When the hell did this all start?

[TBKahuna123]

OK, so I like to consider myself an open minded, sexually informed guy but on Saturday I had a very humbling experience. For the first time since I've been married, 16 years, I found myself head to the drug store to buy condoms. The wife and I have never used birth control, but for medical reasons we've either got to use condoms for a couple months or not have sex. Yeah, right, THAT'S gonna happen. Now I'm too old to be embarrassed about buying em, so off I go, head into the condom isle and stop dead in my tracks...

When the fuck did we wind up with 437 different kinds of condoms? WTF!? Last time I bought em there were three: regular, ribbed and those big fuckers nobody actually wore. Now there are a dozen brands with a dozen different designs and a dozen different lubes. Intense, Sensations, Twisted...huh? The biggest technical innovation of my day was the reservoir tip! So here I sit, stumped, and to be honest feeling silly. Is this how teenagers feel trying to buy these damnable things? Finally I just grabbed a box that said "her pleasure" thinking ok, this will probably be best. Nope, turns out this has some tingly lube which in fact irritates said medical condition which is requiring condoms in the first place!

So help me out folks. Anyone got a favorite generic, plain old, well lubricated condom that doesn't have any funky chemicals or textures which might irritate a woman's sensitive bits? I could use a little advice from the Literotica Consumer Reports crew.

 

[AngelBella]

From a female perspective, I prefer Durex spermicidaly lubricated. Trojan and pretty much everything else irritates the hell out of me down south. You can get them in Walmart, probably elsewhere too but that's the only place I've bought them.

And yeah, I avoid that tingly lube crap like the plague myself.

Good luck

AngelBella

 

[SweetErika]

I'll have to check, but I think we like Trojan Sensitive/Thin. They're in a matte silver wrapper, IIRC. I don't know what the box looks like because I've always gotten our condoms at Student Death or Planned Parenthood.

I definitely feel her pain. There are several kinds that irritate the hell out of me. Nothing kills the mood quite like feeling my pussy has been set on fire after being fucked with sandpaper. I think the PCOS makes us more sensitive to foreign invaders, like soap, spermicides and many types of lube.

 

[qrayze]

I've always had the guy use a non-lubricated kind (red foil package from trojan) and just used my own personal bottle of lube. Anything with spermicide in it irritates me.

 

[OzoneRed]

There's plenty of places to buy condoms online. The place I use used to sell a sampler pack, two or three each of a dozen different brands and styles. I don't see that on their site anymore, but there ought to be other sites with a similar sampler pack.

 

[NomadLady]

I can handle the lubricated ones but not the spermicidal ones too....they will set me on fire from the start. The plain lubricated also seem to make it a little easier for the guy to put them on as well.

I went through the same thing when I was married and got the same dumbfounded look when the ex got home from having to buy them as well!! Needless to say he had gotten the wrong ones so I wound up doing condom shopping from then on.

 

[ticklish709]

Greeting cards vs condoms

OK, so I like to consider myself an open minded, sexually informed guy but on Saturday I had a very humbling experience. For the first time since I've been married, 16 years, I found myself head to the drug store to buy condoms. The wife and I have never used birth control, but for medical reasons we've either got to use condoms for a couple months or not have sex. Yeah, right, THAT'S gonna happen. Now I'm too old to be embarrassed about buying em, so off I go, head into the condom isle and stop dead in my tracks...

When the fuck did we wind up with 437 different kinds of condoms? WTF!? Last time I bought em there were three: regular, ribbed and those big fuckers nobody actually wore. Now there are a dozen brands with a dozen different designs and a dozen different lubes. Intense, Sensations, Twisted...huh? The biggest technical innovation of my day was the reservoir tip! So here I sit, stumped, and to be honest feeling silly. Is this how teenagers feel trying to buy these damnable things? Finally I just grabbed a box that said "her pleasure" thinking ok, this will probably be best. QUOTE]

I got such a kick out of you post and I totally understand how you feel. I have that same experience every time I go to buy a greeting card. Gulp!!! Since when did we need that much of a selection of cards just to wish a friend happy birthday?? I can just see your face as the full scale of the monster display flashed before your eyes causing that deer in the headlights look. LOL Oh and I have no info to help you with the actual condoms--I just wanted to thank you for making me laugh really hard! Good luck, have fun trying each kind out and keep us posted on your progress. LOL

Ticklish709

 

[TBKahuna123]

I'll have to check, but I think we like Trojan Sensitive/Thin. They're in a matte silver wrapper, IIRC. I don't know what the box looks like because I've always gotten our condoms at Student Death or Planned Parenthood.

I definitely feel her pain. There are several kinds that irritate the hell out of me. Nothing kills the mood quite like feeling my pussy has been set on fire after being fucked with sandpaper. I think the PCOS makes us more sensitive to foreign invaders, like soap, spermicides and many types of lube.

I was hoping you'd chime in. It's DEFINITELY a PCOS thing, and that sandpaper feeling you're describing is the same analogy she used. I was actually thinking of using an unlubricated then adding our own silicone lube, as that seems to be the best neutral lube for her. Problem is, I couldn't find an unlubed one. Spermicide is horrible! Luckily, that's not really the point here.

Thanks for the info folks. Hope everyone got as good a laugh out of this as I did. I thought I left these fiascoes behind me 20 years ago.

 

[fureto]

We like the Trojan polyurethane ones. Dunno if latex is an issue, but if so these are the thing, and they're both wonderfully thin and feel delightfully strong. We're fans.

 

[silverwhisper]

kahuna, this has been going on in my supermarket for several years now. :>

i'm fine with either trojans or durex. when you come right down to it though, i don't pay a lot of attention to brands with condoms.

ed

 

[liv21]

I'm actually in the same boat right now. My fiance and I generally don't use condoms because I'm on pretty reliable birth control. For the next two months, we're going through a ton because I have a new piercing to keep clean.

For what it's worth, I don't think you should think too hard about the "ribbed" or "twisted" or "intense" labels. He and I bought a variety pack, and for the most part they all feel the same to both of us. Don't sweat it too much when it comes to stuff like that. The only thing to watch out for is that some kinds of condoms now have warming or cooling sensations. That means there's extra ingredients in the lube, and can easily irritate many women.

As for non-lubricated condoms, I can usually find one package of them in a drugstore or grocery, but that's it really. I imagine there are some places that won't stock them. If you're having trouble, your best bet is to look online. I haven't used any non-lubricated, but I've heard Durex is the favorite among people I know who use them.

 

[bailadora]

My fiance and I generally don't use condoms because I'm on pretty reliable birth control. .

[\PSA]

Vearing a bit off topic here, but...... at the risk of telling you something you might already be aware of: if your birth control method is hormonal (ie pill, patch, injection), you need to know that some kinds of medications can interfere with it's efficacy. If your doc doesn't mention it when he or she prescribes something to you, ASK!

[/PSA]

 

[liv21]

[\PSA]

Vearing a bit off topic here, but...... at the risk of telling you something you might already be aware of: if your birth control method is hormonal (ie pill, patch, injection), you need to know that some kinds of medications can interfere with it's efficacy. If your doc doesn't mention it when he or she prescribes something to you, ASK!

[/PSA]

Oh I know. I make it my job to know what's gonna possibly interfere. Which is why whenever I have to take antibiotics, abstinence is the way to go.

 

[hd8001]

I hear your complaint about the looking for condoms now in a store TBKahuna123. When I first started buying them they were just getting into all the weird shit and I and my partners would try them out but it always just seemed to be a way to get more money for something that didn't do anything better then just a plain old fashoned rubber. Last time I bought some we found just un lubed Trojans. They came in a red box and were on the bottom or close to the bottom shelf at a walmart. Good luck.

 

[ms_intrigue]

.....

 

[satindesire]

I also use the Durex Extra sensitive and find that they are FANTASTIC. Almost no loss of sensation at -all-, for either me or my husband. They really are like a second skin and very durable.

 

[Bottomlover]

I hear ya TBK. It takes me back to the days when condoms were not displayed anywhere, and you had to ask the druggist for what you wanted. Of course, you had to know what to ask for, and most of us got that information from a big brother or one of our friends' brothers. It was a rite of passage.

Plain old lubed non spermicidal non ribbed ones still seem to be the best. I haven't seen the sheepskin ones for years (they were my favorites), as they don't do much for disease prevention.

 

[Firebrain]

Can I recommend JLS condoms?

http://www.durex.com/en-GB/Products/Pages/Just-Love-Safe-The-JLS-Range-of-Condoms.aspx

First, they made condoms for heterosexuals. Then, they made extra strong ones for homosexuals. Now...metrosexuals!

Edited to add that these look, ahem, interesting too: http://crownjewelscondoms.com/heritage.html

 

[TypicalDeviant]

I'm a fan of Trojan THINtensity or Intense ribbed. They both have some extra room at the tip for comfort and go on really easily (I sometimes have difficulty getting some of the more "tube" condoms on quickly). I bought a box of the Trojan Ultrathins, thinking they were the THINtensitys and while they wonderful once they're on, they're sometimes difficult to unroll.

Also, avoid the warming sensations or fire & ice condoms... not. worth it.

 

[Luna_Bella]

we use Lifestyle's condoms , always have, back when we were younger(18-20) we were using the Natural feeling ones but now we use the "ultrathins large" as the other ones are too tight and literaly choke hubby and are so tight that they are hard to unroll.

 

[TBKahuna123]

Thanks for all the useful info folks. Having been out of town working for a week, and now with her out of town for another week, I have some time to do some searching. I'm thinking I'll try and just find some good old fashioned unlubed condoms. Sounds like the best approach to me.

Now why does that make me feel old and boring?

 

[satindesire]

Don't get unlubed ones. The added lube will help the condom go on easier and make penetration easier for your partner.

 

[midwestyankee]

Hey there, TBK! Out here in the sticks we usually just hang onto our sheep guts after slaughtering season. When we want to give the old lady a bit of a tickle we go out to the shed, measure off some gut, tie off one end and have a bit of a go.

Occasionally, though, when we're feeling all modern and stuff, we shop here. Buy 'em by the gross if you want.

 

[TBKahuna123]

Don't get unlubed ones. The added lube will help the condom go on easier and make penetration easier for your partner.

My thought on the unlubed ones isn't to use them unlubed but to use a separate silicon lubricant. We've found it to be the most neutral and nonirritating lubricant out there. Even spermicidal lubes sometimes bother her, so while this may take a little more effort, I think it's the best option.

Believe me, I'd never try penetration with an unlubed latex condom. Might as well wrap my dick in friction tape.

 

[Texguy84]

I want to say that the missus and I use Trojans Intense Ribbed (I say "I want to say" because I've been overseas for about five months now, we're planning to break another bed when I get back home on leave).

We tried some thin condom or another, and realized that that particular brand (I forget whether it was Trojan or Durex) was... how do you say it... ill-equipped to contain me when we were going full tilt. Could be we're just a bit rougher than the consumers they made those condoms for.