Holsters and Gear Recommendations
Holster Shirt: How Concealed Carry Holster Shirts Work
Quick answer: A holster shirt is a compression base layer with built-in holster pockets, worn under a regular shirt. Alien Gear describes it as “a fitted, athletic-style compression shirt with an integrated holster pouch, typically positioned in a shoulder or cross-draw configuration.” It says holster shirts suit carriers whose clothing fit, “not draw speed, is the limiting factor.”
How Holster Shirts Work
In Alien Gear’s words, these are “compression garments worn as a base layer, with a built-in holster pocket positioned under the arm, across the chest, or at the waistband, with a standard shirt tucked in over the top.” The firearm “rides against the body under the outer shirt, with no belt clips, no waistband pressure.”
Alien Gear separates two related products:
- Holster shirt: pockets usually under the arm, “in a shoulder or cross-draw configuration.”
- Concealment undershirt: “a compression tank or short-sleeve base layer with holster pockets built into the side or lower torso rather than a shoulder rig.”
Holster Shirts in Their Makers’ Words
Each is described from the maker’s own listing, checked November 3, 2026. We don’t sell these and haven’t tested them.
| Shirt | Pockets | What the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| 5.11 Tactical Holster Shirt | Under the arms | “Twin shoulder pockets for your sidearm and accessories,” “Hook and loop fasteners keep gear secure,” “Integrated shoulder yoke distributes weight” |
| Tru-Spec Concealed Holster Shirt | Two, either side | “Dual holster pockets for left- or right-handed carry,” “Dense outer mesh layer helps mask the outline of the firearm,” “Accommodates small to medium frame pistols; many full-size frames also fit” |
| UnderTech UnderCover Concealed Carry Tank | Two, one each side | “2 easy-access holsters on each side of the garments for left-hand AND right-hand shooters,” “Made in USA” |
Trade-Offs vs a Tuckable Holster
Alien Gear lists the costs plainly:
- Draw speed: “Draw speed from a shoulder-mounted holster shirt is generally slower than a waistband draw, since the motion crosses the body rather than moving straight down and out.”
- Retention: it “depends heavily on the specific garment’s construction, since these are fabric-based systems rather than molded shells, and fit changes as the compression fabric stretches over time or across body types.”
Its conclusion: “For most concealed carriers, a well-fitted tuckable holster still offers faster access and firmer retention; holster shirts and undershirts are the better choice specifically when clothing fit, not draw speed, is the limiting factor.” For that route, see our tuckable holster guide.
Holster Shirts vs Other Carry Clothing
A holster shirt is one kind of concealed carry clothing. For snap-front shirts, T-shirts cut for carry and fabrics that hide a gun, see our guide to dressing for concealed carry. For a band worn around the waist instead, see our belly band holster guide, and for a suit, concealed carry in a suit.
If you carry in a waistband holster instead, the Cloudster Pillow holster wedge mounts to any IWB or AIWB holster with hook-and-loop, angles the grip into your body, and has memory-foam fill you can add or remove to set its thickness.
Holster Shirts: Questions People Ask
What is a holster shirt?
A compression base layer with built-in holster pockets. Alien Gear: “a fitted, athletic-style compression shirt with an integrated holster pouch.”
Are holster shirts good for concealed carry?
For tight or tailored clothes, yes. Alien Gear says they are “the better choice specifically when clothing fit, not draw speed, is the limiting factor,” but slower to draw from than a waistband holster.
Can a holster shirt carry a full-size pistol?
It depends on the shirt. Tru-Spec says its shirt “Accommodates small to medium frame pistols; many full-size frames also fit.”
Do holster shirts work for left-handed shooters?
The three listed above all have pockets on both sides; Tru-Spec lists “Dual holster pockets for left- or right-handed carry.”
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 clothing or holsters, and no maker paid to be mentioned here.
