Easy-Open Feminist Condoms Make Contraception Even More Rad
Condoms are a tremendusly important object and a historic tool of social change, but while most of us wouldn’t give up their existence for all the money in the world, in many ways they kind of suck. The little packages suck to open, especially in the dark. And they can be tricksy little buggers to put on, too. Which end is up? What if you only rip the packet halfway open and can’t get the condom out? Basically, condoms are great, but there’s room for improvement, and Lovability Condoms improved them with some new feminist condoms that actually look totally cute.
According to The Establishment, Lovability is a woman-run condom startup founded by two women named Tiffany Gaines and Claire Courtney. Gaines studied Design for Social Change in graduate school, and Courtney was a sex-health educator for homeless teens. To develop their product they interviewed lots of women about what could be improved about condoms, and the packaging was a big one. People wanted to be able to open condoms more easily, but they also wanted to be able to carry condoms in their handbags without worrying about them getting torn or damaged. If they could also look good enough that if they fell out it wouldn’t be embarrassing, that was even better.
Lovability’s feminist condoms come individually packaged in little pods that look like those individual serving diner packages of jam or butter where you just lift the corner and peel back the foil cover. As a plus side, that means you always know which end is up. Also, they’re really pretty.
The design is pretty great. It’s young and trendy and feels like the Glossier of sex health, and that’s a good thing because anything that gets young people to use condoms more often is good. Condoms are great, and people should feel stoked about using them. If gold packaging makes a person think “Fuck yeah, I love my cool, feminist condoms!” then that’s great.
And to make it easier to carry the condoms in a purse, Lovability has a series of metal condom canisters that look like makeup compacts and come emblazoned with sayings like “Babe with the Power,” “Talk Feminist to Me,” or “I Want it All.” They protect the condoms, and also they look pretty badass.
Feelin’ powerful AF today. #IGotThePower #SundayFunday
A photo posted by Lovability Condoms (@lovabilityinc) on
This is pretty fantastic. If my kid were a teenager, I’d definitely be thinking about buying these for her.
According to the Lovability website, the condoms themselves are made of enhanced flexibility vegan latex and packed with smooth silicone lubrication. They fit sizes M through XL.
They’re $12 for nine condoms plus the tin, $15 for 12 condoms without the tin.
