“A quality belt and a quality holster are key to carrying concealed properly.” I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard this phrase, and I’ve often repeated it myself to friend’s trying to make do with worn out belts and cheap nylon holsters. However, what happens when the activity you’re participating in makes wearing a belt cumbersome or simply does not fit the activity at all? Are you going to rig a belt to your gym shorts, so you can still attach your holster and firearm to it? Are you going to wear a belt in board shorts at the beach?  What if you’re a groomsman in a wedding and the groom chose suspenders for everyone? You don’t want to show up unarmed, so what do you do? Thankfully there is a solution, and it’s much simpler than you might think.

Ulticlip was designed by a missionary that needed an inconspicuous way to carry a firearm securely in times where wearing a belt wouldn’t be possible. Unfortunately my schedule and his never aligned so I couldn’t get down into the finer details of development, perhaps at a later date we will have an updated story to add to this.

To attach the Ulticlip simply remove whatever attachment system you currently have in use, take the screws from that device, and use them to secure your Ulticlip to the holster. Once this is done you simply flip up the clip, slide the holster into its desired position, and then firmly press the clip back down into place. The first few attempts will take a surprising amount of force, but with that force comes the most secure attachment to clothing that I’ve ever experienced with any other clip design. Ulticlip also advises that after 40-50 openings the clip will break in and require less force to secure, however the strength of the clip will remain the same.

For the review Ulticlip sent the full variety of sizes for their clips, as well as a multi-purpose mounting plate they call the Ultiplate. Unfortunately there is a limit to the number of guns and holsters I can afford, so I was unable to make use of all the items sent. However, the ones I did use I used thoroughly, and I would be willing to bet the remaining items that I did not get to work with are as equally capable. The clips I did make use of were the Slim 3.3, Ulticlip3+, and the XL. The two remaining clips were the Slim 2.2 and the Classic model, for a full diagram of all models simply visit www.ulticlip.com. They have a large amount of videos there that will do a far better job demonstrating the best uses for each separately sized clip.

As you can see in the picture the 3+ was mated to a holster from CJP Custom Concealment for a S&W Shield, and the XL and Slim 3.3 were paired with my Tier 1 Agis for my Boresight Solutions Glock 17 with Surefire X300.  While the Ulticlip will work with any holster that has the screw holes for it, I highly suggest ensuring that you pair your clips with quality holsters like the ones pictured above. It will not be very efficient to have a holster with poor design and retention paired with clip with such strong retention.

The XL is the clip that I worked with the most, and it has several distinct features that set it apart from the others. Most noticeably, it is designed for use with a belt, and as I normally spend most of my days wearing a belt it worked the most with my daily routine. It clamps down as securely as the others, and has the benefit of being slightly wider than the clips that originally came with my Aegis. The benefit of that is that when I separate the system and leave the mag carrier at home, the holster no longer has a tendency to cant because the retention of the clip and its width keep it firmly upright. Another very unique feature of the XL is that it includes a removable multi-tool in its design, which can really come in handy for those times you have a need and find yourself short of the proper tools.

The design includes wrench sizes for 1/4″, 5/16″, and 3/8″, as well as a flat blade screwdriver. While the multi-tool is obviously not the handiest of tools to work with, having a set of emergency tools built right into your holster is extremely convenient. There have been a variety of times I’ve ignored the inner voice in my head and used my pocket knife as a flat head screwdriver, and I have a variety of knives with broken or bent tips to show for it. This multi-tool eliminates the need for that. To remove it from the clip simply press firmly down on the underside of the clip with the multi-tool portion flipped up, and once the claws holding it in place are exposed slide it free. An added benefit is that the clip will still work to hold your firearm securely in place while the multi-tool is removed, albeit with far less retention than when it is complete.

I also want to point out that although the XL is designed for use with a belt, it still works perfectly without one. To be sure I spent a dry fire session utilizing it without a belt. In roughly 100 drawstrokes without a belt the XL didn’t budge, even with the retention on my holster increased to a far tighter setting than I normally use the XL refused to let go. While I wouldn’t recommend using the XL without a belt with such a full size and heavier firearm, it still performs perfectly if needed. The reason I would not recommend a larger frame gun to be paired with a clip without the belt is that the weight of the gun will cause the material to sag significantly. Even with much smaller and lighter firearms, such as my S&W Shield, if the waistband is too loose the weight of the gun will cause some snag, leading to a sloppier acquisition of your master grip. Obviously the clip cannot magically overcome poor fitting waistlines, so just as you pair your clip with a quality holster, ensure your waistline is up to the task as well.

I also spent a surprising amount of time carrying my S&W Shield with the Slim 3.3. While carrying a smaller gun does have its drawbacks, its also extremely convenient as a father of two small boys to have a system that allows me to quickly and easily attach a gun to whatever I’m wearing. There was one such occasion where I met my wife after a work out and we stopped for a local event in town. Normally wearing gym shorts would mean I needed to either carry off body (Obviously a less than desirable choice with boys running around) or leave the firearm at home. With the Slim 3.3. it was no issue, I simply tightened the waistband of my shorts to support the weight and clipped it into place.

The only downside I can see to these clips is that anything other than the XL does not work very well when attached to a belt designed for concealed carry. The system works very well clipped to your shorts, and it works pretty well with my normal leather belt. However, when attached to my EDC low profile carry belt the system secures, but the clip cannot close entirely. While it never proved to be an issue carrying this way, it did give me some uneasiness knowing the clip was not fully secured. It is possible, and very advisable, that if you need to wear a belt then clip the Ulticlip behind your belt to whatever pants or shorts you are wearing. This ensures the clip is fully engaged, and has the benefit of being a further level of concealment as not even the clip is exposed on your belt line.

Overall the clips perform as advertised, and the adaptability it gave me to my carry methods was very welcome. My review is only a small look into what you can utilize these clips for. Holsters and mag carriers are not the only ways you can make use of these tools, sheaths for knives, medical carriers, etc., all will be greatly enhanced by such a versatile attachment system.

Cost: 5/5

Appearance: 5/5

Durability: 5/5

Functionality: 4/5

Weight: 5/5

Total: 24/25

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