Between campus health centres, every pharmacy ever, and your don, condoms are easily accessible for university students. That being said, there’s an overwhelming amount of options when it comes down to choosing which condom is best for you.
Which brand stretches the most in length and width? Are flavoured and glow-in-the-dark condoms any less reliable than your high-end name brands? We found out so you don’t have to.
We used household items to stretch the condoms. For the length test, we used a bottle that measured 7.5 inches in length and 1 inch in width. For the width test, we used a bottle that measured 9.5 inches in length and 2.5 inches in width.
1) Trojan: Magnum
We knew Magnum had a reputation for being huge, but is the condom as strong as its name promises?
The condom stretched to 22.5 inches in length before breaking at the base. When it came to testing its width, we found that it fit perfectly around the entire bottle. Just for giggles, we tried to fit both the bottles in it, and well…it worked.
We found that both bottles fit perfectly inside the Magnum condom, but before we could take a photo, it tore from the top all the way down the side. We took into account the amount of wrestling with the condom that was necessary to do the test, creating lots of friction. Nevertheless, an incredible performance from Magnum. We expected no less.
Recommendation: for those who have more trunk than branch.
2) Trojan: Regular
Next to its rugged, handsome, more successful brother Magnum, the classic Trojan was the runner-up. This condom stretched to 11 inches in length before ripping, only half the size of Magnum, but managed to survive the width test. Although it was a bit of a hassle to get it on, it only broke at the base of the condom when removing it.
Recommendation: perfect for riding that Trojan horse.
3) ONE: Glow-in-the-Dark
The inspiration for this experiment: are unusual condoms as reliable as your typical name brands?
We were very skeptical, especially considering we had to hold a light to the condom before using it. Wouldn’t that be super inconvenient? Like, “Hey, can you keep it up while I go prep the condom?” And why would you need a glowing condom? To make sure you don’t lose it in the hustle and bustle of intercourse? Regardless, a glow-in-the-dark condom should be just as safe and durable as any other condom—right?
This one stretched to 12.5 inches in length, which is a little more than the regular Trojan, but physically didn’t feel that it had any more give than the Trojan. When we attempted to do the width test, we were extremely disappointed that it snapped before we could get it on the bottle. In the condom family, this one would be the disappointment child.
Recommendation: Don’t.
4) Lifestyles: Vanilla-Flavoured
We went into this like a math exam: with low expectations. To our pleasant surprise, Lifestyle impressed us. It stretched to just over 21 inches in length, which is scarily close to Magnum. When it came to width, it didn’t break until stretched to double the length of the bottle (18.5 inches total in length, and 2.5 inches in width).
Recommendation: a safe go-to, no matter the size of the package.
5) ONE: Regular
After the major disappointment with ONE’s glow-in-the-dark condom, we didn’t have high hopes for their regular one. Thankfully, it stretched to 30 inches in length and only broke at the base when we were removing it. Likewise, it survived the width test but snapped under pressure when we let it sit for a minute.
Recommendation: for those who are more cucumber than eggplant.
6) Durex
One key element we found with this condom was its thinness. It was the thinnest condom we tested. It stretched to 12.5 inches in length, but couldn’t be placed around the next bottle before it snapped.
Recommendation: for that “barely there” feel.
Although some condoms performed better than others, the most important thing is that you use one, regardless of the brand.
Plus, if none of these work out for you, you can always resort to Crocs as a natural repellent.