IWB vs OWB Concealed Carry

Table of Contents

Why Conceal Carry?

To Protect Your Family

One of the most sacred duties an individual has is to protect his or her family. It doesn’t matter if that means defending your significant other, children, or parents, we are all responsible for the wellbeing of our family members. One of the most effective ways to protect your family is to obtain a concealed carry permit and carry concealed whenever possible. You can never know when criminals are going to strike, and you need to be prepared should a self-defense incident arise.

To Protect Yourself

At the end of the day, you hold the sole responsibility for your own safety. Not everyone has the means to hire a round-the-clock team of security specialists to monitor threats and keep you out of harm’s way. Frankly, not many people need that. However, if you have the privilege of living in a State that allows it, your safety is placed first before any trending agenda.

OWB Concealed Carry

Comfort

Let’s face it, not everyone can have a firearm tucked away at their waist for extended periods of time, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone who will find it uncomfortable having their firearm ready on their hip concealed under a shirt or jacket. Some might ask if an OWB option is really that concealable? Well it all depends on what you are wearing and what you are planning on doing. Sometimes OWB concealment is the better choice depending on your activities.

Draw

Drawing from the hip has its advantages in its learning curve, where it’s often quite simple and straightforward. This ease of draw allows self defenders to decide where on their hip they wish to carry.

Positioning

OWB carry allows a self defender more flexibility in terms of deciding on a position to carry their weapon. This is typically organized in a clock fashion where most carry on their strong side: right handed (3 o’clock), and left handed (9 o’clock). However, there are a variety of ways to position your OWB holster depending on your preferred draw and comfort.

Another popular option for those who spend a lot of time seated is the cross-draw position. This allows for a smoother and more comfortable draw from a seated position.

Additionally, defenders might gravitate towards  small-of-back carry. Where the concealed firearm is positioned at the 6 o’clock carry position. This is often the choice of those who feel they can conceal better in this fashion despite the disadvantages experienced during their draw.

At the end of the day if your OWB holster can loop through a belt you can carry your gun in any fashion you feel most comfortable in. However, it is important to note that many OWB holsters on the market today are specifically designed for a certain carry position. So get one that suits your preferred position.

 

Our Popular OWB Holsters

IWB Concealed Carry

Concealment

An IWB holster is by far the most concealable option for daily carry. Intentionally designed to be tucked away between yourself and your pant’s waistline, an IWB holster shines in concealability.

Draw

Its concealability lends itself to the draw, where you can draw from concealment as well. In the industry we call this surreptitious draw. This is an advantage in a number of situations however, it is not always the kind of draw you will have to employ in a self defense situation. You must practice and drill yourself to quickly and safely draw your weapon in a moment’s notice. I participate in IDPA matches strictly with my IWB everyday carry in order to practice in a controlled environment, but it is recommended to practice this during dry fire drills as much as possible if you want to go down the road of IWB holster concealed carry.

Comfort

The comfort of IWB holster carry all comes down to personal preference, environment, and activity. For example, depending on your body type you can find IWB concealed carry quite comfortable in most positions. I personally carry an IWB holster at the appendix position on a daily basis, even while seated at a desk or driving to work. The choice in position of IWB holster carry is a matter of your comfort. You can opt to carry at different positions other than the common appendix position depending on your body type and comfort.

Our Popular IWB Products

Overview

At the end of the day the choice is yours. Whether you opt for an OWB or an IWB holster is a matter of personal preference and experience. Oftentimes people will experiment with various types of holsters and positions before landing on the one that truly suits them.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *