In a relatively short time, Tulster has already garnered a reputation for outstanding Kydex holsters, both inside the waistband (IWB) and outside the waistband (OWB). Started in 2008 as a part-time gig, the company went full-time in 2015. Tulster was founded on creating a workplace where employees felt valued. Apparently, they also wanted to make good holsters, because that's what happened. I've reviewed a few of their products in the past and have always liked what I saw.
The latest one they sent me is the Contour OWB Holster, a full Kydex rig with only a handful of frills and a healthy helping of solid value.
The Contour OWB Holster starts like many other Kydex OWB holters, with two pieces of contoured (go figure) Kydex screwed and seam sealed together with four screws and six screw holes. Why four and six? Why not six of both? The two spare holes are for ride height adjustment. Simply remove two or all four screws and reposition the belt loops high or low, depending on your preference, for the best ride and draw position. It's not a lot of adjustment, but a little bit can make a big difference.
One of the most interesting (innovative?) functions of the Contour OWB Holster is the retention adjustment. It's a screw, but it's also a slide. I've seen this feature on other holsters, but it's not popular. Unlike traditional retention, which relies only on a single screw and washer setup, the Retention Adjustment Slot, as they call it, slides the retention screw up and down about half an inch closer and farther from the trigger guard, allowing for more precise adjustments without the risk of the screw backing out. It's a nice little touch that serves a real function.
The Contour part of the name comes from the asymmetrical alignment of the Kydex shell and the belt loops. The shell's rear wing is angled in slightly to push the pistol's grip closer to the wearer's body, reducing the chances the grip will print under a cover garment. Of course, it also depends on the size of the gun and your choice of wardrobe, but Tulster did all it could to help conceal an OWB holster setup.
I love fall – and I doubt I'm alone here – because it's also jacket and hoodie season, which opens up a world of concealability options not found in warmer weather. One of those is wearing an OWB. When I tested the Contour, it was on one of those chilly mornings where I had some running around, so I threw on a jacket to go about my business. Yay, fall! Anyway, the holster truly did keep the gun (in this case, a Glock 17, which is hard enough to conceal in an IWB) out of sight and didn't let it print. I felt confident that nobody in the big box store saw it. Throughout the day, it stayed hidden and did not peek out from under my jacket the entire time.
Sitting in the car was comfortable, too. Sometimes OWBs can bang against seatbelts, jostling the gun. But not with the Contour. The one time it hit the seatbelt buckle, the gun didn't budge, staying snugly inside the holster with no worry of popping out.
The Contour is cut for optic-ready firearms and comes in left-handed and right-handed versions.
Tulster sells these holsters on their website for $109.99, which might be on the higher end compared to other similar designs. Nevertheless, the Contour is undoubtedly a great holster, one I would recommend to anyone.
