9 Best Glock 19 Holsters | [For Comfort & Security] | 2024

Holsters are one of the most obvious needs for a handgun and the most overlooked accessory.

Many folks will start the holster buying journey with a simple nylon option like some options from Blackhawk, which just holds the gun on your belt. This approach is acceptable for the first bit of time but soon needs to be upgraded.

There are also many Kydex holster options, some better than others, some can be dangerous on their style of retention. Many training academy ranges will not allow Serpa holster to be used for training. 

The Serpa Kydex holster retains the pistol by way of the trigger guard, with a fingertip release when you draw the weapon. Look carefully, take some notes, and compare what is sitting on the gun store shelf or from online outlets like Amazon or Optic Planet, to name a couple.

When it comes to Concealed Carry holster or just strong side carry, options regarding this are also complex. For example, do you want inside the waistband or IWB, outside the waistband or OWB? Are you right-handed or left-handed? Do you need retention? What size of gun do you carry, revolver, or pistol?

In this article, we will dig into the best options for the Glock 19, what is the best holster for this gun, and how and why, etc., are you carrying this pistol. This is not to say the options we discuss will not work for a Glock 17, or the Glock 26 gen 4, or a different maker like the Sig Sauer, or even a 1911 Colt style gun. However, we must limit the depth of the rabbit hole we run down, so we will take the Glock 19 as one of the most popular and stick with that.

So, let us get ourselves educated on what to look for, what job the holster will perform, and then determine if that holster is available and where to get some of them.

Just for good and warm fuzzy feelings, I have contacted a custom holster maker that will blow your mind at the perfect fit options available to design and have one made that is exactly what you need. 

This is the way to go for the appendix carry or a specific OWB leather gun holster for your revolver or super fancy 1911 belt holster. If you want the best holster and the very best Glock holster, you will eventually contact a custom holster maker.

Women Specific Holster

Many writers will add this subject at the end of the article; I think this subject of concealable women-specific holsters needs to be mentioned upfront.

Women have many "challenges" when shopping for holsters, much more than right hand or left hand, primarily due to women's fashion and how their clothing is designed and styled; holsters, specifically concealed carry options, are limited.

With that said, the specific options can be boiled down to two paths:

• Off Body Carry
• On Body Carry

Off Body Carry

Safariland brands

Off body, carry means precisely that the holster does not attach to you or touch your skin. An example of this is the purse carry or carried in a briefcase, laptop case, or some manufacturers make a day planner style carry option. Since no one carries a day planner anymore, this option has become more of the tablet, or iPad case carry device.

The Crossbreed and Safariland brands have gone to a great extent to offer purse holsters that function great for both jobs, look incredibly attractive, and not as a disguised gun bag. Made from high-quality leather, if off-body carry is a choice you want to make, investigate this option.

On-Body Carry

On-body carry that fits with women's fashion, mostly business attire, is more challenging to manage. Still, the gun is not set down away from you, and you will have the firearm securely at your disposal and concealed until you need it.

1. Accmor Leg Holster

One option for women's fashion considerations and on-body carry is the Accmor Leg Holster, a garter holster.  The Accmor Leg Holster is a thigh "mounted" garter-style holster that holds the pistol and a magazine.  Think about this for a second that is lots of weight to fit in just a sinch-style holster.  The holster is made with nylon fabric, sot a breathable, to be sure.  

The holster sinches by a buckle mechanism, not a wrap elastic banding style; this one has a lace and buckle system, six rows of buckles no less, very nice addition. Since the holster is a pocket style with zero retention features, it will hold nearly any size and style of pistol. So will this fit a Glock 19 or even a full steel 1911? Yes, it will.

This is claiming to hold and conceal a Glock 19 size gun, but I think the Glock 43 is more the ticket. From looking at the pictures, this does not look like a comfortable carry option for the entire day.

Things To Look For When Choosing A Holster

Materials

Material choices for the holster you choose to buy; not like law enforcement or military, even security officers are issued holsters that conform to uniform codes, etc. Mostly a matter of the comfort level when you carry or wear the gun all day, along with magazine pouches.

Another consideration when choosing materials is who is going to look at this holster? If this holster will be visible, a great-looking leather holster, worn outside the waistband on a nice leather belt fed through the belt loops, is just classy.

If you plan on wearing this holster on the ATV riding through tree branches and sagebrush and may scratch the hell out an excellent high-quality leather holster, a super rugged Kydex holster is the better choice.

Leather holster

I will stay away from tooled and plain leather for this article, mainly because that subject is probably a complete article.

Leather holsters I have found are more comfortable to wear open carry all day long as duty carry working for federal law enforcement. As a private security officer also working on a federal contract, the leather learns to fit you.

It is a natural material so that it will conform to the belt, the body, and it just feels better, one thing a saddle leather gun holster even with great retention, thumb break, and all that, will not offer is adjustable retention.

Leather, however, does take more care, and cleaning, polishing, and buffing – you get the picture, on top of that, leather is heavier, and it will make the creaky noise, and some folks just hate that.

Kydex holster

Kydex is a material that had to come from NASA and the most popular on the aftermarket gun holster scene. This stuff is super tough, wear-resistant, formable, and adaptable material. Unfortunately, after the Kydex holster is made and the form cools to the touch, it takes a heavy-duty burr even to cut it, and the rivets must be pressed in place when it is "bendy."

Now, like most super solid and rigid materials, the Kydex holster will form your body to fit the Kydex holster, not the other way around, ever.

When you need solid and lightweight, this is the material you look for in a holster, maybe the best holster for a working Glock 19 holster. One other issue to contend with when talking about Kydex holsters will make the gun conforms to the Kydex. So, your super cool, Hydro-dip skull motif will wear right off in a matter of about a month, if not sooner, when you carry it in a Kydex holster.

Hybrid Holster

Hybrid, leather, and Kydex are the best of both worlds, and they are amazing CCW gun holsters.

The leather is placed against the contact areas of the human to holster and against the gun to Kydex. The form holding, super custom fitting Kydex keep the gun safe, and retention is as high and complex as you need it to be, but the wearability for the human and the form-fitting of leather to the gun live here in this hybrid holster.

Now for the downside of the hybrid, they are expensive. They are worth it, but these will cost ya!

2. Crossbreed Supertuck IWB Concealed Carry Holster.

Everybody's favorite, and for a good reason, is the Crossbreed Supertuck IWB Concealed Carry Holster.  The Crossbreed IWB holster sits inside the waistband, obviously, and will sit at a forward cant of 3 o'clock or 5 o'clock.  The backer is made from black cowhide leather and the Glock 19 seats in a molded Kydex friction retention pocket.

Everyone is raving reviews about the Crossbreed holsters, and for a good cause, they have done a ton of research and gone back to the drawing board repeatedly until they had the best configured off-the-shelf model on the market. On top of all that, the holster is made to tuck in a shirt and look like nothing is there, extremely comfortable at a leather, Kydex, and neoprene hybrid.

The IWB holster has a Kydex pocket to secure the gun, a leather backing to hold it in place against the body, and neoprene to sit against the skin to make it comfortable all day long. Look at that link and see for yourself; this is one to beat.

High Strength Nylon Holster

When I say high strength nylon, I am talking mainly about the stiffness the nylon holster is built with, and at the time, the nylon duty holster used with private security and law enforcement are a hybrid of Nylon and Kydex. The Nylon works to hold the gun and conceal the gun's metal from the public's eyes (yes, that is a real thing, ask any security or law enforcement), and the Kydex works as the strong exoskeleton and retention features.

Low Strength Nylon Holster

On the opposite end of high-strength stiff Nylon, holsters are low strength, form-fitting nylon offerings. The significant part of insufficient strength or all nylon holsters is the comfort factor. If this material is chosen, and the style of carrying is inside the waistband, or IWB, the Nylon against the human body all day is very tolerable, and it will protect the gun from sweat and oils common issues when choosing IWB to carry.

Cotton/Elastic Body Band Style Holster

Cotton or elastic probably should include neoprene holsters are designed to wear like or as clothing. perhaps the best concealed carry holster for avoiding detection. Some are made into an undershirt, others like a belly band, some for the lady's fashion are made in lingerie (called the "Flashbang" by some makers). 

This holster style is slow for the draw and present when things get dangerous; however, for concealment, no one will ever know they are there, and the person carrying this all day will have extraordinarily little to zero issues with comfort.

When you draw this gun, everyone will get to know you a little better than before; you will be in stages of undress, so it is the last resort, deep cover holster option. An issue to keep in mind there is zero space for additional ammo or magazines.

Different Types Of Holsters

Tactical Or Working Style Holster

A Tactical holster or a hip carry or thigh carry holster is also a working holster. I mean working or tactical holster is a strong side, belt-mounted, outside the waistband (OWB) duty holster. Usually, this holster will be spaced away from the belt so the wearer can draw the weapon past a Kevlar vest if so equipped. 

This holster is a working machine, nothing too attractive about them; they will have positive adjustable retention mechanisms. The most important thing with the duty holster is the easy drawing of the firearm and getting it on target when needed.

Once upon a time, all of these were made from leather and had excellent leather on the leather creek when they moved, and now most are made in the hybrid holster or stiff Nylon and Kydex holster. It makes sense, and I begrudgingly admit, but the nylon Kydex hybrid holster is the better choice. Gone are the days of basket weave tooling on the belt, cuff case, and holster, and now come the days of boring dull, Nylon that smells like – nothing.

Concealed Carry Holster (IWB)

Concealed Carry holster worn inside the pants line of the pants is called Inside the Waistband holster, or IWB, which I am sure is obvious to some of us, but some may be new.

Materials used for this style are leather, Nylon, and Kydex holsters. The nylon IWB holster is probably the most comfortable to wear against your skin all day in this fashion. A tremendous hybrid nylon and Kydex holster is a tuckable holster; these are great. 

They work because the holster sits inside the pants and secures over the belt with belt loops made from Kydex. The shirt is tucked over the gun and inside the waistband of the pants, so the only thing showing is the belt loops from the holster.

3. Concealment Express IWB KYDEX Holster

The Concealment Express IWB KYDEX holster is, as the name says, an IWB holster made from Kydex and held to the belt by a high tension spring clip that fits over the pants and belt. The Express IWB, as it says, is a Kydex holster; the belt clip will reach over the belt and holds on tight. You will not pull this holster out of position when you draw the gun. 

The Belt clip forward cant is also adjustable to fit the shooter. The IWB Kydex holster can be bought from Gen 1 to Gen 5, Glock 19, 23, 32, 45. This may be the best holster for everything. This holster will protect the gun from sweat and oils, but a day-long carry will become uncomfortable soon.

4. Alien Gear

When the Crossbred Supertuck came along, and the world went to beat it, Alien Gear, a newcomer, stepped up to the plate and did so with a full-size gun like the Glock 19 in mind. 100% percent Made in the USA.

The hybrid holster is a stiff nylon and Kydex offering, and it is significant; this is not a slip it in quick operation; this is a thought-out full size if a bad thing happens IWB holster. The large body contact area will make it more comfortable to wear as an IWB holster all day, and the Alien Gear is fully adjustable. The pistol grip will ride over the top of your belt exactly as such as you want it to, and not someone that is nowhere near your size and shape.

High Mounted Strong Side Carry (OWB)

Most gun carriers use a high mounted Outside the Waistband or OWB due to the ease of removal if a paddle style is used, and if not, the gun and leather are not inside the pants like an IWB holster and they are wonderfully comfortable. 

The one issue of two I have with this style of carrying is the clothing options are untucked shirts or jackets all the time, and the speed of deployment is a bit slower due to the unusually high position the hand must be when drawing the gun.

Luckily, all this talk of the faster draw and things of that nature do not happen all that often, and that is good. However, you MUST get training and practice using the holster you carry that is the best holster choice for your world.

Another consideration for OWB holsters is the way they are "mounted" to the shooter. One method is a paddle holster; this is a piece of the holster that fits over the belt and pants and sits against the shooter's skin – effectively. 

Most holster makers will fashion some retention to the belt in the form of hooks or bars that grab under the belt to keep the holster on your belt when you draw the gun and not remove the whole thing, gun, and holster – done it myself a few times, and it really pisses a guy off; and that was just putting it away, I can only imagine what would happen in an emergency, and you cannot even get a finger on the trigger…

5. Fobus Tactical Holster GLT19 Compact

An option in this department is a Kydex holster, mounted by the paddle, and that is the Fobus Tactical Holster GLT19 Compact called tactical due to the way this option is made is a concealed carry and OWB holster.  The maker states it will fit the Glock 19, 23, and Glock 32.  The Fobus tactical also boasts that it can carry a Glock 19 equipped with a laser or flashlight.  You will need to research and makes sure that the style and size of the light you fit your Glock 19 will do this off-the-shelf holster.

6. Blackhawk Serpa Concealment Holster

Another concealment holster is a Blackhawk Serpa concealment holster, this one is designed for the Glock 43, but they offer others that work the same; it will just hold a bigger gun, obviously. The Serpa holster has retention that is fingertip activated and is considered a dangerous option by many; due to the retention works inside the trigger guard, the choice is yours, do your research.

One unbelievably valuable aspect of the Serpa-style holsters is the mount is a belt loop, high riding system, that has variable adjustments on the belt mount to change and alter the angle of the holster to the shooter's hand when you grab the gun.

7. Gould And Goodridge B803-G19LH

Another style of high riding belt-mounted OWB holster is what is known as the pancake holster. For a large frame gun like the Glock 19 or even the Glock 17, this style is my choice. The Gould and Goodridge B803-G19LH is a pancake holster made from leather, and they are gorgeous. 

The pancake holster uses heavy leather to break up the outline of the gun and spreads the weight out along the hip, creating an all-day-long carry comfortable. With multiple belt loops to adjust the angle, it makes drawing the gun smoother. The belt loops are built into the leather and strong. 

Wear the Gould and Goodridge straight up or tilted forward. The downside of this maker is it is one or the other, not variable to fit the shooter. In all honesty, the Serpa will adjust more correctly for the exact needs of the shooter.

Thigh Mounted Holster

A specific type of working or tactical holster style. This thigh holster is almost always a hybrid of stiff nylon and Kydex holster; they hang from the belt and secure around the thigh. If you have not seen this setup, the handle is nearly right where your hand goes to reach into your front pocket on Levi's, so you are already trained to retrieve the gun from here by reaching for your car keys.

The low hanging fit of the thigh holster is excellent for a fast draw of the firearm, and when the wearer is sitting down, the gun can still be drawn, not the most straightforward motion, but much more accessible than off a belt-mounted holster when seated.

If you are an ATV, Motorcycle, or even an Equestrian rider, this style may be of use to you as well, as it will keep the gun handy and out of your ribcage when you are banging around all day.

Shoulder Holster

The shoulder holster has fallen out of grace in the concealed holster world due to the liability of the loaded gun is now pointing at everyone behind you or right at your pelvis, depending on the style (horizontal or vertical).

This type of holster also requires wearing a heavy coat or dress jacket all the time, leading to uncomfortable situations relating to dress code or weather.

The new way this style of concealed carry holster is coming back is with the sewn-in T-shirt style or the belly band style of holsters that fit snug against the skin, under a dress or polo shirt, etc.

And with the world going with polymer-framed, small-size guns, this type of holster is very conducive to use.

8. Horizontal Carry Option Is Galco

One of the original shoulder holsters to offer the horizontal carry option is Galco. They still offer it today, and even the harness straps are made from the same heavy, beautiful leather. If you are unfamiliar with shoulder holsters, the opposite strap of the harness will hook to the shooter's belt, and they work as suspenders. 

This will keep the holster and magazine or sometimes handcuff cases for the Law Enforcement crowd in place and position when you need them. Not a cheap option, not built like a cheap option either. This holster will outlast the carrier and keep on working better every day it is worn, and it becomes a part of the wearer.

Ankle Holster

9. Uncle Mikes Ankle Holster

Ankle holsters have been around since someone needed to sneak something somewhere. So they will always be part of the concealed holster world.

For an ankle holster, the Glock 19 is not the answer; hell, you will probably trip over the damn thing. Instead, the Glock 43, in a nylon ankle holster, is the ticket. And Uncle Mikes can give it to ya. Made from soft Nylon and some with neoprene, this holster will conform directly to the leg it is attached to and can be comfortable, so long as you are not trying to limp around with your Glock 17, making your foot drag when you walk.

The Uncle Mikes ComfortTac holster is made with a calf garter that fits around the top of the calf to keep the holster on your leg and not falling over the end of your shoe, and that, my friend, will happen before you get out of the house.

Custom Holster Maker

After you read about all the makers linked in this article and look at what is on the market, if you do not find your exact need, that's because you need to contact a custom holster maker.

The off the shelf stuff, no matter how great it is, and there are some great ones out there, your Glock 19 with the rails, now has a flashlight attachment, or your super Glock 17 with the RMR sight cut and a Vortex Red Dot mounted, does not fit anything on the market, that's because your custom-built gun, now needs custom holsters.

Cooke's Custom Holsters and I go way back, and the reason he began this trip down the custom holster path is for the exact reason I just mentioned, off the shelf stuff only works for off-the-shelf guns.

With Cooke's Custom Holsters, you can order the exactness to fit your gun, your body, your draw style, and on and on.  Cooke's can even make modular.

Modular magic in gun holsters, for example:

• Start with the pancake style high hip, take off the gun holding sleeve and leave the rest on your belt.
• Now place the gun sleeve on a thigh rig
• Later place the gun sleeve onto a mount made for the car, then back on the belt

All this and never remove the gun from its security; just move from one mounting option to another.

When you work with a custom maker, you need to send your custom parts to the maker, unless the custom maker is also an FFL dealer, do not send the firearm, or if the holster maker is partnered with an FFL to acquire and distribute the firearm.

What the holster maker will do, if they are worth the money, is use a blue gun blank and add your custom parts to that, and make the mold, test the retention, check the angles you require for the draw, then send the holster and your parts back to you when it is done.

After reading that previous, you should understand that having a custom job made just for you, your gun, and your particular needs is not a rapid process. So do not get in a hurry, and if the holster maker is worth the money they charge, they will not be in a hurry and rush a job.

Conclusion

Whatever your holster decision is, make sure they are the best choices for you and your environment you will use them in. And yes, I meant to use the plural in that last sentence; you will need multiple holsters for one gun. The old saying goes, "spend 500 bucks on a gun and 450 bucks on leather to carry it in".

Good luck and good shooting.

Reference:

Featured Image Anthony Battaglia