The Shorts that Made Me Confident Carrying | Arrowhead Tactical Carrier Shorts Review
Edit: After publishing this article, Alexander Spanopoulos from Arrowhead Tactical Apparel reached out and commented on some of the issues brought up in my review.
“Beginning in July, you’ll be able to purchase all Carrier items with or without the belt. We’re also developing a new belt that doesn't rely on a a magnetic buckle, which will be a ‘set once and forget’ system (washable and everything).”
“Your points are valid about spare magazine placement. We are looking into alternative placements for the mag sleeve.”
If you don’t want to take the risk on their current belt setup, or already have a favorite belt of your own, it would be wise to wait until July so you won’t have to pay extra for a belt you won’t use.
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This article is separated into three sections: the lead up to purchasing the Arrowhead Tactical Carrier Shorts, my experiences with and impressions of them, and critiques that I have on the design/changes I would like to see. There is also a conclusion and TL;DR pros and cons list at the end.
The Lead Up
Those that know me know that I’m a big fan of every day carry (EDC). Whether that be a pocket knife, a firearm, emergency equipment such as bandages and a tourniquet, etc., I have the motto that it’s better to have it and never need it, than to need it and wish you had it. The world is a crazy, unpredictable, and oftentimes dangerous place, so it’s important to me to be able to deal with a dangerous situation in the unlikely, but ever possible, event that I find myself in one.
I have been carrying a knife on my person for roughly four years now, and have always planned on carrying a firearm when I was able. One thing I did not account for, however, was gaining weight during my time in college. I went from being slightly pudgy, but by all accounts still healthy, to being overweight with a bit of a gut and love handles that show in most of my shirts. This made me hesitant to carry, as I became incredibly worried about printing and comfort with the chub around my waistline. This led to me putting off ordering my dream carry pistol, as I did not want to carry until, in my head, I was thin enough to carry effectively and comfortably. To this day, I still have not made that purchase, but the reason has shifted from my weight to paying for my wedding and not being able to afford it at the moment.
Enter Arrowhead Tactical
I kept seeing these ads on Facebook about a company that made athletic wear that you could carry in. The comfort and maneuverability of shorts, sweatpants, or joggers, but with an internal belt? I kept a mental note of them after the first few ads, thinking I could look into them more seriously when I was a bit further along in my weight loss journey. Fast forward a year and I’m actively working out, counting calories, and although I still have the same body type as before, I am feeling more confident about it and am on track to see change soon. I noticed a new Arrowhead Tactical ad on Facebook this time: a sitewide sale to get rid of stock as they transition to a new warehouse. I have a pistol that I received through inheritance that could function as a good carry pistol in the meantime, so I figured this was as good a time as any to actually pick up a pair of their shorts and try them out.
The Carrier Shorts
Let’s start off with what I purchased and how it fit. I ended up purchasing their 8” Chalk Grey Carrier Shorts in the size XL. At the time of writing this, I am 5’8”, 218lbs, and my waistline is usually around 36” for most pairs of pants (depending on the brand, if it’s worn in, etc. it can sometimes go down to a 34). I typically wear a size large for athletic shorts and sweatpants, but the XL fit me perfectly. Not to say that everyone should size up, but if you find yourself comfortably snug in your typical pant size, it may not hurt since you can always adjust it to be tighter. The 8” inseam is a great length, allowing the shorts to stop at the top of my knee while standing. My preferred inseam length is 9”, but the 8” option they have fits me far better than I believe their 11” option would have.
The groin/inner thighs have a mesh material that seems to be more breathable than the rest of the shorts, and I think it adds to the aesthetic of and is a great touch for these shorts as they are marketed as athletic wear. I wouldn’t think twice about taking these to the gym with me, but I also wouldn’t have a problem going out to run errands on a warm day either. Their logo is subtle enough, and where the branding on these is just their logo, it’s not a “HEY EVERYONE I’M WEARING TACTICAL CLOTHES” kind of item, which I can greatly appreciate. The overall material of the shorts feels high quality and soft, which was one of the concerns I had when making the purchase. Time will obviously tell how long this item lasts with consistent use, but as far as first impressions go they seem quite promising.
These shorts come with a 1.5” retention belt, which reminded me of Groove Life’s belts in a way. They have a magnet and groove locking setup, and the belt itself is thick and sturdy enough to not cause any worry about holster retention. The belt is fairly simple to set up, but many have recommended using Arrowhead’s video walkthrough just to make sure it’s done right. In setup/use, I found that the clasp can be undone fairly easily, but under tension it stays in place well. If that information causes concern for anyone, Arrowhead Tactical has stated that just about any 1.5” belt can be swapped out and used instead of the one they supply, so if you already have a carry belt you trust and are comfortable with, just use that one instead!
These shorts are unique due to their internal belt loops. Made out of the same material as the shorts themselves and covering much of the waistline, these loops let you use your retention belt and remain comfortable while being active. In truth, I’ve been wearing these shorts with the belt in all day today and I have forgotten the belt was in on several occasions. The belt sitting inside the waistband also means that I can holster my pistol without worrying about the belt clip being seen if my shirt comes up a little bit. These are activewear, after all, so the potential of a shirt coming up enough to expose the waistband isn’t outside the realm of possibility. To test just how well these shorts retained my pistol, I put them on, stood myself in front of a full body mirror, and did a mix of running in place, jumping up and down, and jumping while rotating my body back and forth. Throughout all of that, my pistol didn’t even budge.
With both layers of these shorts being adjustable (adjustable inner retention belt and a stretchy waistband to match), these shorts pick up a drastic edge in my opinion when compared to the typical concealed carry setup. Most people who carry do so with jeans, slacks, cargo shorts, or generally with pants made of a non-stretchy material. Due to this, there could very well be a cap on how much you can adjust your carry setup to ensure comfort, especially if you’re a bit of a heavier guy like myself. With the Carrier Shorts, both layers that go around your waist can be adjusted until you have maxed out comfort while carrying. In fact, it was with these shorts that I was able to break out of my self-conscious headspace and finally carry outside of the home. While I may still be working to slim down and improve my ability to comfortably and effectively carry while wearing any type of clothing, the Carrier Shorts have helped me bridge the gap and be able to carry comfortably in the meantime.
What Could Change
While I may have had a lot of nice things to say about these shorts, I wasn’t blind to its flaws and potential for improvement.
Starting with some minor things I noticed, the retention belt I received with the shorts was frayed a bit at the end, leading to it getting caught on every single belt loop when setting it up. I ended up just taping the end of the belt so it could flow through the loops smoother. I believe that this should be something that is checked in the QC process, and if it already is part of the process then something like this shouldn’t have made it through. I also don’t understand why the outline of a front zipper is stitched into the front of the shorts, as if they were cargo shorts or pants. No pair of athletic shorts I have ever owned imitates that front zipper area, and it seems out of place and unnecessary to me if it ultimately serves no purpose. The final minor issue I had with these shorts is that I would have liked to see a 9” inseam option. 8” looks great while standing, but my pasty white thighs start to show as soon as I sit down, whereas shorts that I own with a 9” inseam look almost identical in length while standing and do not show my ghost thighs when I sit down. I know size doesn’t/shouldn’t matter, but that one inch makes all the difference.
Jokes aside, I have a few larger issues with these shorts that I want to address as well. Starting with the back pocket. They chose to only have one back pocket, and made the back pocket the place where the spare magazine sub-pocket is located. In practice, I was unable to comfortably fit anything in my back pocket if my single stack Beretta magazine was in the sub-pocket, which means I have to use one or the other. This sub-pocket is also in an incredibly inconvenient place, being in the back right of the shorts. Most people are right handed, and the point of having a spare magazine pocket is if it is ever needed, one can easily access a spare magazine. Having the spare mag in the back right pocket of a shooter who is more than likely right handed is the least efficient place it could be kept on their person.
This pocket would be much better placed on the left side of the body, so most people can access it with their off hand if they are in a situation where a second magazine is necessary. This placement seems like an oversight on Arrowhead’s part, and I would honestly prefer no magazine pocket than one in a place that would force me to put down my pistol or switch hands if I needed to get that spare magazine. I would either move the sub-pocket to the left rear of the pant (either on its own or make a second back pocket for it to hide in) or hide it in the left side pocket so it can be easily accessible by the off hand of most users. The mag pocket is a great idea, but its execution leaves more to be desired.
The other major issue I had was with the belt buckle. The magnets are not that strong and there is a noticeable amount of wiggle between the two halves of the buckle when in use, even with tension (which I found to be the best way to keep the belt connected). This creates a noticeable jingle of the metal hitting when moving in any way that isn’t walking, and has led to the buckle undoing itself a few times when bending over or walking with a bit of a bounce (see where this could be annoying while being active?). This has not caused a direct issue with carry yet, but I would not be surprised if it happened eventually.
This can obviously be fixed by using a more reputable retention belt, as Arrowhead have stated that almost any 1.5” belt can be used instead of their own, but that is not the issue at hand. Where all of their shorts/pants come with this belt, and they do not currently offer their products without the belt, some will just trust that the provided belt is good enough. Patents permitting, I would love to see them take a page out of Groove Life’s playbook if they want to utilize a magnetic buckle, as my Groove Life belt does not have any issues with the buckle coming undone or having a loose fit and clanging against itself. Hell, if patents do interfere, I’d love to see a collaboration between the two to make it happen. Either this, or sell the shorts (and by extension the sweatpants and joggers) with a beltless option.
Consensus
Overall, I think that Arrowhead Tactical’s Carrier Shorts are a good product. They satisfied a niche in the market that was previously ignored, helped give the EDC community new options for carrying while remaining comfortable and active, and did it with high enough quality to have a positive impact. If I were to give these shorts a score, it would be 8/10 as most of the issues I had with this product were either my personal preferences or easily fixable by replacing the belt.
For those out there looking for a TL;DR, here’s a Pros and Cons list:
Pros
- Comfortable
- Good materials
- Discreet logo (doesn’t scream tactical brand/gear)
- Comes with a belt
- Keeps firearm snug
- Very adjustable waistband
- 8” and 11” inseam options
- Works with basically any 1.5” belt
Cons
- QC issues with belt weave
- Belt buckle has loose fit (metal clanging when clasped)
- Belt is easy to unbuckle
- Only one back pocket
- Magazine pocket in an inconvenient spot
- Does not offer products without their belt
