There’s no single best condom or best brand. The right one is the one that fits, carries a safety mark, and suits what you’re after. Fit matters far more than the name on the box, and the big UK brands all meet the same standard. Here’s how to actually choose.
The short version
- Fit first. Too tight or too loose is the main reason condoms fail. Get the width right before anything else.
- Check the mark. A CE or UKCA mark means it’s been tested to safety standards. No mark, no buy.
- Material matters for allergies. Latex suits most people; non-latex exists for latex allergies.
- Brand is the least important part. Durex, Pasante, Mates, and Skins all meet the same standard. Pick on fit, feel, and price.
1. Get the fit right
This is the part most people skip, and it’s the one that counts. A condom that’s too tight is more likely to split; too loose and it can slip off. Condoms are sized mainly by nominal width, the flat measurement across the condom. Standard fits suit most people, with snugger and larger options available if standard doesn’t sit right. If a standard condom feels tight or keeps slipping, that’s the signal to change width, not to give up on condoms.
2. Choose the material
Most condoms are latex, which is strong, stretchy, and cheap. If you or your partner has a latex allergy, non-latex condoms made from polyisoprene or polyurethane do the same job. Non-latex tends to cost more and feel slightly different. Lambskin condoms exist but don’t protect against STIs, so they’re a niche choice. For most people, latex is the default.
3. Check the safety mark
Every condom worth buying carries a CE or UKCA mark, which shows it’s been tested to recognised safety standards. The NHS lists this as a thing to check on the packet. A cheap condom with the mark is safe; a condom without one isn’t worth the risk whatever it costs.
4. Pick the features you want
- Thin or ultra-thin for more sensation, with the same protection.
- Ribbed or dotted for added texture.
- Flavoured for oral sex.
- Extra lubricated if dryness is an issue. Use water-based or silicone lube with latex, never oil-based.
So which brand is best?
Honestly, none of them is “the best” for everyone. The major UK brands all clear the same safety bar, so the differences are fit, feel, and price, not quality. The best brand is whichever one fits you and you’ll actually keep using. Try a mixed pack, find the width and style that work, then stick with it.
Where custom and novelty condoms fit in
Custom and novelty condoms are a different question from your everyday brand. They’re standard, CE-marked condoms with a printed wrapper, made for gifts, jokes, weddings, and promotions rather than for solving a fit problem. The ones we print at Kissy Bang Bang are CE-marked and standard fit, so they’re safe to use as well as to give. If that’s what you’re after, see Design Your Own, the funny range, or our full custom condoms guide. For your regular, everyday condom, choose on fit first.