Holsters and Gear Recommendations
Magnetic Holster: How Magnetic Gun Holsters and Mounts Work
Quick answer: A magnetic holster holds a handgun with magnets instead of a belt clip. There are two kinds: on-body holsters that grip your waistband through the fabric, and magnetic gun mounts that hold a gun to a car, desk or bed frame. Check that the trigger is covered either way. Our magnetic carriers hold spare magazines, not guns.
What Is a Magnetic Holster?
Holster maker JM4 Tactical, which says it invented its design in 2016, describes it this way: “A magnetic gun holster holds your handgun on your body with magnets instead of a belt, clips, or loops.” It adds that “It attaches through any fabric: leggings, scrubs, athletic wear, jeans, and dress pants.”
The Mag-Jic holster works the same way with a paddle. Its seller, a training center, calls it “a magnetic paddle holster” that “Uses a powerful neodymium magnet that is attracted to the metal insert inside the paddle flap.”
The same name is also used for something different: a magnet that holds a gun to a surface. Sofhold, for example, sells a “leather-bound, ultra-strong magnet” that “securely holds your firearm for easy access or concealment.”
Two Kinds of Magnetic Holster
| On-body magnetic holster | Magnetic gun mount | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it holds the gun | On your waistband, with magnets clamping through the fabric | On a car console, desk, wall or bed frame |
| Covers the trigger? | Yes, the gun sits in a holster body | Only if the mount has a trigger guard cover; a bare magnet does not |
| Typical use | Carry without a belt, such as in athletic wear or scrubs | Storage within reach at home or in a vehicle |
On-Body Magnetic Holsters: What a Tester Found
USA Carry’s reviewer, a firearms instructor, wore a Mag-Jic holster for four days.
- On and off: “This was so VERY easy to do. I really like how quick you can put the holster on and take it off.”
- The trigger: “The trigger was completely covered.”
- Without a belt: over jeans with no belt, “it did not seem as secure, wobbled some, and did sag a little. Sometimes I had to use two hands to re-holster it, but not to draw it.”
- His conclusion on belts: “I believe that wearing the magnetic holster over a belt does give it more stability and added retention.”
Ride height is a trade-off too. JM4 says that on its higher-riding models the magnets are repositioned, which gives “a fuller grip, and it also means less magnetic retention at the firearm.”
For other ways to carry without a stiff belt, see our guides to belly band holsters and running holsters. The USCCA lists appendix carry with a magnetic holster as one option for riders; see our motorcycle holster guide.
Magnetic Gun Mounts for the Car or Home
Mounts differ most in whether they cover the trigger. Stinger Tools sells “A pistol magnet mount with integrated trigger guard protection” and says “the trigger guard protects against accidental discharge.” It adds that “The gun holder is lined with rubber to prevent scratches.” Sofhold says its magnet “can withstand up to 50lbs. of pulling force.”
The Mag-Jic seller notes its on-body holster “can also attach to any metal surface in your vehicle, home, or office for convenient storage.” The USA Carry tester found limits: “when I placed it on my file cabinet, the magnet did slide down the side of it,” and he couldn’t try it in his car “because there was just not that much metal there, mostly plastic.”
Our car holster guide covers vehicle mounts in more depth, and our bedside holster guide covers storage next to the bed. Check the law where you live on how a gun may be stored in a vehicle.
Magnetic Mag Carriers: Magnets for the Spare Magazine
We don’t make magnetic holsters. The Cloudster magnetic mag carriers use magnets to hold a spare magazine, not a gun. The pocket carrier has a “reinforced carbon fiber body,” with retention from “two N52 magnets paired with two steel discs,” and it “Ships with a hardened spring-steel deep-conceal clip already attached, plus a titanium standard clip” in the box.
- 9mm carriers: Fits most 9mm and .380 magazines.
- .45 ACP carriers: Fits .45 ACP 1911-style single-stack magazines.
Our pocket mag carrier guide covers carry depth and clips, and our guide to neodymium magnet retention explains how the magnets hold a magazine. For the difference between a magazine and a clip, see our mag vs clip guide.
Magnetic Holster: Questions People Ask
Does a magnetic holster need a belt?
On-body models are sold to work without one. The USA Carry tester found his holster wobbled and sagged a little over jeans with no belt, and was more stable over a belt.
Is a magnetic gun mount safe?
Look for a mount that covers the trigger guard. A bare magnet holds the gun but leaves the trigger exposed.
Will a magnetic mount work in my car?
It needs a solid place to attach. The USA Carry tester couldn’t try his in a car interior that was “mostly plastic”; some mounts screw or stick in place instead.
Do Cloudster’s magnetic carriers hold a gun?
No. They hold a spare magazine. Fit is listed on each carrier’s product page.
Written by the Cloudster Pillow team. We make the Cloudster Pillow and the Cloudster magnetic mag carriers, and carry Kore belts. We don’t sell holsters, gun mounts or firearms, and no maker paid to be mentioned here. This is general information, not legal advice or a substitute for professional training; check the firearm storage and carry laws where you live.
