Condom Sizes: Stop Squeezing Your Dick Into the Wrong One

A condom that pinches your cock is hard to ignore, and one that keeps slipping is worse. You're trying to focus on the gorgeous person underneath you, and instead you're thinking about your own circulation.

You don't have to accept that as the price of protection. Most people have just never measured themselves, so they grabbed whatever was on the shelf and blamed condoms in general. A condom that fits properly is a whole different feeling. And this is the one time you get to measure your dick for a perfectly good reason.

What the number on the box means

"Nominal width" is the condom's width when laid flat, in millimetres. It isn't your diameter, and it isn't the distance around your cock. But it's far more useful for comparing than labels like regular or large, which vary between brands. Two condoms of the same width can still feel different because of their shape and stretch.

When you find one that fits, write down the number. It'll beat trying to remember whether it was the gold packet or the slightly more aggressive gold packet.

Measure yourself

Get hard. Take your time, there's no rush. Wrap a soft tape around your shaft, without pulling it tight, and that's your circumference. Match it to the brand's fit chart and measuring position. Don't just halve your number to get a condom size, as materials stretch, and charts account for it differently.

Length counts too, as it needs to cover you properly down to the base. But if your trouble is squeezing or slipping, look at width first.

What your condom's telling you

It squeezes or digs in: go wider.

It's baggy or keeps slipping: go narrower.

It drags during sex: you may just need more compatible lube.

If regular condoms have always felt like a tourniquet, try Naked Larger Fitting Condoms, an ultra-sheer condom made for a bigger cock. The Naked King Size goes even further, with extra width and length, in a bulk box that'll keep you going for a while.

Slipping can happen when an erection softens, so size isn't always to blame. Hold the condom at the base when you pull out, before you go soft.

Practise when nobody's watching

Have a go on your own, with no audience and no hurry. Wank with one on. Find out how it feels, how it rolls and which way is up, so that you're not fumbling in the dark when it counts. It's the most enjoyable homework you'll ever do.

For sex, use a fresh condom, keep it on for the whole time and don't layer two together. If one breaks or slips, stop and get prompt advice on emergency contraception or STI care.

Now pick your extras

Ribbed, dotted and ultra-thin condoms can all feel different, but none of them fixes the wrong fit. Sort out comfort first. If the material's the problem, our latex and non-latex comparison has other choices, and all of our condoms are here to browse.

A condom that fits should leave you thinking about the person you're with, and not about the bloody packet.