NOMINAL WIDTH
Nominal Width is a funny term. Everyone in the condom industry knows what it means, but very few consumers do. Some manufacturers would rather it wasn't printed on the condom box, but that's another story.
Nominal Width is a funny term. Everyone in the condom industry knows what it means, but very few consumers do. Some manufacturers would rather it wasn't printed on the condom box, but that's another story.
What is Nominal Width?
Nominal width is the width of the condom at or near its opening, when the condom is laid (squished) flat. Don't worry - most people have never heard of it either!
Why is Nominal Width important?
The opening of the condom sits at the base of the erection. This also happens to usually be the widest point. Critically, it's where all the nerves and blood vessels exit. So if the part of the condom that sits there isn't comfortable - too tight, or too loose - that's bad news.
What sorts of problems can Nominal Width cause?
If the nominal width is too small, the condom will have to stretch to fit the penis. Now, a little stretch is a good thing - it's what keeps the condom in place during sex. But too much stretch, and the condom is going to feel tight, and uncomfortable. Think of it like an elastic band around your wrist - after a while that will leave a red mark, and start to hurt. This often causes a guy to lose his erection, or have difficulty achieving orgasm. On the other hand, too little stretch, and the condom will slip, or fall off entirely during sex. So getting the correct nominal width is critical to having a good time using your condom.
So Nominal Width is significant?
Absolutely. In fact, you can feel the impact that just 2mm Nominal Width difference makes. Because of where you are wearing the condom, 2mm difference actually feels like 1 or 2 sizes of shoe! Imagine if you had size 8 feet, but wore size 10 shoes. How about wearing size 6 ones? That's extremely similar to what is happening when you use a condom with the wrong nominal width.
Nominal width is the width of the condom at or near its opening, when the condom is laid (squished) flat. Don't worry - most people have never heard of it either!
Why is Nominal Width important?
The opening of the condom sits at the base of the erection. This also happens to usually be the widest point. Critically, it's where all the nerves and blood vessels exit. So if the part of the condom that sits there isn't comfortable - too tight, or too loose - that's bad news.
What sorts of problems can Nominal Width cause?
If the nominal width is too small, the condom will have to stretch to fit the penis. Now, a little stretch is a good thing - it's what keeps the condom in place during sex. But too much stretch, and the condom is going to feel tight, and uncomfortable. Think of it like an elastic band around your wrist - after a while that will leave a red mark, and start to hurt. This often causes a guy to lose his erection, or have difficulty achieving orgasm. On the other hand, too little stretch, and the condom will slip, or fall off entirely during sex. So getting the correct nominal width is critical to having a good time using your condom.
So Nominal Width is significant?
Absolutely. In fact, you can feel the impact that just 2mm Nominal Width difference makes. Because of where you are wearing the condom, 2mm difference actually feels like 1 or 2 sizes of shoe! Imagine if you had size 8 feet, but wore size 10 shoes. How about wearing size 6 ones? That's extremely similar to what is happening when you use a condom with the wrong nominal width.