I have been legally carrying a concealed handgun for about 6 years, the majority of that time at the appendix position, and often with an attached weapon light, but not always. Whether you believe that a weapon mounted light (WML) is a critical component of your self defense carry tools or not, the fact remains that many people do carry concealed with a WML, and among that group, the Surefire x300u is a very popular option, mainly due to its output, durability and excellent track record. Enter the Floodlight – an inside the waistband universal appendix holster from PHLSTER that is built around the Surefire X300. You have the ability to concealed carry nearly any available handgun you can find, as long as it accepts the X300. Think about that….that is a really cool concept.

PHLSTER has built a stellar reputation for bringing quality concealment and everyday carry products to market. The critical thought and good execution that is present in the products is immediately apparent. In fact, Jon Hauptman the designer and owner of PHLSTER Holsters put out this great educational video explaining how seat belts work, and how they interact with an appendix holster in a vehicle collision (see video below). This is not exactly something that most holster makers are taking into consideration when designing their products, and it shows the level of critical thinking that goes into the design of PHLSTER products. Not that other holster makers aren’t making excellent products as well, but i think it adds credibility to the holster maker.

Instead of having to constantly buy new holsters for different handguns, now you can just get one holster that will work for all of them. It doesn’t just kinda work either, it works really well, no matter what handgun you decide to use, as long as you want to carry the X300 IWB at the appendix position. If you want to carry without a light you will need another holster, and if you want to carry strong side or behind the hip, i would probably choose a different holster as well. But if appendix carrying with a WML is your thing, you need this. (Of note, PHLSTER does say on the website that you can use this holster strong side, but this type of holster doesn’t work for my body type on my hip).

The Floodlight is modular, well built and conceals a firearm well. Its easy to put on and take off as necessary, and is completely ambidextrous. You can adjust the ride height, the retention and swap out various types of belt loops or clips as you see fit. Changing out clips or making hardware adjustments is also easier on this holster than most others due to the fact that its a clamshell that can be fully opened. The shock cord on one side that allows it to stretch and accommodate any pistol there is, also makes it easier to work on when you need to hold washers or bushings in place for instance. Adjusting the retention for thinner guns is done by wrapping the knot and washer at the end of the shock cord back under the length of cord along the holster. This effectively clamps the holster down tighter and increases the pressure against the gun. You can see this demonstrated in my YouTube video above. You can also tighten the screws to further adjust retention if needed.

For most of the review i used the soft loops that came already attached. This setup combined with the full sized concealment wing really made most guns disappear into my clothes, while still allowing me to establish  full grip and execute as clean a draw as I’m capable of. The advantage of the loops is that they are easy to put on and take off, are super durable, won’t come undone until you want them to. The only disadvantage of the soft loops is that they actually stick out a little bit more than over clips and could slightly print at your belt line, and that if you don’t cut them down to fit your 1.5″ belt exactly then the holster can shift a little bit as you go about your day. This could lead to an inconsistent draw and a fraction of a second in your draw time.

I ended up trying the over clips that came with the holster, and i found that they did did a great job of keeping the holster rock solid in place inside my pants, but putting them on was simply too much effort, especially with two clips, and especially with my thicker mean gene leather EDC belt. I ended up running a single clip for awhile which worked better, but was still considerably harder to put on and take off then two soft loops. I ultimately decided to give the Discrete Gear clips a try after seeing Jim Dexter of Tactically Sound post about them. My Floodlight is current setup with two of these and i like them very much. They are relatively easy to put on and take off and they keep the holster in place absolutely rock solid.

Final Thoughts:

This product is overwhelmingly outstanding, and I have nothing negative to say about it aside from not being crazy about the optional clips it came with. The PHLSTER Floodlight is like the rest of PHLSTER’s lineup, well thought out, high quality, simple, reliable and highly functional. Please watch my YouTube video above to see me put the holster through its paces and really show off how well it works. I would recommend this holster to anyone looking to carry a WML concealed, as it allows the most flexibility in gun choices while still being super functional and high performing with essentially the best weapon mounted light on the market.

PRICE $119.00 5/5 the functionality of this holster is more than worth the price

FUNCTIONALITY 5/5 as good as it gets for concealed carry

WEIGHT 5/5 its like 50% kydex, 10% shock cord, 5% hardware and 35% air

DURABILITY 5/5 its well built. I haven’t body slammed onto it from a garage roof yet, but i will update when i do.

COMFORT 4/5 appendix is never totally comfortable, but this holster is as comfortable as any other I’ve tried. You could potentially add a foam backer if thats your thing to try to make it softer against your…..areas.

Overall Rating 24/25

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.