How to use a condom, and how it should fit
By spafe ·Reviewed 18 Jul 2026 ·Technique guidance follows healthdirect and Better Health Channel, with numbered links where the research appears
Using a condom properly takes seven steps. Check the expiry date and press the wrapper for its air bubble. Tear it open at the serrated edge, no teeth or scissors. Check it’s the right way round, with the rim on the outside like a little hat brim. Pinch the tip flat to leave space for semen. Roll it all the way to the base while erect, before any contact. After finishing, hold the rim at the base while withdrawing, still erect. Then tie it off and bin it, never flush it. And one thing most guides skip, all of this only works if the condom is the right width for you.
The seven steps, illustrated
Check the packet
In date, and the wrapper puffs back when you press it. Flat foil or no bubble means bin it and take another.
Tear at the serrated edge
Push the condom aside and tear where the foil is jagged. No teeth, no scissors, no rings snagging it on the way out.
Right way round
The rim sits on the outside so it can roll down. If you start the wrong way round, don’t flip it, swap it for a fresh one.
Pinch the tip
Squeeze the teat flat while you roll. Trapped air is what bursts a condom, and semen needs somewhere to go.
Roll to the base
While erect, and before any contact at all, roll it right down. If it won’t roll easily it’s inside out or the wrong size.
Hold the base after
Straight after finishing, grip the rim against the base and withdraw while still erect, so nothing spills or stays behind.
Tie it, bin it
Knot the open end and put it in the bin. Never the toilet, and never a second use. One condom, one go.
How should a condom fit?
A condom should feel snug at the base without pinching, cover the full length with the little reservoir free at the tip, and stay put for the whole session. Fit comes from nominal width, the flat width printed on the box, and it’s the difference between a condom you forget you’re wearing and one that’s working against you.
The mistakes people actually make
Condom research keeps finding the same handful of errors, and none of them are exotic3. These are the ones worth checking yourself against.
- Putting it on late. Starting sex before the condom goes on is one of the most commonly reported errors, and it undoes the STI protection entirely.
- No space at the tip. Skipping the pinch leaves an air pocket, and pressure has to go somewhere.
- The wrong lube. Oil-based products, moisturisers and massage oils included, weaken latex and polyisoprene1. Water-based and silicone-based lube are safe with every condom material.
- Unrolling before putting it on. A condom goes on rolled and unrolls onto the body. Unrolled first, it’s stretched, weakened and hard to put on.
- Wearing the wrong width. Slipping and breakage both track back to fit more often than to faulty condoms.
Which lube with which condom
More lube is almost always the answer to texture that annoys, friction that stings or condoms that feel dull. Add it outside the condom, and a drop inside the tip is fine too.
Things people ask
Can you use two condoms at once?
No. Two condoms rub against each other and both are more likely to break. One condom, correctly sized, is the strong option.
Can you reuse a condom?
No, not even washed. One use, then the bin.
Is it fine to put one on halfway through?
No. STIs and pre-ejaculate don't wait for the main event. On before any contact, off after it ends.
What if it breaks anyway?
It happens, and there's a clear plan for the next 72 hours. Here's exactly what to do.
Sources
- Better Health Channel (Vic. Dept of Health), Condoms — how to use them correctly and lubricant compatibility. betterhealth.vic.gov.au
- healthdirect Australia, Condoms — correct use, storage and disposal. healthdirect.gov.au
- Sanders et al., Condom use errors and problems: a global view, Sexual Health (2012), the review that documents late application, no tip space and incorrect lubricant as the most common use errors. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Technique is half of it. Fit is the other half.
Every step above works better on a condom that's your width. Measure once, buy by the number, and the technique takes care of itself.