And you thought Consumer Reports was only the place to go for the safest automobile or the best buy on a vacuum cleaner.

How about the most reliable condom?

One lucky, lucky mystery shopper was tasked with purchasing 15,000 condoms so that Consumer Reports products testers could provide you with a list of the top seven condoms on the market. Before you read any further, be advised that in order to access the ratings for these top brands, you need to be a subscriber to Consumer Reports. 

What I can tell you is that, according to the magazine, "Seven of the 20 models we tested earned a perfect score, indicating
they were not only stronger and more reliable than most, but also had
no leaks or flaws in their packaging. Those top seven include one Durex, two Lifestyles, and four Trojan models…"

What did CR put these poor condoms through?

Lab technicians then unrolled them, stretched them, measured them,
visually examined them, dunked them in liquid (to check for leaks), and
inflated them with air until they burst to determine which ones are
strong enough to put your trust (or you or your partner) into.

There’s even a humorous video with lots of sexual innuendo!

Be advised, however, if you’re the type that goes for the kitsch-factor when it comes to condoms (really, you should stick to funky lamps or quirky collectibles if you’re into kitsch – not pregnancy and disease prevention but anyway…), there is one in particular to beware of:

Alas, one of the more playful condoms we tested, the Night Light
glow-in-the-dark model, didn’t fare as well, earning our lowest score
for strength and exceeding the allowable number of samples with holes.
But it did live up to its name on the glow front.

The condom test and results can be found in the November 2009 issue.