The brand Durex is used for a number of unrelated products around the world. Most commonly, Durex is the trademarked name for a range of condoms made by UK-based multinational SSL International.
The name, which the London Rubber Company trademarked in 1929, is a portmanteau of “Durability, Reliability, and Excellence”.
Durex condoms represent around one quarter of the global market for prophylactic sheathes, manufacturing around one billion units per year in 17 factories worldwide. The Durex range includes nine varieties of latex condom and the Avanti condom, the first male condom made from polyurethane. Polyurethane condoms don’t suffer from the “latex rot”, and are suited for users who have an allergic reaction to latex, but might not be as likely to prevent STDs.