By Stephen Thompson
steve@guninpho.com
When I received the email from Clinger holsters asking me to evaluate their Comfort Cling holster, I was prepared to not like it. I had similar holsters in the past and they just did not live up to my expectations. The Comfort Cling surprised me.
The Comfort Cling holster is either an Inside the Waistband (IWB) holster, or a pocket holster. It has no clips, and relies on its tacky outside material to keep the holster in place. It is specifically made for compact semi-automatics. It comes in two sizes; one for single stack pistols and one for double stack pistols. Since my everyday carry gun is a Glock 43 9mm pistol, I opted to test and evaluate the single stack version.
After taking it out of the mailer, I first checked it for fit and finish. My Glock 43 fit in it perfectly, as did my Springfield compact 45 and my Walther PPK. It was just a little snug for the Smith and Wesson Shield, but the gun fit. Where this holster is a bit different that its competitors is the material and workmanship. The holster is padded much more than others I have seen and the stitching is first-rate. In other similar holsters, the rear sight tends to hang up on the stitching on the open edge of the holster. The Comfort Cling is sewn down so it is much smoother and the rear sight does not hang. And the outside material is much tackier than what I had seen in similar holsters.
Okay, time to put the holster to use. I prefer to carry my Glock in the two o’clock (appendix) carry position, inside the waistband. With my belly roll, I was a bit concerned at first, but the holster and firearm sat very comfortably in that position. It was comfortable, with minimal added bulk. Now I had on a pair of jeans with a very sturdy belt holding the holster in place. I did several toe touches and flexed my waist in every position I could think of. The holster and gun stayed in place without shifting. Okay, not I took one for the sake of science and started doing jumping jacks. (A pretty ridiculous sight that I am glad no one witnessed.) Once again, the Comfort Cling stayed in place. Drawing the weapon from this position was easily done with one hand. Holstering was best done with two hands.
Next I tried the holster as a pocket rig. Well, with a pair of jeans, the holster and my Glock were pretty snug in the hip or the back pocket. Once in the pocket, the gun stayed in place quite well and was easily drawn with one hand. Holstering the gun was a bit difficult while wearing jeans. I would recommend that if you chose to carry this way, that you consider wearing cargo pants or pants with larger pockets. It worked great with a pair of 5.11 pants.
Now the one way this holster truly amazed me was the day I worked around the house wearing a pair of sweatpants. Once again, the holster was in the 2 o’clock position and it stayed in place while I did my chores. Bending over was no problem, but I chose not to embarrass myself with more jumping jacks.
I used this holster for several days during my testing and found it to be quite acceptable. I even wore it while on a motorcycle ride with no issues.
Clinger holsters offers this holster on their website for $19.99. When ordered, it will ship the next business day. They offer a “Zero-Risk Guarantee”, saying that if you don’t like it return it for a full refund: no questions asked. They say to take your time and evaluate the holster yourself. They give you two weeks to return the holster if you do not like it. They also offer a full one year warranty. To quote their website: “If your Comfort Cling holster doesn’t stand the test of time (highly unlikely). Send it back for replacement.”
To sum it up, I found this holster to meet, or exceed my expectations. It also truly lives up to its name, it is comfortable and it clings. I think I will be looking at more of the products from Clinger Holsters!
For more information, photos, and video regarding this, and other holsters offered by Clinger Holsters go to www.clingerholsters.com .
