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I absolutely cannot recommend this product. In fact, I would encourage anybody currently using the Lethal Lace product to stop using it immediately and replace it with a safer option right away.
Let me tell you why.
The basic functions of a holster are to hold a handgun securely including protecting the trigger, conceal the handgun comfortably, and keep the handgun in a position that allows it to be accessed and used if and when necessary.
Lethal Lace fails every one of these criteria to varying degrees.
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The Lethal Lace Holster Itself
If you aren’t familiar with Lethal Lace, the product is a length of thin, stretchy lace with two, two-layer pockets at one end created by additional layers of the fabric. Two alligator-style suspender clips are sewn on; one clip is at the bottom of the pockets and the other is at the far end away from the pockets. It comes with a small rectangle of neoprene. The idea is that you insert your gun into the pocket, hold it in place on your body, then stretch and wind the lace around and around. The clip at the end is then attached to wherever on the wrap is available, and the clip under the pockets is pulled up and attached to the wrap as well. The neoprene is intended to go in the pocket between the gun and your body, to help cushion your body from the hard edges of the gun.
Testing Methodology
I chose the regular size 92-inch Lethal Lace since it was advertised to be the “most universal size.” To test it, I used blue gun versions of the Smith & Wesson M&P full size, the SIG SAUER P320 Subcompact, and the Kahr P9. Since Lethal Lace claims to work for any handgun, I wanted to try the full range of sizes though I did focus on the P320 and P9 since they are closer to the types of pistols most women carry.
Safety Issues
One of the most important jobs of a holster is to protect the trigger. When you’re carrying your gun, the last thing you want is for something to make its way into the trigger guard and cause an unintentional discharge. That could be your finger when you’re putting the holster on, taking it off, or adjusting it, or it could be something pointy in your environment – the corner of a table or box, perhaps. The fabric used in the Lethal Lace product is so thin that even when wrapped tightly multiple times over the firearm, the trigger remains fully able to be pressed. And that’s assuming that the wrapping process or the wearer’s movements have not resulted in the trigger guard no longer being covered by even that much. Even when the lace started out over the trigger guard, I found that little movement was required for the gun to start popping out enough for the trigger to be fully accessible.
Comfort and Concealment Issues
The ability of a holster to comfortably and effectively conceal a handgun should never override safety issues. A review would be incomplete without looking at those factors, though, because they are key to the success of a concealed carry solution. As I mentioned above, I tried the Lethal Lace in a number of positions. After experimenting a few times, the twisting and turning required to get the wrap on while holding my gun in place became manageable and the product itself felt reasonably comfortable when I first put it on. Balancing sufficient tension of the fabric against being able to reach the alligator clip at the end to attach it could be awkward in certain positions, especially around the torso. The length of the product was unwieldy at times. In addition, if the lace was pulled too tightly, the clip at the end sometimes pulled itself loose. This video illustrates several of the comfort and concealment issues the author found while testing the Lethal Lace product. I wrapped the Lethal Lace across the entire slide of the gun from muzzle to grip, covering the trigger guard as much as possible, and keeping the fabric as flat as possible. It was tricky wrapping the lace tightly enough to support the gun, even with using the clip under the gun pocket to create a small sling to hold the gun instead of relying entirely on compression of the wrap against the body. Sometimes, there was sagging or the grip of the gun would stick out and away from the body if I didn’t get the tension just right. The grip of a holstered gun sticking out is a common problem. In more standard holsters, that problem is often addressed by adding a wing or bump over or next to the (protected) trigger guard. With the Lethal Lace, the only solution is to wrap tighter over that area. In some attempts, wrapping too tightly around the muzzle end forced the entire grip to tip outwards, not just the bottom end. One of the suggestions to deal with those retention and concealment issues is to wrap the fabric over the grip as well. This requires great care to avoid with very small guns in any case, as the pockets in the product are the full width of the lace in order to support a greater variety of firearms. It is, however, a solution that results in the gun being almost completely inaccessible. The inability to get a full firing grip on a concealed pistol makes it difficult to impossible to draw under the pressure of an attack. Planning to tuck the wrap behind the grip in a high-risk situation is impractical and unrealistic.
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On their website, Lethal Lace suggests using a Sticky Holster (soft) sleeve inside their holster pocket to be used as a trigger cover. Sticky Holster also makes a trigger cover made of two parts: the Sticky Kydex Sleeve and the Sticky Kydex Insert. What you get with your purchase is a hard plastic cover that protects the trigger, covered by a soft sleeve that has a slip-resistant surface, which stays in place inside the Universal Lethal Lace Holster.
When I added this Sticky Holster trigger cover to my Universal Lethal Lace Holster, I was very pleased with the results. It addressed both the trigger guard and re-holstering concerns. With this combination, I’m able to practice a smooth, consistent draw, as well as re-holster with ease.
I’ve also found that the gun stays in place much better when the Sticky Holster trigger cover is used.
Thoughts and comments on the Lethal Lace review by the creator of the Lethal Lace holster:
https://lethallace.com/blogs/news/response-to-lethal-lace-hands-on-review-pew-pew-tactical-by-annette-evans
I completely agree. This method of carrying is foolish and dangerous. Everything you said about it is straight up true. It is the most "unsecure" holster I have ever tried and I've tried a lot of them because I am only five feer tall and printing is almost impossible to avoid.
I won one of these Lethal Lace holsters and initially I was very pleased with the concealment. But within a few minutes I found it demonstrated the exact problems listed in this article. Granted, I carry a full size Beretta 92fs but it flopped out and the fabric shifted and moved around just getting in and out of truck. So I downsized to my Kimber micro Bel Air and it still had problems staying in place.
I am glad I did not spend actual $ on this product or I would have been suffering from buyer's remorse.
I would not recommend this to anyone and since I'm crafty I'll be repurposing the nice lace and clips for a sewing project.
I have a Smith and Wesson Bodyguard and even that little bitty weapon was extremely unsecure.
While, I am not a woman, I do know women who are very interested in getting into the gun world. For the uninitiated, Lethal Lace could be very appealing to them because of how it "looks". Its not often I find such a thorough, unbiased review of something the reviewer ultimately do not recommend. Thank you, Annette!
Yup, Annette did an awesome job!