A holster needs a belt, and a lot of life does not have one: gym shorts, scrubs, sweatpants, leggings, a dress, a day at the beach. Beltless carry is the set of ways to keep a gun on you anyway, and the options range from excellent to genuinely unsafe. This guide ranks them by how well they cover the trigger, retain the gun, and let you draw, and points to what we sell for each.
1. Belly band with a real holster
The best beltless option, because it is a holster. The STRAPT-TAC belly band holds your molded kydex IWB holster in an elastic band, so the trigger is covered by rigid kydex, the gun clicks into retention, and the draw is the same draw you practice from a belt. The STRAPT-TAC is a belly band that does not try to be a holster. It is an elastic band with a hook-and-loop panel that accepts your own molded IWB kydex holster, so the gun gets real retention and a fully covered trigger instead of an elastic pouch. It fits full-size, compact and subcompact pistols, comes in a holster-position style and an appendix-rig style, in three waist sizes from 23 to 48 inches, and ships with a universal magazine and tool sheath. $34.99; kydex holster sold separately.
2. Fanny pack holster
Off-body but attached to you, which beats a bag. The HIP Gunner has a rip-cord front that opens the gun compartment in one pull, two ambidextrous internal holsters for up to a full-size pistol, magazine loops, and a waist strap that works on the waist or cross-body. $45.47. The compromise is a two-step draw and a bag that reads as a gun bag to anyone who knows.
3. Pocket carry
Works with a small gun and a pocket holster that covers the trigger and stays in the pocket on the draw. Cargo shorts and scrubs with a deep pocket are fine; gym shorts are not, because the pocket is too shallow and the gun prints. Carry the spare magazine in the other pocket in a Pocket Magazine Holder, which is padded to hide the shape and angled to stay put when you draw the mag. $19.99.
4. Bag carry
Last, because the gun is only as close as the bag. If you carry off-body, use a bag built for it, with a dedicated compartment and an internal holster, like the CCW Mini Backpack, and keep the bag on you. A gun in a bag on a chair is a gun someone else can pick up.
What not to do
- Elastic belly bands with a pouch. No trigger cover, no retention. The gun rotates and the trigger touches fabric.
- Clip-on trigger guards with no holster. A cord and a plastic cap are not a holster.
- Waistband with no holster. No.
The trigger-coverage test (do this before you carry)
Put the gun in the band the way you will wear it, then press a finger into the fabric over the trigger from the outside. If you can feel the trigger move, the band does not protect it and nothing about elastic or a strap changes that. This is the difference between a belly band with a pouch and one that holds a rigid kydex holster: in the STRAPT-TAC the trigger is covered by molded kydex and the gun clicks in, so it passes the test the way a belt holster does. Two more forum-tested checks: turn the band upside down and shake it (the holster should hold the gun), and draw through the shirt you will actually wear, ten times, to see whether the band moves when you pull.
Clip & Carry
The belly band that holds a real kydex holster
STRAPT-TAC: your IWB holster clicks into the band, so the trigger stays behind hard kydex. Made in the USA, 4.9 stars, $34.99.
See how it worksFrequently asked questions
What is the safest way to carry without a belt?
A belly band that holds a rigid kydex holster, so the trigger is covered and the gun is retained.
Can I carry appendix in a belly band?
Yes. The STRAPT-TAC has an appendix-rig style.
Is a fanny pack holster a good idea?
It is a good off-body option when a belly band will not work, and much better than a purse or backpack.
Can I carry a full-size gun beltless?
In the STRAPT-TAC or the HIP Gunner, yes. Pocket carry needs a small gun.
What about leggings?
A belly band over or under leggings works. Nothing clips to a legging waistband safely.
The bottom line
Beltless does not have to mean holsterless. The STRAPT-TAC with your kydex holster covers the trigger and draws like a belt holster; the HIP Gunner is the fallback for everything else.
Related reading
Best belly band holster for men
Best belly band holsters for concealed carry
Best pocket magazine holders
Kydex holsters by gun model
Gifts for gun owners
