In 2006, German inventor Jan Vinzenz Krause had an idea: a bespoke condom that would fit any penis, regardless of size or shape.
Something like that could be a welcome addition to the condom market — currently worth ~$9.4B globally — but the execution left much to be desired.
Krause was a sex educator…
… and condom enthusiast. He ran the website Online Condom Advisor, which detailed 100+ brands in an effort to help users find the right one, per The New York Times.
It occurred to Krause that if there were a tube full of nozzles into which one could insert their penis, that device could coat it in liquid latex from every side — much like a car going through a car wash, which is where Krause got the idea.
He made a prototype using materials from a hardware store, noting he felt “a little like MacGyver.”
What went wrong?
There were a few mood killers:
- The latex took up to three minutes to dry.
- It was a little cold.
- Some people were understandably reluctant to put their penis in a mysterious tube.
Though Krause tested his product on himself and others, it was never actually used during sex, so it’s unclear if it actually worked.
And Krause, realizing the difficulty of clearing the EU’s product standards, gave up on his dream in 2008.
Designer Michele Chu announced her efforts to create a spray-on condom — this came in an aerosol can — in 2015 as part of a school project. That doesn’t seem to have come to fruition either.
But Krause never gave up…
… on condoms. His company, Vinergy, has several spinoffs, including a condom review site, a custom-branded condom company, and Mister Size, a line of condoms in multiple sizes.
He also, as Input keenly noticed, holds the world record for the tallest pyramid built out of cookies at 4 feet, 10 inches.
