Water-based lubes and silicone-based lubes are the only ones you can safely use with most condoms. No oils or oil-based lubes. “Oil damages latex,” Queen warns. You also have to watch out if you’re using anything oil-based around the condom, too, like lipstick, lip gloss, massage oil, or the like.
7. Practice makes perfect
Several of the experts we interviewed also recommended masturbating with a condom on. As they explained it, you’ll get better at the process of unwrapping one and putting it on, so you can do it in the heat of the moment when you’re with a partner. Plus, jerking off with a condom on can help you start to associate the feel, sight, and smell of condoms with pleasure, which could make it easier over time for you to stay hard when putting one on and using one.
It’s like training for the Olympics: you run the distance over and over so when the time comes to get on that stage, you can perform your best. Go get that sexy gold!
The Best Overall Condom: Skyn Original
These condoms are the best on the market. They’re well-lubricated, durable, and electronically tested for full reliability. If you’re looking for a condom with no frills that will feel extra thin and do its job, Skyn condoms are the ones for you. They are the tried and true classic that’s generally easy to find, too.
The Thinnest Condom: Okamoto .04
Japanese company Okamoto was so proud of this condom’s 0.04-millimeter thinness that they named it after that number. It really is one of the thinnest condoms available, so if you’re hoping to feel like you’re wearing nothing at all, give this condom a shot.
The Best Custom-Fit Condom: MyONE Custom Fit condoms
If you’ve struggled to find a condom that fits just right, check out the Find Your Fit page on One’s website. It’ll tell you which size of their custom-fit condoms will work best for your anatomy. With 10 different lengths and 9 widths leading to 52 possible sizes, it’s like buying a bespoke suit rather than something off the rack. “I’ve been using MyOne custom fit for about 2 years and I’ll be using them for life. The custom fit is a game-changer,” one Walmart reviewer raved.
The Best Non-Latex Condom: Skyn Elite
Skyn Elite are the best Skyn condoms for an almost-skin feeling that’s not made of latex, which plenty of people are allergic to. They call the soft, non-latex material SKYNFEEL, and it’s as strong as premium latex brands without feeling too restrictive.
The Best Eco-Friendly Condoms: Sustain Ultra-Thin Condoms
Sexual wellness brand Sustain is specially designed to be vagina-friendly, which in this case means no fragrances, dyes, petrochemicals, or nitrosamines. This is actually pretty rare and decreases the likeliness that a condom will cause disruption to the vaginal biome. Sustain uses fair-trade rubber. And their condoms are completely vegan (most condoms have casein, a diary byproduct). Being the big-hearts they are, the company also donates 10% of their proceeds to organizations that provide access to female reproductive health and family planning services.
The Best Real-Feel Condom: Champ Ultra-Thin Condoms
These condoms offer a barely-there feel and are as close to skin-on-skin as you can get. Champ condoms are made from 100% natural latex and are specially lubricated with non-sticky, natural-feeling medical-grade silicone lube.
The Best Textured Condom: Trojan Ultra Ribbed
Ribbed condoms aren’t for everyone, but if you like a little extra grip, they can be just the thing. Remember to check with your partner before whipping out a textured condom to be sure they’re up for it. But if you and your partner are people who like a little friction, then you should try the these Trojans.
The Best Packaging: Lovability
One of the biggest problems with condoms? The packaging. It’s often corny, yes. But also: the way most condoms are packaged can make it easy to tear them. Lovability has solved this problem with their “buttercup opening” package, which looking like one of these east to open one-off coffee creamers you find in coffee shops.
The Best Condoms for Bigger Penises: Trojan Magnum Bareskin Condoms
The Magnum is a classic for a reason and the Magnum Bareskin builds on the that deserved reputation by making it even thinner.
The Best Condoms for Smaller Penises: Okamoto Rilakkuma Honey Condoms
If you have a smaller penis, what’s important is that you know your body and you feel comfortable enough to own that. Okamoto is perfect if you’ve noticed that most condoms are too long or fit loosely—it will feel much better than a baggy one.
The Most Stimulating Condom: One Pleasure Plus
What if a condom was more like a sex toy than a prophylactic? The head of this condom flares out slightly, so that the latex shifts and moves against your most sensitive spots with every thrust. These could be great for anyone who finds that regular condoms dampen sensation too much.
The Best Flavored Condom: Glyde Natural Flavor
If you’re planning on using a condom when giving or receiving a blowjob, it makes sense to get a flavored one—few people like the taste of latex, after all. Glyde’s flavored latex condoms are well-reviewed and come in fun varieties like vanilla, wildberry, and licorice.
The Best Condom for Lasting Longer: Trojan Extended Pleasure
Struggling with premature ejaculation? These condoms contain a small amount of benzocaine lube, which numbs the area slightly to help you last longer, so that you and your partner can both be satisfied.
The Best Condom for Sensitive Skin: Durex Avanti Bare RealFeel
Unlike a lot of condoms, these have no added fragrance, so they’re great for people with sensitivities to scents and/or chemicals. They’re also made of polyisoprene, making them a safe bet for people with a latex allergy. Basically, if other condoms have given you trouble, try these, because they might be exactly what you need.
The Best Textured Condom for Lasting Longer: Durex Performax Intense
This condom takes a “more is more” approach, boasting a combination of features not normally found together: it’s got ribs and dots on the outside (for your partner) and a benzocaine lube on the inside (to help you, the wearer, last longer). If you often find that you’re about to finish just as your partner’s just getting started, this condom might help even things out. “It helps my girlfriend climax faster and helps me keep going and going,” one reviewer on the Durex website wrote.