Wedging Holsters

The use of wings, or what is often called a claw, on holsters designed for appendix position carry, have been an absolute game changer in concealment as these devices draw the grip into the body, thus greatly aiding concealment.  Another tool that has long been used to enhance AIWB concealment is wedging, which typically involves putting some kind of foam-like soft material at the muzzle area of the holster that presses against the body.  The wedge makes the muzzle area push away from the body, and in turn presses the heal of the gun into the stomach area, thus enhancing concealment.  I have found that the wing/claw is more essential to concealment than is a wedge; however, I often use a combination of both enhancements on my holsters. 

For the past year or more I have been using the Phlster Pro Series holster, which has a wedge built into it in a sense, as the muzzle end of the holster is wide, this acting as a wedge.  For a long time I found no need for an additional wedge on this holster, as this design concealed my pistol just fine.  I did, however, in the past couple of months, add a wedge to this holster.  It does, in fact, contribute to even better concealment, as the wedge pushes the heal and tang of the gun that much tighter into the body.  However, there is an additional benefit to wedging a holster, even if the concealment does not dramatically change:

Comfort.

I found the Phlster Pro quite comfortable on its own and never had issues, but after adding the large, tear-drop shaped wedge (also a Phlster product) the comfort perceptively improved.  It seems no matter how well designed a holster is, hard kydex against the hip bone and groin area simply gets uncomfortable.  The soft and squishy material of the wedge alleviates this.  Also of value, with a wedge comes:

Safety.

Another contribution of the wedge is one of safety.  The further out the muzzle end of the holster is pushed from the body, the safer re-holstering becomes.  With a tilt in the hips, combined with a wedged holster, the muzzle can be directed when re-holstering so that it never flags any part of the body. 

So, even if you are happy with the concealment of your holster without a wedge, which is quite possible due to the effectiveness of the wing/claw, adding a wedge may still be beneficial.