What is the Best Holster Material for Concealed Carry?

For as long as man has had weapons, he’s also had the problem of how to carry them on his body. Just as our weapons have been refined and sometimes even revolutionized, so have our methods of carrying them. Not too long ago, the way we carry our firearms has been subject to one of these revolutions thanks to advances in materials engineering.

While there are many different materials you can make a holster out of, the two leading choices today are leather and Kydex. Nylon is also an option that may appeal to many due to its low price point, but the inability to properly protect against trigger manipulation in most of these products immediately rules this option out as far as I’m concerned.

Let’s explore these materials in a little more detail.

TL;DR — Holster Material Comparison

Material	Pros	Cons
Kydex	Lightweight Durable Customizable Easy to clean Maintains retention	Less comfortable May cause wear on firearm with tight retention
Leather	Comfortable Aesthetically pleasing Traditional appeal	High maintenance Moisture-sensitive Wears out, loses retention over time
Nylon	Cheap Lightweight	Poor trigger protection Not durable Generally unsafe for carry

Kydex

It’s hard to overstate Kydex’s dominance as the material of choice for modern holsters. Developed in 1965 for applications in aircraft interiors, Kydex has proven its usefulness in many different applications owing to its fantastic material properties.

Its claim to fame is its ability to combine the high material stiffness and formability common to acrylic materials with the durability and chemical resistance of PVC materials. It should come as no surprise then that Kydex is just the brand name for a type of acrylic-polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic.

Kydex has a high hardness value for a thermoplastic (90 on the Rockwell R scale), making it much less susceptible to wear from repeated drawing and reholstering of your carry pistol while still being extremely manufacturable. This helps to maintain retention and reduces the need to replace your holster over time.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Durable (not prone to wear)
• Customizable
• Good dimensional stability
• Easy to clean and maintain
• Easily moldable to different gun configurations

Cons:

• Less comfortable than softer materials like leather
• Can cause wear on firearms if using excessive retention

Leather

Historically, leather has dominated as the material of choice for holsters. It didn't matter whether it was a duty holster or a concealed carry holster - it was almost certainly a leather holster.

Even today, leather is still preferred by many. Undeniably, there is very much an aesthetic appeal to leather holsters. The feel, the look, and even the smell are all strong draws towards the material and are major reasons why it's still in use - not to mention the nostalgic and "lindy" effect from this long tradition of use.

However, leather does have some major drawbacks. For one, it wears much more easily than a harder material like Kydex. It is also sensitive to moisture and humidity which further accelerates wear and the need for maintenance or replacement. Not to mention the fact that leather deforms over time, especially after its initial break in period. If you've ever owned a leather shoe this comes as no surprise. Unlike in a shoe however, this is a rather dangerous liability as you don't want to lose holster retention on your carry weapon. Although it is a soft material, most leather holsters are still typically thick enough such that incidental trigger manipulation is not possible through the holster itself.

Pros:

• Aesthetically pleasing
• More comfortable

Cons:

• Higher maintenance / more susceptible to wear
• Sensitive to moisture and humidity
• Loses retention over time

Nylon

Did you really think we were going to talk about this? Don't buy a nylon holster. Nylon will not adequately protect the trigger and is unnecessarily dangerous. There are some options with a reinforced trigger area, but in general you should avoid nylon altogether.

Which Material is Right for Me?

As implied by the nature of the question, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, if none of the pros and cons of one material or the other sways you in any particular direction, you should probably go with a Kydex holster. The dimensional stability, ease of maintenance, and durability are major selling points. The main con of comfortability can be easily mitigated by playing with the fit of your holster and with several aftermarket solutions like Tier 1 Concealed’s wedge packs.