Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Belly Band Review (Part 2)

A while back I reviewed the Galco Underwraps Belly Band.  In my first review, I specifically looked at wearing the Belly Band low on my hips.  As some of you might have known, this is not exactly how the thing is designed to be worn.  Really, the Belly Band works best worn on the natural waist.  One of the biggest problems I had with it is that it would tend to ride up when I moved, and low and behold that's because its shape is not really designed to sit on the hips.  If there were a Belly Band with more of a tapered shape, that would probably work better.

So, let's look at how well the Belly Band works when worn on the natural waist.

Comfort:  The Belly Band is overall pretty comfortable.  No big complaints here... The only real problem is that it is not super comfortable to wear while driving.  Note that I usually wear it with my gun just behind my hip; it can also be worn with your weapon in the front.  When I wear it with the gun positioned in front, obviously there's no problem with driving.  In the back it just doesn't quite sit right, but as long as we're not talking long road trips it is a tolerable problem.  I also had some discomfort from the edge of the Belly Band digging in to the top of my hips.  I'm wondering if this problem is related to the fact that the Belly Band is not really designed for a petite female like myself.  I can think of a few changes to the shape of it that would make it more suitable to my figure, but on the whole the comfort was not bad.  I've certainly worn it for the majority of the day without much trouble.  Overall, I give it a 7.5 for comfort.
 
Concealability:  The main reason I started out wearing the Belly Band (possibly incorrectly) low on the hips is that I thought that position would be more concealable than on the waist.  As it turns out, concealability on the waist was great!  It takes a bit of experimentation with outfits, but I have been able to wear the Belly Band with my LCP nicely concealed under cardigans, jackets, blouses, and even tighter-fitting t-shirts.  I know I've said it before, but layering a tank top under the t-shirt or blouse is a huge help here.  It does a great job of eliminating funky lines!  I'm giving the Belly Band an 8 for concealability.
 
Confidence:  This is the area where wearing the Belly Band on the natural waist made a BIG difference over wearing it low on the hips.  I felt like the whole setup was very secure, and didn't have to worry at all about things moving around.  The Belly Band itself didn't move at all when I stood up or sat down.  The gun itself even felt more secure in the gun pocket because it was at a better angle than when I wore it lower.  Access might be a little trickier, given the need to move clothing farther to get to the gun, but it wouldn't be impossible.  I'm calling this one an 8 on confidence.
 
Most days I am using an in-waistband holster to carry concealed.  (I'll be reviewing that soon to let you know why it's my current favorite.)  The Belly Band, though, is ideal for situations in which the IWB doesn't work.  Mostly, I love wearing it when I'm wearing a skirt, or anything that doesn't have belt loops.  It's also super convenient for a quick jaunt to the store, as it's just simple to put on and simple to wear.  I hope you'll try one out!
 
If anyone knows of a belly band-type setup that accommodates the figure problems discussed above, I would love to hear about it! 

1 comment:

  1. I just bought one of these, and came to the same conclusion as you. It works great for jogging in sweat pants, or any other time you're not wearing a belt.
    After playing with all the different combinations (and the band offers a LOT of choices), I settled on carrying with the butt of the single-stack 9mm just below my ribs, in the hollow of my stomach on one side or the other.
    A t-shirt hanging from your pectorals offers great concealment, and a traditional undershirt stops the fabric from irritating your skin.

    One huge advantage is that nobody ever touches you there, unless they're going for a seriously intimate groin-to-groin hug. It's also very quick to draw.

    Have you tried the non-gun pockets? I've found them very useful for carrying my wallet and a spare mag while running.

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