When I realized that a lot of the pain I had during sex was actually due to a latex allergy, I was both relieved and annoyed. Everyone talks about how hit-or-miss latex free condoms are (in the words of an acquaintance, "Have you ever fucked a plastic bag?"), not to mention expensive and annoying to procure, so I knew that much frustration was probably ahead of me. I wasn't wrong- shocking, right?

I've tried a few different brands over the past few years, and I've found that none of them stretch or stay moist very well, making it difficult for both my partner and I to use them. Lifestyle Skyn is no exception- I've had a lot of partners flat-out not be able to use them - guys of average penis size - because the condom cut off blood flow so much that they couldn't come or, really, feel much at all, let alone stay hard. Larger-than-average guys? Don't even bother. They also totally suck up lube, both natural (as in, from my body) and synthetic, meaning we have to stop a few times per session to re-lube. Total buzz kill. All that said, I've never had a breakage with them, so technically they're definitely doing their job.

One good thing about them is they're pretty easy to find. I don't usually see them in chain pharmacies like CVS, but they're in big-box stores like Target and almost all the local sex shops. Easy grab if I'm in a hurry, especially if I'm shopping for a weekend trip or something. Their three-packs are great for throwing in a pocket in an overnight bag. All in all, if you have to use these it's better than nothing, but there are definitely better products on the market.

Note: Lifestyles recently released Skyn Large, a larger-size latex-free condom, which I'm excited to try but haven't had a chance yet. Larger non-latex condoms have always been difficult or impossible to procure, and I'm lucky enough to often find myself in need of them, so I'm definitely going to be picking some up soon!