Best Glock 19 Holsters

It’s no secret that the Glock 19 has been one of, if not the most popular carry pistols of all time. The Glock 19 has been issued to militaries, law enforcement, and security agencies, as well as being a top choice for civilians looking to defend themselves and their loved ones. Owning and carrying a pistol comes with a responsibility to handle it safely, so despite what the movies tell you, stuffing a loaded pistol into your waistband without a holster isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need a safe, sturdy holster to stow that Glock 19 until it’s needed, so today, we’ll show you the best Glock 19 holsters on the market across the varied types of carry methods.

Types of Glock 19 Holsters

Inside the Waistband (IWB) Holsters

IWB holsters allow for the best concealment by inherently hiding the front half of the gun inside the wearer’s pants. The most common places IWB holsters are carried are at the 4 and 5 o’clock positions for right-handed people, or the 7 and 8 o’clock positions for left-handed people. To a lesser degree, some people carry in the small of the back, however, caution is advised due to potential lower back injuries if the wearer were to fall backward. Inside the Waistband holsters can be secured by using clips, straps with snaps, hooked tabs, or belt loops.

Appendix Carry (AIWB) Holsters

Appendix Carry is an extension of Inside the Waistband holsters, but specifically geared towards carrying at the 11, 12, or 1 o’clock positions. When searching for holsters, you may also see this referred to as AIWB. Appendix carry has become commonplace for concealed carry discussions and in practice, although some are reluctant to try this method due to the sensitive direction the muzzle points. Securing AIWB holsters is done with clips, straps, snaps, hooked tabs (aka J hooks), and belt loops.

Outside the Waistband (OWB) Holsters

While OWB holsters can be concealed, they generally require more than just an untucked shirt to achieve it; such as a coat, jacket, or vest. When wearing an OWB holster, consider that there’s a chance that people will see part of your rig, or consider all the pros and cons of open carry, which we’ve discussed numerous times on TFB. Outside the Waistband holsters typically attach to the wearers' belt via belt slide loops, but paddle holsters also use friction inside the waistband.

Shoulder Holsters

Yes, Shoulder Holsters are still a thing. Like OWB holsters, they bridge the gap between concealment and open carry, but require an outer garment if concealability is your goal, and there’s a chance that someone will still see it at some point. Shoulder holsters carry the pistols on the non-dominant side so that the dominant hand can be used to draw the Glock 19. Meanwhile, the wearer’s dominant side of the shoulder holster holds the magazine pouches so that the support hand can manipulate the reload. The shoulder holster is secured around the wearer’s shoulders, but can also be secured to the belt by tie-downs to keep the pistol and magazines from flopping around.

Belly Band Holsters

Belly Band holsters can be worn slightly higher than the waistband, or even completely above it. Belly band holsters typically involve an elasticized piece of material, or a wide stretch of hook and loop material to fit snugly against the wearer’s torso. Some designs use a hybrid style with a molded plastic or Kydex holster that’s attached to the band, while other designs have a more generic sleeve for a variety of pistols to slide into. Some have retention snaps, and some don’t.

Trigger Guard Holsters

Trigger Guard holsters are the smallest style of holster, thus they can also be referred to as minimalist holsters. As the name implies, they are as big as the trigger guard. The pistol’s trigger guard is held in place by a molded piece of plastic or Kydex that retains the pistol and the material is attached to a cord or belt clip to place anywhere inside the waistband. I’ve also written an article on how to make your own trigger guard holster.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Glock 19 Holster

Comfort and Fit

Who doesn’t want to be comfortable, right? Finding a holster that works with your wardrobe that you can wear all day may take some trial and error. If your holster or pistol is digging into your skin, you probably won’t want to be carrying that much, which defeats the purpose of self-defense preparedness. It’s also important to find the right fitment of the gun inside the holster so that it’s not too loose or too tight. Having an ill-fitting holster can lead to losing your gun on a dance floor, or even allow it to negatively interact with the trigger. Given the popularity of the Glock 19, fitment shouldn’t be too big of a problem.

Material and Durability

When looking for a holster, there is a plethora of materials to choose from; Leather, kydex, injection molded plastics, and nylon. Regardless of whether you go with my recommendations below or not, it always helps to read reviews on any product and jump around to different online dealers to read them, even if you don’t plan on buying from them. Leather is durable and looks great, but needs re-evaluating from time to time to make sure it’s holding up with your usage. Kydex and plastics are typically quite durable but do check for any cracking over time. Nylon is also quite durable, but few companies are molding it to specific pistols, which can lead to retention issues and less-than-intuitive release mechanisms. Having said all that, Kydex is the go-to option for long-term durability, retention, and concealability.

Ease of Access and Draw

Drawing your pistol from your holster needs to be fluid, quick, and efficient. Once you make the decision to bring your gun into an incident, you’re probably already behind. Fumbling with clothing and retention methods around your waistline is going to signal your intent to add your own lethal force into the equation and will only give a bad guy time to make his move if he hasn’t already. Practice, practice, practice drawing your pistol like your life depends on it… because it might. Naturally, when you practice, triple-check that your pistol is unloaded unless you’re on a shooting range. Concealed carry means that you’re hiding your pistol under clothing, so practice moving the clothing directly over your Glock 19 with one hand, while the other hand is retrieving the pistol.

Concealability

Concealing your pistol is a great tool to be able to go about your day without people hassling you about your choice to be prepared to defend yourself. Concealment is also ideal for not letting dangerous people scheme about how they can obtain a weapon, or who to target first if they already have a weapon. As we discussed above, this means that you’re placing material between your Glock 19 and your hand that you’ll need to practice drawing from concealment repeatedly. As most longtime gunners can attest, finding a holster style that works with your body shape and wardrobe can lead to owning a box of holsters. You can save some money though if you find one of the people that own a box of holsters and try things out before you decide to pull the trigger on buying your own. Although my list of Best Glock 19 Holsters includes some open carry options, concealed carry is optimal.

Price Range

Like most everyday items, holster prices can run the gamut from $10 to spit-out-your-coffee expensive. Unsurprisingly, I don’t recommend people buy $10 holsters, but I’ve had great luck with $25 Kydex holsters for other guns that have suited me just fine. Some of my recommendations below might be too expensive for some budgets, or pocket change for others. If you are intrigued by an item on my list but don’t like the price or certain features, you can bet similar counterparts are available. 

Top 5 Best Glock 19 Holsters

The Best Glock 19 Concealed Carry Holster

ACTIVE PRO GEAR BELLY BAND DEFENDER HOLSTER

The best overall Glock 19 concealed carry holster is the Active Pro Gear Belly Band holster. Some people may turn their nose up at a belly band holster being named “the best.” However, I’m taking both male and female users, and all the wardrobes thereof into account when I say this. Belly Band holsters don’t require other articles of clothing for support, they can fit the wearer’s form, and shirts can be tucked into a pair of trousers or a skirt. Active Pro Gear’s Belly Band holster is affordable for all, and an adjustable thumb break can be attached for more retention if desired.

The Best Glock 19 IWB Holster

TENICOR SAGAX LUX2 HOLSTER

The best Inside The Waistband holster for the Glock 19 is the Tenicor SAGAX LUX2 AIWB Holster. The SAGAX LUX2 holster works for IWB and AIWB styles of carry, and has extra adjustment holes for the belt clips, and also comes with an integrated and adjustable “cam bar” to help push the grip closer to the body. The body side of the holster is also molded to push the muzzle outward to help drive the grip closer to the body to reduce printing. The clip attachment holes will also accept other hardware for other styles of clips or straps should the user have a different preference than the clips provided. The SAGAX’s Kydex construction is molded to accept a variety of lights but isn’t dependent on the light for retention. The top and front of the holster are also cut to accommodate pistol optics.

The Best Glock 19 OWB Holster

DESANTIS SIDESTEP HOLSTER

For the best Outside the Waistband category, I opted for a traditional and classy rig that’s intentionally made for a pistol with a red dot but still looks and works great if you don’t have one mounted. The DeSantis Sidestep holster for the Glock 19 meets that old-school leather look while riding the new-school pistol optics train. The DeSantis Sidestep holster features a traditional belt loop followed by an aft belt tunnel and is available in tan or black leather. Although the Sidestep is an open-top holster, it includes a retention screw for a bit more grip on the Glock 19.

The Best Glock 19 DUTY Holster

SAFARILAND 6390 RDSO

The best Glock 19 Duty Holster is the Safariland 6390 ALS with Level 1 Retention. The 6390 accommodates a wide variety of weapon-mounted lights and is available as red dot sight (RDSO) compatible as well as a non-optic version. The Automatic Locking System is durable and allows for a consistent draw. Safariland’s duty holsters are known for being built strong and defendable from attempted gun grabs while being light enough so as not to be cumbersome for the wearer.

The Best Glock 19 Holster for Competition

COMP-TAC INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION HOLSTER

For this category, I opted for economics with the Comp-Tac International Competition Holster. If you’ve watched any national or international pistol competition, some of the gear can get pretty fancy, but the Comp-Tac International fits a perfect blend of pricing and comprehensive options that come with the kit. While this may be a simplistic option compared to what the pros use, it gets you on the field with money to spare for ammo. The International Holster is essentially a duty-style holster, but comes with three different mounting options; a belt slide mount, a paddle mount, and a dropped and offset mount.

How to Choose the Right Holster for Your Needs

For Everyday Carry

When choosing a holster for everyday carry you’ll want to take comfort into consideration since you may be wearing it not just every day, but all day. Keeping the gun secure in the holster should also be a large factor, thus, look at the retention features and construction based on the material the holster is made of. You’ll need to decide how many retention features you’re comfortable with; generally, your pistol should stay in the holster when it’s turned upside down (only test this with an unloaded pistol).

For Concealed Carry

Concealed carry has different levels of importance depending on your location. Some social settings and cities may be much more tolerant than others. However, I recommend choosing a holster that offers the most concealability. Typically, such holsters involve placement Inside the Waistband (IWB) to include appendix carry, belly band holsters, or minimalist holsters.

For Competition Shooting

For most types of shooting competitions, concealment is not the overall goal, so having the grip of your pistol as ergonomically accessible while offering an efficient, repeatably consistent draw is ideal. A common setup for competition is an outside the waistband holster with a dropped and offset position from the belt that is typically more in line with the shooter’s arm length for a more natural reach.

Tips for Using and Maintaining Glock 19 Holsters

Maintaining holsters varies by material and needs to be done from time to time. Inspecting your go-to holsters whenever you clean your carry pistol is a good time to check that everything is fastened or stitched, and in the shape that it should be. Kydex holsters are great for long-term durability, but they are also great at collecting dead skin cells and lint, which can be wiped or washed out. Check for cracks in the Kydex and make sure that rivets are holding and screws aren’t loose. Nylon material is durable, but lower-priced nylon holsters may come apart at the stitching and holes can open up from wear points if the material rubs against the Glock 19. Leather holsters may need freshening up with restoring oils from time to time, as well as keeping corrosion to a minimum where it contacts metal fasteners.

FAQs

What's a good holster for a Glock 19?

Appendix Inside the Waistband holsters, Inside the Waistband holsters, and Belly Band holsters offer the best concealment possibilities while remaining quickly accessible. These styles of holsters also offer the greatest selection of holster manufacturers that are affordable across all budgets.

What Glock 19 holster does the FBI issue?

The FBI currently issues the  Tenicor ARX-LUX OWB holster to new agents. The LUX nomenclature denotes compatibility with certain weapon-mounted lights, and Tenicor states that the holster's design still maintains retention on the Glock 19 even if a light isn't mounted.

Where is the best place to concealed carry a Glock 19?

Even though a Glock 19 can fit in a purse, a backpack, or in a vehicle’s center console, the best place to conceal any pistol is on your person where you have the most control over it as you go about your day. With that said, the best location to conceal a Glock 19 on your person is inside the waistband, which also includes appendix carry holsters and belly band holsters.

Should you conceal carry a Glock 19?

Concealed carry offers the best balance of everyday carry while keeping up appearances as though everything is normal until it isn’t. Carrying concealed only adds a fraction of the time to retrieving your pistol as long as you practice. The Glock 19 is a perfect choice to conceal if your chosen method of carrying works without “printing” on the outside of your cover garment. Its 15 +1 round capacity offers an ample response to a deadly force situation.

Conclusion

The Glock 19 didn’t become the most popular concealed carry pistol for no reason. While its looks may be more simplistic, it provides all the features you need and none that you don’t. The Glock 19 has excellent corrosion-resistant slide finishes for the most active (I.e. sweaty) carriers, and the Glock 19 has the most holster options available across all the different types of carry methods.

I hope this top 5 list has been helpful to new Glock 19 owners and can at least provide some inspiration if my picks aren’t exactly what you’re looking for. For those who have been carrying a Glock 19, let us know your preferred method of carry in the comment section.