Ever dream about carrying your Glock with you everywhere?

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We get it…your Glock 19 is the go-to concealed carry weapon for many.

It’s also the standard sidearm for tons of law enforcement agencies and military organizations around the world.

But if you want to carry your Glock with you, you need a holster.

The Glock 19’s popularity means there’s a huge market of compatible holsters for you to choose from.

Unfortunately, all those options can make it difficult to figure out what’s a good holster at a good price that fits your individual needs.

Fortunately, you’ve got me.

In this guide, I’ll tell you what features any holster needs to have, give you the rundown on the various holster types out there, and finally give you my recommendations for holsters in each category.

Summary of Our Top Picks

1. 

   Best Light-Bearing OWB Holster

   PHLster Floodlight OWB Holster Surefire X300

   For those looking for a great duty-oriented holster, PHLster has got you covered.

   $119 at Brownells
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2. 

   Best Leather Holster

   Gould & Goodrich B803 Three Slot Pancake Holster

   With multiple carrying position slots, the B803 is sure to nestle in that comfortable spot for those prefer leather over Kydex.

   $65 at Amazon
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3. 

   Best Affordable G19 Holster

   Rounded Gear (Concealment Express) Holsters

   Starting at under $40, Rounded Gear holsters are a great value without sacrificing quality.

   $37 at Rounded Gear
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4. 

   Best IWB Kydex Holster

   Tenicor Holsters

   While spendy, the Tenicor holsters are slim and cut down on excess material — making for a fast and comfortable IWB hoslter.

   $95 at Tenicor
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5. 

   Editor’s Pick

   Hidden Hybrid Holsters

   The Hidden Hybrid holster was the most comfortable holster we tried with the Glock 19.

   $69 at Hidden Hybrid Holsters
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Choosing a Good Holster

Your holster’s most basic job is obviously to hold your firearm when you’re not using it. But it also needs to protect your firearm — both from being dropped and from bumps and scrapes.

It also prevents accidental discharge and allows you to quickly draw your firearm when the situation calls for it…whether that’s in competition or a defensive situation.

So how do you make sure that a holster can do all that?

Well, look for one with these qualities:

Comfort

Don’t underestimate how important comfort is.

It may seem secondary compared to the other qualities we’ll discuss, but if you’re not comfortable in your holster, you probably won’t wear it.

If you don’t wear your holster, you’ll still be in the position of needing to buy a holster for your Glock 19, plus you’ll have wasted money on a useless holster that just sits around taking up space.

And, if your home is anything like mine, you don’t need any more useless stuff sitting around taking up space.

So, like anything else you wear, try on a potential holster before you buy it, if at all possible. If you can’t try it on, at least make sure you can return it in case you don’t like it.

When trying on a holster, imitate the normal motions you go through during the day.

Make sure the holster doesn’t twist or rub. A little bit of rubbing may seem like it’s not a big deal, but over time it can lead to irritation, bruises, and blisters.

If your holster isn’t comfortable on your skin, you’ll need to wear a barrier between your holster and your skin or opt for a different holster entirely.

Rubbing from holsters made of hard materials will lead to more irritation, and an undershirt may not be enough to prevent it.

You also want to make sure that your holster won’t slip or shift.

Protection

Holsters constructed from durable and protective materials shield your Glock 19 against bumps and abrasion.

Most holsters are made of leather, nylon, or a polymer like Kydex, which all offer plenty of protection.

Retention

Retention just means that your holster won’t allow your gun to fall out of it.

The go-to litmus test for retention is simply turning the holster upside down. If your gun stays firmly in place, you’ve got plenty of retention.

Yes, I know most of you probably won’t be doing cartwheels or headstands in your holster, but what if you’re in an altercation and get knocked down?

The last thing you want is for your gun to slip out of your holster where your assailant can grab it before you recover.

Even outside of a defensive situation, you don’t want your gun to fall out while doing normal daily activities, like running, getting in and out of a vehicle, or dropping your pants to go to the bathroom.

(And for more help navigating the last situation, check out our guide Using the Bathroom While Carrying Concealed.)

Holsters use an active retention system, a passive retention system, or both at once.

An active retention system means that the user has to take steps to engage and disengage the retention system.

Common examples of active retention are thumb breaks or straps that the user must release before they can pull their weapon from the holster.

A passive retention system means the scabbard of the holster (the part that actually holds the gun) fits snugly around the gun and is molded to the shape of the gun.

This increases surface area contact, which combines to keep the gun firmly in place using friction.

Typically, passive retention holsters use screws that allow you to adjust how tightly the scabbard fits around the gun, allowing the user to adjust the level of friction and, by extension, the level of retention.

Just remember that while retention is absolutely important, you also need to be able to draw your firearm quickly.

Passive systems typically allow quicker access. But there’s a wide range of active retention holsters available as well.

Concealment

This is exactly what it sounds like…how visible is the holster when you wear it?

It’s difficult to talk about concealability briefly since holster type, shape, and material –in addition to the wearer’s build and clothing choices — all impact that.

You’ll also want to try a variety of different holster types to get an idea of what’s most easily concealed on your unique body type and under the clothes that you like to wear.

If you only plan on carrying openly, you may not need to worry about concealability.

Still, it’s nice to know that you already have a concealable holster should you ever decide that you want to carry concealed after all.

On the other hand, I don’t want to rob you of an excuse to buy another holster. You do you.

Trigger Coverage

This is another factor that’s pretty self-explanatory — your holster needs to cover your Glock 19’s trigger to stop the accidental discharge.

Not all holsters do this, but there’s no reason to risk it.

Positive Grip

This simply means that you should be able to draw your gun with one hand with a ready-to-shoot combat grip regardless of position and even in close quarters.

The holster needs to make this efficient, but you can’t expect it to carry the full burden here. You also need to consistently drill to make sure that you can do this reliably.

Holster Types

Now you know what you need from a holster, so let’s move on to holster types.

Outside the Waistband

Once again, we have something that is exactly what it sounds like.

Outside the waistband (OWB), holsters attach to your waistband or belt and are carried on the outside of it.

This is a very visible style, so it’s usually what people think of when they think of a holster, but it’s actually not a particularly popular holster, precisely because it’s so visible.

Their positioning makes them difficult to hide under clothing because they either peek out from under them or print (show a visible bulge).

On the other hand, OWB holsters tend to be quite comfortable and position your firearm where it can be quickly and easily accessed.

Inside the Waistband

And inside the waistband (IWB), holsters are similar, but they sit — you guessed it; inside of your waistband.

They’re probably the most popular holster type for concealed carry since they are easily hidden under clothing.

The cost is that they can be uncomfortable (though an undershirt goes a long way in helping this), and establishing a positive grip is more difficult.

Shoulder

If you’ve seen just about any movie about spies or law enforcement, then you’ve almost certainly seen a shoulder holster.

They’re actually a popular choice among plainclothes law enforcement in real life, too — but not so much among civilians.

They’re easily concealed under a jacket, but that obviously means that you have to keep your jacket on as long as you want to keep your firearm concealed.

They also conceal well under loose shirts, but this makes it more difficult to access your gun, especially if your shirt is tucked in.

Ankle

Ankle holsters aren’t usually the first choice for concealed carry, since they can be uncomfortable.

They also don’t position the gun ideally for quick, easy access, but they are popular for carrying backup guns.

Women-Specific Holsters

Now, women can wear any of the holster types we’ve discussed, but unless indicated otherwise, the vast majority of holsters are designed with men’s bodies in mind. That means they may not be as comfortable on functional when worn by a woman.

You may not have encountered any problems with non-women-specific holsters, but if you do, you can find holsters of all of the above types that are actually designed for women.

There are also holster types that are generally women-specific, like thigh holsters, carry purses, and purse holsters.

For a more comprehensive look at women’s concealed carry, check out our Guide to Carrying for Women.

Best Glock 19 Holsters

You asked for it, and we listened — here’s our rundown ofsome of the best holsters for your Glock 19. We’ve rounded up a few of each type, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from.

Now, without further ado, our favorite Glock 19 holsters!

OWB Holsters

1. PHLster Floodlight OWB

PHLster is well known in the gun world as being a holster company with a solid reputation and a data-driven approach to holster making.

The Floodlight OWB is no exception. Bringing an option to those that prefer a light-equipped pistol, PHLster advertises the Floodlight OWB for range-use and similar applications.