Sunday, October 7, 2012

TheyFit measurement fitting: great idea

After Condomerie, and other companies like Vinico, TheyFit created a tool to help people choosing the correct condom size.



3 easy steps:
  1. Measure your erect penis
  2. Enter the obtained values and get your condom size thanks to the TheyFit circumference code
  3. Fill in the code to order your fitting condoms

There is also a refinement. One can choose his own fitting style:

In order to know which erect penile girths correspond to each TheyFit girth code, you will find below a chart reporting, for each fitting style, and each TheyFit code:
  • The condom size (nominal lay flat width - or half circumference), 
  • The minimum and maximum advised erect penis circumference 
  • The corresponding condom stretch

One can easily notice that the linear relationship between condom and erect penis size is broken. This is explained by two main facts:
  1. the elastic modulus tends to decrease with the increase in quantity of latex (when the condom size increases, the condom stretches more easily).
  2. TheyFit modifies its latex formula (recipe) depending on the condom circumference.

This has been brilliantly explained by Gerofi:

The actual pressure and force on the penis depends on the relative circumferences of the penis and condom, the thickness of the rubber, and its elastic modulus.
 
In the normal domain of use, the latex elastic modulus can be considered as constant, which in turn, gives a linear relationship between condom and penis girth: the force to apply is directly proportional to the increase in circumference.

What TheyFit does is input ammonia to the formula to decrease the force to apply (and thus increase the elasticity of the condom) whenever they feel it is necessary. Other molecules can be added to get different effects.

Therefore, CondomSizeAndFacts has only one advice to give: whenever a producer gives its own instructions for use, concerning the relationship between condom and penis size, follow them. Otherwise, you can use the data collected in this blog to pre-select your concom size. In fine, only trying it will allow a final decision.

Anyway, I spotted some data which look like some inconsistencies: the 64mm condom size is proposed to only 1% of the population, the 69mm one to only 0.02% (a company would not sell products representing 0.02% of its market, unless it reaches its economical lot size)... Either the erect penis girth data are erroneous or there is some important piece of information missing. TheyFit data would shade some light on it, but I am not sure they would be willing to share it.


To conclude, a great tool, a nice success, but a few glitches which deserve to be ironed up... Or better explained!

TheyFit company is certainly one of the best company in the world, thanks to their underlying concept (supply the largest choice of sizes), to their great will to communicate and to participate in the information of the population about the importance to have proper fitting condoms.

They definitely deserve the best possible success.

10 comments:

  1. http://condomsizeandfacts.blogspot.co.uk

    there appears to be no way to contact you directly so this will have to be via public comment:

    1. it is not merely a tool to " help people choose the correct condom size" but a tool designed specifically to find the correct TheyFit custom fit condom size for a person

    2. "I disagree with such a setup. The stretch percentage is basically too inconsistent" - the stretch % is >deliberately< inconsistent. This is owning to the stretch characteristics of latex, something all manufacturers are aware of. The more latex you have, the more it can stretch as a % of its starting size. Thus, the larger the condom is, the more it can stretch % wise before feeling uncomfortable. The inverse is true for smaller condoms. In fact, with small condoms, we need to modify the latex mix to ensure the latex remains flexible.

    3. "Too low for small sizes (and sometimes totally inconsstent - the condom is larger than the erect penis)" - there is no TheyFit condom that is larger than the erect penis - you have made a mistake.

    4. "Too high for large sizes (up to 20% for the loose fit when the standard stretch for an average penis in a standard condom is around 15%)" - this is by design, refer to point 2.

    5. "Furthermore, this repartition has a direct economic impact." - it took 72 hours after launch to sell each size at least once. The sales data thus far looks very fractal, and a great distribution. There are something very interesting facts about average length and girth contained within it.

    It is a shame there is no way to contact you as your blog has the potential to be a useful tool.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I forgot to add - 92% of our customers rate their TheyFit condom as better than other condoms that they have used. 95% would recommend us to their friends. TheyFit offer condom lengths from 3" to 10" (traditionally all condoms were at least 7" long, most were 8", meaning they were much too long for the average erection) and our widths fit girths of 3.75" to 8" correctly - meaning securely AND comfortably - versus traditional condoms that could only fit girths 4.5" to 5.25". Welcome to the revolution.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Joe,

    I am pleasantly suprised with your comments.

    As a matter of facts, I have been struggling a bit to find some proper equations calculating the elastic modulus depending on various parameters such as thickness, circumference (distance to be stretched)... unsuccessfuly so far.

    I therefore considered, as a first aproximation, that it would be constant in the studied domain. What you say contradicts this hypothesis.

    Once again, thank you for the constructive and positive feedback.

    PS: I answer by email as well.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 3. there is no TheyFit condom that is larger than the erect penis - you have made a mistake.

    Check the tool. For an 80mm penile circumference, the tool proposes a TheyFit size 33, that is 41mm nominal width...(I understand it is on the limit, on a rare case, for people who have only this choice - the 41mm conom being the smallest to my knowledge)

    ReplyDelete
  5. "(and sometimes totally inconsstent - the condom is larger than the erect penis)" is a misleading then.

    What you're actually saying is that if an erection is smaller than our smallest condom (3.2" long, nominal width 41mm - the smallest condom in the world) - the condom will be too big for it. That's a given, and does not reflect a problem with the sizing system.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I agree.
    But this is a given for many people, not necessary for everybody.
    So why proposing it on your tool? You could simply correct it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. well, in the rare situation that someone is using our smallest condom (3.2" long, nominal width 41mm - the smallest condom in the world) but still finds it too big, it will still compare extremely favourably with traditionally available "small" condoms (marketed as Slim, Snug or Trim) which are 170mm (6.8") long and nominal width 49mm.

    we could put a 'minimum' mark on our FitKits, or into the fitting process, but that would then discourage these men from wearing a condom at all - I think we agree that's bad.

    Better to use our smallest condom, albeit slightly too big (and hold or tie it in place) than not use a condom at all?

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete