t properly enclose the trigger guard. Even if your pistol has an external safety (which the Glock 26 does not), you don’t want the trigger exposed to any accidental firing.

You obviously want to keep it safe from bad guys, but you also need to protect it from children and even pets, so make sure the trigger guard is covered, and make sure the retention is tight enough that the gun won’t come out unless you really mean for it to come out. 

You can also check out Hunting Mark article on ‘best holsters for fat guys‘ for better comfort, concealment, and accessibility for carrying firearms, accommodating their body shape effectively.

FAQs

Conclusion

My pick for the best holster for Glock 26 is the Amberide IWB holster. It strikes a great balance between affordability, retention, comfort, and durability. It gives you a lot of colors to choose from and is overall a great option. It may not work for everyone, especially those that don’t want to carry IWB, but it’s a good place to start.

Do you have any experience with any of these holsters? Are there any that should be on this list that aren’t? Let me know in the comments.