What's the thinnest, least "intrusive" condom on the market?

February 13, 2008 7:05 AM

What's the thinnest, least "intrusive" condom on the market?

I'm pretty tired of my penis being encased in what feels like an inch of rubber. I'm not concerned about STDs because I'm in a monogamous relationship and we've both recently had STD panels, but I'd really prefer not to have little anonymouses around. Any suggestions on really super-thin or super, um, sensation-transferring condoms?

posted by anonymous to sports, hobbies, & recreation (28 comments total)

Kimono ultra-thin (or is it "microthin"?) and Beyond 7 are both pretty acceptable and available in any drugstore; much better than regular Trojans. Do try the plastic ones; they have a "crinkly" feel but transfer heat better than latex.

A fun way to do this is to order some sample packs from online retailers -- I used Condomania in the past, and there are many other options as well.

Lubes are also not all created equal, so if you are using lube try some other brands to see what works best for you.
posted by Forktine at 7:21 AM on February 13, 2008

I've been very happy with Kimono condoms. (On preview, Seconding Forktine and seconding Condomania samplers...it's how I found Kimono). If you want to try an excellent latex-safe lube, look for Liquid Silk. It's happy in a pump-bottle.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:26 AM on February 13, 2008

Apparently Liquid Silk has a bitter taste. Are there any other highly lubricious, non-tacky personal lubricants without this drawback?
posted by JimN2TAW at 7:40 AM on February 13, 2008

I have never used them, but I understand natural lamb condoms are as close to going without as is possible. They are not recommended for avoiding STD's, but you indicated that is not a problem.

Here is a Google search with brands, sources, and reviews.

Cheers!
posted by Daddy-O at 7:50 AM on February 13, 2008

I find non-latex condoms to be far less intrusive (not lambskin, the polyurethane or whatever- like Durex Avanti), and my partners have agreed.
But, they're said to be less reliable than latex, and the box does have warnings that they should only be used when latex is not an option. (for me it isn't). I've never had a problem, though.
posted by Kellydamnit at 7:53 AM on February 13, 2008

Crown Skinless Skin Condoms

I've tried many but nothing keeps me and my girl more satisfied. Use a light lube like Bodyglide since the condom itself isn't highly lubricated.

Enjoy.
posted by iceman7 at 8:06 AM on February 13, 2008

I always really enjoyed Durex Avantis. They're polyurethane, and thus may not (that is, afaik they haven't been proven to) provide the same standard of durability as latex. They provide a great bit more feeling and let heat conduct much more naturally, which is quite nice.
posted by TheNewWazoo at 8:22 AM on February 13, 2008

iceman7 speaks the truth: Crown condoms rule!
posted by scody at 8:31 AM on February 13, 2008

Kimono, and not just because I like the name.
posted by iamkimiam at 8:47 AM on February 13, 2008

Durex Avanti.

They're as awesome as a condom can be.
posted by Netzapper at 9:06 AM on February 13, 2008

Durex.
posted by Raoul de Noget at 9:09 AM on February 13, 2008

Ditto the recommendation for Crown. I've tried a lot and these are the thinnest, agreed-upon by both sides.
posted by kenzi23 at 9:12 AM on February 13, 2008

I've had some trouble with beyond 7. I like them, but it appears uncircumcised men don't... so ymmv on that one. I think the sampler idea is a good one-- what works for you and your gal will require a little experimentation and you don't want to be stuck with a big pile of non-favorite condoms.
posted by nat at 9:40 AM on February 13, 2008

Be careful with liquid silk -- and other water-based lubes as well. While water-based lubes are indeed compatible with condoms, they are not always compatible with ladybits. Many of them are glycerine based. Glycerine is a sugar. You know what likes sugar? Yeast. Do I need to paint you a picture?
posted by InnocentBystander at 10:44 AM on February 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

It's true that glycerin-based lubes are problematic for many woman (the sugar/yeast connection is indeed true, and indeed a pain in the cooch) and are best avoided. Liquid Silk is, luckily, glycerin-free. Sites like Babeland and Good Vibrations have a variety of glycerin-free lubes (including ones that might taste better, per JimN2TAW's question above, though I suspect the good-tasting ones are also the sugary ones).
posted by scody at 10:54 AM on February 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

Kimono.
posted by General Malaise at 11:13 AM on February 13, 2008

I like the durex red ones. amazing difference from what I'd used in the past.
posted by sully75 at 11:18 AM on February 13, 2008

I had an avanti break on me, FWIW.
posted by callmejay at 11:57 AM on February 13, 2008

Durex Avanti, although a condom is still a condom at the end of the day. The polyurethane ones are ... different ... at least.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:20 PM on February 13, 2008

nthing Kimono. I find adding a fair amount of silicone based lubricant to the interior helps a lot.
posted by dr. moot at 1:09 PM on February 13, 2008

Avanti are amazing. They are also the only condom I've had break. They're amazing but I don't use them any more.
posted by Wood at 1:36 PM on February 13, 2008

"Durex red" refers to Durex Love, an amazing condom due to extra lube and headroom. But they're aren't as thin as Durex's own Extra Sensitive or as thin as Crown. I've found that Love feels a lot better than Extra Sensitive due to the headroom though, but plenty swear by Crown Skinless (which I haven't tried). Condom Depot has ratings and thickness information. But seriously, try Love. 14 come in a box, and they also come with a free tattoo! (And if you like them, send an email to Durex. They sent me 3 free boxes and a t-shirt when I complimented them.)
posted by ALongDecember at 1:53 PM on February 13, 2008

I've also had an Avanti break on me. Durex makes good condoms, such as the Extra Sensitive, which is what I prefer, but I would never use an Avanti ever again.
posted by fuq at 2:03 PM on February 13, 2008

Kimono worked well for me for some time, but I got a box of what must have been lemons once, because I had 3 out of the same box break.
posted by piedmont at 8:47 PM on February 13, 2008

people already said the 3 that immediately came to mind: kimono microthins, beyond 7s, and crowns. mambas are great too but harder to find.
posted by ifjuly at 10:29 PM on February 13, 2008

I dated a girl with a latex allergy and we used Durex Avantis pretty much exclusively. During the year we were together, we had two of them rip on us, resulting in one morning after pill and a good deal of worrying. We kept using them because we wanted to keep fucking &, IIRC, they were the only readily available non-latex, non-animal (yuck) condoms on the market at the time. They are definitely the closest thing to nothing at all - they're thin as hell and as someone mentioned upthread, they transfer body heat in a fashion superior to latex.

If you're going to use them, use a ton of lube on both the inside and the out, and make sure you stay nice and lubed up the whole time you're going at it. When you're put an Avanti on, try to unroll it in a manner that allows for the least amount of room at the head as possible, as any extra material = more material to rip. After any, er, 'intense' segments of the act it's a good idea to pull out & give it a quick inspection. They're not recommended for people without allergies for a reason: if you use 'em on a regular basis, chances are high you're going to end up breaking one.
posted by Item at 1:48 AM on February 14, 2008

I like the crown brand. The kimono are a little, umm, tight.

By the way, both brands were marketed to me at college a long time ago, so I'm sure there are better things out there now.
posted by brandnew at 4:12 AM on February 14, 2008

Coming in late to nth the recommendation of Crown Skinless Skin. It sounds so cheesy to say, "I had to keep checking to see if it was still on! GEE WHIZ!" but I'm not gonna lie, I had to check. Mostly because the transference of heat was so good.
posted by crunch buttsteak at 10:29 AM on February 28, 2008