If you’re in the market for a belly band holster, you may have come across the VNSH Holster. The company claims that its holster offers comfortable concealed carry and fits nearly every modern handgun. While many holster companies make the claims that their holsters are comfortable and conceal well, not every holster actually lives up to that claim.

That’s why we’re taking a hands-on look at how well it actually performs in this VNSH Holster review!

This article contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, we may receive a small commission to help offset the cost of testing and reviews.

What is the VNSH Holster?

The VNSH Holster is a belly band-style gun holster advertised to work with 99% of all modern handguns. The holster is made of a durable nylon-based fabric called CORDURA. The holster portion of the VNSH is a pocket sewn onto a 10” wide by 6” tall piece of nylon. The outer part of the holster pocket is made of a thicker fabric, while the part that touches the body is thin. The belt portion of the holster is made of a 3”-wide stretchy material that uses sewn-in velcro pieces to attach to the other end. 

The holster comes in two sizes, regular and XL, and several different colors.

VNSH Holster Review: Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Allows you to carry your gun without wearing a belt
• Allows you to use the bathroom without removing your gun
• Belly band straps are made with a thick, but flexible material
• Adjustable to different sizes
• Has two pockets that can be used for additional magazines or other items like pepper spray or a knife
• Ambidextrous

Cons

• Edges of the belly band are rough and irritate the skin
• Not compatible with all lights, lasers, and red dots
• Holstering can potentially be dangerous because the holster mouth does not remain completely open and the retention strap may get in the way
• Unlatching the retention strap is not intuitive and slows down draw time
• The trigger can potentially be pulled through the bag of the holster
• It is difficult to strap the belly band tight enough to keep holster from shifting throughout the day

VNSH Holster Review: Performance

Now, let’s take a look at the VNSH Holster’s performance in safety, concealment, comfort, functionality, and cost/value. I pair the holster with the Sig P365XL pistol with a Holosun red dot optic mounted for my evaluation.

For much of this review, I will be comparing the VNSH Holster to my thoughts from our PHLSTER Enigma V2 Review. If you are not familiar with the Enigma, my review is worth checking out as these two products are designed for a similar purpose and carry method.

Safety

When choosing a holster, safety is my top priority. I expect my holster to do a couple things in regards to safety:

1. Protect the trigger so that it can not inadvertently be pulled while in the holster.
2. Retain the gun in the holster, so that it does not leave the holster without me drawing it.

Trigger Protection

While the holster is not made of a hard kydex like I prefer, the outer part of the holster is made of a thick material that protects the trigger. The side that sits against the body is made of a less-rigid material. I have not been able to fully pull the trigger through this material, though I’m able to wiggle it some. It’s not very likely that this would cause an issue. However, it’s still an issue that could be avoided with thicker material.

I should also note that an early version of the holster may have had a much thinner fabric covering the trigger. Anything thinner than what is currently being used is a no-go for me.

One of the benefits of a kydex holster is that the mouth of the holster is always open. This makes it easier to holster your gun safely. I’ve found that shooters will often muzzle themselves when holstering with a soft holster as they work the gun in. The VNSH Holster stays somewhat open due to the rigid fabric on the outside of the holster. The retention strap on the outside can be used to hold open the holster mouth. However, the retention strap that sits against the body must be tucked away during the holstering process as it poses a risk of entering the trigger guard and pulling the trigger of the gun.

Retention

The holster uses a magnetic retention strap over the backstrap of the gun for retention. The strap is velcroed into the inner part of the holster, making it adjustable for different sized guns. The strap does a good job holding the gun in place, but does not allow for a smooth draw. Rather than unsnapping with the force of the draw, the button must be unsnapped before the gun can be drawn. I had to use my thumb for this, leading to a clunky and unnatural draw.

Concealment

The mechanics of concealment are generally the same no matter what holster you’re wearing. The key to concealing is finding your concealment sweet spot and positioning your gun to sit in the spot properly. 

While you can move the location of the gun left to right and up and down on the body with the VNSH Holster, it does not allow for other adjustments for concealment. For example, with a kydex AIWB holster, you can add a wedge to the holster in order to rotate the grip into the body. 

With tighter clothing, the VNSH Holster just doesn’t conceal well for me. I would feel comfortable wearing it with looser, heavier clothing like a sweatshirt, but likely not with my day to day outfits.

Comfort

The holster part of the VNSH Holster is very comfortable. Unlike the Enigma, there is no hard kydex sitting against your body that could potentially cause discomfort. 

I do find that the strap of the bellyband that sits closest to the body irritates my skin. For some reason, the edges of the strap are not smooth, especially at the very end of the strap, leading to discomfort against the skin. Of course, this could be fixed with an undershirt, but that may get hot if wearing during the warmer months.

Functionality

I want to know how the holster performs throughout the day while I do my regular tasks and how smoothly I can draw my gun.

The gun does tend to shift around throughout the day, especially when wearing looser clothing. I think this is because it can be difficult to strap down the belly band as tight as would be needed to keep the holster in place. I’m not a runner, but in a quick jogging test, I noticed the gun bouncing around a fair bit.

Above I mentioned that the retention strap made drawing the pistol slightly difficult. I also noticed that if I didn’t unsnap the retention strap quick enough, then the entire holster would ride up as I pulled the gun. The Enigma avoids this issue by including a “leg leash” that holds the entire belt system down as you draw the gun.

Cost/Value

I purchased the regular size, black VNSH Holster from Amazon for $59.95, but the company’s website has it listed for $129.97, discounted to $79.97. 

As of writing this, the stock PHLster Enigma Express is $154. A simple, kydex holster can typically be found between $70 and $85.

Traditional kydex holsters (and the Enigma) are form fitted to carry one model of gun. The VNSH Holster fits many different guns. While this has its own drawbacks, it also means that if you change the gun you carry, you probably won’t need a new holster.

VNSH Holster Review: Final Thoughts

Realistically, I don’t see myself using the VNSH Holster. For every metric I look for, it is just about average. It doesn’t conceal very well, it is slightly uncomfortable due to the rough edges of the belt, isn’t functional to draw from, and doesn’t quite meet all the safety requirements I have. 

The VNSH may work for some. However, I find that the PHLster Enigma meets all of my safety standards and conceals much better. If you do decide that the VNSH Holster is the route you want to go, be sure to practice your holster and draw with an unloaded gun so that you understand how to safely use the holster.