Delay condoms and wipes for men explained

Delay condoms are condoms designed to reduce sensation for the man wearing them, so that ejaculation takes longer. Some are simply thicker than usual; others contain a paste of benzocaine, a local anaesthetic. The delay wipe we found research on contained benzocaine too. Here's what the research found, the safety points, and where condoms fit among the other options for lasting longer in bed.

What are delay condoms?

The delay condoms in the research and guidance we found come in two kinds. Thicker condoms rely on the extra thickness: the NHS suggests using a thick condom to help decrease sensation. Others contain benzocaine, a local anaesthetic, and BAUS (the British Association of Urological Surgeons) says condoms containing benzocaine have proved useful in some men with premature ejaculation.

The benzocaine condoms tested in a 2026 trial were natural rubber latex condoms containing a benzocaine paste, at strengths of 5% and 3%. The researchers describe the delay as an extra action of condoms that are available around the world. They're sold as condoms, which the NHS says help prevent pregnancy and reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Do delay condoms work?

Two recent studies suggest they can help. In a 2026 randomised trial of men who felt sex sometimes ended too soon (143 completed it), condoms containing 5% benzocaine lengthened the average time to ejaculation more than ordinary latex condoms did, while 3% benzocaine condoms didn't differ significantly. In a 2022 study, thicker condoms lengthened the time for men with premature ejaculation.

Delay condoms and wipes at a glance

	What it is.	What the research found.	Things to know.
Thicker condom	A condom thicker than usual (three times normal thickness in the study)	In a 2022 study of 100 men with premature ejaculation, 78 lasted over 3 minutes with it, against 16 with ordinary condoms	Fewer men found it comfortable: 60 in 100, against 80 with ordinary condoms
Benzocaine condom	A latex condom containing a benzocaine paste, a local anaesthetic	In a 2026 trial that 143 men completed, the 5% version lengthened the time more than an ordinary condom; the 3% version didn't differ significantly	Rare allergic reactions to benzocaine have been reported; not for anyone allergic to latex
Benzocaine wipe	A wipe containing 4% benzocaine	One small trial of 21 men, funded by the wipe's maker, reported improved ejaculation times with the benzocaine wipe	We found no delay wipe on the MHRA's database of licensed medicines (searched 6 October 2026)

Summarised from the studies and NHS advice listed below. Any condom should carry a UKCA or CE mark.

In the 2026 trial, each man used three kinds of condom for four weeks each: one with 5% benzocaine, one with 3% and an ordinary latex condom. Every condom lengthened the time compared with the men's starting point, by an average of about 172 seconds with the 5% condom, 128 seconds with the 3% condom and 108 seconds with the ordinary one. Men were more likely to feel sex lasted longer with either benzocaine condom than with the ordinary one.

Two limits are worth knowing. The authors are affiliated with Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare and RB (China) Holding, and the paper notes that visible differences remained between the test condoms and the ordinary ones because of the benzocaine paste. No serious side effects were reported, and all the condoms were well tolerated.

The 2022 study took place at one hospital in China. Of 100 men with premature ejaculation, 78 lasted more than 3 minutes with condoms three times thicker than normal, compared with 16 with ordinary condoms. Fewer found the thick condoms comfortable: 60 of the 100, against 80 with ordinary condoms. Both kinds of condom used came from the thick condom's maker.

The NHS says condoms can be used for premature ejaculation and are effective, particularly when combined with a local anaesthetic. A thick condom is also one of the things it suggests trying yourself, along with masturbating an hour or two before sex and having sex with your partner on top. The licensed local anaesthetic sprays are covered in delay sprays, creams and gels for men explained, and benzocaine itself in lidocaine and benzocaine explained.

Are delay condoms safe?

In the 2026 trial, no serious side effects were reported. The risk described in the case report we found is an allergic reaction to benzocaine: doctors first reported an allergic skin reaction to benzocaine in a condom in 1996, and the 2018 report says as few as four more cases had been reported since. Leaflets for UK benzocaine medicines say not to use them if you know you're allergic to benzocaine, so anyone who has reacted to benzocaine before should avoid condoms that contain it.

The authors of a 2018 case report believed theirs was the first documented case in which the allergic reaction led to loss of skin on the penis. In that case, reported by doctors in India, a man who had used ordinary latex condoms without problems developed an allergic reaction on the skin of his penis after using a condom containing 5% benzocaine. The skin then became infected, and he needed antibiotics, surgery and a skin graft; six months later he was doing well. Patch tests confirmed an allergy to benzocaine.

Other points to know:

• The benzocaine condoms in the 2026 trial were latex, and the NHS says not to use latex condoms if you have a latex allergy.
• Leaflets for UK benzocaine medicines say not to use them if you've been told you have methaemoglobinaemia, a rare blood disorder, so ask a pharmacist before using a benzocaine condom if that applies to you.
• If you also use a delay spray, the licensed lidocaine and prilocaine spray can damage polyurethane condoms; its leaflet says it can be used with latex, polyisoprene, nitrile and silicone ones.
• The leaflet for a benzocaine skin cream says to stop using it and see a doctor if the skin turns red, swells, blisters or itches more.

Do delay condoms protect against pregnancy and STIs?

They're sold as condoms, so the NHS advice on condoms is the place to start, though its figures are for condoms in general. The NHS says condoms are up to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly every time, and that using a condom every time you have sex is the best way to protect against HIV and other STIs.

In the 2022 study, the thick condoms scored the same as ordinary ones for contraceptive safety: 100 out of 100 for both. The paper doesn't say how that was measured.

The NHS advice for any condom:

• check the packet for a UKCA or CE mark, which means it's been tested to high safety standards
• check the use-by date, as an expired condom may not be effective
• use a new condom every time, and only one at a time, because two can make one or both split
• don't use oil-based lubricant with latex condoms; use a water-based or silicone-based one instead

If a condom splits or comes off during sex, the NHS says to get urgent help from a pharmacist, a sexual health clinic, NHS 111 or a GP, because you may need emergency contraception or an STI test.

How do you put on a delay condom?

Follow the instructions on the packet, as the NHS advises for any condom. The NHS says to put it on before the penis touches your partner, once the penis is fully erect, roll it all the way down to the base, and grip the base as you pull out. These are its steps for a condom:

1. Put the condom on before the penis touches your partner's vagina or anus, once the penis is fully erect.
2. Open the packet carefully, without using your teeth, so you don't damage the condom.
3. Hold the tip to squeeze out any air, then roll the condom all the way down to the base of the penis. If it won't roll down, it may be the wrong way round: throw it away and use a new one.
4. Keep it on until you finish, and grip the base as you pull out so it doesn't come off.
5. Put used condoms in the bin, not the toilet.

What are delay wipes, and do they work?

The delay wipe we found research on contains a local anaesthetic: the evidence is one small trial of a wipe containing 4% benzocaine. After two months, the 15 men using benzocaine wipes had improved ejaculation times, many of them two minutes or longer. Compared with the 6 men using wipes without anaesthetic, they also said they had better control, less sexual distress and more sexual satisfaction.

All 21 men in the trial had premature ejaculation. The results were presented at the American Urological Association's meeting in 2017 as an interim analysis, and the study was funded by the maker of the wipes. Reporting it, the Sexual Medicine Society of North America noted that benzocaine was still not an approved treatment for premature ejaculation.

UK guidance doesn't cover delay wipes: the NHS, BNF and BAUS pages on premature ejaculation don't mention them. When we searched the MHRA's products database of licensed medicines on 6 October 2026, we found no delay wipe. The local anaesthetics licensed for premature ejaculation that we found there are all sprays.

When should you see a GP?

See a GP if premature ejaculation keeps happening and it's a problem for you: the NHS says they'll discuss it with you and may examine you or refer you to a specialist. Other treatments, including licensed medicines and techniques you can practise, are compared in how to stop premature ejaculation.

You can get condoms free from sexual health clinics and some GP surgeries and pharmacies, the NHS says. Call 999 if you or your partner have signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), such as a suddenly swollen mouth, throat or tongue, struggling to breathe, or skin, tongue or lips turning blue, grey or pale.