WHAT STYLE WORKS BEST?
For a first-time concealed carry purse, or any purse, it is great to have a few different ways to wear it. Let me say, as a woman who used to carry a purse as just a purse, I recognize we all have preferred styles for everyday life. With a concealed carry purse, it's important to understand the pros and cons of each style when throwing a gun into the mix. Today, we are considering bags with three common styles: crossbody, on-the-shoulder, and elbow carry.
We also need to keep in mind – even if we were to review just one style – that the ergonomics and features of each purse varies greatly. What works best for one purse will not work best for all of them. There are pros and cons to each one, and it will be on you to determine what will be best for you. Hopefully, my testing helps that out a bit.
There are a few popular styles that stand out: over-the-shoulder, crossbody, and elbow-carry bags are some of the most common. The over-the-shoulder option offers a relatively easy draw and comfort. But it also can be hard to remove and might even appeal to a purse snatcher. Crossbody bags can be more secure, but they are also harder to remove if the need arises. That could potentially leave you strapped to a bag that is being dragged against your will, which brings us to the elbow-carry option. These can be a bit heavy, but they offer a fast draw and are easier to discard in a pinch.
Bulldog Cases “Hobo Anna”
The Hobo Anna purse from Bulldog Cases offers the most versatility and is the largest purse that I tested. It also is our budget purse coming in under $100. The style of this bag allows for over-the-shoulder, crossbody, or elbow carry.
There is plenty of space to easily fit a large notebook in the center cavity and pockets for miscellaneous purse things. The gun pocket is located at the bottom rear of the bag and has some structure built into it, which is good because synthetic leather is flexible. A malleable purse means your gun is also moving around more and will not be as rigid when drawing compared to real leather.
Two zippers on either side means carrying on both sides is possible, and they even feature locks. The Bulldog Cases purses come with two keys. One is unique to each side of the purse. The pistol pocket has a smaller zipper opening, which means you’ll have to use a subcompact or micro-carry pistol to get an easy draw. I found the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard fits super easy, and a Sig P365 fits as well, though more snuggly.
Shoulder Carry With “Hobo Anna”
A short shoulder strap means the pistol pocket is very easy to access with this purse. You can even bring it in closer with the support hand. Keep in mind, a shoulder carry is also easier for someone to snatch off you. Also, when you draw and need to discard your bag, this can be cumbersome to do. Think of how hard it would be to shoot accurately with a 5-pound weight hanging on your support arm. That’s tough. This is why practicing how to draw and discard is important.
Crossbody Carry With “Hobo Anna”
Alright y’all, this is when we talk about body size. As a big fan of crossbody carry, I cannot do that with this purse. At 5 feet (questionably) tall, positioning the Hobo Anna in cross body means I can no longer reach the pistol pocket easily. The adjustable shoulder strap just doesn’t go short enough. If you are of taller stature, this might be a great way to carry this purse, just not for us shorties.
Elbow Carry With “Hobo Anna”
It’s easy to look at a purse and see how many ways you can carry it, but is each way viable for drawing a pistol? I found that shortening the strap made elbow carry an option. However, the length of the short strap is more ideal for just shoulder carry. With this being a larger purse featuring a pistol pocket in the lower section, elbow carrying this purse can potentially bring the pocket below a comfortable draw zone.
Final Thoughts On the “Hobo Anna”
It was great to see how just one purse could be so versatile, but it was eye opening to also observe how not every style was conducive to my body type. I’d recommend trying something like this and determining your own pros and cons, maybe crossbody or elbow-carry works great for you. But for a petite lady, this is a shoulder-carry-only bag. Bulldog Cases offers several purses to choose from in all sizes and even dips into rifle cases, regular gun cases, and other tactical bags.
Cameleon With Elegant & Armed “The Natalie”
It was super exciting to get my hands on this purse after meeting its designer at SHOT 2022. Natalie – the Natalie behind "The Natalie” – and I ran into each other at the Women in Industry event, where she was classily sporting this elbow-carry purse. Made in collaboration with Cameleon, Natalie of Elegant & Armed has been showing women how to dress fashionably while safely concealed carrying for years. One could easily tell how passionate she was about the collaboration on this purse, and it shows.
Thick leather gives this bag a lot of rigidity, which allows it to stand on its own and helps for a more stable draw. The ability for this purse to sit straight up is a huge benefit. This bag can be sat down next to you and still be able to very easily draw from, while other purses will probably flop over. Three compartments make up the interior, the center being the gun pocket, which is very spacious and easily fits my Glock 17.
With this design, the zipper can remain open, and brass magnetic enclosures on either side along with the short handles keep the pistol concealed. How nice is it to not have to worry about using a zipper? Of course, if you decide to toss the purse around a bit or would rather have it closed, a zipper with two pulls will seal things up. Broadside pockets offer organization and plenty of room for anything that isn’t an overly wide item – books are good, but a reusable water bottle is not so much. The quality of this bag can be easily seen in person.
Elbow Carry With “The Natalie”
This is by far my preferred method with this bag. Short, sturdy handles make it perfect to easily draw from the elbow in a very controlled fashion. Once drawn, dropping the bag is easy. The drawback is having to support the weight of your purse (and gun) on your elbow all day. Another reason why its ability to stand alone is great.
Crossbody With “The Natalie”
The center pistol pocket simply means every position with this purse is easy to draw from. However, I found this bag to be a bit too bulky to easily carry as a crossbody. As you walk, it wants to move around due to the size and shape, but this might vary with a different body type.
Shoulder Carry With “The Natalie”
Being able to get the strap really short means shoulder carry is a good option with The Natalie. You can very easily reach over to draw or bring the bag in closer. Discarding takes practice, like with any shoulder carry, but the top draw makes it easier than some other styles.
Final Thoughts On “The Natalie”
The Natalie really showed me so many benefits to elbow carry. It offers a lot of versatility and shows the benefits of a higher-end purse. The thick leather surely will hold up with time, and having the ability to carry a full-sized pistol is a huge plus. Cameleon offers several different styles to pick from.
Gun Tote’n Mama’s “The Essential Crossbody”
The Essential Crossbody by Gun Tote’n Mamas is possibly the smallest-sized purse you can get that still has some pockets to it. Cresting over that $100 mark earns you real leather with this brand. I’ve owned this particular purse for years, and it has been used extensively. Though that fresh-leather smell is long gone, it has worn in beautifully. The Essential Crossbody has proved to be one of the easiest concealed carry purses to use. The main compartment is the gun pocket, which unzips fully almost like a book. If you’ve ever installed a Velcro holster into a purse, it can be quite a pain, but not with this one. For actual purse storage, three exterior pockets and a pouch decorate the exterior.
With such a small size, it is easy to carry this purse, and the small pockets force you to only bring the basics, which can be a good thing. A gun is heavy, and you feel that after carrying it all day. Not filling your purse with tons of things helps with the weight factor. The smaller size does also mean a smaller gun, so you’ll be using a compact or subcompact with this option. I carry a Sig P365 in mine.
Crossbody Carry With “The Essential Crossbody”
Given the name, clearly this purse was designed for just crossbody carry, and it does so beautifully. The shoulder strap comes up nice and tight. With the two zipper handles, you can arrange the pistol pocket to open in whichever position is best. Having used this bag for years, drawing from crossbody is truly easy. One drawback, however, is that it has a thinner strap, which means a heavy gun weight over the day can sometimes dig in a bit.
Final Thoughts On “The Essential Crossbody”
Gun Tote’n Mamas offers some great features, such as a slash-proof shoulder strap and very good quality zippers. Zippers are actually the most important part of a concealed carry purse. If a zipper were to jamb or break, it would be detrimental. Many of their purses also offer RFID protectors. I hate to break your heart, but this purse has since been discontinued. It’s an occasional flaw in true long-term reviews, but the same features and similar styles can be found on their website. In fact, Gun Tote’n Mamas offers one of the biggest selections of beautiful, real-leather carry purses.
Which Is Best for You?
This is all preference! Take some time to peruse stores and do initial testing of comfort and quality. Think about what gun you will be carrying in it and see if the pocket size will work. Is the pistol pocket easy to access? Are the zippers good quality? Each brand and style will vary greatly. Hopefully this gives you a great kick-start on the off-body method of conceal purses. Keep an eye out for our next video on how to set them up once you make a decision.
