NEW YORK—LELO, the Swedish pleasure products manufacturer that was one of the first to present items made from high-quality materials and featuring innovative technology, presented one of the first major innovations in condoms with the global launch Monday of the LELO Hex, which is already being endorsed by Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen.
“After I announced my HIV status last November, I was surprised when I saw searches for information about condoms increased,” Sheen told AVN. “LELO contacted me about being a sort of spokesman about this new condom, and I was hesitant at first. But then I did some research and saw the technical appeal and the aesthetic appeal and saw it had the ability to really be a game-changer. It seemed like the Hex condom is the next step in revolutionizing condoms and getting them used more.”
During the launch party, which took place in a trendy space in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, guests and international members of the press enjoyed hours d’oeuvres and themed cocktails—the Hexecutive and the Hexquisite—while they learned about the new condom.
Filip Sedic, one the three original founders of LELO, addressed the crowd, discussing the research and work behind the development of he Hex and the features that set it apart from others on the market.
“Thirteen years ago, we set out to change the sex toy industry forever,” he said. “We wanted to transform sex toys using modern technology to make them beneficial to customers all over the world. The industry changed us too, because as we grew we began to focus more on sexual health and sexuality.
“Seven or eight years ago, we had people asking us why we couldn't make condoms out of the same silicone we used to make our sex toys so silky soft,” Sedic continued. “We thought why not, and started researching. We found out early on that silicone would not work, and decided it was not about the materials used to make condoms, but it was about the structure.”
In stations designed to look like a chemistry lab, guests at the Hex launch party learned about the latex condom’s construction, which features a design of hexagons next to and above and below one another, resembling a bee hive. The design lets the latex mimic the performance of graphene, which is a thin layer of carbon in a honeycomb lattice shake that is considered one of the strongest materials available. Sedic told AVN the design solves the issue of breakage—which was proven at the demonstration stations, where reps showed even when stretched out, pins were unable to break through the latex—as well as the issue if slippage, since the hexagon designs are on the inside of the condoms, which help them stay place.
After Sedic spoke, he introduced a video featuring Sheen talking about announcing his HIV status and the stigmas and myths associated with condom use.
After the video ended, Sheen surprised the crowd by walking into the stage.
He spent a few minutes extolling the virtues of the Hex condom, and said regular condom use could help many avoid contracting HIV as he did.
“People have objected to condoms because of dubious construction, poor fit—both ways—and decreased sensitivity,” he said. “News flash: that all ends now.
“This is not your grandfather’s condom,” Sheen said.
For more information, read LELO's detailed press release on the new condom's technological advances and the Hex Appeal campaign planned to promote it.
