This post may contain affiliate links. Buying something through these links doesn't cost you anything and helps support Know Prepare Survive. For some light reading, check out our affiliate disclosure.
| Image | Product | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Cross Body Concealed Carry Purse  | Roma Leathers Leather Concealed Carry Cross Body Gun Purse | Small | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Big Concealed Carry Purse  | Browning Women's Concealed Carry Purse | Large | Check Price on AmazonCheck Price on Academy |
Best Small Concealed Carry Purse  | Gun Tote'n Mamas Concealed Carry Purse | Smallest | Check Price on AmazonCheck Price on BassPro |
Best Shoulder Concealed Carry Purse  | Roma Leather Locking Concealment Purse | Medium | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Top Handle Concealed Carry Satchel  | Ella Braided Concealed Weapon Tote by Lady Conceal | Medium | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Concealed Carry Tote  | Bulldog Cases Tote Style Concealed Carry Purse with Holster | Largest | Check Price on AmazonCheck Price on Optics Planet |
Firearms are a great equalizer[1].
Some self-defense weapons require strength to use.
Guns do not have this weakness. They remove strength from the equation and allow everyone to defend themselves equally.
How you carry your concealed weapon is up to you and your local laws. Citizens in Texas can proudly and comfortably portray their firearm in an Outside the Waistband (OWB) holster. But many people don’t have that ability and need a more discrete option.
Concealed carry holsters are often good for hiding a handgun on your person but they do not work for everyone.
Those who wear tight-fitting clothes or who have a smaller frame often find holsters difficult, if not impossible, to conceal. Even good concealed carry holsters.
Concealed carry purses, and similar bags, are a great way to conceal a handgun on your person without having to fit a several-pound hunk of metal inside your waistband.
Off-body carry[2] isn’t for everyone, but it’s the best choice for some people.
Most of the following bags are purses aimed at women but many of them are styled so anybody can use them.
I carry a satchel occasionally. They’re bloody useful when you don’t want to carry a large backpack.
So, if you’re looking to conceal a gun in something tote-sized or smaller, you’ll find the best concealed carry purse for you below!
Features to Look For in a Concealed Carry Purse
Not all purses are created equal and not all are good for concealing firearms.
Sure, you can sleeve your gun in a holster then toss it in a bag.
Or worse, put it into your bag without a holster.
But that’s a bad option for several reasons.
Self-defense situations can be over in moments. Do you want to spend a minute digging for your gun?
Or do you want your keys to scratch up the pistol’s finish?
What about durability? Most purses are not built to hold heavy weight inside, so a steel gun can cause excessive wear-and-tear on your nice purse.
Here are a few features to keep in mind while shopping for a bag that can still hold stuff while it conceals a gun.
Concealment
If you’re concealing a gun, concealment should be one of your biggest concerns.
Carrying a purse that screams out, “I’m carrying a gun!” is a good way to paint yourself as a target of theft!
So, it’s a good idea to use a bag that holds the gun without letting its outline show, which is called printing.
Big gun-related-business labels are another obvious sign that you’re carrying a gun.
Zippers can also give it away, but these are not as big a deal as some people think they are.
That’s because the type of people who can identify a zipper designed to access a gun is also the type of people to conceal firearms themselves, a demographic known to be more law-abiding than the average citizen.
So, while you will often see people claim zippers to be obvious signs that a purse carries a gun in reviews, that’s not as important as other concealment factors.
Ease-of-Access
Another important consideration is how easily you can get to your pistol when you need to.
If you have to open a flap, reach into your bag, unzip a pocket, then draw your gun, you’ll be at a disadvantage compared to unzipping and drawing from an external, hidden pocket.
Also, give preference to ambidextrous bags, regardless if you’re right handed or left handed.
That way you’ll be able to get to your gun no matter whether the bag is on your left or right shoulder or if one of your hands is occupied.
Durability
Even lightweight guns are bulkier and heavier than most things kept in most bags.
Extra weight can pull at stitching and straps, causing premature degradation.
So, if you plan on concealing a gun often, you want a bag that’s constructed to a higher standard than many purses.
This also means that you don’t want to cheap out on your cute concealed carry purse. You don’t want to lose a strap while carrying a gun!
Security
Your gun can help keep you safe. You should try to keep it safe as well.
Purses and other bags are sometimes left unattended.
If someone goes through your bag and finds your gun, well, that’s a Bad Thing[3].
Some concealed carry purses have lockable concealment compartments. This is an excellent idea which can save you lots of headaches.
Concealed Pocket Size
Some of the following bags can carry almost any size handgun, short of an AR-15 pistol.
Others have a CCW compartment only large enough for subcompact pistols or snub-nosed revolvers.
It may be worth ensuring that a given CCW purse can fit your chosen self-defense gun.
Now that you know what to look for, let’s figure out which is the best concealed carry purse!
The Best Concealed Carry Purses
Roma Leathers Locking Cross Body Purse – The Best Cross Body Concealed Carry Purse
Specs
- Material: Genuine Leather
- Size: 10″ Wide x 10″ High x 4″ Deep
- Gun Pocket Size: 10″ Wide x 6.75″ High
- Available Colors: Black and Brown
- Misc: Ambidextrous lockable zippers and included nylon holster
Overview
Made from top grain cowhide leather, the Roma Leathers Cross Body Purse has many features packed into a comfortably-sized package.
You can fit full-size .45 handguns, such as a Sig 220, into the concealment pocket, though bulky guns might print. More compact firearms, such as a Smith & Wesson Airweight .38, will fit better.
Two heavy-duty zippers provide access to your concealed pistol from either side of the bag. Each zipper also integrates a lock so ne’er-do-wells can’t sneak out your gun.
There are many inner and outer compartments, including seven credit card holders and a windowed ID card slot.
The shoulder strap is 1″ wide leather backed with canvas for strength and is very adjustable.
One of the outside pockets, though, is designed for the smaller phones of yesteryear, so don’t expect modern smartphones to fit.
Also, there’s not a huge amount of space for non-gun stuff in this purse.
Pros
- Ambidextrous gun access
- Can fit a full-sized pistol
- Comfortable crossbody style
- Lockable zippers
Cons
- Cannot carry as much stuff because the large gun pocket takes up so much space
Recommendation
If you want to carry more gun and less stuff in your purse, then the Roma Leathers Cross Body Purse is a comfortable and durable choice.
Browning’s Alexandria Concealed Carry Handbag – The Best Big Concealed Carry Purse
Specs
- Material: Faux Leather
- Size: 13″ Wide x 15″ High x 10″ Deep
- Available Colors: Black, Brown, and Gray
- Misc: Ambidextrous lockable zippers, hidden key ring, and integrated holster
Overview
Browning has been in the gun business for a long time. Their Alexandria handbag makes for a great purse when smaller ones just can’t hold everything you need them to.
This bag is large enough to conceal a .45 1911 without trouble, especially with the almost full-length lockable zippers and the integral holsters.
The rest of the purse is large enough to carry everything you might need, including other good EDC gear such as a quality flashlight.
That holster, by the way, is attached with Velcro so you can set it up to draw from either the left or right side.
The concealment pocket zippers are mirrored on the front so they don’t seem out of place. The main compartment of this concealed carry purse is accessed via the top zipper and there are several pockets along the inside.
The 10″ straps are long enough to use this handbag as a shoulder purse, though you won’t be able to wear it across your body.
Though the faux leather looks good, it’s still made from polyurethane (PU leather) and will not age as well as genuine leather.
Pros
- Ambidextrous zippers
- Ample storage space
- Can fit a full-sized pistol
- Lockable zippers
Cons
- Fake leather
- No shoulder straps
Recommendation
Browning’s Alexandria Handbag is an optimal purse for concealed carry, if you want a big bag and don’t need shoulder straps.
Gun Tote’n Mamas Organizer Purse – The Best Small Concealed Carry Purse
Specs
- Material: Cow, lamb, or ostrich leather
- Size: 7.5″ Wide x 5.5″ High x 2.5″ Deep
- Gun Pocket Size: 7.5″ Wide x 5.5″ High x 1″ Deep
- Available Colors: Black, Brown, Ice Blue, Orange, Red, Tooled Black, and Tooled Red
- Accessories: Built-in holster
Overview
But what if you don’t need all of that space?
The Crossbody Organizer by Gun Tote’n Mamas is an ideal choice for a small purse that’s more than capable of concealing medium and compact handguns.
A Sig P238 fits perfectly. Larger guns might have more trouble. The purse comes with a holster that attaches to the ballistic nylon compartment using Velcro.
The gun hides in the rear compartment. Instead of two different zippers, there’s one zipper that unzips along three sides from either direction.
The straps adjust from a 12″ to 25″ drop and are resistant against slashing.
This keeps the purse safer when you’re wearing it, but the zippers don’t have locks so you have to be more cautious about where you put your purse.
Also, like any medium or small concealed carry purse, the gun compartment takes up enough space for you to have trouble carrying more than just the necessities.
Pros
- Ambidextrous concealment compartment
- Compact and lightweight for comfortable all-day wear
- Slash-resistant straps
Cons
- Cannot fit full-size pistols
- Smaller amount of storage space than the rest on this list
Recommendation
If you want to conceal a small handgun and don’t need to carry bulky items, then the Gun Tote’n Mamas Crossbody Organizer is the perfect concealment purse.
Roma Leathers Locking Concealment Purse – The Best Shoulder Concealed Carry Purse
Specs
- Material: Cowhide Leather
- Size: 13″ Wide x 11″ High x 5″ Deep
- Gun Pocket Size: 10″ Wide x 7.5″ High
- Available Colors: Black, Blue, Dark Brown, Light Brown, and Wine
- Accessories: Lockable zippers and Velcro holster
Overview
Sometimes, you want a large shoulder bag. The Roma Leathers Locking Concealment Purse is an excellent large shoulder bag.
Unlock and unzip either the hidden left or right zipper to access the concealment pocket, which is Velcro-lined and holds the included holster in place.
The straps loop through a reinforced hole in the purse’s body so you can load it up with more than just your keys, wallet, and phone.
There are open and zippered pockets all the way around the purse, so you can store what you want where you want.
Pros
- Ambidextrous access to your gun
- Hidden and lockable zippers
- Plenty of storage space
Cons
- The included holster may not fit all gun models
Recommendation
If you need a big shoulder bag, the Roma Leathers Locking Concealment Purse is the choice for you!
Lady Conceal Ella Purse – The Best Top Handle Concealed Carry Satchel
Specs
- Material: Faux Leather
- Size: 12″ Wide x 9.5″ High x 5″ Deep
- Gun Pocket Size: 9″ Wide x 6.25″ High
- Available Colors: Black, Cinnamon, and Mahogany
- Accessories: Handles and shoulder strap, lockable zippers, included Velcro holster, and internal key lanyard
Overview
The Ella purse by Lady Conceal is a good middle-ground for size and utility. It is neither tiny nor huge and sports both handles and a removable shoulder strap.
Basically, it’s a satchel, handbag, and crossbody bag all in one!
It can hold a full-size 1911 inside its dual-sided concealment compartment, which has lockable YKK zippers.
The leather sides, straps, and stitching are tough enough for the bag not to slouch even when carrying nothing but an all-metal gun in one side.
That strap can be adjusted for a 17″ to 22″ drop.
Unlike some purses, which have to give up storage space to hold a pistol, this one has plenty of space for everything from lipstick to diapers and boxes of wipes. You can fit anything you need into this purse.
Though, there aren’t as many side pockets or interior compartments, so you may have to dig to pull out your wallet.
Also, the included holster is small and not good at holding larger guns.
Pros
- Ambidextrous and lockable zippers
- Can carry a full-size pistol without trouble
- Versatile design allows you to carry this one purse in different ways
Cons
- Few pockets
- The included holster is of questionable utility
Recommendation
The Lady Conceal Ella Purse is the most versatile handbag on this list.
Bulldog Cases Tote – The Best Concealed Carry Tote
Specs
- Material: Faux Leather
- Size: 12″ Wide x 17″ High x 5″ Deep
- Available Colors: Cherry Red Stripe and Navy Stripe
- Accessories: Ambidextrous zippered gun compartment, color matched holster, and slash resistant-straps
Overview
Want to carry all the stuff and don’t care about using a bunch of extra pockets? Then the Bulldog Cases Tote is perfect for you!
The bag is large, deep, and well-constructed so it can carry as much stuff as you want. Keys? Wallet? Diapers? Jacket? A tiny dog? It’ll all fit!
There are only two zippered accessory pockets, one of which is for the handgun.
The included holster is supposedly a universal holster, but some people say it may be too big for subcompacts such as the Ruger LCP. It does match the tote’s colors, though!
The straps are slash-resistant, though the gun compartment doesn’t lock.
Pros
- Ambidextrous pistol access
- Big enough to carry almost anything you want to carry
- Slash-resistant straps
Cons
- Few pockets or compartments
- Gun compartment zippers do not lock
Recommendation
The Bulldog Cases Tote is great for concealed carry and carrying anything smaller than your significant other.
Conclusion
There’s a large variety in the purses on this list, so no matter what type of purse you prefer, one should work well for you.
To decide on a purse first decide what of the following options is more important to you. Size? Carry Style? Or Fashion?
Size
Not everybody carries more than keys and a wallet (and a gun!). Other women need more than just a holster that looks like a bag, especially if you care for a little one.
How much do you need to carry?
If you tend toward the minimalist, the Gun Tote’n Mamas Crossbody Organizer is a great, lightweight choice.
However, if you need to carry absolutely everything, then tote it all around with the Bulldog Cases stylin’ tote!
Carry Style
How do you carry your purse?
If you always carrying it under one shoulder, then the Roma Leathers Locking Concealment Purse is a great choice. Crossbody? Roma Leathers has a Crossbody purse, too.
Like to use the top handles? Try the Alexandria by Browning.
However, if you like to mix it up, then the best choice is the Ella by Lady Conceal.
Fashion
Purses, unlike concealed carry holsters, are very visible accessories. Everyone’s aesthetic tastes are different.
However, every purse on this list is good enough for you to choose based on looks alone and be happy with your choice!
