When most people buy their first concealed carry holster, they don't fully consider what kind of belt clip they're buying for their money.
Choosing the right belt clip for your concealed carry holster can be a long and challenging process since there are many options available on the market.
In this article, we'll give a complete guide on holster belt clips and help you choose the right one for your next or current concealed carry holster.
Why is Choosing the Right Belt Clip for Your Holster Important?
Concealed carry holsters are one of the most important EDC essentials. They hold our guns, the most important weapon we carry on daily basis for self defense.
If you're like many EDC enthusiast, you probably don't leave your house without your gun and concealed carry holster.
Conceal carrying a gun on daily basis is not as easy as it sounds. The gun's weight needs to be properly supported on you're belt line inside or outside the waistband.
Although, it sounds simple, there many things you must consider.
You must consider safety as well as comfort. The holster belt clip has to be able to support the full weight of the gun and be comfortably for EDC.
Also, the belt clip has to have proper stability and good retention so that you can quickly and safely draw your gun during a stressful situation.
Belt Clip Types for Concealed Carry Holsters
There are many options for belt clips for concealed carry holsters.
We'll tell what the most belt clips are, what they're designed for, and how they work.
FOMI (Flush Mount) Belt Clip
The F.O.M.I belt clip is the most common type of belt clip found on concealed carry holsters.
It's a very popular design that is highly practical and versatile for concealed carry holsters.
It a simple design allows you to quickly slip the holster on or off over a belt, waistband, or molle attachment.
The standard designed has a hook on the inside that that provide retention and support for your holster and gun.
The spring tension creates good stability and retention, yet it allows for quick mounting and release.
It comes in all belt sizes and it's made from polymer and steel for added strength.
It's typically used for IWB holsters.
Standard Steel Belt Clip
Standard metal belt clip is built for durability and versatility. It's design is simple and can be used on any holster design or molle attachments.
However, it's typically found on leather holsters since most do not require any holes to be drilled into the sheath.
It has super strong metal spring tension that provides good stability and retention.
The metal holster clip can worn with or without belt and it comes in most belt sizes.
Monoblock Metal Belt Clip
Monoblock metal belt clip is similar to the standard metal clip except that it has 2 spring tabs each with a security clutch (hook).
This style of belt clip is designed to be very secure on you mounting point.
The belt clip creates very strong tension from 2 spring tabs that creates good stability and retention on the belt line or any mounting point outside of the belt.
Standard Polymer (Plastic) Belt Clip
The standard polymer or plastic belt clips are are very handy, easy-to-use and allow for quick and secure mounting and release.
They are very similar to FOMI clips, but are much thinner in design.
They have decent retention and are very durable.
They are designed to be used for quick mounting and release on belt lines or waistbands.
The plastic belt clips are designed in all sizes and are typically found on all types of IWB holsters.
Standard J Clip for Holsters
The J Clip is named for it's design that resembles the letter J. So why the J you ask? The J Clip wraps over the trouser waistline and the J hook part goes behind and under your belt.
The J-Clip is very discreet and good for conceal carry, but most of the weight is put on the pants instead of the belt so it tends to want to ride down with heavier guns or weak waistbands.
Make sure you wear the J-Clip holsters with more durable pants such as the tactical 511s.
The J Clip is made from polymer or metal.
Standard C Clip for Holsters
The C Clip for belts is named for it's C hook design.
The C clip, is somewhat like the J Clip, but it has an addition hook at the top making it's hook look like the letter C.
It's designed to hook over the top and bottom of the belt to provide additional support and retention for your gun and holster.
It's made from polymer and metal.
Belt Loops for IWB Holsters
Belt loops for IWB holsters are typically 2 straps that wrap around the belt. The straps are made from either leather, polymer, or rubber and are designed with button snap.
The belt loop button snap is engineered to unsnap only in one direction which makes them very secure.
They're great for larger belts and loved for easy and quick snap on/off convenience.
They are also pretty flexible on the belt since they are not fixed to any part of a typical holster allowing them to freely adjust to you body's movement.
Belt Loops for OWB Holsters
Belt loops for OWB holsters are typically made from polymer or metals.
The belt loops are typically fixed in place on the OWB holster, but can be adjusted for cant and ride height.
They are simple in design, but very secure. However they're only designed to be used with a belt, which can be somewhat inconvenient.
They are made in variety of belt sizes including the standard 1.5 and 1.75 inch.
Final Thoughts
The belt clip is important for your carry style so pay attention to what you're buying.
Belt clips provide support and stability for your gun and holster.
If you don't have the support needed to carry the weight of your gun and holster than you probably won't be carrying your gun.
But, keep in mind that most belt clips are designed to be interchangeable so don't panic.
If one design doesn't work for you choose another. They're typically very inexpensive.
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