Holsters and Gear Recommendations
Bedside Holster Guide: Types, Safety and Setup
Quick answer: A bedside holster keeps a handgun in a fixed holster within reach of your bed, mounted to the frame, nightstand or headboard, or tucked between mattress and box spring. Choose one that fully covers the trigger, holds the gun firmly and stays put. It is not storage: GrovTec warns never to leave a gun unattended in one.
What Is a Bedside Holster?
It’s a holster that lives at your bed instead of on your belt. Alien Gear describes its range as holsters that mount “to nightstands, bed frames, or flat surfaces,” using hook-and-loop backing. GrovTec’s mattress style “Fits securely between mattress and box spring.” The Stinger bedside holster “can be placed under the mattress or hung bedside, mounted under the desk or hung desk-side.” Magnetic mounts are another option; see our magnetic holster guide for what to check.
Types of Bedside Holsters
| Type | How it mounts | What the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| Molded shell on hook-and-loop | A loop pad on the bed frame, headboard or nightstand | Alien Gear: “Trigger coverage is complete,” and “The holster attaches and detaches instantly, allowing users to reposition or remove it as needed.” |
| Mattress holster | A flap slides between mattress and box spring | GrovTec: sized “Fits most small and medium frame pistols” or “Fits most medium and large frame pistols.” |
| Elastic universal pouch | Under the mattress, hung bedside, or under a desk | Stinger: “an adjustable elastic band that is compatible with most handguns”; it can also hold “extra magazines, flashlights, knives.” |
For more on hook-and-loop holsters, see our velcro holster guide; for one-size designs, our universal holster guide.
What to Look For
- Full trigger coverage. The same rule as any holster; Alien Gear says its bedside shells give complete coverage “protecting against accidental discharge even when mounted within arm’s reach.”
- A firm hold. Molded shells lock the gun in; Alien Gear notes its holsters give “audible retention feedback.” Elastic pouches hold by tension instead.
- A mount that stays put. Alien Gear’s pads attach with “reinforced adhesive or mechanical fasteners,” and it says the angle is “slightly canted for ergonomic access.”
- Fit to your gun. GrovTec sizes its mattress holster by frame, Alien Gear makes its shells for named models, and Stinger’s elastic pouch is built to stretch to most handguns.
Retention levels are explained in our guide to holster retention levels.
Safety: A Bedside Holster Is Not Storage
GrovTec’s product page puts it in capitals: “DO NOT LEAVE FIREARMS UNATTENDED IN BEDSIDE HOLSTER.” The NRA’s safety rules say: “Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons,” and add that “Many factors must be considered when deciding where and how to store guns. A person’s particular situation will be a major part of the consideration.”
In practice that means the gun goes in the bedside holster when you go to bed, and back on you or into locked storage when you leave the room, especially if children or guests are in the home. Check your state’s storage laws too.
A Staged Spot for Everything Else
The rest of your carry needs a home at night too. The Reinforced Carbon Fiber EDC Dump Tray is “One staged spot for your everyday carry”: a 10″ × 7″ tray “sized for your wallet, keys, watch, spare mag, knife, earbuds,” made to sit on a “nightstand, entry table, dresser.” It’s reinforced carbon fiber, made to order in the USA. For a routine for staging carry gear at the bedside, see our guide to staging an EDC tray at home.
Bedside Holster: Questions People Ask
Is a bedside holster safe?
Only with full trigger coverage, a firm hold, and the gun never left unattended in it. Store it so unauthorized people can’t reach it when you’re not there.
Mattress holster or mounted holster?
A mattress holster slides between mattress and box spring; a mounted molded holster holds the gun in a fixed, covered shell at a set angle.
Will a bedside holster fit my gun?
Check the maker’s sizing. GrovTec sells two frame sizes; Alien Gear’s shells are made for specific models.
Can I use my carry holster at the bedside?
Some hook-and-loop holsters move between a bed mount, a vehicle and a bag; Alien Gear says the same holster can be used “in vehicles, safes, or desks.”
Written by the Cloudster Pillow team. We make the Cloudster Pillow, the Cloudster magnetic mag carriers and the carbon fiber EDC tray, and carry Kore belts. We don’t sell holsters or firearms, and no maker paid to be mentioned here. This is general information, not a substitute for professional training; check the storage and carry laws where you live.
