Tactica IWB Holster Review – A Holster Made for Women

Tactica Defense Fashion is a new company from Tedder Industries, which owns companies such as Alien Gear Holsters. Sandi Little founded Tactica, and she is a mother who is passionate about protecting herself and her family. I was able to speak with Sandi on the phone, and she explained Tactica’s mission. She created Tactica with the intent to go beyond being solely product focused. She wants Tactica to be a lifestyle embodied by women who carry their firearms daily. They sent me their Tactica IWB Holster to review. Even though I normally appendix carry, I was interested in trying out this holster designed specifically for women.

Tactica IWB Holster Overview

Tactica designed their Tactica IWB holster with the intent to make carrying easier for women. It has a polymer blend shell and a neoprene base that has a rigid core. This holster is meant to be worn at the 4 o’clock position. And it appears to have a smaller footprint than typical hybrid holsters. The cant and ride height of this holster can be easily adjusted without any tools. The cost of this holster is $59.99.  As a college student, I appreciate the price point of this product. I was hesitant to try this holster because I typically prefer appendix carry. I was worried that this holster would be uncomfortable and challenging to conceal well. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

Tactica IWB Holster First Impressions

Upon the arrival of the Tactica IWB holster, I was not hopeful. The retention was so tight that I was unable to put my gun inside the holster. In fact, I double checked the packing slip to make sure they sent me a Glock 43 holster and not a different firearm. This holster did come with a set of detailed instructions, and all the necessary tools to achieve the perfect retention level.

After taking some time to adjust the retention to my desired level, I was able to practice drawing. While this holster does have a neoprene base, it has additional layers of material that allow for a degree of rigidity. The rigidity helps to make drawing more consistent.

Belt Clips

The belt clips on the Tactica IWB holster are smaller than what comes on a typical holster. The belt I already have for carrying is 1.5,” and these clips were too small to fit on my belt. The exact measurement of the clips is 1.25”.  I ended up using a thinner, and less stiff belt from Target, which worked out just fine. If you do want to carry a gun that is larger than the Glock 43, I would recommend using a belt made explicitly for concealed carry. Tactica sells a wide variety of belts on their website that should fit their holster clips perfectly.

While the smaller clips created a bit of a hurdle for me, I appreciate the intent behind this product development decision. Stiff gun belts can be uncomfortable, especially when they dig into your hip bones. Some women may not want to go out and buy a special belt for carrying. These clips make it easier to carry with the tools you already have, which can make it easier to integrate carrying into your lifestyle.

Comfort Test

To test out the comfort of the Tactica IWB holster, I wore it all day on my longest day of the week. This day included sitting in the car for a 20-minute commute, walking across my college campus multiple times, and sitting through two 3-hour lectures. Surprisingly, this holster ended up being very comfortable especially when sitting for long periods.

In my past experiences with hybrid holsters, I was extremely uncomfortable when sitting through classes. Typically, you need to break-in hybrid holsters with leather backing before they mold to your body effectively. The Tactica IWB holster uses a neoprene material instead of leather so there is no break-in period. It molded to my body very well, which enhanced comfort.

Concealability

Tactica IWB holster made concealing a lot easier than I thought it would. Earlier, I mentioned how well this holster molded to my body. This feature is what makes it effective for concealing. The smaller footprint and more refined clips also help this holster to conceal well. I wore this holster with a couple of different outfits and had no issues with printing. It worked well with the clothes I already own and wear, which is very important to me when choosing a holster.

Final Thoughts on the Tactica IWB Holster

Overall, I ended up liking this holster more than I thought I would. For me, this holster will most likely not be my everyday option, but it definitely does have its place in my collection. Whenever I talk about concealed carry for women, I always mention the importance of having options. It makes life so much easier to have different holsters that can work with different outfits. The Tactica IWB holster has encouraged me to pursue 4 o’clock carry more often, which will open up more clothing options for me. However, it is important to remember that holsters have a large personal preference component to them. What works for me and my lifestyle may not be the most effective for someone else’s. Feel free to give the Tactica IWB Holster a test drive. They offer a full refund within 30 days if it doesn’t work out for you.