Even though it’s almost a decade old, Smith and Wesson’s Shield is still among the most popular firearms to this day. Due to its neat petite size, there are people who figured they’d carry it in their pockets alone. Of course, this is the worst way to carry a handgun, especially if the market offers tons of affordable, yet high-quality holsters.
That’s precisely what we are here to talk about today. We’ve scoured the market for the best Shield holsters and have come up with the following list:
Contents
Best Shield Holster of 2020
Best OWB Holsters for S&W Shield
Bama Belts and Leathers Nylon S&W Shield Holster
Let’s start off with Bama Belts and Leather Holster for Smith and Wesson’s Shield. First of all, this is an ambidextrous holster, which means that it is equally useful to both left and right-handed types of carrying.
It sports a clip-on mechanism that you can use to attach it to your belt (or alternatively clip it onto your waistband). It also comes supplied with a side magazine pouch. Furthermore, it comes equipped with an adjustable thumb-retention strap for easy un-holstering.
The Bama B&L Shield holster is made from durable fabric material and is incredibly light, but it’s somewhat bulkier than average.
Pros
- Equipped with a side magazine pouch
- Ambidextrous design
- Clip-on mechanism
- Made from quality nylon and fabric materials
Cons
- Slightly bulkier than average
SideFire Holsters Belt Side S&W Shield Holster
SideFire Holster’s S&W Shield holster resembles our previous pick in a lot of ways. Both of these models are made from nylon and fabric materials, feature a side magazine pouch, and a clip-on carrying mechanism.
The main difference between these two models is that SideFire’s holster is slightly more durable, but just a tad less comfortable to wear. In plain words, this model is a straight-forward holster equipped with features that are remarkably easy to use.
Pros
- Rugged design
- Side magazine pouch
- Adjustable thumb break
- Multiple carrying options, including the belt loop or the metal clip
Cons
- Slightly less comfortable to use in comparison to an average OWB holster
Braids Holsters S&W M&P Shield 9MM Pancake Holster
If you are commonly in situations where you actually expect to draw your gun, we recommend trying out Braids Holsters’ pancake holster. It hugs the body firmly and allows you to un-holster your Shield in a split second due to its open-top design.
This particular holster model also features enough spare room to accommodate Shield gun models that were modified with laser sights. It’s made from sturdy leather and will obviously last for decades given proper use and maintenance.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Hugs the body
- Small and inconspicuous design
- Allows for quick drawing
Cons
- Fixed cant angle
Best IWB Holsters for S&W Shield
Muddy River Tactical Smith and Wesson Shield Leather Holster
Muddy River Tactical’s Shield holster is, first and foremost, rugged and reliable. It was made by hand to suit the specs of S&W pistols, and sports a natural leather construction. Due to the fact that it’s made from real leather, it is significantly more comfortable to use in comparison to Kydex holsters and models made from synthetic materials.
Generally speaking, the main benefit this holster provides is simplicity. The only feature it comes supplied with is the belt clip; it rocks an open-top design and doesn’t come equipped with a thumb-break or any similar features.
Pros
- Very comfortable to use
- Robust real-leather construction
- Metal belt clip
Cons
- No thumb-break
Vedder Holsters LightTuck IWB Kydex Gun Holster
Vedder Holsters is a very popular holster brand, and their catalog includes a top-shelf S&W Shield holster model as well. The reason why this model is so great is that it sports a sweat shield feature, which keeps the slide clean and reduces the sweat build-up.
This holster is made from sturdy Kydex, but unlike most types of this material, this one is actually quite flexible. The holster was molded to fit Shield’s specs, ensuring a tight fit. Drawing from it is super easy, but re-holstering might take some practice if you have a modified Shield.
Pros
- Durable and flexible Kydex build
- Sweat-shield reduces the build-up of sweat
- Sleek, inconspicuous design
Cons
- Snug-fit; re-holstering modified Shield handguns will be a bit more difficult
Best Leg/Ankle Holsters for S&W Shield
Ankle Lite Galco AL652B Ankle Holster
Smith and Wesson’s Shield pistol is relatively small, so opting for an ankle holster is not such a bad idea. Fortunately, Ankle Lite is a series of ankle holsters made by Galco that brings a plethora of genuine innovations to the table.
This holster is made from top-quality neoprene material that is as flexible as it is robust. The inner side of the holster is layered with a bit of sheepskin padding that substantially enhances how comfortable it is to use it.
It’s also packed with a ton of cool features, including the retention strap supplied with a reinforced thumb-break, and steerhide construction.
Pros
- Incredibly comfortable to use
- Layered with a sheepskin pad
- Reinforced thumb-break
- Dark-colored and inconspicuous
Cons
- A bit heavy for an ankle strap
Pro-Tech Outdoors Concealed Boot Clip Holsters
Pro-Tech Outdoors’ holster is meant to be used with boots rather than shoes or sneakers. It sports a clip-on mechanism that you can use to attach it to your boots quite easily, but alternatively, the clip-on can be used on a waistband or a belt.
The holster is made from quality nylon material, and the outer layers were reinforced for extra durability. Furthermore, Pro-Tech’s Outdoors holster is padded and will provide protection from rough, pointy edges, which means that it’s very comfortable to use.
Pros
- Made from quality nylon
- Padded to guard the leg against rough and sharp edges
- Clip-on carrying mechanism
Cons
- Meant to be used with boots; not so great with sneakers or shoes
Best Chest Holster for S&W Shield
Silverhorse Holsters Chest/Shoulder Gun Holster
Smith and Wesson’s shield is best held close to the body, and if you’re the type of person who prefers to use chest holsters instead of a belt, leg, and ankle types, we recommend checking Silverhorse Holsters’ chest Shield holster out.
This model is made from Black 600D nylon and sports inner foam layers that provide extra softness and flexibility. There’s the adjustable thumb-break for easy un-holstering, as well as a side pouch where you can store an extra magazine.
Pros
- Made from 600D nylon
- Side pouch for an extra magazine
- Highly durable construction
Cons
- The strap hugs the body firmly
Best Pocket Holsters for S&W Shield
J&J Custom Fit Smith & Wesson 9/40 Shield
J&J’s holster was custom made for portable guns, such as Smith and Wesson’s Shield. It features the wallet-style theft-proof design; should you happen to be in a situation where you’re being robbed, you can easily reach out to your ‘wallet’ and draw your gun in the stealthiest way possible.
It’s entirely made from real leather and is remarkably sturdy, although it does not come with any special features (no straps, clips, and such).
Pros
- Custom-made to fit compact pistols
- Made from quality leather materials
- Anti-theft wallet design
Cons
- Doesn’t really have any special features
Superfly Desantis Pocket Holster S&W M&P CPT 9/40 Shield Holster
The last holster in our review is Superfly’s DeSantis pocket holster for the Shield handgun. It features sticky and rubberized fabric and a removable outer flap that is supposed to completely disguise your Shield.
The sticky fabric helps keep the holster into position, ensuring superb reliability and consistency. The design of this holster is such that you can use it in your back pocket or front pockets.
Pros
- Sticks in place
- Durable
- Removable outer flap
- Made from robust rubberized fabric material
Cons
- Hard to maintain
Best Holster for S&W Shield Buying Guide
Material
The material from which your Shield holster is made will affect how comfortable you’ll feel about using it. For instance, you’ll feel the leather in most cases while you are probably going to completely forget that you’re even wearing a fabric (or nylon) holster.
If you value comfort above all else, you should stick with neoprene, nylon, or fabric holsters.
Type
The type of the holster affects numerous aspects of its functionality; including how easy it is to draw the gun, how easy it is to conceal it, and how reliably it can stay inside the holster. Waistband holsters are the most popular type, as they offer the most natural drawing motion (hence the shortest drawing time), and you’ll be able to easily conceal the gun in this position.
Alternatively, you can try out chest, leg, ankle, and pocket holsters; each of these types brings different benefits to the table.
Size
The size of the holster does not always correspond to the gun’s size. There are numerous multi-gun holsters that are not specifically made for one specific handgun; rather they’re made to fit several handguns, usually from the same brand.
On another hand, a holster can be quite bulky if it’s equipped with several features, such as for example the side magazine storage pouch. We strongly recommend sticking with smaller holsters as the S&W Shield is a small gun itself. Picking a bigger (and bulkier) holster might completely ruin the surprise element and make your concealed carry slightly less achievable.
Features
Holsters for small arms are typically equipped with a small number of features. The thumb-break retention is the most popular feature, but high-quality models typically come equipped with magazine pouches, adjustable cant angle, or sweat shields.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is S&W Shield?
Smith and Wesson’s Shield is a compact handgun that was practically made for concealed carry due to its tiny size. Despite being one of the most petite ‘small arms’ (after derringer), it still packs quite a punch. It’s a great option for self-defense as it can be concealed pretty much anywhere.
What are the dimensions and specs of Smith and Wesson’s Shield?
This beautiful handgun uses 9 mm ammunition and sports a white dot front sight. Its magazine size is 7 bullets (plus one chambered), although it also accepts 8+1 magazines. The Shield pistol is among the lightest handguns on the market, as it weighs only 20.8 ounces.
Its barrel and slide are made of stainless steel material while its frame sports polymer construction.
What type of holster works best with S&W Shield?
Due to its compact size, Shield works great with practically every type of holster. If you don’t expect to draw your gun but still want to be prepared just in case, we recommend using pocket or ankle holsters.
People who expect a fight or police officers (and soldiers) who are off duty are recommended to use a chest or waistband holsters because these offer quicker drawing times.
Kydex or leather holster, which is better?
Generally speaking, both Kydex and Leather materials are pretty sturdy and reliable. Different people value different qualities and simply put, Kydex and leather offer different benefits that are not necessarily superior in comparison to one another.
While leather is typically a bit sturdier, Kydex provides enhanced mobility due to its lightness and flexibility. Both serve the same purpose, and it’s hard to say which is better objectively.
I modified my Shield with laser sights; can I still use a holster?
Dozens of Shield holsters feature an extension for handgun modifications – some models have a spare room for under-barrel attachments (such as for example flashlight, or laser sights) while others come supplied with over-barrel attachments (typically sights modification).
That being said, you can easily find a proper holster for your modded Shield, but make sure you pick a model with adequate extra space.