Hot Topic Picking the Perfect Condom for Your Penis

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Pick the Perfect Condom for Your Penis

The size, shape, and texture of your rubber all matter in a major way

Choosing the right condom is like choosing a running shoe: You can go generic, picking blindly off the shelf, and it’ll get you to the finish line just fine. But take the time to consider the right size, and the different features that may fit your stride and environment best, and you’ll enjoy the race a whole lot more.
“While everyone is told to use condoms, very few are taught how to choose condoms,” says Melissa White, CEO of online condom retailer. That means you should factor in more than just size—so if you don’t know the difference between ribbed, ultra-thin, and her pleasure, read up and find the right rubber for you.

Size Does Matter


“Most men suffer from the illusion that condoms are one-size-fits-all,” White says. “Whether they are wearing a condom that is too large or too small, they simply settle for a lackluster experience not realizing it could be so much better.”

In fact, a 2010 study from The Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in Indiana found that ill-fitting condoms more than double your risk of losing an erection, having trouble climaxing (for the both of you), and the condom breaking or slipping—which lowers the contraceptive’s effectiveness. Plus, the discomfort of wrapping with the wrong size is what gives rubbers a bad rap, White adds.

White’s favorite trick to determine your size: Grab the cardboard tube of an empty toilet paper roll and slide it over a full hard-on. If there’s extra room, your best bet is a smaller condom. Just enough room means you’re at a medium, and if the cardboard tube is too tight for you, opt for a large.

If you’re already at the drugstore debating, consider how the glove normally feels: If the condom slips off or your chief complaint is that wearing one feels like a paper bag, you’d probably benefit from trying a smaller-than-standard rubber, White says. If you have a history of broken condoms, you need to trade up a size. If most grab-bag rubbers fit fine, you’re probably in the standard range, she adds.

Whether you’re shopping online, or trying to avoid lingering too long at the store, check out this breakdown of the most common protection perks.



1. Thin and Ultra-Thin

If you want to spice things up without taking too much of a risk, these are your best bet: Most everyone loves an ultra-thin condom, White says. For most couples, the thinner shelter means more pleasure closer to a condom-free feel. And don’t worry: All rubbers go through the same rigorous testing, so thinner doesn’t mean less protection.


2. Climax Control

It seems absurd: A condom that actually makes your head less sensitive to the pleasures of sex? For some men who have no problem lasting, the desensitizing lubes can indeed lead to an anticlimactic experience, White says. But guys who need the condom equivalent of a 5-hour Energy will be pleasantly impressed by their numbing effects. The gold standard of climax-control condoms? Those that offer an arousal lubricant on the outside, so you can be slowed down while she speeds up, says White. (Try Durex Performax Intense)

3. Ribbed, Pleasure Shaped, and Her Pleasure

The small ridges and bumps and ergonomic shaping of these three varieties are designed specifically to give her a bigger orgasm. And while these guarantee a home run with some women, just as many find the texture uncomfortable or even undetectable, White cautions—so don’t be too disappointed if they're not her style. These kinds of condoms are also thicker than your garden-variety type, she adds. That's not neccessarily a bad thing, but it's definitely something to consider.


4. Lambskin

These are the Crocs of condoms: Goofy-looking at first glance—they’re made from lamb instead of latex or plastic, so they’re skin-colored—but you’ll fall in love on the first test drive. “People who use lambskin condoms regularly say they will never use anything else,” White says. They offer ultra-enhanced sensitivity, durability—which means they’re great for girthy guys—and they’re latex-free. Sound too good to be true? They do have a smell that may take getting used to, White warns. And while they do prevent pregnancy, lambskins don’t protect against STDs, so they’re only ideal for monogamous couples. Trojan’s Naturalamb Luxury is the only “natural skin” condom on the market right now.

5. Spermicide

Designed to stop your swimmers in their tracks, spermicide adds another fortification to some condoms to prevent pregnancy. However, the chemical can cause irritation if used more than once a day, and it doesn’t protect against HIV or STDs. Use these condoms if you're in a long-term relationship, and trade them out for your second go-around of the day.

6. Sensation Lubes

A 2013 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that men who used a condom with lube became as aroused as guys who didn’t rock a rubber at all. “Simply put, exposingJust like for people with food allergies dining out, latex-sensitive guys have a smaller selection of non-irritating gloves. While some people can go into anaphylactic shock from using the wrong kind of rubber, a lot of men and women break out in hive-like rashes, extreme dryness, or even eczema from contact with latex. Luckily, more and more companies are responding with condoms made from an alternative material, polyisoprene. White’s favorite is LifeStyle’s SKYN line, which she says are so pleasurable, even couples without a latex sensitivity opt for them. your most delicate parts to latex will dry you and your partner up, no matter how excited you both may be,” White explains. You can add a water-based or silicone-based lubricant to whatever brand you buy, but an oil-based lube used with latex ups the risk of your condom breaking.

A lot of rubbers come lubricated, though, and sometimes with added sensation. While varieties like Trojan’s Fire & Ice sound exciting, White says most couples actually find most of these condoms to be too stimulating—think Icy Hot on your most sensitive of places. Her suggestion? Lifestyles Turbo and Trojan Charged are two great lubricated varieties that'll add just enough excitement to help send her over the edge.


7. Latex-Free

Just like for people with food allergies dining out, latex-sensitive guys have a smaller selection of non-irritating gloves. While some people can go into anaphylactic shock from using the wrong kind of rubber, a lot of men and women break out in hive-like rashes, extreme dryness, or even eczema from contact with latex. Luckily, more and more companies are responding with condoms made from an alternative material, polyisoprene. White’s favorite is LifeStyle’s SKYN line, which she says are so pleasurable, even couples without a latex sensitivity opt for them.