Alien Gear OWB Cloak Belt Holster

I do not use outside the waistband holsters with the greatest regularity, but I do find them to be necessary in some applications here in Alaska. Winter time here can allow the user to wear an OWB holster while also wearing a cover garment like a jacket to effectively conceal the firearm. However, even if you are able to wear alot of layers, your holster should still maintain a low profile, reasonable retention, and be capable of being used continuously in practice without compromising the functionality. The question is whether this $45 hybrid holster is up to task for being a good belt holster option according to the requirements I have laid out.

POTENTIAL USES

The Cloak Belt Holster by Alien Gear Holsters is advertised to have a wide range of potential uses. It is said to be primarily good for open carry, which makes sense because open carry is still a thing, despite how people feel about it. Here in Alaska, open carry is tolerated and commonly seen in hunting season since people make a last stop at stores and such before heading out into the wild to hunt. While out in the wild, it is wise to carry, which makes an OWB an obvious choice for most of us. It is easier to draw from and nature won't be offended by your piece being displayed.

​The Cloak Belt Holster is being advertised to be concealable despite not being hidden within the waistline. They claim that the low profile and flexible base keeps the holster tight into the body, meaning it should conceal with relatively light garments like a dress shirt. I have yet to prove that a dress shirt alone is adequate but I have been able to confirm that the holster is concealable under a "lighter" garment as we start our temperature descent here into winter. My only standard based on experience is that the bottom of the garment must hang below the holster by about 2-4 inches. This is an optimal length for me to go about my daily life and be able to maintain concealment while still being able to complete an effective draw stroke in my winter clothing.

The last use that I did not see displayed on the website or anywhere else is that this holster would probably work well as a training holster for those new to carrying or using a holster in any capacity. This hybrid design makes it easy to balance out and understand how to position it for concealment and for getting a good draw. Heck, it would not be a bad holster to take to classes where you are using OWB holsters to learn the course. As I stated earlier, I like to see holsters be capable of being used over and over again so that the user can not only learn on the holster, but also be able to use it after all the practice.

AG CLOAK BELT HOLSTER FEATURES

This is not your ordinary hybrid holster of leather and kydex. This holster is a compilation of some high quality materials and concepts rolled into one package. There are several things about this holster that are there because of feedback from customers and a drive to perfect the holster design. Overall you will notice that the hybrid design is pretty unique in that there is a bit of style and potential modularity put into this holster. 

EXTRA HARDWARE KIT

Most hybrid holsters are meant for one pistol whereas this holster can easily have the shells swapped to fit up to 600 different pistols. The holster also comes with adjustment rubberized buffers and screws so you can not only adjust fit, but also retention. These are mainly used for things like getting a new shell for another gun.
Personally, I have several shells and these buffers definitely come in handy. The shells can either be traded with Alien Gear or just bought outright for about $15 per shell.
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Personally, I have traded holster shells with this company on a couple of occasions and it took about a week or so to get the new shell to me. I am not sure how it is these days, but I figured I would just insert my own data point on that.

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BELT LOOPS
​When you order this holster, you will have the option of getting the 1.5" or 1.75" belt loops. These are fully enclosed mounted pretty well to wear there is enough room to get the belt on the holster with ease, but there is no unnecessary movement once the belt is tightened down. I will also note that the hardware securing the loops to the holster base is secured and concealed in the holster base itself.
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HOLSTER BASE

The base of the holster consists of 4 layers total. The layer that sits against the gun is what the company calls "alien skin" which has a rubbery texture to it. The idea is that this top layer is to grab onto the firearm and provide a little better retention but without being too harsh on the finish of the gun.

The next material under the Alien Skin is a sheet of stainless steel which is backed by a layer of ballistic nylon. This sheet of stainless steel gives the holster base rigidity to prevent the sweat guard from drooping and giving. This means the holster will maintain good retention and durability for a long time. I don't know of any other hybrid holster that has this feature.

The back of the holster base, which is up against your body, is a thick layer of perforated neoprene to keep the heat away and the sweat from pooling up. Since this is an OWB holster, I don't know what the value is in the neoprene backing. Perhaps it is just so that they are able to keep the construction consistent with the other holsters they produce.

INITIAL USE IMPRESSIONS

When I first got this holster, I wanted to make sure that it would also work smoothly with my other shells. I really enjoyed how easy it was to switch out shells and get the holster ready for use with a different firearm. Kind of an interesting discovery, but I found the shell on this holster to be almost flawless and perfectly polished. All my other shells were rough around the edges and even needed to be exchanged once because the kydex wasn't cut out properly. But that was almost four years ago back when the holsters were almost exclusively made of leather and kydex.

When I started practicing with this holster, I instantly appreciated how well the pistol was retained while also being easy to draw. After a few hundred draw strokes, I did not notice much of any change in the retention of the firearm. I was worried that the holster would constantly slide back and forth on my belt while I walked around doing odds and ends around the house, but I have not had an issue so far. The FBI cant of all the shell also makes drawing the pistol easier for sure. I have done a limited amount of live fire with this holster, but so far I have found that it does not have many snagging points and it is almost perfect in how well it balances due to how wide the holster is. 

​The sides of the holster being flexible and allowing the holster to form to the body well is a nice addition. This definitely helps it be functional for carrying a firearm concealed under a jacket. When attempting to conceal something outside the pants, a low and thin profile is pretty much essential to successful concealment. The one problem I have seen is that the holster base does not cover the end of my Beretta barrel. In my estimation, this could allow crap to get in the bore when you are in the field hunting or hiking. Also, there is a concern on my parts with how the end of the barrel may burn you through your clothing if you are using this holster for a long day of practicing at the range. Other than the Beretta shell, I have not seen a shell for a 4" barrel that overlaps the base like this.

​The only drawback I have noticed is that this holster and it's shells will not be compatible with a light. Alien Gear has not quite gotten to the pistol mounted light or optic level yet. Perhaps some time in the future they will get around to it for the Gucci crowd.

From my limited time of using this holster so far, I have developed a pretty healthy respect for it in terms of what it can do for me overall. It is not going to be negatively effected by water or freezing temperatures as far as I can tell, so I think it will work great as an outdoor hiking holster. I will continue to test it in the future and provide a final review when I feel I have a conclusion to make about this product and how it has worked for me in the long run. After all, the test of time is the most revealing test for gear like this.