May 12, 2026
There are products you look at on a table, nod at, and understand well enough to write about.
Then there are products you learn about by using them.
Recently, I traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, for a media event centered around the new Safariland x Haley Strategic INCOG XS holster. Hosted at Haley Strategic Partners HQ, the event was more than a product launch. It was an opportunity to train with the holster in the environment it was designed for — from concealment, under reps, with Travis Haley and the Haley Strategic training team, and Safariland personnel.
For my range time, I ran the INCOG XS with a GLOCK 19 Gen 6 equipped with a Trijicon red dot. Every drill was performed from concealment, (appendix carry), which quickly revealed what this holster is actually about.
The INCOG XS is not simply a smaller INCOG X.
It is a more streamlined, minimalist evolution of the platform — one aimed squarely at deep concealment, practical daily carry, and efficient access to the gun when it matters.
Safariland describes the INCOG XS as “the next chapter” in its collaboration with Haley Strategic, refined from the INCOG X platform into a more minimalist configuration for everyday carry. The company says the design was specifically engineered around subcompact and micro-compact pistols while reducing printing and preserving a full firing grip before the draw.
That sounds good on paper.
On the range, it made even more sense.
The concealed carry holster market is crowded.
There are plenty of appendix holsters. Plenty of “minimalist” holsters. Plenty of rigs claiming all-day comfort and ultimate concealment. But concealed carry is about far more than just comfort.
A holster has to disappear under clothing while still allowing immediate, repeatable access to the gun. It has to remain stable during movement. It has to work with optics. It has to conceal without burying the grip so deeply that the draw becomes compromised.
That balance is difficult to achieve.
The INCOG XS feels purpose-built around solving those problems without unnecessary bulk or overcomplication.
Travis Haley summed up the philosophy behind the project well in Safariland’s official release:
“The INCOG XS is built for users who demand comfort, concealability, and adaptability without compromise.”
That mission statement becomes clear once the holster is actually used.
The partnership between Safariland and Haley Strategic makes sense because both companies bring different forms of credibility to the table.
Safariland has spent decades building holsters and retention systems for professional users, law enforcement, and armed professionals. Haley Strategic brings the performance, experience, and training side of the equation — the practical realities of thinking, carrying, moving, drawing, and shooting a pistol in the real world. Their slogan, after all, is, "Thinkers Before Shooters."
That crossover matters.
A concealed carry holster is not just a container for a pistol. It influences how efficiently the shooter can establish a grip, clear the garment, draw the pistol, and reholster safely. Good concealed carry gear should support performance rather than distract from it.
The atmosphere at Haley Strategic reflected that mindset immediately. Instruction was direct, efficient, and purpose-driven - but extremely thought-provoking. Nothing felt theatrical or overly scripted. The focus remained on solving problems and building repeatable mechanics from concealment. As someone with an athletic background, and a fascination with human performance, I couldn't get enough.
That environment also made the INCOG XS launch feel more legitimate. This was not a static media table covered in product samples. The holster was being used in the exact type of environment that exposes weaknesses in gear quickly.
And the XS held up well.
The original INCOG X already built a strong reputation among concealed carriers looking for a more performance-oriented appendix holster. The new XS keeps much of that DNA, but the overall direction feels more focused.
The INCOG X is the broader platform. More modular. More configurable. More feature-rich.
The INCOG XS feels leaner.
Safariland positions the XS around deep concealment and daily carry with a compact, single-clip design intended to reduce bulk and simplify the carry experience. The holster includes an incorporated Clip Strut, concealment-enhancing shims, passive retention, RDS compatibility, ambidextrous configuration capability, and the LinXS attachment system for additional carry-position flexibility.
In practical terms, the XS feels trimmed down in all the right ways.
It is easier to install and remove. The footprint is smaller. The profile is cleaner. It feels designed around carrying the gun every day rather than building the most feature-heavy system possible.
That distinction is important because not every concealed carrier wants a larger modular setup.
Some simply want a holster that conceals well, draws efficiently, and disappears into daily life.
That is where the XS fits.
The first thing I noticed about the INCOG XS was its overall footprint.
It is compact.
Not flimsy. Not ultralight to the point of feeling cheap. Just compact in a way that immediately makes sense for concealed carry.
The microfiber suede-wrapped Boltaron body gives the holster a softer feel against the body and clothing, while the overall shape stays close to the user without becoming bulky. Safariland also calls out the suede wrap’s moisture-wicking properties and ease of cleaning in the official materials.
The compactness becomes especially important with appendix carry because geometry matters. A carry setup has to work with body movement, belt tension, clothing, sitting, bending, and daily activity.
The INCOG XS never felt oversized during the event.
And despite its smaller footprint, it still accommodated a GLOCK 19 with a Trijicon optic comfortably.
This is where the holster separated itself from generic launch hype.
The draw felt clean, but more importantly, it felt repeatable. The same can be said for reholstering, and I love the Safariland "click" when the pistol firmly seats.
That distinction matters because concealed carry gear can feel fine for a handful of dry presentations before problems start to emerge. Poor grip access, shifting clips, awkward geometry, and inconsistent retention all become more noticeable under repetition.
The INCOG XS stayed consistent throughout the drills, (much more consistent than the shooter himself...me).
I was able to establish a full firing grip before the pistol left the holster, which is one of the most important aspects of the entire design. Deep concealment only works if the shooter can still access the pistol efficiently.
The holster concealed well without burying the gun so deeply that the draw became compromised.
That balance is difficult to achieve.
One of the biggest advantages of this event was getting to evaluate the holster under actual range conditions instead of simply wearing it around the house for an hour.
Under repetition, small issues become obvious.
A slightly blocked grip becomes frustrating. A shifting clip becomes distracting. Poor concealment becomes obvious once movement enters the equation.
The INCOG XS did not fall apart under that kind of scrutiny.
In fact, the holster’s biggest strength may have been how quickly it stopped demanding attention.
By the end of the range session, I had stopped thinking about the holster entirely — which is probably the best compliment I can give concealed carry gear.
As Travis Haley described it:
“It disappears when you need concealment, but performs when it matters most.”
That statement matched my experience with it.
The holster remained stable throughout repeated drills, allowed a clean draw path, and never seemed to fight the shooter during presentations.
That is exactly what concealed carry gear should do.
Modern carry guns increasingly include optics, which means optics compatibility is no longer an optional feature.
The INCOG XS is compatible with most micro and full-size red dots and includes an extended sight channel capable of accommodating suppressor-height sights.
During the event, I used the holster with a Trijicon-equipped GLOCK 19 and experienced no interference during the draw.
No hang-ups.
No awkward clearance issues.
No sense that the optic was barely fitting.
That is exactly how an optics-ready holster should function. The optic should not become part of the conversation. The shooter should simply be able to work.
Comfort matters in concealed carry, but comfort alone is not enough. A carry setup also has to remain stable, conceal effectively, and allow efficient access to the gun.
The single-clip design on the INCOG XS made installation and removal simple while still maintaining good stability during movement and repeated presentations. The included concealment shims and Clip Strut system also provide some flexibility for users looking to tune concealment around body type and clothing choice.
The belt system matters too.
The Safariland L930 Nylon EDC NexBelt paired naturally with the holster during training. A quality holster mounted to an unstable belt still becomes a compromised system. Stability from the belt helps the draw remain predictable and repeatable.
The XS felt like a carry system designed by people who understand that concealed carry happens during daily life, not just during flat-range photos.
The other half of this story is the training environment itself.
This was my first experience training at Haley Strategic, and although the visit was brief, the atmosphere and the staff matched the reputation: professional, efficient, and heavily focused on performance.
The drills emphasized efficient presentations from concealment, repeatable gun handling, and consistent mechanics under pressure. Nothing felt unnecessarily theatrical. The instruction remained practical and direct. Plus, the learning went way beyond the range and the takeaways, memorable quotes, and nuggets of wisdom never stopped.
That context matters because the INCOG XS was being evaluated in the environment it was designed for.
The holster was not treated like a fashion accessory or a static product display. It was part of a carry system that included the belt, concealment setup, draw mechanics, movement, and repetition.
That made the experience feel far more legitimate than a typical media launch.
The event also included a broader range of Safariland and Haley Strategic gear built around the same concealed-carry and training mindset.
That included Oakley Standard Issue Ballistic M Frame Alpha eye protection, Safariland Pro Impulse Bluetooth hearing protection, the Safariland L930 NexBelt, Haley Strategic apparel, and the Haley Strategic INCOG wallet with Snake Doctor G10 blade.
The Oakley eye protection and Safariland hearing protection fit naturally into the training environment, while the belt reinforced the importance of a stable carry platform for concealment work.
The supporting gear helped reinforce the larger message behind the event: concealed carry is not just about the holster. It is about the complete system surrounding it.
The Haley Strategic INCOG wallet and Snake Doctor G10 blade may seem secondary compared to the holster itself, but they reflected the same overall design philosophy seen throughout the event.
Minimalist.
Low profile.
Practical.
Purpose-driven.
Nothing about the event felt overloaded with unnecessary complexity. The focus remained on equipment that integrates into daily life while still supporting serious use when needed.
That same philosophy carries through the INCOG XS.
The Safariland x Haley Strategic INCOG XS is one of those products that makes more sense after using it than after simply reading the spec sheet.
On paper, it is a streamlined appendix holster with a suede-wrapped Boltaron body, passive retention, concealment-focused geometry, optics compatibility, and configurable concealment features.
On the range, it felt like a serious concealed carry holster.
It concealed well.
It allowed a full firing grip.
It handled a red-dot-equipped GLOCK 19 cleanly.
It remained stable during repeated drills.
And perhaps most importantly, it stopped demanding attention once the work started.
That is what good concealed carry gear should do.
The Safariland x Haley Strategic INCOG XS is immediately available for GLOCK 17/19 pattern pistols, (as well as clones like Shadow Systems and ZEV Technologies models), and SIG Sauer P365 FUSE, X-Macro, & AXG Legion Gen 2), with many more fits and light-bearing models on the way soon. MSRP is $102.50.
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Gary is the Digital Content Manager for Gun Talk Media and is a proud “Oregunian", lifelong shooter, gear hound, and student of the gun. When not trying to perfect his trigger press, Killingsworth is an avid baseball fan, beer snob, metalhead, hunter, and angler.
