The Glock 26 is in an odd place these days- the single-stack G43 has taken the concealed carry world by storm, offering more punch than the .380 ACP G42. It’s sleek (as a Glock can be), it’s slim, and it’s the hottest new thing… unless you want more than six rounds of 9mm. If you’ve bought the old double-stack instead of jumping on the hype train, we can tell what you might want when looking for a holster. If you’re a police officer on duty looking for a backup, you’ll want an ankle holster. If you’re in a hot or humid climate, Kydex might suit you better than leather and you’ll want to make sure you keep printing to an absolute minimum since you can’t rely on jackets and overshirts to keep concealment. If you carry mostly in the great outdoors you’ll want something that you know will stay on your belt, while urban environment users might want something that can accommodate a flashlight.
That’s a pretty tall order! But thankfully, there’s more holsters out there these days than fish in the sea. Comparative shopping has never been easier, though you might be spoiled for choice- so let’s have a look at a few options.
Concealment Express IWB Kydex holster
Starting off on the tacticool end of things, Concealment Express’ offering for the Glock 26 can be had in can be had in either black Kydex or “Carbon Fiber” (which is most likely just a hydro-dipped finish). Kydex may not be as flexible as leather, but it also won’t degrade when exposed to sweat- an important consideration if you live in a hot and/or humid climate and plan to carry inside your waistband. Kydex will however, stick to your skin in these conditions- so comfort might not be this holster’s forte. However, the minimalist design ensures that printing is not an issue, and accommodates most aftermarket sights. Any safety concerns about Glock’s trigger safety are alleviated due to the fact that the Concealment Express Kydex covers the entire trigger. Like most IWB designs, the belt clip does require an actual belt, and won’t work with the waistband of your pants.
Alien Gear Cloak Tuck
On the other end of the scale, the Cloak Tuck from Alien Gear seeks to maximize comfort by giving a wide surface area against the wearer’s body- a spring steel boning is wrapped in neoprene on the inside and the company’s proprietary “alien skin” coating on the outside, to prevent your pistol from shifting around inside your waistband. One particularly interesting feature is that the kydex shell holding the G26 against this backing can actually be swapped out, letting you use the same holster with different pistols (so long as you pick up shells for them too). Very cool. While the dual belt clips don’t let the holster go loose, you might want to put some loctite on them from doing just that- reviews have mentioned the screws can loosen over time. All things considered, the Cloak Tuck seems an exceptional value at it’s price point and this is reflected in it’s status as ConcealedNation.org’s 2016 Holster of the Year.
Clipdraw GS-B (and Glock Tech MIC holster)
Calling the Clipdraw a “holster” might be stretching it- it’s literally pocket clip that attaches directly to an included replacement slide cover plate. It simply doesn’t get any more minimalist than this, and if you can’t abide bulk or weight then you might want to consider the Clipdraw. However, this design is slightly alarming for a previously mentioned reason- with Glock’s Safe Action design, the trigger safety is the only safety. One solution to this problem would be to combine it with the Glock Tech MIC (Minimal Inside Carry), a tiny kydex holster that only covers the trigger and guard. It can also be used alone, though the only thing keeping your CCW from moving around is the cord you tie around your belt, which is used to pull the holster off during the draw. Together, these two could combine Voltron-style into an interesting, super-minimal holster system that addresses individual weaknesses. However, you’ll still run into the fact that you essentially have a bare pistol with no padding against your body.
ComfortTac Ultimate Ankle Holster
Ankle holsters might be uncommon for the average CCW holder, but those who are already carrying a service sidearm and want a backup might consider one (especially if their service pistol is also a Glock). ComfortTac’s offering in this area is nylon, but before you boo and hiss, they have made some thoughtful considerations in the design- it’s got a neoprene backer and foam padding making it much more comfortable to wear on your ankle, next to skin. Retention is provided by a metal snap, offering a much quieter draw than Velcro. As this is in fact a universal holster, it will accommodate underbarrel lights and lasers.
Blade Tech Phantom
A few things about the Phantom separate Blade Tech’s otherwise standard holster design- first is the top-snap belt loops, allowing for quick and easy removal from waistband carry. The somewhat minimal Kydex design incorporates a full-length “sweat guard” so you don’t have metal-on-skin like with many minimalist holster designs. One interesting quirk is that it does tend to ride high- this can cause some printing, but allows for a more positive draw grip. If you’re willing to make the trade off between concealment and speed, the Phantom provides an exceptional value given its low cost and ease of use.
DeSantis Sof-Tuck
Kydex may be the new hotness these days, but don’t consider leather completely “old and busted” just yet. Where Kydex is hard and inflexible, leather has a tendency to mould to the wearer’s body over time. DeSantis seems to be one of the few larger holster manufacturers still offering leather solutions, and their Sof-Tuck is one of the most popular Inside Waistband models around. The top end is reinforced with a strip of high-end saddle leather for rigidity, so you can re-holster in the dark without having to fumble around holding the opening like you’re trying to make a toddler spit something out. Always a plus. The leather is a fairly hard suede that will benefit from some breaking in, and the belt clip is adjustable for height with a single screw. The Sof-Tuck shows that leather can definitely keep up today, offering a solution with minimal to no printing at a very affordable price.
DSG Arms Alpha
On the more tactical end of things we have the Alpha holster from DSG Arms, which can double as both OWB and IWB. The adaptability doesn’t stop there- the Alpha is adjustable for height, retention, and cant. Other thoughtful details reflect this holster’s higher price, like extra-thick Kydex with chamfered and bonded edges. Where this holster really shines though, is accepting weapon accessories- in addition to an available version which will accommodate the popular Streamlight TLR-1 weapon light, the Alpha holster is also designed for use with pistol red dot optics. As red dots are quickly gaining acceptance in the handgun world over iron sights (especially in the Glock community), this is a handy feature. This holster does sit a little high, even at the lowest setting, but the contoured close-to-body design and small size of the Glock 26 should keep concealment from being an issue.
Outlaw Holsters NT Hybrid
Choosing between Kydex and leather can be tough. So don’t! The NT Hybrid from Outlaw Holsters seeks to get the best of both worlds, and does a pretty good job of it. A thick cowhide backing molds to your body for comfort, while Kydex molds to your pistol for the best retention. The belt clip is an extra-wide design which will do a great job of distributing weight (always a plus if you like using extended magazines on your G26), though it does add bulk and ride high- not so great with extended magazines for concealment, though it can help with getting a full grip on the draw. With subcompact pistols, this can certainly make a difference.
Sticky Holsters MD-4
One of the more oddball designs on the market is the Sticky Holster– while the Clipdraw’s minimalist design eliminates everything but the clip, the Sticky Holster eliminates everything but the shell. That’s right, no clip, just a fabric cover between your waistband and hip. The only retention here is that pressure and the friction of the material. The strength of this design is it’s versatility- you can carry however you want, even in your pocket. Comfort is another definite plus since the Sticky Holster is lightweight and has no hard, rigid parts at all. This keeps printing almost unheard of- even when carried as a pocket holster! If you can get over the weirdness of not having any sort of clips or straps, then the Sticky might just be ideal.
Leave a Reply