Best Holsters for the Glock 43 and 43X (With and Without a Light)

September 6, 2026

The Glock 43 and 43X share a slide, which is why one holster can fit both, and differ in the grip, which is why the 43X conceals differently. Add the 43X MOS with its optic cut and the Olight Baldr or PL-Mini a lot of owners hang on the rail, and "a Glock 43 holster" turns out to be four different questions. This guide covers the holsters we make and stock for every version, with and without a light.

Quick compare: Glock 43 / 43X holsters

Holster	Fits	Light	Carry	Optic-ready	Price
Clip & Carry IWB, Glock 43 / 43X / 43X MOS	43, 43X, 43X MOS	No	IWB	Yes	$44.99
IWB, Glock 43X / 43 with Olight Baldr S / Mini	43, 43X	Olight Baldr S, Baldr Mini	IWB	Yes	$49.95
IWB, Glock 43X / 43 with Olight PL-Mini 2	43, 43X	Olight PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie	IWB	Yes	$49.95
Paddle, Glock 43X / 43 with Olight Baldr S / Mini	43, 43X	Olight Baldr S, Baldr Mini	OWB	Yes	$54.95

43 vs 43X: what changes for the holster

Both guns run the same 3.41-inch barrel and slide, so a holster molded to that slide clicks onto either. The 43X's longer, wider grip adds four rounds and a much better hold, but it is also the part that prints, so 43X owners benefit most from a claw at appendix. The 43X MOS adds an optic cut to the slide; every holster on this page clears a slide-mounted red dot, so the MOS is covered too. What does change the holster completely is a light: the Baldr and PL-Mini each need their own mold.

The holsters, reviewed

1. Clip & Carry IWB for the Glock 43 / 43X / 43X MOS: best without a light

Our own mold, cut to the 43-series slide in .08-inch kydex with folded edges and a full-length sweat shield. The clip cants 20 degrees either way, retention is set with screws, and the screw spacing accepts a claw, which is the upgrade every 43X owner should make for appendix carry. It gives an audible click, fits the 43, 43X, and 43X MOS, and is handmade in the U.S.A. by a military veteran with a lifetime guarantee. Right or left hand, black or carbon-fiber pattern.

2. IWB for the Glock 43X / 43 with Olight Baldr S or Mini: best with a light

If you run a Baldr S or Baldr Mini, this is the mold. Formed over a CAD-milled aluminum mold with the light in place, so the shell wraps the light body and retention comes from the light and trigger guard together. Adjustable Posi-Click retention, 1.5-inch fiber-reinforced stealth clip with cant from 5 degrees negative to 20 forward, claw-compatible, undercut trigger guard, suppressor-height sight clearance, full-length sweat guard. Three ounces, made in the U.S.A., unconditional lifetime warranty.

3. IWB for the Glock 43X / 43 with Olight PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie

Identical construction, molded around the PL-Mini 2 instead of the Baldr. The two lights are different shapes and are not interchangeable in a holster, so order by light model.

4. Paddle for the Glock 43X / 43 with Olight Baldr S or Mini: range and open carry

The light-bearing mold on a fiber-reinforced paddle for outside-the-waistband carry. Goes on and off without unthreading a belt, rides strong side, four ounces, same adjustable retention and lifetime warranty.

How to carry a 43 or 43X

Appendix

The 43 is one of the most comfortable guns to carry at appendix. The 43X's grip is the only thing that prints, and a claw fixes it. Both Clip & Carry and the light-bearing IWB holsters accept one.

Strong side

Fifteen to twenty degrees of forward cant at 3 or 4 o'clock tucks the 43X grip under a shirt.

Which Glock 43 or 43X holster to buy

Three questions settle it: do you run a light, which light, and do you want the holster inside or outside the waistband.

No light, inside the waistband ($44.99) the standard mold. It covers the 43, the 43X and the 43X MOS, because all three share the same slide and trigger guard. Right or left hand, black or carbon-fiber kydex.
Olight Baldr S or Baldr Mini, inside the waistband ($49.95) molded around the light body with an open muzzle and a claw mount.
Olight Baldr S or Mini, outside the waistband ($54.95) the same fit on a paddle that slides over the belt without unthreading it. For the range and open carry where legal.
Olight PL-Mini 2 Valkyrie, inside the waistband ($49.95) a separate mold, because the PL-Mini 2 has a different body to the Baldr.

A light-bearing holster is molded around the light, so the gun will not seat properly without it. If you take the light off, you need the standard mold too. For a Streamlight TLR-7 SUB, write to us before ordering: that mold is different again and is not part of the listed range.

Setting up a 43X so it disappears

The 43X is the easier of the two to hide and the harder to set up, because the grip is what prints. Three adjustments, in this order. Add the claw first: it pushes against the inside of your belt and rotates the grip into your body, and on a 43X it is the difference between a visible lump and nothing. Then set ride height so the whole grip sits below the belt line, which on most people means the clip at its lowest position. Last, the belt: a 1.5-inch belt with a real stiffener holds the gun against you, and a soft dress belt lets the grip lean out no matter what the claw does. Retention is set with the screws, and the right amount is the least that still holds the gun when you turn the holster upside down and shake it.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Glock 43 holster fit the 43X?

Yes. They share a slide. The 43X's longer grip sits above the holster.

Does the 43X MOS need a different holster?

No. All the holsters here clear a slide-mounted optic.

Can I use a Baldr Mini holster with a PL-Mini 2?

No. The lights are different shapes. Order the holster for your light.

Which is the best position for a 43X?

Appendix with a claw, for most people. Strong side with forward cant if you drive a lot.

Are there left-hand versions?

Yes, for every holster on this page.

Will a Glock 43 holster fit a Glock 48?

No. The 48 runs a longer slide than the 43X even though the frames are close, so it needs its own mold. We do not make one.

Does the Baldr holster work without the light attached?

No. It is molded around the light, so the gun will not seat or click correctly on its own. Keep the standard mold for light-free carry.

Is the 43X the better carry gun of the two?

For most people, yes. The 43X gives you ten rounds and a full grip in a gun that hides as well as the 43 once a claw is on the holster. The 43 is the one to pick if you carry in a pocket holster or want the shortest grip possible.

The bottom line

No light: the Clip & Carry IWB with a claw. Baldr or PL-Mini: the matching light-bearing IWB. Range: the paddle. All four are molded to the 43-series slide, adjustable, and warranted for life.