This article was scientifically fact-checked by Human Sexuality expert Dr. Laurie Mintz.
Condoms are an amazingly effective (and sometimes, downright sexy) addition to pleasure that make for safer sex*, but that’s not all they’re good for; just check out the other fun and practical uses we’ve found for them in and out of the bedroom!
1. Make Sure Sharing is Really Caring
When you’ve found your perfect pleasure product (or products) it’s natural that you’ll want to share your enthusiasm for them during partnered sex. However, intimate products should be cleaned thoroughly between uses by different people (and unless you’re having sex in the shower that is not too convenient). Simple solution? Much like using a fresh condom between partners in a threesome, you can cover your favorite internal erogenous zone massager with a condom to share pleasure, rather than bacteria.
2. There and Back (and Back Again)
Covering your sex toys with a condom isn’t just for sharing with new people; it’s also the safest way to use a toy that is for anal play in other ways. (Keep in mind that any toy used anally should be designed with a flared base, but rabbit-style toys have a natural ‘stopper’ by virtue of their design.)
3. Ice Ice (Post) Baby
While there are plenty of products that help your muscles strengthen before and after childbirth, condoms prove to be a post-birth necessity in quite surprising way: pain relief.
Fill a condom with water, tie the end off as you would a balloon, and then let it lie flat in the freezer until it’s a slushy consistency. You can pop it inside another condom to prevent leaks and crush up any ice for a wearable ice pack.
Of course, if you’re a fan of temperature play you can also use a condom to create a fully frozen DIY sex toy. Simply take a cardboard paper towel roll (cut length-wise and then re-taped closed to create your ideal diameter) and put a condom in the middle. Tape the open end of the condom around the outside of the paper towel roll and fill with water, then place the upright tube in the freezer. After it has frozen solid, remove the roll and tie off the end as you would a balloon.
Now, it is important to run this toy under warm water before using; this removes any frost from the outside and will created a thin layer of water within the condom, which will stop it from freezing to your skin if used internally. (It doesn’t need to be used internally; it can be an addition to foreplay during partnered sex!)
4. C’mon Baby Light My Fire
On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, condoms can be also be used to help you light a fire. No, not a metaphorical fire; a condom can be used to help start a literal fire, as demonstrated in the video below.
5. All-Weather Protection
Condoms have another handy, non-sexual use as barrier protection. Because they are designed to keep liquid in, they are very useful for keeping liquid out; thus they make a great cover for bandaging while you shower.
As well, it can serve as a cell phone cover if you’re hiking or camping in adverse weather conditions (though we’d suggest using a non-lubricated one!)
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*In this article, for ease of reader understanding, we are using the words sex and intercourse as synonymous, as is done in popular culture in general. Similarly, we use the word “foreplay” the way it is used in popular culture (i.e., the sexual acts such as oral sex that come before intercourse). However, as aptly pointed out by our sex expert Laurie Mintz, we would also like to acknowledge that such language exalts men’s most reliable rout to orgasm and linguistically erases women’s most reliable route to orgasm—clitoral stimulation, either alone or coupled with penetration. Indeed, only between 4% and 18% of women reliably orgasm from penetration alone. We look forward to the day when such language is not commonly used in culture.
Facts checked by:
Dr. Laurie Mintz
Laurie Mintz, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Florida, teaching Human Sexuality to hundreds of students a year. She has published over 50 research articles and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Mintz also has maintained a private practice for over 30 years, working with individuals and couples on general and sexual issues. She is also an author and speaker, spreading scientifically-accurate, sex-positive information to enhance sexual pleasure.
