Stealthgear USA Ventcore 2.0
A great holster line just got even better.
I first tried a Stealthgear USA holster back in November 2013. It was sent to me for a review that I wrote for The Bangswitch. I was immediately impressed not only by the quality of the construction, but also by the amazing level of comfort that holster offered.
Beyond the build quality and comfort, the retention was excellent and despite my initial concerns about durability, they proved to be extremely durable. In the 12 years that have since passed, I have yet to have a single Stealthgear holster fail me. I cannot say the same for other brands I have used in that same timeframe.
Ever since I got that first holster for evaluation, Stealthgear has been my go-to brand for my daily carry holsters. During that time, they have continued to evolve their product line.
I used a Stealthgear holster daily, up until my daily carry guns evolved and ended up wearing weapon mounted lights. At the time that I started putting lights on all my carry guns, Stealthgear was not making holsters for guns equipped with lights. So I sought out other options that got me by, but none of them were anywhere near as comfortable and some proved to be far less durable.
Flash forward a couple years and while cruising my Instagram feed, I saw a post by the official Stealthgear USA account where a guy was sporting one of their holsters for a light equipped handgun.
It was not long after seeing that post that I reached out to the folks at Stealthgear and snagged a couple of the new Ventcore 2.0 holsters. I got an IWB Mini for my Hellcat Pro with a Streamlight TLR-7 light on it, the gun I carry nearly every day, and an OWB Flex for my Sig P365 X-Macro, also wearing a Streamlight TLR-7 light.
I have used both of these model holsters previously, but in the Ventcore 1.0 version. I liked them both, and used them extensively, so I was curious what improvements the Ventcore 2.0 offered.
Turns out, besides adding light compatibility, there were a bunch of other changes. They standardized the Kydex shell for each gun model which should shorten production time, they added additional padding in a few areas to the chassis, and they increased the size of the vents. In regards to the OWB Flex, they also changed the mounting location and the material the flex wings are made from.
All of those changes resulted in an improved holster that, despite my thinking it impossible, created a more comfortable holster than what I already knew and loved.
While their offerings for light mounted handguns are slightly limited currently, they are continually adding more models to their list. If they don’t offer something you are looking for, they invite you to send them a message and they will consider adding it, depending on demand.
With all that said, holsters are indeed a very personal thing. No two people are built the same, we don’t all carry the same gun in the same place. One person’s comfortable is not everyone’s.
Stealthgear USA understands this, and with that in mind, they offer a 30-day “Love It, Or Return It” guarantee. If you don’t like the holster, they will let you exchange it for another model or return it for a refund. You have nothing to lose, and quite a bit of comfort to gain.
Holster comfort is something that cannot be under-stressed. If your gun/holster combo is uncomfortable, you are less likely to carry it and conversely, if it is very comfortable, you are more likely to carry it. And like I always say, it is important to practice your ABC’s - Always Be Carrying!