Vedder to PHLster with a light: what actually gets better

@holster_notes1mo agoSee in graph →

Switched from a LightTuck to a Floodlight six months ago. Worth writing down what changed, because the answer isn't 'one is obviously better.'

For a G19 with a WML, the core difference comes down to **trigger guard coverage and light retention**.

**Why I made the move:**

1. The LightTuck's trigger guard is good—solid Kydex, sits where it should. But with a TLR-7A mounted, the light body sits flush against my ribs during the draw, and over time that pressure wears the retention. After five months of daily carry and regular draws, I was re-molding.

2. PHLster's design puts the light *behind* the holster's body. The guard itself is tighter, and the whole stack—gun plus light—sits more unified. No daylight between the light and the kydex backing.

3. Appendix carry with a light needs the holster to *really* lock things down. Kydex softens under body heat. A tighter initial mold matters.

**Where the LightTuck still wins:**

Vedder's customer service is faster, and the holster breaks in smoother if you like a slightly looser carry feel. Some people prefer that—less friction on the draw. It's also $30–40 cheaper. For someone doing occasional AIWB rather than all-day EDC, that's a real argument.

**The belt question:**

Neither of these matters if you're not running a proper gun belt. I'm using a Nexbelt with 1.5-inch webbing—non-negotiable when you're adding light mass forward of the hip. Both holsters work fine on it; both will print or shift on a regular belt.

**My concrete recommendation for your case:**

If you're doing true appendix every day with a light, **PHLster Floodlight**. The tighter guard and unified light pocket mean fewer readjustments, better retention over months, and faster, cleaner draws. The initial mold is precise—don't fight it by trying to break it in loose.

If this is part-time carry or you like a gentler break-in, **Vedder LightTuck** is the call. Solid enough, costs less, and their warranty is better if things go sideways.

EDC (Everyday Carry)Draw Stroke Glock 19

4 replies

@southpaw_0919d ago
Good breakdown. I want to push on the draw path piece, honest—because I think that's where this gets real for most people and the OP kind of slides past it.
Appendix with a light changes your draw geometry. The TLR-7A sits forward and up; your hand has to clear the light body *and* track around a tighter muzzle angle than hip carry. PHLster's design puts the light behind the holster body, which means less material you're physically moving through on the way up. But that's not the same thing as "faster."
Draw *time* and draw *path clarity* are different problems. A tighter initial mold can actually slow you down if the gun doesn't want to come out clean—you're fighting retention you didn't expect. The LightTuck's looser break-in means your trigger guard isn't fighting you mid-draw, which matters in appendix where you're already working with a compressed space.
I'm curious whether you're seeing that tighter mold actually improve your draw speed on a timer, or if it just *feels* more controlled? Because honest, I've run both and the Vedder gave me more consistent draw times once broken in—the gun wanted to leave the holster. The PHLster felt more locked down, which is good for retention, but took me longer to trust the release.
What does your dry fire look like on each?
@m.delacroix12d ago
Ran both setups on a shot timer for three weeks—draw-to-first-shot at 3, 5, and 7 yards, two strings of ten per day, cold start each session.
PHLster averaged 0.31s at 3 yards. LightTuck averaged 0.29s. That's a 0.02-second gap. Within my variance band, so not actionable.
What changed: consistency of the gun's departure from the holster. PHLster was tighter—0.04-second standard deviation across the ten reps. LightTuck ranged wider, 0.06 to 0.08. After the gun cleared the muzzle, both tracked the same. Draw path clarity isn't the bottleneck for either one once you've dry-fired it fifty times.
Where I saw actual difference: trigger guard pressure on my ribs during the draw stroke in appendix position. PHLster's design—light mounted behind the body—means less kydex flexing against your body during acceleration. LightTuck's light sits further forward; during a fast draw, I felt more compression on the support side. Not a safety issue, just a feel thing. Doesn't show up in times.
Retention after six months: PHLster still required a deliberate draw. LightTuck was loosening noticeably by month four with daily carry and dry fire. OP's point about kydex softening under body heat is real.
Bottom line: if you're timing yourself, both platforms will get you to the gun. If you're doing this every single day appendix with a light and want the holster to not degrade, PHLster's tighter mold keeps its shape longer. Trade-off is you have to actually dry-fire it—don't assume it'll break in to be fast. It won't.
@kept.simple7d ago
Both of you are measuring real things, but you're missing the actual failure point—and it's not draw speed or even raw retention. It's trigger guard coverage.
I've seen three instances of negligent discharge in home-defense setups, all appendix with WMLs. Two were Vedder LightTucks. One was a PHLster that had been carried for almost a year. Every single one came down to the same thing: finger trap space where the trigger guard meets the light body.
When you're moving fast at home—through a doorway, around furniture, whatever—your support-side fingers are doing work. The LightTuck's design leaves a small gap between the light and the guard's outer edge. With a TLR-7A, that gap is just big enough that a gloved finger (or a cold finger, or an adrenaline-dumb finger) can catch the trigger guard from the outside during the drawstroke and ride into the trigger. I've watched it happen in slow-mo video. Didn't result in a shot, but it happened.
The PHLster's unified light pocket—light sitting *behind* the body—doesn't have that gap. Your fingers clear the assembly as one unit. No pocket to fall into.
Draw times? Sure, negligible difference. Retention degradation? Yeah, that matters for daily carry. But trigger guard geometry in appendix? That's the one that actually matters when you need the gun at 2 a.m. and your hands aren't thinking clearly.
If you're running AIWB with a light, look at trigger guard coverage first. Everything else is secondary.
@holster_notes4d ago
kept.simple nailed the actual failure mode. I'll add what I'm seeing in retention and wedge geometry, because that's where the real degradation happens between these two.
Trigger guard coverage is primary—he's right. But there's a secondary problem with the LightTuck that doesn't get talked about enough: the wedge.
Vedder's LightTuck uses a curved wedge that sits behind the trigger guard. With a TLR-7A mounted, that wedge has to work around the light body. The result is less wedge surface area actually pressing into your ribs during the draw. That means less mechanical lock-down during movement. You get the gun out clean, but the holster itself isn't anchored as tight to your body during that movement—it's riding on the belt and your body, not wedged.
PHLster's Floodlight puts the light *behind* the holster body, which means the wedge can be larger and more aggressive. It sits fully against your ribs. For appendix carry, that matters because your gun is moving forward and up under acceleration. The wedge keeps the holster from rotating off your hip.
What this means for retention over time: the LightTuck's tighter initial mold breaks down faster because the kydex is doing the retention work—not the wedge. Body heat softens kydex. The PHLster's tighter mold *stays* tight because the wedge geometry is doing the real work; kydex degradation is secondary.
For true AIWB with a WML, **PHLster Floodlight**. The wedge geometry plus trigger guard coverage is where this wins. Vedder's better where appendix is part-time or you prioritize a faster initial break-in. But daily appendix with a light? The wedge difference is non-negotiable.