When looking for a well-concealed holster, one type that often comes up is IWB. Probably you might have seen an acronym earlier, but in this article, we will look in detail about the IWB holster and check out the benefits and drawbacks when it comes to buying an IWB holster.
Inside the Waistband or IWB holster is a concealed carry type where you can hold your firearm between the body and waistband of the pants, shorts, or skirts. Whereas these might not appear like the comfortable position for your holster, but, you should give one try to it. You will be highly surprised!
IWB holster has different features that we will share here. Understanding the benefits and drawbacks will help you make a well-informed choice and spare budget from the unnecessary purchases on the pants, belts, or other accessories.
Why Is It Important to Choose the Best Holster?
If you find your holster not very comfortable, you may likely not wear this for long. When you start looking out for the options, remember that elements like weather, clothing, and your activity level will need different types of the holster.
The key to finding the best holster that works out for you will be knowing that the quality concealed holster must not just strike a proper balance between concealment and accessibility but must also be very comfortable to wear daily.
There’re many places on the body to conceal your firearm, and there’s a complete range of holster styles that will accommodate your most preferred method. One popular way to carry a concealed gun is referred to as an IWB holster and it is one of my favorite holster that we will discuss in detail.
About Inside-the-Waistband Holster
IWB holsters probably are the highly popular concealment carry holster design that can carry your handgun along your beltline. You will find many designs that exist now to accommodate a wide range of handguns and users.
Benefits of an IWB Holster
- The biggest benefit to the IWB holster is it’s much more concealable than any other holsters out there. The holster and your firearm disappear under the pants, with just the grip of your gun visible above, so it will be concealed under the shirt. In simple terms, IWB holsters are simple to conceal as well as go about the day than the OWB holsters.
- IWB holsters will look discrete with the light clothing. This weapon hugs your body’s natural contour much tighter without any need of tightening your belt and allows you to stay armed discretely.
- IWB holsters are highly stable. It is because these types of holsters generally come with 3 contact points with the body, 2 on the belt, and 1 where the holster gets pressed against the torso. It is highly useful because when you go out, this holster and gun will stay stable & not move over much. This helps to keep everything concealable and makes it simple to forget you have a firearm with you.
- IWB holsters do not need a belt. Because of their lightness in the design, a few IWB holsters generally do not even need the belt since they’re held by the sturdy metal clips, which attach very firmly to your pants’ upper hems, rather than time-consuming loops.
- Another benefit to the IWB holsters is the fact you have different carry positions so that you can carry this appendix carry, strong side hip, or at a small of the back.
Drawbacks of an IWB Holster
- Tough to get a good grip while drawing a gun: When you start to draw you will need to use your fingers a little harder between your torso and gun to allow you to get the good grip of your gun that can slow down your movement. This can mean very important for the law enforcement personnel for whom time element is very important in their work.
- You need to use closed front cover clothing: Clothing choices like a tucked-in shirt & sports coat won’t work. So, you need to be careful when choosing the right clothing.
- Having a gun inside the pants can make it feel tighter & dig higher in the body. That is not to mention you will have the pistol up against the skin every day. In a few cases, this will lead to red marks & rashes.
- Most of the time person wearing this holster is not much comfortable. People have to buy shorts or pants that are bigger to their size than they will wear to accommodate their gun
- Because IWB holsters are hidden under the clothes, taking out your firearm becomes a bit tough, hence can slow down your action.
