Am I an expert at sex? No, even if I’d like to think so. Have I had sex with many women? I can count the amount on one hand, so again, no. But, do I know what I like? Yes, and what I like is ultra-thin condoms.
I myself, prefer the Okamoto Crown condoms, whose ad Cardinal Points actually featured in its last issue and was the inspiration for this head-to-head article. They advertise being “the closest thing to nothing at all.” The Okamoto Crown wasn’t just a personal preference nostalgic of my first time. Those were Trojans, which I don’t buy anymore.
I initially saw the Okamoto Crowns being sold on Amazon in packs off 100 for $15. “This is too good to be true,” I thought. No way could they be good condoms if they’re going for that cheap. So I did a little research.
The Okamoto Crowns were voted No. 15 in the top-rated section for condoms on Amazon. A survey done on condomdepot.com, a website that sells and reviews sexual accessories, placed the Okamoto Crown condom at No. 1. Voters gave it an “A+++” on the sensitivity scale. That’s all I needed to hear. And now, I’m $15 poorer but 100 condoms richer.
I understand why certain guys would like thicker condoms over thinner ones. We’re young college students, many of us just starting our physical sex lives. We’re not masters of sex or anything close to that…yet. Thick condoms allow us to last longer and work on our performance without fear ending the show all too quickly.
But, like the old saying goes, “it’s quality, not quantity.” Sure, thicker condoms create more time in the bedroom, but the feeling is just not the same. And sometimes thick condoms even make you last too long, which is not ideal when you have class in 10 minutes. They really defeat the point of the word “quickie.”
Many couples might think, “Oh, a thicker condom means it’s less likely to break.” False. I’m just as afraid of young pregnancy and STDs as the next person, if not more so. But all condoms have the potential to break.
Whether the condom is thin or thick has no effect on its durability. An article on plannedparenthood.org, titled “Do ultra thin condoms break easily?” reported, “Ultra thin condoms aren’t more likely to break than regular condoms — like all condoms you can find in a drug store or health center, they’ve been rigorously tested for quality and wouldn’t be on the market if they were more likely to break (that would make them defective).”
Thickness does not cause a condom to break. There are many reasons why a condom could break. Itsyoursexlife.com, a website sponsored by MTV that advocates safe sex, has a list of condom do’s and don’ts.
Some of the don’ts include opening a condom with your teeth or scissors, storing condoms where they could get overheated and using an oil-based lubricant (baby oil or petroleum jelly). Other general don’ts include putting the condom on backward, using a male and female condom at the same time and reusing a condom.
I suppose I should throw some do’s in here just for safe measure. Do leave room in the tip of the condom. Hold the condom in place when withdrawing from sex, and do properly dispose of the condom in the garbage after sex.
With all that being said, thickness has no play in whether a condom will break, so go ahead and use a thin condom — you’re safe.
The advertisements are true: Ultra-thin condoms are the closest thing to nothing at all. You don’t feel trapped in a thick rubber prison yearning to breathe free. Ultra-thin condoms make you feel au naturel while keeping you safe from pregnancy and STDs.
Email Griffin Kelly at griffin.kelly@cardinalpointsonline.com.
