Galco Summer Comfort IWB Leather Holster: A Review

The Galco Summer Comfort holster is one of the best leather IWB holsters I’ve ever used. IWB (inside the waistband) carry has become the most popular everyday method of carrying a firearm in recent years. If you are not familiar with Galco holsters, they are the king of leather gun gear. They make holsters, belts, CCW purses, mag holders, and more.

Buying a leather holster is different from buying a polymer or Kydex holster. You must break it in before you use it, and you have to perform some periodic maintenance on it. So why pay more for a holster you need to break in and perform maintenance on? Because leather is comfortable, stylish, durable, and will last forever.

People ask me from time to time if Kydex or leather is better for holsters. I ask them in return if they prefer coffee or tea. My opinion is, that both types of holsters have benefits, and it comes down to what you like most. I happen to like coffee and tea, or in this case, both types of holsters. A quality leather holster is often my preference when I’m not on duty and dressed up like Tackleberry. Even when I’m on duty, I wear my Galco Miami Classic shoulder rig from time to time.

Leather has some flexibility to it, and you can reshape it to a small degree, which is not possible with Kydex holsters. As you wear a leather holster, it slowly conforms a little to the person wearing it, making it more comfortable. Let’s take a look at Galco’s Summer Comfort IWB holster.

Summer Comfort IWB Holster

Galco offers the Summer Comfort in multiple sizes for more than 20 firearms manufacturers. The one I have is for a Kimber Micro 9 (mini 1911 handgun), but they also make it for a ton of Glock, Smith & Wesson, and other models. It’s an open-top carry holster with a butt-forward design that helps conceal the firearm when carrying it.

One thing that is different with the Summer Comfort holster is the snap loops for the belt. Kydex holsters normally use a plastic clip that fits over your pants and belt. The clip catches on the bottom of the belt so the holster stays in place when the gun is being drawn. But it can come out when drawing if the plastic clip slips off the belt.

Galco uses snap loops which wrap around the belt and snap closed at the top. This keeps the holster from coming off unless you purposely unsnap it. One of the reasons I like the clip style on Kydex holsters is because it’s fast to put on and take off. A loop for a belt to feed through is more secure but takes longer to put on. The Summer Comfort holster offers both security and speed.

To wear the holster, simply tuck the holster inside your waistband and feed the un-snapped loops behind your belt. Pull the leather straps in front of your belt and snap them closed at the top. This creates a loop and keeps the holster from coming off. Removing it is simple and only takes a few seconds.

Appendix Carry for IWB Holsters: A Personal Preference

As with most IWB holsters, you can wear this one in many different positions. Not too long ago, I preferred to carry my gun on the strong side. That’s because I carry a duty weapon in that location, and it only made sense to keep things familiar. But over time, I have come to like appendix carry because it’s easier to conceal and quicker to draw.

Of course, this is all preference, and others may prefer small-of-back or cross-draw. This particular holster does not work for cross-draw but can be used for small-of-back carry. One of the main reasons I prefer appendix carry for IWB holsters is the proximity of the left hand to the clothing.

The idea of concealed carry is to conceal the gun with some type of clothing. In the winter, when a coat will cover my gun, I wear a regular belt holster. It’s not hard to brush a coat aside and draw the gun. But when a shirt, hoody, or other clothing is over an IWB holster, the clothing needs to be pulled out of the way before the gun can be drawn. With appendix carry, both hands are close and the left hand can pull the shirt up as the right hand draws the weapon.

Is the Southern Comfort holster comfortable?

Like anything else, there are pros and cons to IWB leather holsters. Leather is thicker than Kydex so leather holsters feel a little bulky compared to Kydex versions. This means you need a little more room in your waistband when using leather IWB holsters. But as I mentioned above, leather is more flexible than Kydex, and it will conform somewhat over time.

Think of your old baseball glove when you were a kid. An old, broken-in glove was much more comfortable than a stiff new glove. Leather holsters work the same way. The longer you wear it, the more it breaks in and the more comfortable it is to carry. It won’t get any thinner, so the extra room in the waistband is still needed, but it is more flexible.

Ready for an IWB leather holster?

People buy holsters like this one because they want quality, class, and something they can keep for years to come. There’s been a debate in my household for years about buying shoes for kids. Do you go with a cheap pair and buy them more often or a good pair that will last? A quality holster will cost more upfront, but you get more use out of it.

I prefer to buy a good pair of shoes that are more comfortable and last longer than several cheap pairs combined. To maintain a good leather holster, all that’s needed is some leather lotion or oil, a leather brush, and a soft cloth. You can find these items at any shoe store or purchase them directly from Galco on their website.

My Kimber Micro-9 fit snugly in my Summer Comfort holster but was easy to draw. It doesn’t move around when walking or running and angles the gun to a comfortable position for drawing. The finish and stitching are the same quality as any Galco holster, and it smells strongly of leather, which is a good thing. If you are looking for a new IWB holster, you won’t be disappointed with this one. My Summer Comfort holster has become my EDC for my Kimber Micro 9 handgun.