Best Concealed Carry Magazine Pouch for Everyday Carry

Concealed carry isn’t something you can do 50%, or just add it into your current lifestyle. I tried and failed epically. For me, I got my license right after I turned 21, and well, as most people, only got a crappy 4-hour class that didn’t teach me anything. I tried to add in the gun to my current clothing style, or lifestyle, and well it was horrible. Concealed carry, is something that will make you change your closet inventory, and lifestyle, in a hurry too.  So follow along as I discuss things that have made concealed carry lifestyle.

As you might expect, I considered my firearm to be the most important piece of everyday carry gear. However, even the best pistol is useless without ammo. That is why I recommend carrying a spare magazine. It is important that you choose the best magazine pouch for your everyday carry so that you can comfortably and safely carry your backup magazine.

Our Guide to the 8 Best Magazine Pouches for CCW

Choosing the right pouch may seem like an easy decision. I mean it is just a magazine pouch, right? Actually, there is a little bit more to it than you might expect. A good EDC magazine pouch should offer some retention while also being comfortable and concealable. Finding the right pouch among the hundreds of options on the market can be challenging, which is why we compiled a list of the 8 best EDC pouches available today.

Guide to Buying the Best CCW Magazine Pouches and Holsters

As an avid gun owner, few things are more frustrating than wasting your money on a subpar product that does not function like it is supposed to. That is why it is important to do your research and know what features to look for when picking your CCW magazine pouch.

When starting to carry, take the time to buy a great quality belt, I will never buy anything else than an SOE (Special Operations Equipment) Belt, as they are the stiffest, highest quality belt on the market, and well, John Willis (founder) is quite funny on his Facebook page, and doesn’t let customers walk over him. I am currently waiting on my SOE EDC (everyday carry), and in the mean time I use a 5.11 belt that was a spare, and the one I had to use in the police academy, and those work very well to hold up a full Police duty belt, so using one for concealed carry would be more than enough, if you don’t want to fork over $70 for an SOE belt.

While all of the magazine pouches on our list are of good quality, they each include different features as every shooter’s goals and preferences are different. If you like to transition from business attire to hitting the trails, one of the Kydex options or the soft shell pouch would be ideal. On the other hand, if you primarily carry in casual settings, something that offers maximum comfort might better fit your needs.

Choose How To Carry

Choosing how you want to carry is a very important thing. You have shoulder holsters, out of the waistband, inside the waistband, inside a purse, or bag, open carry and pocket carry.

For me, I prefer to carry outside the waistband most of the time, as it is a bit more comfortable, and can really move easier. However, when I go out in public, outside the waistband isn’t the best idea, as it is harder to fully conceal the firearm. So when I am going out of the house for many hours, I will either choose in the waistband, or pocket carry. I prefer pocket carry, because out of all the ways to carry it is the most forgiving, and you do not have to modify the way you move, kneel, bend, as you would with the other ways of carrying. Of course, pocket carry will mean that you have to have a smaller gun, like a Smith and Wesson 38 revolver, or a 380, and for some people that is not an option. Shoulder holsters have such a small following these days, that I wont even discuss them, as only a few people use them, and I feel that they aren’t practical anymore.

Inside the Waistband Holster

So let us talk about inside the waistband carry. Inside the waistband is a holster that has a clip higher on the holster, and allows the holster to sit low, and inside the pants. This type of carry is one of the most common, and most concealable. The downside to this, is you will need to get 1 size larger pair of pants or shorts, and more than likely a longer belt.

Now there are two big players of holster that I feel are the most common when it comes to inside waistband carrying, a nylon holster, and Kydex. Now, the choice is yours when it comes to choosing the material that your holster is made of, but for me, the soft nylon, Uncle Mikes type holster is not an option, as it is nearly impossible to reholster one-handed, and almost every time I would draw my sidearm, the holster would come with it, which is not good when you need to draw your sidearm in a self-defense moment.

So that leaves me with Kydex, and there are many options when it comes to kydex. From my experience, the two most common styles are a hybrid style, leather and Kydex, or a fold-over design, which makes for a smaller holster, but big enough to get the job done. I have used both types, and well I love both, I like the fold-over design for quick errands, and the hybrid design for longer errands, and both work very well, if you get them from someone who knows what they are doing. Dragon holsters is one of the best Hybrid holster makers, as is white hat holster, and crossbreed, as for foldovers, I would only go with Philster. Both of the designs aren’t cheap, but will last you a very long time.

Open Carry

As for open carry, which is another carry method I use often, while at my house, fishing, camping, hunting, and so on, I use 1 of 2 different holsters. I will either use my Safariland Level 3 ALS holster, which is a favorite among many police departments, or I will use an out of the waistband Kydex holster. Now, read your state and local laws when it comes to open carry, as every state is different. For me in Florida, I am allowed to open carry when on my property or at my residence, going to and from fishing, camping, hunting, and a number of other activities. Again, please check the laws that pertain to where you live, and follow them.

Now that I covered all of that, the most important thing I can pass onto everyone is, Train the way you carry. When the stuff hits the fan, and you need your sidearm, you want to be able to effectively get to that sidearm, and deploy it, and save your life, or someone else’s. There is a dozen articles and case studies about the effect of stress and adrenaline in a high stress moment. Basically, you will develop tunnel vision, you will lose some of your hearing, your fine motor skills will be thrown out the window, like a pissed off woman throws out her husbands clothes from a second story window. I didn’t think it would happen to me, and well it did, and it was scary at how the body reacts when the stuff hits the fan. So take it from someone who has to draw his sidearm more than once……..Train like you carry as much as you can, and make sure it is often.

Why Carry a Spare Magazine?

I am a firm believer in developing sound fundamentals as a shooter, especially if you intend to carry with a concealed magazine holder. Unless you work in a high-risk field or have goals of becoming a competition shooter, having a strong grasp of the basics will carry you through if you ever have to use your firearm in self-defense.

With that said, you should always carry a spare magazine. I’ll admit that the chances of you needing to reload your firearm in a self-defense scenario are low. However, it is better to have something and not need it rather than need it and not have it. Plus, an extra magazine and holder weigh in at well under a 1lb.

Not only that, but you should practice reloads with your CCW gear. You should do so from your intended carry position. It is a good idea to have your shirt untucked and covering your gear so that you get accustomed to clearing your clothing as well.

Depending on the rules of your local range, they may frown on drawing and reloading from a concealed carry position. If that is the case, you can always do drills at home with an unloaded weapon and empty magazines. At the start, focus on smooth movements, not overall speed. As my old salty range master always said, “slow is smooth, smooth is fast”.

Features You Want in a Magazine Holster

As with all types of EDC gear, it is important to get a clear idea of what your goals and intended application are.

Once you have done that, you can start narrowing down our list and look for the features that you want. Although your significant other may disagree with this approach, you can always buy two different types of pouches.

I often get my gear in both leather and Kydex because I have found that each excels in certain applications. Leather tends to offer a good mix of durability and comfort while Kydex offers the best retention.

Magazine Holster or Pouch

You have probably noticed that some products were described as holsters or holders, while others were referred to as mag pouches or magazine pouches. The two items are very similar but have one key difference, the material.

Typically, a magazine holder is referred to as a pouch if it is made from a soft or flexible material. Kydex or polymer gear is called a magazine holster and is molded for a tighter fit. As mentioned above, each has their share of benefits and are uniquely suited for certain applications.

Soft-Sided Vs Hard-Sided Magazine Carriers

The three most popular magazine pouch materials are Kydex, leather, and nylon. Leather and nylon are utilized in soft-sided mag pouches while Kydex is used for hard carriers. Some hybrid carriers, like the Krydex soft-shell, combine multiple materials.

Nylon

A soft-sided nylon magazine pouch will be the most comfortable. They can easily be carried IWB without concerns of rubbing or irritation. The flexibility will also make the transition between a seated and standing position more seamless.

However, nylon holsters offer minimal retention. If you are simply wearing it during normal day-to-day errands, then this may not be a major concern. However, a lack of adequate retention can be problematic if you are hiking or engaging in more physically strenuous activities.

Leather

Leather offers much better retention and durability than nylon while still maintaining a reasonable level of comfort. The smooth finish will not cause skin irritation, even when carrying for hours on end. They are not as flexible, but look and function well. Few things look or feel more natural than a quality leather holster and matching magazine pouch.

Kydex

While Kydex holsters can be carried IWB, they excel at OWB carrier. Many of them feature both adjustable tension and adjustable carry angles. I like to cant my Kydex magazine carriers slightly forward. Doing so reduces printing and also provides more rapid access under stress.

The adjustable tension allows for a custom-feel. Every shooter will want a slightly different level of retention for their magazines. You can draw the magazine and adjust accordingly until you find the right amount of tension for you. I usually tighten mine until I can hold the carrier upside down without the magazine falling out.

The major drawback to Kydex is that they can be a little uncomfortable with IWB carry. This can usually be offset by adjusting the waistband of your pants and the positioning of the carrier. However, they will still not be as comfortable as soft-sided holsters.

Know Your Local Gun Laws

The most important aspect of concealed carry is safety. You should always practice fundamental gun safety anytime you are handling a firearm. Carrying a concealed weapon is a right that also comes with a great deal of responsibility. It is important to keep in mind that you are introducing a loaded firearm everywhere you go and that you are accountable for that weapon.

The second key aspect of concealed carry is legality. Once you have a good grasp on gun safety, you must also know your local gun laws before you start carrying your weapon. Every state has unique requirements for concealed carry. Most states require that you complete a licensure process, while a handful of them do not require a permit.

Open Carry

Many EDC questions I get pertain to open carry. While it is legal in a few states, I do not recommend the open carrying of firearms. The goal of EDC is typically for self-defense purposes. By choosing to open carry, you are voluntarily giving up the element of surprise and putting a target on yourself.

Reciprocity

If you have been carrying concealed for a while or just started looking into getting your permit, you have probably heard the term reciprocity. Reciprocity refers to whether or not another state honors your concealed carry permit. Typically, if your state recognizes another state’s concealed carry permit, they will also accept your permit in their state.

It is vital that you read up on reciprocity and gun laws of neighboring states before traveling through them. Unwittingly violating another state’s gun laws by carrying a weapon with too high of a magazine capacity is a great way to cause yourself a world of legal trouble. This is especially important if you plan on traveling to states such as California or New York, both of which have stringent firearms restrictions.

Can’t Beat a Classic

Despite the strengths of modern materials like Kydex, you just can’t beat a hand-made leather magazine pouch. The Relentless Tactical Leather Double Magazine Holder is both durable and versatile. The lifetime warranty and quality stitchwork result in a product that can withstand years of rugged use.

Not only that, but it is available in a single-stack and double-stack option. This means that it is one of the most universal magazine pouches on our list. No matter what size magazines your go-to carry pistol use, the Relentless Tactical magazine holder is up to the task.

This magazine pouch is not only durable, but it is comfortable enough to wear all day long without irritation. It is even available in a single pouch option if you prefer to carry only one spare. The Relentless Tactical is the last EDC mag pouch that you will ever need to buy.