OWB Leather Holsters

ULTIMATE OWB HOLSTERS GUIDE

Even though the CCW laws have never been stricter than these days, carrying outside the waistband (abbreviated to OWB) is still one of the most popular types of gun holsters. Check out the sections below to learn everything you need to know about OWB holsters and don’t forget to choose from our selection of premium leather OWB holsters for revolvers and semi-auto pistols.

WHAT IS AN OWB HOLSTER AND HOW DO OWB HOLSTER WORK?

If you carry your firearm OWB style, it means you carry it outside the waistband. In other words, outside-the-waistband holsters (simply referred to as OWB holsters or belt side holsters) are attached to your waistband from outside. OWB holsters are a type of open carry holsters that are mounted to a gun belt through a mounting mechanism such as belt slots, belt loops, belt clips, belt tunnels, belt paddles, or belt holster claws.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OWB AND IWB HOLSTERS?

While OWB holsters are predominantly used for open carry, IWB holsters (inside-the-waistband) are the most popular type of concealed carry holsters. The main difference between the two categories of holsters is the way they are attached to a gun belt. While OWB holsters are attached from the outside, IWB holsters are mounted from the inside of one’s pants.

IWB holsters are also a much better choice for everyday concealed carry. Attached from the inside, IWB holsters are easier to conceal than OWB holsters. However, you can still conceal carry in OWB holsters if your outside the waistband holster comes with a low and slimline profile.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ADVANTAGES OF OWB HOLSTERS?

Even though they can’t be used everywhere, OWB holsters come with a number of advantages. The major benefit of holsters carried OWB style is super high carry comfort. At the same time, carrying like this results in a super easy access, quick draw, and intuitive reholstering. OWB holsters are the best way to carry full-sized handguns such as the 1911, FN Five-seveN, or SIG P226. Also, these holsters are preferred among hunters whose sidearm (or perhaps the primary gun) is something as huge as the Taurus Raging Hunter. There are many more benefits of OWB holsters, but also some disadvantages of OWB holsters. If you want to learn more about OWB holsters, check out this article on the pros and cons of OWB holsters.

MAIN FEATURES OF OWB HOLSTERS

Most traditional wearing style

Very popular holster type even nowadays

Ideal choice for open carry

Great carry comfort

Immediate access to your firearm

Designed for quick draw

Perfect match for any handgun size

Often equipped with retention devices

Various ways of attachment

Available in all sorts of materials

Serve multitude of purposes

Some can be used also for OWB concealed carry

Popular in Law Enforcement & Military

Heavily utilized for range & competition shooting

WHAT ARE THE MAIN TYPES OF OWB HOLSTERS?

Generally speaking, an outside the waistband holster is any holster type that is attached to a gun belt from the outside. The main type of OWB holsters are belt side holsters. These are attached to the dominant side, so if you’re left-handed, you should select a left-handed OWB holster and vice versa. That’s the reason why these are often referred to as strong side OWB holsters.

As OWB holsters can be carried in a number of different ways, there’s more to choose from than just dominant-side OWB holsters. Small of the back OWB holsters as well as cross-draw OWB holsters are also fairly popular ways to carry outside the waistband. SOB OWB carry is a great choice for bigger guys, while cross-body OWB carry is a convenient option for anyone suffering from shoulder pain.

OWB holsters also differ based on the material they’re made of. There are leather OWB holsters, kydex OWB holsters, nylon OWB holsters, and hybrid OWB holsters.

Construction-wise, the most common type of outside the waistband holsters are open top OWB holsters such as this Open Top Holster - Panther. Such holsters are often called OWB pancake holsters. Opposite these are so-called thumb-break OWB holsters, such as this Comfortable Belt Holster. If you carry a handgun with tactical attachments such as red dot sights or weapon-mounted lights and lasers, you’ll be pleased to know that there are also red dot OWB holsters, light-bearing OWB holsters, and light & red dot OWB holsters.

HOW TO CHOOSE AN OWB HOLSTER?

When you’re choosing the best OWB holster, you should mainly think about the circumstances in which you might need to use your handgun and holster. For example, if you want to carry your OWB holster in the car, you should select a high ride OWB holster, which sits higher on the belt, making the holster easier to conceal and more comfortable to wear when seated.

If you’re a competition shooter or an armed professional, you’ll need a quick draw belt holster. OWB holsters with rapid draw are usually canted forward, which makes drawing and re-holstering much quicker and more intuitive. As Law Enforcement and Military members are often required to carry in holsters that can pass Level II or even Level III retention tests, they often make use of OWB holsters with thumb breaks such as this Basket Weave OWB Holster. 

Those who want their holster to be as light as possible or have preference for sub-compact and micro compact handguns such as the SIG P365, Springfield Hellcat, Glock 43X, or S&W M&P9 Shield can also choose from compact OWB holsters that usually leave the muzzle end of the firearm exposed. Such holsters are also a great way to conceal carry in an OWB holster. If you want to use OWB holsters for concealed carry, you should also consider OWB pancake holsters with low profile and slimline design as these OWB holsters can be concealed with just a shirt or jacket.

HOW TO WEAR AN OWB HOLSTER?

Just like the name suggests, outside the waistband holsters are worn from the outside of your pants, which is why they’re mainly used for open carry. As far as the belt position goes, OWB holsters are usually carried in the 3 or 4 o'clock belt position (especially those with a forward-leaning cant).

There’s several ways how to attach an OWB holster. Most commonly, OWB holsters feature belt slots or belt tunnels so that you can easily slide them on your belt. That’s the reason why OWB holsters attached this way are called belt slide holsters or belt tunnel OWB holsters.

When it comes to Law Enforcement and Military members, these often go for duty OWB holsters or paddle OWB holsters. While such outside waistband holsters are bulkier, the way they’re attached allows these professionals to use heavy duty vests, which would restrict access to the firearm if carried in let’s say a high ride holster.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OWB HOLSTERS

WHAT MATERIALS ARE OWB HOLSTERS MADE OF?

OWB holsters can be made of pretty much any holster material, but they are most commonly made of leather, kydex and nylon. Here at Craft Holsters, we believe the best choice are leather OWB holsters, especially those made of full-grain leather.

DO YOU MAKE OWB HOLSTERS FOR GUNS WITH LIGHTS?

Of course. We offer a number of different laser and light-bearing OWB holsters, but also light-bearing OWB red dot holsters. All of our OWB holsters for guns with lights (and red dots) are always custom molded on the exact replica of your pistol and tactical attachment. As of now, we offer light OWB holsters for over 30 tactical lights and lasers, which means you can get Streamlight TLR-1 OWB holsters, OWB Crimson Trace CMR-206 holsters, Olight Baldr Pro OWB holsters, and many more.

DO YOU MAKE OWB HOLSTERS FOR GUNS WITH RED DOTS?

You bet. We offer a number of different red dot sight OWB holsters, but also various red dot OWB holsters for guns with lights. All of our OWB red dot holsters are always custom molded on the exact replica of your pistol and they feature a leather cut out, which provides ample room for your optical attachment. This means you can now get outside the waistband red dot holsters even for the latest optics-ready pistols such as the S&W Equalizer, Kimber R7 Mako, Springfield Hellcat RDP, or SIG Sauer P365-XMacro.

CAN I USE OWB HOLSTER FOR CONCEALED CARRY?

Even though OWB holsters are predominantly used for open carry, you can conceal carry in OWB holsters too. The best OWB holsters for concealed carry feature a low profile and slimline design. The best example of how to conceal carry in an OWB holster are Pancake OWB holsters such as this Open Top Belt Holster.

HOW TO CONCEAL AN OWB HOLSTER?

Concealing OWB holsters isn’t all that different from concealing let’s say shoulder holsters. The easiest and best OWB holsters for concealed carry are high ride belt holsters, which can be covered by just a T-shirt (provided your handgun isn’t too bulky as these could leave some imprint). With the rest of belt mounted OWB holsters, a slightly longer jacket should do the trick.

WHAT STATES CAN I CARRY OWB HOLSTERS IN?

If you can conceal your OWB holster, you can carry it pretty much in any state, even those that require you to have a concealed carry permit. However, you must make sure that your OWB holster is concealed according to the local jurisdiction, otherwise you could get in trouble.

WHAT STATES CAN I OPEN CARRY IN?

If you open carry, it means your firearm is partially or completely visible to others. Before you decide to open carry in a particular state, we strongly advise you to make yourself familiar with concealed and open carry laws of the state you find yourself in or move through on your journeys. Generally speaking, there are four categories of open carry law, which you can learn more about in this article on open carry by USCCA.

WHAT ARE THE BEST OWB HOLSTERS?

The best OWB holsters are those leather outside waistband holsters that are custom molded to fit your firearm like a glove. Also, the best outside the waistband leather holsters should boast high retention and deliver unmatched carry comfort.

Among the holsters for OWB carry are the following:

Best open top OWB holster - Open Top Holster - Panther

Best high ride OWB holster - High Ride OWB Holster

Best cross draw OWB holster - Holster w 2 Cant Positions

Best pancake OWB holster - Pancake Holster w 2 Carry Positions

Best OWB holster for concealed carry - Compact Belt Holster

HOW TO BREAK-IN AN OWB HOLSTER?

If you get one the best outside the waistband leather holster above, it’s highly likely you won’t need to do any holster break-in. However, in case your new holster feels a bit too tight, just follow our Leather OWB Holster Break-in Guide.