Do Condoms Expire? How Long They Last and How to Store Them
Yes, condoms expire, and the date is printed on every box and every individual wrapper. The NHS advises checking it before use, because an expired condom may not be effective.
How long a condom lasts depends on what it is made of and how it was tested, so the only number that matters is the one on your packet. Below: where to find it, what shortens a condom’s life, how to store them, and what to do if one fails.
How long do condoms last?
Each manufacturer sets the shelf life from its own testing, and prints the result as a date. For latex condoms there is also an upper limit. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its clinical guidelines that latex condoms should not be used beyond their expiration date, or more than five years after the date of manufacture.
The US Food and Drug Administration’s labelling guidance for latex condoms sets the same ceiling from the other side: the expiration date can be no later than five years from packaging, and it has to be backed by shelf-life data.
In practice, two boxes bought on the same day can carry different dates. Read the one in your hand rather than assuming.
Where do you find the expiry date?
On the box and on each wrapper. The CDC’s guidelines tell users to check the expiration or manufacture date on the box or on the individual package. Check the wrapper too, because condoms often outlive the box they came in.
In the EU, condoms are medical devices, and the Medical Device Regulation requires the label to show the date until which the device can be used safely, at least as a year and a month. That is the date you are looking for.
While you are reading the packet, look for the CE mark (or UKCA in Great Britain). The NHS says these marks mean the condoms have been tested to high safety standards.
Is it safe to use an expired condom?
Don’t rely on one. Past the date, the manufacturer no longer vouches for it, and the NHS warns that it may not be effective. The CDC says latex condoms should not be used after that date at all.
If the only condom you have is out of date, the safer choice is to wait until you have a new one.
What if you have already used one?
If you have had sex with an expired condom, or with one that broke or slipped, two things are worth doing soon.
Pregnancy. Emergency contraception has time limits. The NHS page on emergency contraception explains the options, how soon each needs to be used and where to get them: a pharmacy, a doctor or a sexual health clinic.
Infections. A sexual health clinic or your doctor can advise you on testing for sexually transmitted infections and on timing.
These are medical questions, so for anything specific to you, ask a pharmacist, your doctor or a sexual health clinic.
What shortens a condom’s life?
Mostly heat, friction and the wrong products.
Wallets. The CDC’s condom how-to page says plainly: don’t store condoms in your wallet, as heat and friction can damage them. The same logic applies to a back pocket.
Heat. Since heat damages condoms, places that get hot are a poor choice: a car in summer, a sunny windowsill, a bag left next to a radiator.
Oil-based products. The NHS says not to use oil-based lubricant with latex condoms. The CDC lists baby oil, lotion, petroleum jelly and cooking oil, and says they will cause the condom to break. Use a water-based or silicone-based lubricant instead.
Rough handling. The CDC’s first instruction before sex is to open the wrapper carefully and remove the condom.
How should you store condoms?
Keep them somewhere at room temperature, away from heat and out of your wallet, in their original box so the date stays with them. A bedside drawer works. A glovebox does not. Packing for a trip? Our guide to travelling with sex toys covers what else goes in the bag.
If you carry one when you go out, use a small case or an inside pocket of a bag rather than a wallet, and replace it regularly rather than letting the same one travel with you for months. When you check the date, check the wrapper is intact as well.
Does the type of condom change anything?
Yes, in three ways.
Material. Most condoms are latex. If you or a partner have a latex allergy, the NHS says not to use latex condoms. Polyurethane and other synthetic condoms are the alternative: the CDC says they give protection comparable to latex and can substitute for latex in people with latex sensitivity. Discover our latex-free condoms.
Lubricant. The CDC says oil-based lubricants can typically be used with polyurethane or other synthetic condoms, unlike latex. With latex, stick to water-based or silicone-based lubricant.
Spermicide. The CDC says condoms with nonoxynol-9 are no more effective than condoms without it, and that nonoxynol-9, alone or in a condom, is not recommended for STI and HIV prevention. Its how-to page adds that nonoxynol-9 can cause irritation.
Whatever the type, the rule on dates is the same: read the packet.
Which lubricant is safe with condoms?
Water-based or silicone-based. The CDC’s HIV prevention page recommends both during sex to help keep the condom from tearing, and warns that oil-based lubricants can weaken the condom and cause it to break.
Many condoms come pre-lubricated. If you want extra glide, discover our water-based lubricants, which work with every condom material.
How do you make sure you always have an in-date condom?
Buy a box size you will use before the date, and check it whenever you open a new one. Larger boxes cost less per condom but only make sense if they get used. Our condoms by box size range from small packs to bulk boxes.
Rotate them: put a new box at the back of the drawer and use the old one first. When you take one out to carry, look at the date at the same time. Discover the full range of condoms, from thin and textured to non-latex and larger sizes.
What else do people ask?
Do condoms expire if they are never opened?
Yes. The date on the wrapper applies to the sealed condom. Once opened, a condom is for one use only: the CDC says not to reuse a condom.
Can you tell by looking whether a condom has gone off?
Don’t try to judge it by eye. The date is there because you cannot see whether a condom will hold. If the wrapper is damaged, or the condom looks or feels different from usual, use a new one.
How effective are condoms when they are in date?
The NHS says male condoms are 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly every time, and about 82% effective in typical use.
How long can condoms last in a car?
There is no safe number of days to quote. The CDC says heat can damage condoms, and a parked car gets hot quickly in summer and cold in winter. Treat the car as a place to carry a condom for the evening, not to keep a box. If one has been left in a hot car, use a fresh one.
Is it safer to use two condoms?
No. The NHS says using more than one condom can make one or both split, and the CDC says not to use more than one at a time.
