Sex and sexual health get neglected all the time. From public education to accessible healthcare, sex isn’t something that get’s addressed as much as it should. So I wanted to take some time and make sure to review Sustain eco-friendly condoms. Penis owner or not, many people will encounter a need for condoms at some point in their life. And believe it or not, there are sustainable condom options. So let’s talk about one of them!
Warning: This is a pretty personal subject. And it’s also a review. I’ve tried to avoid any serious TMI moments but I do reference my experience in this review. If that is something that would make you uncomfortable, I do not recommend reading this review.
Table of Contents
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Ratings
Overall Score
Function
Durability
Ease of Use
Appearance
Packaging
Pros & Cons of Sustain Condoms
Pros
- Nitrosamine free
- Paraben and glycerin free
- Made with Fair Trade Latex
- Certified B Corporation
Cons
- Might not be compatible with certain toys
Ratings Breakdown
Do I recommend this product?
Yes I do. If you’re looking for new sustainable products to bring into your home, this is a great one to try. Sustain offers a variety of products and expresses a lot of the values I like to see from brands. I will definitely be buying these products for my sexual health needs moving forward.
Do they get the job done? (Function)
Sustain condoms get the job done. There were no breaks, slips, spills, or any other concerns during my trial. They worked like any other condom I’ve tried.
Before Sustain condoms I was using Trojan Ultra Thin and I didn’t notice a significant difference in thickness or feel with Sustain condoms. I used both the Tailored Fit and Ultra Thin varieties throughout my 3+ month review period.
Are they durable?
Sustain condoms will definitely get you through your 2-minute power sesh. Just kidding. All jokes aside, Sustain condoms work like any of the other condoms I’ve used before. They last as long as you need them to, for solo and non-solo play. In terms of shelf life, Sustain claims they can last up to 3 years.
Here’s a pro tip, just the tip: make sure you’re familiar with which materials and lubes can be used together. Not all lubes, condoms, and toys will be compatible and you don’t want to expose yourself to any unnecessary risks or mess up any expensive supplies. Always be sure to check for compatibility before gearing up.
Ease of use?
These condoms were very easy to use. They stick to the classic foil-style package, they open easily, and they roll on like any other condom on the market. I will say, I did fumble a bit in the dark with finding the right application direction once. That’s never happened before but it doesn’t warrant the loss of a star.
Do I want to show them off? (Appearance)
I’ve left this section in here completely for sh*ts and giggles. But in all honesty, yes. I have actually shown them off. I traveled with some sexy supplies and stashed them in a cute light blue Stasher bag. Of course I had to showcase my traveling set up and sustainable condoms! Caption: No spills here 😉
Packaging
The outer packaging is a simple box. The inner packaging is a typical foil envelope that encases the condom itself. This foil packaging is not recyclable. As far as I can tell, that isn’t going to change anytime soon.
Alot goes into protecting the condom that’s inside the wrapper and this is one of those moments where we don’t want to sacrifice any level of function. That’s why I haven’t removed the packaging section but I also haven’t rated the product on packaging either.
What product options does Sustain offer?
Sustain offers several condom varieties. They are:
- Tailored fit
- Ultra Thin
- Large Comfort Fit
- Extra Large
Sustain does offer quite a few condom sizes for their line up which is great! To find sizing for all of these options you can visit any of the condom listings here. The measurement will be listed as an image for the product. Cost and quantity info is in the next section!
Sustain also offers other sexual health products like lube, pads, liners, tampons, menstrual cups, and period underwear. If you decide to give Sustain or Grove Collaborative a try, consider signing up through this affiliate link. That will support my blog at no additional cost to you! It’s a win-win.
Cost Comparison
I don’t think this cost comparison needs a full table with a bunch of numbers and math because the comparison is pretty easy here.
Sustain condoms are only available on Grove in a 10-pack. All of their packs will cost you $13.95 as of the time of writing. That means, each condom costs you about $1.40. To compare, I took 3 Trojan listings from Walmart’s online website and averaged the cost per condom. I got $0.67 cents per condom.
Sustain
$1.40
VS.
Trojan
$0.60
That means Sustain condoms cost more than twice as much as a Trojan condom. Depending on how often you get down and dirty, or how much you use condoms, that could really add up. It’s up to you to decide whether or not the sustainability behind Sustain condoms is worth it.
If you’re still not sure what condom is best for you, keep reading. I’ll talk more about the sustainability behind these condoms below.
Where To Buy Sustain Condoms
Sustain was acquired by Grove Collaborative back in 2019. This probably explains why I couldn’t find Sustain’s individual B Corporation results on the B Corporation website.
Because they’re owned by Grove, that means Grove will probably be the best place to find them. It’s possible you may have found them in stores like Target before, but I haven’t been able to locate them anywhere other than Grove as far as online goes.
You can find the Sustain page on Grove’s site here. If you decide to give Sustain or Grove Collaborative a try, consider signing up through this affiliate link. That will support my blog at no additional cost to you and it will help me to continue making content like this.
Beware of Subscriptions
Grove does offer subscriptions. When you order an item through them, it automatically enrolls those items in the subscription program for you. You can’t opt out of the subscription until after you check out. But once your order goes through, you can easily adjust or cancel your subscriptions.
I’ve always canceled it right after because I don’t need to re-up any of my supplies but maybe once a year. I’m buying for one person so I just don’t need that many supplies. If you’re someone that’s cleaning for a household of 4 or 5 then a subscription might be a blessing. And if you’re having to wrap it up fairly often, a subscription for Sustain condoms might be perfect! I can think of a few people that would really love a subscription. Regular deliveries can help you make sure you [or your partner] never get caught with your pants down…metaphorically speaking.
Subscription Options
Once you process your order, you can navigate to “Product Subscriptions” under your account tab in the top right of their site. From there you can choose a shipping frequency of 1, 2, 3, or 6 months for that particular item. But here’s where it might get a little tricky.
Scheduled shipments need to reach a $29 minimum for VIP members or $49 for non-VIP members. What that means is, if only one item for $12 is set to refill for the current month, it won’t go through. It will get added to next month’s shipment, and so on until you eventually reach the minimum amount for your account.
That could be a little annoying if you’re not buying that much from them, which is why I tend to buy a lot at once and then cancel the subscription afterwards. But Grove says this shipping method helps them stay true to their carbon neutral shipping.
If you want to see more information on how that works from the source, check out these links:
Ingredients To Mention
Sustain condoms have a few important things to mention when it comes to “ingredients.”
Nitrosamine Free
Nitrosamine is considered a carcinogen. That’s science speak for an ingredient that is known to cause cancer. It naturally follows that you don’t want any carcinogenic ingredients in any products. Especially products that have intimate contact with your body’s most sensitive regions.
Paraben and Glycerin Free
Parabens can be used in condoms as a preservative to help prevent bacterial growth. But parabens can also interrupt hormone function in the body and other bad things. Glycerin is said to pose a risk for increased yeast growth. Neither of these ingredients are something you really want to stick inside you so it’s great that Sustain is avoiding them in their condoms.
Gluten Free
Sustain condoms are also gluten free. Some lubricants can contain gluten which is harmful for anyone with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease. Thankfully, Sustain makes condoms safe for people that need to avoid gluten.
Made with Fair Trade Latex
Sustains condoms are made in Southern India, and they claim that they verify for “reasonable” working hours and livable wages. If you want to read more on this topic, you can check out these claims on their site here. I’ll touch on these a bit more in this very next section.
What makes Sustain condoms a sustainable choice?
There are a few things that make Sustain condoms a sustainable condom choice!
First, Sustain claims that the rubber used to make the latex for their condoms comes from sustainable rubber plantations. I was also impressed when Sustain claimed to pay a living wage and ensure reasonable working hours. That showed an attention to not only environmental sustainability but also social sustainability.
Grove Collaborative is also a B Certified Corporation which means that certain things about Grove Co. can be verified and are expressed in their audits. You can find their score breakdown here.
I’m not quite sure how B Certification applies to companies under a parent organization, since Sustain isn’t technically Grove Co. So if I discover any new information that would change the personal claims I’ve made in this article, I’ll make sure to come back and update this post.
I will definitely be keeping my eye on Grove in the future months and years because their B Corporation audit scores have been slowly slipping. Hopefully this trend doesn’t continue and they begin to improve but only time will tell.
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On the topic of sex, the Leaf Twig razor might be a great choice for your regular shaving routine. Whether or not you shave the bush, the Twig is a great zero waste razor for any part of your body. Check out my review here.
Sustainably is supported by readers like you. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links on our “Affiliate Marketing…” page.