We got the opportunity to review one of the most popular vegan condom brands.
First impressions of Glyde Condoms
Glyde were kind enough to send the full selection of their condom range for us to review. They are one of the most popular and well known vegan condom companies. All of their products are vegan and certified by multiple organisations (including PETA). Glyde condoms are made from natural rubber and don’t visibly differ from non-vegan condoms.
The packaging is different to other companies we’ve had condoms from. Instead of boxes, Glyde uses sealed sachets. It looks really good and means they can be transported and stored more easily. However the sachet design isn’t as biodegradable because it has a plastic insert to seal the sachet. I assume this is for hygiene reasons but I’d prefer to see a sachet design without plastic if it is possible.
The condom packets themselves differ depending on which you are using. The flavoured varieties take it a step further by changing the colour of both the condom packet and the condom itself. So for example, the strawberry flavour condom is a pink/red colour and the packet is pink.
We received the following Glyde Condoms to test:
| Ultra thin condoms: | |
| Glyde Ultra | width: 53mm |
| Glyde Maxi | width: 56mm |
| Glyde Slimfit | width: 49mm |
| Flavoured condoms: | |
| Glyde Strawberry | width: 53mm |
| Glyde Blueberry | width: 53mm |
| Glyde Wildberry | width: 53mm |
| Glyde Vanilla | width: 53mm |
| Glyde Licorice | width: 53mm |
Experience using Glyde Condoms
Glyde Ultra Condoms (53mm)
Unfortunately the width of Glyde’s standard condom is far too small for me. I can put them on but it’s incredibly uncomfortable when I take them back off. In my opinion the standard condoms should be a little wider than this.
Glyde Maxi Condoms (56mm)
The size of the Maxi condoms from Glyde are a good fit for me. However I still think that these ‘XL’ sized condoms could be bigger.
Anyway, on to the condoms themselves. At no point in our testing did any of the condoms break, so their durability is great. However I find all of the Glyde condoms aren’t lubricated enough. This isn’t a problem with us having to use too much lubrication, we can have sex without lubrication if not wearing a condom. However due to the material of these condoms, they require more lube than usual.
Glyde Slimfit condoms (48mm)
For men who require a tighter fit in a condom, Glyde has you covered. I took out the condoms to inspect them, they are indeed the same as the ‘Ultra’ and ‘Maxi’ condoms, just slimmer. I can’t put these on myself but you should read above my comments on the other condoms, because they will be applicable to these condoms too.
Definitely look into what width you need because these condoms are 48mm. If you are unsure I would advise you buy a pack of Glyde’s ‘find your size’ condoms. In that pack you will have 6 Slimfit condoms and 6 53mm Ultra condoms.
Glyde Strawberry, Wildberry and Blueberry Condoms (53mm)
Eve tells me that these condoms taste pretty good. The taste isn’t 100% natural but it doesn’t taste of chemicals at least. Her only real criticism is that the taste itself doesn’t last long enough. Overall though she loved the novelty of using these condoms during oral sex. She loves all of these berry flavours but has a slight preference for the Blueberry.
As for me, these condoms are too small. They are the equivalent to the normal sized condoms, so if you are used to using XL, Maxi or King Size condoms, these flavoured ones aren’t for you. It is painful for me to take these condoms off, so I have to use plenty of lube underneath the condom to help that. This is a shame. I like the idea of the condoms but unfortunately they don’t come in other sizes.
Glyde Vanilla and Licorice flavour Condoms (53mm)
I had the same size problems with these flavoured condoms. Eve isn’t as much of a fan of these two flavours but says they taste like they are meant to. Like the berry flavours, these condoms don’t taste of chemicals which is great.
Conclusion
These condoms perform reasonably well and last a long time during sex without breaking. If you are vegan, these condoms are definitely a good choice for you (especially if you live in America or Australia, where Glyde is based). My favourite condoms were the Maxi condoms, because they were they only ones that fit me properly. We loved the berry flavoured condoms from Glyde, though you need to check your size if you want to buy them.
The condoms are priced very well. It costs $14.99 for 12 ultra condoms and $5.99 for 4 flavoured condoms. I really like their subscription option too, which means you can save up to 20%.
My biggest criticisms of Glyde condoms is that they feel too dry. If I use plenty of water based lube with them, everything is great. Yet without lube, they dry up too quickly and become awkward to use. Fair Squared also has a similar issue with lubrication in their condoms, however with Glyde I found the problem slightly worse. Admittedly this might also be because Glyde’s condom sizes are tighter on me.
A second criticism I have is that I believe that Glyde’s entire range of condoms should be sized a little bigger. This is subjective though and I’m sure that Glyde’s product design department did plenty of research to decide the size of their condoms. All I would say is that consumers should try to be aware of what size you need before buying.
Perhaps you want to know which vegan condoms are better? Glyde or Fair Squared?
They are both a little too close to say which is better. Neither of these brands manufacture condoms perfect for me, because they both have similar issues with sizing and lubrication (at least for me).
What I would remind you of is that Glyde has flavoured condoms, which Fair Squared doesn’t have. So for sheer fun, Glyde has the edge.
Fair Squared has different sized condoms to Glyde, so if those sizes fit you better it may be a reason to go with that brand.
Score: 7 / 10
Reviewer: Adam Rouge
How to buy
Go to Glyde’s website to order.
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