I recently purchased a Belly Band to try it out. Sometimes I need to be business casual, meaning a shirt tucked in. I can’t believe what a great tool this is. I can easily and comfortably carry, even in a dress shirt and dress pants. And an extra magazine is well concealed in the band as well.
Of course my draw time will be greatly reduced, but at least I can CC in places I couldn’t before. I have been practicing a draw with my blue LEO training replica. It will be a few more days before I actually use this outside my home. When I carry AIWB using my Kydex holster I have a round chambered. I think with the belly band I will chamber a round after drawing the gun.
I removed the retention strap and hardware for the gun. It is more than snug. I kept the retention strap for the extra magazine, it seems to help keep it in place better.
I just got back from a walk/run wearing the Belly Band and sweat pants. I placed my blue LEO replica in and it didn’t move a bit. It was so comfortable I really didn’t notice much difference. I do think that having a flat stomach makes this option a good choice (for me). Because it is elastic and velcro, I will probably need to purchase a new one every couple of years. But they are pretty cheap.
Example here is from Amazon. And check out the rating from more than 4,000 buyers.
This is an excellent option - I use one in my carry corset and it definitely reduces the level of concern.
this is the one we use, if they have it for your model @TexasEskimo - and it can be color coordinated
Just a thought. If possible, get a SNAP-UP shirt instead of button. Less chance of ripping when raising the shirt. Other pros and some cons also, but a thought.
@Larry59 do let us know which one you get and how she likes it. My granddaugher uses a hipband, and in the summer I do, but in the winter I use a carry corset (sorta like a belly band only awesomer - is that a word?)
Here’s the initial impression of our Comfort Tec belly band:
Fit: The band is just little bit stretchy to help with a smooth fit. It goes on easily and fits well without effort. This is it’s best feature. You literally just have to wrap it around you and it does the rest.
The Velcro is something I’ve never seen before. It’s thin and very strong. Really strong. It comes with a separate pocket for a magazine. It fits a speed strip nicely. You won’t squeeze 2 in, though. From trying out some magazines, you won’t fit more than a 9 mm single stack that holds 10 rounds and still be able to get the Velcro strap over top of it.
Usability: The band is not terribly wide, which is good and bad. You’re not getting a full size gun to fit without modification. Not sure that I’d be comfortable with it even after modification. I’d recommend nothing bigger than a compact size gun. She’s using a Charter Arms Undercover revolver. Fits great.
Concealing: The band has a couple of layers to it, so not going to work for that thin top or form-fitting dress without it printing. But that probably also applies to any other band.
Other: My wife is left-handed. So we got the one for lefties. She wanted a tan one but they don’t appear to make them for the left-handed. Bummer.
It’s nice that you can remove the magazine pocket for better concealment if you need it.
Overall we’re pretty impressed with it. We’ll get a better idea over time how well it works. I don’t see this lasting forever, but should be good for quite a few years use. Can’t complain for the low price.
From my experience with it. Glock 43 mags work perfectly fine in mag holder. Glock 26 with and without finger extension work also. But that is the limit. Will not work with the Glock 48 or 19 mags
With a belly band holster and kydex trigger cover the draw time is reduced from what a kydex appendix carry time might be. However, draw time is significantly improved from carrying off person in a lock box.
Something everyone should be aware of with belly bands, and that is that they are made of cloth. As a result you have a possible compromise of you trigger, which can lead to an ND since the holster compartment is flexible and could possibly activate your trigger.
My other concern is how slow the would be , since you probably will lose fine motor skill in an incident were you have to defend. That little pull tab is fine if you have time, but what happens when you don’t have that time?
There are clips that allow you to tuck your shirt in with say an AIWB carry That allow you to be a lot more safe, and give you a much faster draw stroke with weapons security/retention.
We had another belly band topic on here somewhere where this was brought up. I don’t like the cloth belly bands for this reason as well.
But there are now several belly bands out there that have a kydex holster attachment for the handgun. You get all the benefits of a belly band with the safety, security and speed of a kydex holster.
I have become a big fan of the PHLSTER Enigma as a superior alternative to belly bands. They do require a bit more learning and adjustment to fit properly compared to a simple belly band, but the result is worth it. Depending on the specific gun you carry, you may be able buy a complete system already assembled. Otherwise, you select your preferred compatible Kydex holster and assemble it yourself. Either way, their support and instructional videos are outstanding.
Once yours is adjusted, it works great in exercise clothes, hospital scrubs, business suits, formal wear, or daily casual dress.
- is that a word?)