Holsters are like Pringles… you can’t just have one. It does not matter if you have 2 or 20. Whether you are fully satisfied with yours or not. We are always going to be in pursuit of the latest, greatest, and most mysterious one we can stick our guns into. For me, Alien Gear Holsters has always been a shadowy company. They seem to be everywhere. You seem them at the range, in advertisements, and people talk about them online. Simultaneously, I knew nothing about them and have never owned one. In a very serendipitous fashion, like smoke from a UFO with a glowing green light beckoning to me, Alien Gear reached out to me asking if I would like to try one. “Well, duh” I thought to myself. So in this TFB Review, we will take a look at one of their Cloak MOD OWB (Outside the Waistband) holsters fit for my Springfield Armory 911 .380 ACP carry pistol.

Specifications: Alien Gear Cloak MOD OWB Holster (Outside the Waistband)

As the name slightly implies, the Cloak Mod OWB holster is a modular syle holster. You have the ability to change from a belt slide backing to a paddle attachment as well as adjust the fit in several other areas. If you order one of these for your own personal use you get a flurry of components to use with this holster. All of those pieces can be read below:

• Cloak MOD OWB Holster – Shell, Rubber Retention Membrane, Steel Flex Plate, Rigid Nylon Backer, Paddle Attachment, Belt Slide Attachment
• (4) – Flathead Screws 8-32×3/8” | (6) – Flathead Screws 8-32×1/2” | (4) – Flathead Screws 8-32×5/8”
• (5) – #8 Countersunk Washers | (8) – Weld Nuts 8-32×5/16” | (4) – Cap Screws 8-32×3/8”
• (4) – 3/8” Spacers | (6) – ½” Spacers | (4) – 5/8” Spacers
• (2) Belt Slide Spacers | (1) Allen Key
• Iron Clad Triple Guarantee – 30 Day Test Drive, Free Holster Shell Trade-Ins, Forever Warranty
• Made Proudly in the U.S.A.
• MSRP – $47.88

While cycling through the options for this holster, you can also choose your belt width, belt rigidty, and of course, the pistol you intend to carry. The laundry list of components and the Check-Out options on their website will bring you to a grand total of $47.88 at MSRP. I believe a very fair price for everything that you are receiving.

Assembly & Fit: Alien Gear Cloak MOD OWB Holster (Outside the Waistband)

When it comes to using this holster, there is a lot going on! This is both a positive and a negative attribute about the Cloak Mod OWB. You have endless adjustable features, but this can also become confusing. The learning curve is probably 10 – 15 minutes of playing with the holster. There are instruction cards that come with the holster, but I would honestly suggest watching their YouTube video describing everything about the holster as well.

When you are dis-assembling and re-assembling the holster several times to get the correct pitch, belt width, and all the other comfort factors fit for you be sure to be careful with the steel flex plate. While this adds rigidity to the overall holster and conforms to your given pistol, I always fear cutting myself on that that steel flex plate.

After personally playing with this holster for awhile, I decided upon using the belt slide option with the 3/8″ spacers and canted the holster forward. All of these nuances fit me the best and I felt the most comfortable drawing from that position.

carry time: Alien Gear Cloak MOD OWB Holster (Outside the Waistband)

The height and positioning of the holster on one’s belt line was perfect. It rested high enough where a simple shirt could cover the holstered pistol, but not so high that the holstered pistol felt tippy. For hip carry, this pistol was not prohibitive to my movements. You could bend over and be seated without a problem. Only point of concern was driving. As a right-handed shooter who typically carries on my dominant-hand side you have your holstered pistol right where your seatbelt buckles in; not ideal for any holster.

The Cloak MOD OWB holster comes with two attachments for your preferred style of carry. For the paddle attachment, you have a 1 ¾” wide gap for your belt to feed through. My everyday belt is 1 ¼” wide and when drawing my pistol with that attachment there was a considerable amount of lift. My regular belt was a bit too narrow for concealed carry support of holsters. The holster wanted to come with the pistol. I then tried the belt attachment which has a 1 ½” wide gap. With my same everyday belt, there was still a feeling of lift, but less. I would recommend for this holster and its attachments to have a full 1 ½” belt at minimum.

The Cloak MOD OWB holster comes with 3 sets of different width rubber spacers to alter the gap between the holster’s exterior shell and body: 3/8 inch, ½ inch, and 5/8 inch. The 3/8” spacers held the pistol in tight, but the draw of the pistol felt mushy at first and not crisp and fast. Over the course of carrying approximately 1 week the feeling of mushi-ness disappeared as the holster broke in. The ½” spacers had soft retention of the pistol with a similar feeling of a mushy draw. The final set of 5/8” spacers I could not use. Their width or height, depending on your perspective, did not allow the anchor screw to even catch the weld nut.

When carrying with a light coat over the holster, I do not think anyone would notice or think that it ‘prints.’ If you are a master level jedi and saw me in public… maybe. To a normal person going about their own day, I think it would conceal completely out of sight.

To a discerning eye, there is a small amount of printing going on, but where I come from in MN, we typically never wear jackets this light in December.

When it comes to drawing from this position, I found it to be very easy. The pistol comes out clean and fast. I use my free hand to lift my jacket, shirt, or whatever might be in the way, but you could still do a one-handed draw if necessary.

Most days that I was carrying using the Alien Gear Cloak Mod OWB holster with my Springfield Armory 911 it was for a period of 12-14 hours. At no time did I feel like I was “weighted down” or that the holster rubbed uncomfortably against my body. For long, extended-use days this holster was comfortable enough to go all day long.

Final Thoughts: Alien Gear Cloak MOD OWB Holster (Outside the Waistband)

Overall, the holster had very soft retention of the pistol (initially); not tight and positive. Over the course of a week, that feeling went away and the fit became more crisp everyday. The hardware was very good. The mounting screws, washers, spacers, weld nuts and all other pieces had good tolerances and could be repeatedly installed, removed, and installed again with no problems. This repetitious use was great for someone trying to find their perfect fit. Also, I would absolutely suggest someone take some time to repeatedly adjust and test this holster so it fits them perfectly. The adjustable capabilities are nearly endless and it is important to find a feel and fit that is perfect for you. I felt the holster carried well. It did not weigh me down, rub poorly against my side, or anything negative in the comfort department. My biggest recommendation is to give the holster sometime because it improved with use. Also, sit down and take the time to fit it perfectly to yourself. It will matter in the long run. All in all, I enjoyed the holster and will likely be purchasing one for myself from Alien Gear.

The most important thing that truly matters though, is what do you think? Have you already tried one of these holsters yourself? Are you contemplating buying one and taking it for a spin? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.