The PHLster Spotlight has been praised by some of the most respected folks in the industry since its release. I had to see what the fuss was all about, especially since I was in the market for a great Glock 19 TLR-7 holster after adding the Streamlight TLR-7 to my ATEi Glock 19. Great options for a Glock 19 TLR 7 holster are few and far between with only a couple on the market worth looking at. With all of the positive attention, PHLster products have received recently, I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn't excited to write up the PHLster Spotlight review.
Why I Chose The PHLster Spotlight
As I mentioned earlier, the Spotlight has had some pretty nice things said about the full-size Surefire X300 Ultra version, but there was little talk of the TLR-7 holster. Since I am a short dude, I was pretty ecstatic to learn of the pint-sized Spotlight that seemed tailor-made for the Glock 19 TLR-7 combo.
You see, where others might be able to pack a Glock 34 size gun with an X300 Ultra, a Glock 19 TLR-7 holster that does its job well pared with this combo could be perfect for me.
When carrying AIWB, mundane tasks like sitting, driving, and even bending over to pick something up can be a challenge. Not only can it hurt, but yell "OW, MY BALLS!" in public can be awkward sometimes.
It is important to note that the PHLster Spotlight fits all railed 9mm and .40 S&W double stack Glocks with a Streamlight TLR-7 mounted. Even though I don't talk about using a larger gun in the PHLster Spotlight review at length, I did confirm that Glocks as large as a 34 fit and work well in the holster.
Where To Find The PHLster Spotlight For Sale
- PHLster Spotlight For Glock & Streamlight TLR-7 - $84.99 Shipped at Amazon
- Glock 19 Generation 4 - $499.99 at Brownells
- Streamlight TLR-7 - $111.31 at Amazon
- Trijicon RMR RM06 - Starting at $449.99 at Amazon
All prices are current at the time of publication. Please click the link to see the most up to date pricing.
The PHLster Spotlight's Features
The PHLster Spotlight isn't made in the traditional foam press and Blue Gun method that garage holster makers have been using for years. Instead, Jon teamed up with Andrew of Henry Holsters and developed a CNC milled mold that gave a consistent finished product and clean, attractive lines.
In order to ensure the holster stays in place, PHLster uses Pull-The-Dot loops to attach the Spotlight to your belt. Many prefer Pull-The-Dot because while you get an ultra-secure belt attachment you don't need to undo your belt to remove the holster when needed.
The Spotlight also incorporates a Mod Wing claw. The purpose of this feature is to rotate the grip of the gun into your body and prevent printing.
If you are a red dot user like me, be glad that every Spotlight is compatible with common red dot mounting solutions like the ATEi milling on my gun. PHLster even added a bit of extra room in front of the dot for forward mounted irons.
The Spotlight has a full-length sweat guard on the body side of the holster that serves several purposes. The guard has a nice channel molded into the guard that clears every slide stop that I tried.
Once I get a Kagwerks slide stop, but I suspect it might have a fitment issue due to the design.
One of the Spotlight's key features is the ergonomic wedge they build into the holster. The wedge's job is to tuck the top of the gun towards your body preventing the gun from printing.
Carrying With The PHLster Spotlight
When the Spotlight showed up in mid-September, I have been habitually carrying my ATEi Glock 19 every day in it. The gun goes on in the morning and doesn't come off until just before bed.
Previously, I was carrying a Glock 43 in an Old Style Designs holster. Unfortunately, since I have less vertical real estate to work with, ride height of the pistol is extremely important. A pistol being jammed into your pelvis is less than comfortable, I can assure you.
Most AIWB holsters for Glock 19 or larger have a tendency to dig into my pelvis. I found the perfect ride height of the Spotlight stops the holster from painfully digging into my pelvis.
The wedge isn't too tall allowing most body types to carry the Spotlight comfortable. After carrying the Spotlight for a few weeks I learned my body type required a more aggressive wedge than the integrated one.
What You Need To Make Your Own Foam Wedge
- 2-Pack of Foam Yoga Block - $10.99 at Amazon
- 2" Wide Industrial Velcro - $9.47 at Amazon
- Assorted Sandpaper - $4.99 at Amazon
- 3-Pack of Snap Off Blade Utility Knifes - $7.99 at Amazon
Adding more height to the wedge isn't something new, Scott Jedlinski's yoga block mod he talks about in his AIWB For Big Guys does the job well.
PHLster even took belt tip over into consideration when working on the Spotlight's design. There are a ton of things that cause it, most commonly its not enough gun past the belt line.
During the course of testing the PHLster Spotlight, I took several road trips, the longest being 7 hours. Being able to carry AIWB with the Spotlight while driving comfortably is no small feat.
Why was the Spotlight more comfortable? Probably because the spot on ride height, the mod wing, and the wedge all work together well making this the best Glock 19 TLR-7 holster I have tried to date.
Is The PHLster Spotlight Good?
Plainly put, yes the PHLster Spotlight is good and I think that has been pretty clear in my PLHster Spotlight review. The only other Glock 19 TLR-7 holster that compares is Henry Holster's Mod Wing, a holster I want to try soon. The holster tucks the gun into the body well and is unfathomably comfortable for an appendix holster.
I don't foresee myself switching up my EDC for some time over 1,000 hours of time carrying the holster for the Spotlight review.
The PHLster Spotlight isn't without room for improvement, the ability to use Discreet Carry Concepts belt clips would be nice. When the Spotlight was introduced, the DCC clips weren't prevalent so I can't fault PHLster in our PHLster Spotlight Review for not including that feature.
Since the photos were taken, I modified the holster to accept some Discreet Carry Concepts T1 belt clips exclusive sold by Tenicor and am even happier with the holster than I was before. I don't recommend modifying a PHLster Spotlight yourself, there is a chance that you will damage it.
With the new features found on the PHLster Floodlight, I am sure it is only a matter of time before they add the ability to use belt clips to the Spotlight. Even as the holster was delivered, Jon, Henry, and the team at PHLster hit it out of the park.
"NEED HELP" I for the most part, carried & sometimes still do my 45calb S&W. Anywho, I am drowning in the pool of looking for a holster to my brand NEW Glock 19, I love the look of your beautiful black beauty PHLster Spotlight. I have seen several versions of holster, along with a few add ons. So here's my dilemma, I would like to see what the holster looks like along with two of clips, plus belt