******
- Verified Buyer
Been using Okamoto Crown condoms since they were in the silver package; I try other brands from time to time to see if there's something better out there, but I always come back to these. If you're looking them up chances are you know what you're looking for, and in my experience they are as good as people say.Fit is snug and because they are thin and not textured, they are a bit on the dry side compared to the typical durex/trojan style. Put some lube on the inside of it first and that will make all the difference.Overall a great product and the bulk pricing makes it ludicrously cheap compared to major name brands.These are very strong. The only ones I've noted to be stronger, in my experience, are Skyn's. Also, they have somewhat of a strong smell that can be unpleasant at times, especially when it mixes with body fluids. But if you don't mind the smell, then they're good. Finally, I wish they had more lube. The lube they use is good quality (as far as use is concerned); however, it's just not enough most times, especially inside. Again, Skyn does a good job where this is concerned. With Skyn, you don't need to purchase or use any extra lube, and it's smell is satisfactory.Ultimately, for the quality of these – besides the takeaways – the price is good.In terms of "natural feel" these are some of the best condoms out there. They can be hard to find in stores, too, and the price here is really unbeatable! They are still plenty durable given how thin they are.They are kinda tight tho, which isn't their fault I suppose. I think they probably fit an "average" PP just fine.Feels so good!Bought these many times, suddenly they are kind of dry. Overall, very good though.Great value! They fit perfectly and they work (I hope!)Just to preface, I wasn't super thorough about all of this.I just so happen to have a batch of Crown condoms from years ago. I ordered them from Condom Depot on October 5, 2010. They expired June 2015, and are from batch number T170. December 14, 2015, I ordered the same condom from Amazon. They expire October 2019, and are from batch number T4Y4. I have no guarantee that the old batch was produced in Japan, but there is a slight chance. Condom Depot wrote an article ("Crown Condoms Thailand & Japan What’s The Deal?") regarding the differences between manufacturing locations, dated March 11, 2009. In that article, they claimed to have bought 400,000 condoms from Japan before the transition was made. Now I would think there is a chance that I received some from Japan, but do keep in mind that it has been their best selling condom for 15 years in a row. So do you think they sold 400,000 condoms in more than 19 months? The odds probably fall in that direction. Anyway, let's see if this unnecessarily thorough review helps anyone!Sensation: The older batch seems to have a slight better sensation to it, but they're both so similar that it is extremely difficult to tell.Thickness: Placing the two, still rolled, side by side, the older batch seems to be ever so slightly thinner. This goes against the article from Condom Depot, as they state those manufactured in Japan are 0.005mm thicker than those made in Thailand. Curious about this, I tried measuring two others that were still in their packaging. Keep in mind that I have a crappy $15 digital caliper, but the old batch came to 3.31mm, and the new batch 3.46mm. I tried not to squish them, so I based my measurements off of how much drag I felt when removing the caliper after measuring. Still, this is such a small variance that I doubt that I measured it correctly, and I doubt that my caliper is truly that accurate. This would make me think that both the old and new batch were produced in Thailand, but it's still hard to say since they're stated to be quite similar.Dimensions / Fit: Old and new, both fit me perfectly. Laying them next to each other, they look identical in length and width. Condom Depot's article says that those manufactured in Thailand are 0.5mm smaller width, and 5mm shorter.Smell: The newer batch definitely smells like latex. The older batch had a more neutral smell, slightly of latex, and, don't laugh, but maybe a slight hint of coffee? Still not as strong a smell as other brands.Color: Same shade of pink. When it's on me, you can hardly tell it's there.Packaging: The wrapper on the newer batch is a slightly darker blue. Otherwise they seem identical.Other: The older batch seemed to be slightly hydrophobic. Maybe this is why they seemed to have a better sensation despite being thicker?Anyway, still my favorite.I trust the Japanese to make a strong and thin condom and these definitely deliver. The only downside is that they are a bit tight if you're above average.Lots of uses for these things at the price point, if you get creative :)
