Springfield/Alexo Gear Lets You Carry While Exercising

In an issue of Handguns a couple years ago, I wrote about the best concealed-carry holsters and garments designed for runners. That article led me to try just about every popular product available at the time for carrying a concealed firearm while exercising. The clearest takeaway was this: Those who wanted to carry a gun comfortably while running had limited options.

Alexo Athletica is seeking to change that. The company is the product of one woman’s desire to design athletic clothing that is comfortable enough to wear while exercising yet offers a stable, secure place to store a firearm. Several years ago, while training for a marathon, founder Amy Robbins discovered what many other CCW permit holders have found out along the way: You can either exercise comfortably or exercise with a gun, but you can’t exercise comfortably with a gun.

Now Alexo Athletica is teaming up with one of America’s favorite firearms manufacturers to offer the Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica collection, which might finally offer a solution to the problem of carrying a firearm while running. You’ll find these offerings at AlexoAthletica.com; click on Shop, then select Springfield Collection.

The new Springfield Armory by Alexo Athletica line offers clothes for both men and women that are suitable for concealed carry. On the men’s side, they offer the Springfield Performance CC jogger ($89), which is constructed of a polyester/rayon/spandex material that offers light weight and breathability. The athletic tapered cut looks modern and fits close to the body, and there’s a zippered fly, side slip pockets and back welt pockets plus a hidden phone pocket.

At first glance they resemble most high-end athletic joggers, but there’s an elastic band stitched into the pants that offers holster pockets at the appendix, four and eight o’clock positions. The design holds the firearm close to the body for maximum concealment and easy access, and the Springfield Performance CC jogger comes with Alexo Athletica’s Tuck and Carry technology that allows you to tuck a shirt into these pants while maintaining quick access to the firearm.

There’s also a Springfield full-length CC legging ($99) for women that is made from nylon and spandex and comes with ambidextrous appendix carry stitched-in holsters and additional pockets at the four and eight o’clock positions. Like the CC jogger, it offers a tapered, athletic look and a breathable construction for maximum comfort while exercising. In addition, the Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica brand is also offering branded sweatshirts that serve as the perfect complement to its pants.

Alexo makes it clear that these garments are designed for use with proper trigger guard protection. You can purchase a DeSantis Flextech pocket holster ($29) through the Alexo Athletica website. The exterior of the Flextech holster has a glossy, viscous textured surface that is designed to keep the holster in place when the gun is drawn, but the leather interior of the holster protects the firearm and molds to the gun.

Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica also offers sweatshirts for both men and women. The men’s version is made from four-way stretch fabric so it fits comfortably on the body when you’re active and dries quickly. The reflective surface elements help protect you when exercising in low light, and the kangaroo pocket is great for storage and reduces printing.

The women’s terry cloth hoodie ($69) is slightly shorter in length than traditional sweatshirts. This improves the aesthetics and provides easier access to a firearm.

I’ve tried multiple methods of carrying a firearm while exercising outdoors. Fanny and hip packs are fine, but most aren’t comfortable to wear during strenuous activity, and you lose much of the concealment factor. Belly bands work, but they offer little support for the firearm and aren’t good with heavier.

Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica clothing addresses many of these issues. For starters, the heavy-duty nylon stitching in the men’s and women’s CC joggers helps keep the gun secured close to the body. This prevents the gun from flopping around, which not only causes the firearm to print but is also extremely uncomfortable. That’s to say nothing of the risk of the gun falling free from the holster when there’s excess movement.

The CC joggers I wore fit tight around the waist and allowed the gun, a Remington RM380, to ride close to the body. That pistol weighs a bit over a pound loaded, less than the maximum weight of 23 ounces that Alexo Athletica recommends for guns. To test the performance of these joggers, I ran a minimum of a mile a day on 10 occasions, and I made notes each time I ran.

All told, I covered 14 miles wearing the Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica joggers with a firearm. First, I noted it’s not necessary to wear an undershirt, but it is more comfortable, especially when the gun is in the front holster pocket. This is less a function of the pants and more product of the gun’s grip design.

I found it more comfortable to carry in the back pocket of the joggers, and though an undershirt isn’t necessary, I’d still wear one for comfort.

The CC’s ability to tuck your shirt into your pants is a nice addition, and so is the zippered fly. Drawstring closure ensures a tight fit around the waist, and the large front pockets are well-positioned and offer plenty of room. 

These pants are well thought out and comfortable, although they are a bit heavy for midday summer running. For running and hiking the rest of the year, though, these pants are well designed and functional. They dry quickly and fit well—although they come with a rather athletic cut—and these joggers are stylish enough that you could wear them in public without anyone suspecting that you’re carrying.

My wife experienced similar results. She found she could comfortably carry a small firearm in the waistband of her CC leggings and exercise without any discomfort. After she’d worn her CC leggings off and on for a couple of weeks, her take on this clothing was similar to mine: The sturdy stitched-in belt design holds the firearm so securely and comfortably that you soon forget it’s even there.

That is, of course, until you need that firearm. With the Remington located in the four o’clock position and the grip extending behind the crest of my hip, I could quickly lift my cover garment with my non-firing hand and draw the gun in seconds.

Returning the gun to the holster is a bit more complex since you’ll have to expand the interior pocket, either by forcing the gun down into place or opening the pocket manually and sliding the firearm into position. But there should never be cause for holstering in a hurry.

Comfortable athletic clothing that securely holds a firearm and looks good enough to want to wear in public? That’s what Springfield Armory x Alexo Athletica now offers buyers. Odds are you’ve got a favorite pair of athletic pants you wear a lot. Shouldn’t that favorite pair of pants have a holster that allows you to carry a firearm?

For years we thought comfortable, stylish, practical athleticwear for concealed carry wasn’t possible. Not anymore.

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