Eco-friendly sex is fun.

April 12, 2023 7:33 AM

Are vegan condoms latex-free?

I am polyamorous, and one of my partners and I want to try traditional PIV intercourse. (For various reasons not relevant here, I have not been able to do this in many years.)

It’s been … ahem … decades since I last bought a box of condoms. My understanding is that there are more eco-friendly contraceptives available these days.

Can anyone share their experience using vegan condoms?

Also, I’m curious to know if they are latex free or not. My partner has mentioned that traditional latex condoms have given her a physical reaction (a rash) in the past that she’d rather not have to deal with.

posted by zooropa to Human Relations (4 answers total)

I've used polyurethane condoms. I don't know if the brand I used was specifically vegan but it seems like most vegan condoms are polyurethane so my experience probably still applies. I though they were fine. I bit more plasticky amd less stretchy than latex but not terribly so. They were also a bit harder to unroll and get on. Overall they were fine. And yes the ones we used were definitely latex free. I have a latex allergy and would have known fairly quickly if they contained latex.
posted by CleverClover at 7:44 AM on April 12, 2023

I am a cis-male, and I exclusively use vegan condoms. Latex ones are available, but in general, I prefer Polyisoprene ones. These tend to be thinner, but it really depends on the brand. My preferred brands in order: Skyn Elite (Polyisoprene), Einhorn (the best latex ones I've used). I'm in Germany, so I don't know if Einhorn is available elsewhere.

I find latex condoms to be more snug in general (I am pretty spot on average in all the condom-specific ways). They just feel thick and constrictive. Latex also pulls a lot more if there's not enough lube. And the smell :P.

The polyisoprene ones seem more flexible and comfortable. There is definitely more sensation transmission with these (for me). The ones I buy are coated in silicone oil, and they smell worse than the latex ones.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 7:55 AM on April 12, 2023

Skyn condoms are vegan, latex-free, widely available, and generally my male partners' favorite option. Since it's been a while, I recommend practicing in advance.
posted by metasarah at 2:31 PM on April 12, 2023

It's going to depend on what they're made of. There's several materials that could be described as vegan.

Skyn, as mentioned by metasarah and Cat Pie Hurts, are Polyisoprene which is synthetic latex. Almost everyone who thinks that they're sensitive or allergic to latex are actually being triggered by a protein found in natural latex so in most cases, Polyisoprene is absolutely fine, as the protein is not present in it. A significantly smaller percentage of people are allergic to all latex, including Polyisoprene.

Just as an FYI in case you're not aware, Polyisoprene condoms will be damaged by oil based lubricants, just like a regular latex condom, so make sure anything you use beyond what it ships with is safe.

Having had an (AFAB) partner with a latex sensitivity, we tried most of the options and Polyisoprene was the alternative that we liked the most from both perspectives.

Lastly as a reminder since you're out of practice, it's easy to put condoms on the wrong direction in the heat of the moment. To avoid this, unroll it just a tiny bit before putting it on to make sure that you have it facing the correct way. Precome in reality has vanishingly small amounts of sperm but it does have some and STIs can be spread through it, so putting a condom on the wrong way and then flipping it over does carry some small risk for your partner.
posted by Candleman at 10:55 PM on April 12, 2023