Condoms. Love them or hate them, they serve a beautiful purpose in this world. And let me tell you, NOT ALL CONDOMS ARE CREATED EQUALLY. That’s why I want to share with you my favorite condoms.
The material of the condom, the lubricant on the condom, if there is spermicide or not, the quality of the condom, if it’s vegan or not, how it smells, how it’s stored – the list goes on and on and on and on and on and on. So, I want to share my favorite condoms, why I love them, where you can get them & finally, how to store and use them.
In no particular order, here are my favorite condoms (chart at the bottom if you’re more of a visual person!)
Jems Condoms
Made of: Natural Latex (vegan) and silicone lube (with trace amounts of cornstarch and magnesium carbonate dusting powder that is used in the manufacturing process.) That’s it. Jem’s condoms are free of potentially harmful ingredients, including parabens, paraffins, talc, benzocaine, nonoxynol-9, glycerin, cetyl alcohol, gluten, and spermicide. Additionally, they are all electronically tested to help ensure reliability in preventing pregnancy and STI transmission.
Size: Jems condoms are 180mm long (before stretching) with a 15mm reservoir head. Their shape is parallel-sided, with a (before stretch) width of 53mm (±2mm) at the base and through the mid-body of the condom. Thinness: 0.055 mm.
Price: $15 for a 12-pack online // available in retail soon & at well.ca
Why I Love Them/Summary: It’s a small woman-owned business focusing on making condoms normalized as part of our beauty and self-care regimen. They’re available easily online, are vegan and cruelty-free — AND have a great give-back program.
Cons: Only one size available and only available online (for now!)
P.S. Condoms (Regular & XL)
Made of: All-natural rubber latex, using a proprietary distillation process for a smoother and softer condom. They are 100% vegan (so they do not contain the animal protein casein) and lubricated with silicone lubricant. P.S Condoms do not contain parabens, glycerin, bisphenol-A (BPA), gluten, or nitrosamines. They are truly amazingly clear condoms that DO NOT smell bad. If you use one and then taste where the condom was, there’s barely a trace. It’s remarkable. Truly one of my favorite condoms of all time.
Size: Regular: 53mm x 190mm // XL: 57mm x 210mm // Both are ultra-thin: 0.045 mm
Price: $17 – $20 for a 12-pack available DTC online
Why I Love Them/Summary: These are the least-smelling latex condoms I’ve ever seen. They’re comfortable and have two sizes to fit different genitalia or toys, and they’re a small business with lots of heart. They’re also on the thinner side for more sensation.
Cons: A little more on the pricey side (worth it for the no smell, IMO) and only available online.
Hello Cake Condoms (Snug, Standard, & Large)
Made of: natural rubber latex, have their premium silicone lubricant on them and have some corn starch (just like Jems). They are all electronically tested to help ensure reliability in preventing pregnancy and STI transmission. Plus, ALL of Cake’s condoms DO NOT HAVE chemicals, spermicide, BPAs, glycerin, fragrances, or hormones.
Size:
- Snug: Smallest size at Cake, up to 6.8 inches long, width 49mm // thinness: .072 avg
- Thin, Dotted, & Ribbed: “Standard size” – Up to 7 inches long, width of 53mm (thin) & width of 52mm (dotted & ribbed) // thinness: ribbed: 0.077 avg, dotted: 0.075 avg, thin: 0.058 avg
- Large: Largest size at Cake – Up to 8.1 inches long, width of 56mm // thinness: .077 avg
Price: Between $9-12 for a box of $12; available online and in Target & Walmart.
Why I Love Them/Summary: Widely available, this fast-growing sex-positive business has more than just condoms but excels in making different types with the same clean ingredients. If you want more variety of feel or size but still with clean ingredients, try these. (also, they have some of my favorite lubes!)
Cons: Most of them are on the thicker side.
Maude Condoms (Rise & Rise Plus)
Made of: Natural latex, cornstarch powder, and silicone lubricant. Both types of Maude’s Rise condoms are vegan and free from harmful chemicals, spermicide, gluten, glycerin, parabens, and fragrances. They’re also electronically triple-tested. They have really unique packaging – unlike most condoms where you tear the foil, Maude’s Rise condoms come in buttercup packaging, kind of like an individual peanut butter cup.
Size:
- Rise: 7.09″/180mm x 2.09″/53mm, and thickness is 0.060 to 0.065mm
- Rise Plus: 7.48″/190mm x 2.20″/56mm, and thickness is 0.075+/-0.010mm
Price: $12 for a 10-pack available online and in retail stores like Free People and Saks Fifth Avenue
Why I Love Them/Summary: Incredibly well-made, all-natural condoms with pretty packaging that are standard in size and thickness. They’re also available online and in multiple retail stores, which is great.
Cons: They’re pricey and a bit on the thicker side.
Lola Condoms
Made of: Natural rubber latex (vegan and low odor), cornstarch powder, & silicone oil lubricant. Made without: parabens, glycerin, casein, nitrosamines, gluten, or synthetic flavors or fragrances. Every condom is electronically tested for safety.
Size: 52mm wide and 189mm long. Thickness: 0.045mm
Price: $9 – $11 for a 12-pack
Why I Love Them/Summary: Gynecologist approved and easy to get on subscription with your natural tampons, Lola’s tampons are basic in the best way – simple ingredients without any potentially harmful stuff. They’re also on the thinner side, which enhances sensation.
Cons: Only one size and available online online.
BUY LOLA TAMPONS ON AMAZON HERE
Royal Condoms
Made of: Sustainably sourced vegan latex, cornstarch powder, ingestible-safe silicone lubricant. Made without: Casein, spermicide, nitrosamine, glycerin, parabens, synthetic flavors, or fragrances. Every condom is electronically tested for safety.
Size: Regular: 190mm x 53-54mm // XL: 205mm x 56-60mm // Thinness: 0.045mm – 0.056mm
Price: Varies — they have 10-packs up to 12-packs with bulk discounts
Why I Love Them/Summary: Founded by a forward-thinking sex-positive person who wanted to remove gender and shitty ingredients from condoms, Royal offers two sizes of vegan very low-odor / odorless condoms that you’ll love.
Cons: I actually don’t have any.
All of the above-mentioned condoms are made from latex. If you are allergic or looking for a different material, I cannot recommend Skyn enough. You can buy them here.
How to Store & Use Condoms
ALWAYS store your condoms in a cool and dry place. If they’re in direct sunlight or somewhere hot, they could be damaged and leave it susceptible to tearing (which defeats the purpose of using it!!)
ONLY USE CONDOMS ONE TIME. They are NOT made for re-use.
Don’t forget to check the expiration date. This is super important and isn’t a guideline — they have the potential to tear and not be effective anymore.
When using lubricants with condoms, DO NOT USE OIL-BASED LUBRICANTS. This includes those made with petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline®), mineral oil, vegetable oil, or coconut oil, as these may damage the condom. Additionally, avoid contact with talcum powder, aka baby powder, because it may contain oil.
Note: If the rubber material is sticky or brittle or damaged or the color of the condom is uneven or changed, don’t use the condom!
And if you want more about how to put it on and more about condoms in general, check out this article.
MY FAVORITE CONDOMS – A COMPARISON CHART
Want to win some of these condoms? Go check out my Instagram… I’ll be running giveaways there!
