Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product information, not medical advice. Condom catheter sizing is brand-specific. Use the sizing guide and instructions for use (IFU) that come with the product you are buying.
A condom catheter (external urinary sheath) is sold in several diameters, and the diameter sets differ between brands. The chart below gives one manufacturer’s published range as a worked example, with the catalog numbers, so you can see what a real size set looks like and how to read a label.
Condom catheter size chart (one manufacturer’s published range)
Source: Coloplast, fact sheet PM-35885 for Conveen Optima, a silicone external catheter, checked 2026-10-30. Sizes are the diameters in millimetres that the manufacturer lists. The brand sells them in two lengths, standard and sport.
| Size (mm) | Standard length, catalog no. | Sport length, catalog no. |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | not listed | 22121 |
| 25 | 22025 | 22125 |
| 28 | 22028 | not listed |
| 30 | 22030 | 22130 |
| 35 | 22035 | 22135 |
| 40 | 22040 | not listed |
The fact sheet describes “six sizes and two lengths”: six distinct diameters (21, 25, 28, 30, 35 and 40 mm) across the two lengths, which is why the table has nine catalog numbers rather than twelve. Check your product’s labelling: another brand, or another product from the same brand, may use a different set of sizes.
How to read the chart
Each row is a diameter. The catalog number identifies the diameter and length together, so two products with the same millimetre figure but different length are different catalog numbers. The “not listed” cells mean the fact sheet lists no product at that diameter and length; they mark diameter and length combinations the manufacturer does not list.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration records size for these products in its UDI database as a device dimension. For Conveen Optima catalog 22028, the openFDA UDI record gives “Lumen/Inner Diameter” as 28 millimetres, which is 1.1 inches, so the millimetre figure on this kind of product is an inner-diameter value of the sheath, not a measurement of the wearer.
How to measure: the manufacturer’s rule
Coloplast’s printed Optima sizing guide (document M1675N, 2015) states the following:
- Circumference: the guide says to measure at the middle of the shaft when flaccid (not erect), and to use the arcs on the sizer to find the best fit.
- Length: the guide says to measure from the base (the point closest to the body) to the tip.
- Between sizes: “If you are between two sizes (both length and circumference), select the smaller size.”
- Accuracy: “Measurements are close approximations.”
This is a 2015 document for one product line. Current IFU and sizing material for the product in your hands take precedence, and a clinician or continence nurse can advise on fit.
Equivalence notes: mm, inches and brand sets
- Millimetres and inches: the only conversion with a source here is the UDI record above, 28 mm = 1.1 inch. Always convert from the label rather than from a rounded chart.
- Small, medium, large: this page does not give S/M/L equivalents. Manufacturers name their own size sets, so a size name on one brand does not carry over to another.
- Brand to brand: the same Coloplast fact sheet places the discontinued Freedom Clear sizes (23, 28, 31, 35 and 40 mm) next to the Optima sizes (25, 28, 30, 35 and 40 mm). The millimetre figures do not line up one for one, which shows why a number cannot be carried between products. Other brands publish their own sets; see male external catheter types.
Common mix-ups
- Treating a millimetre number as universal across brands. The sets above differ.
- Reading “six sizes” as six products per length. It counts diameters, and sport length is not offered at every diameter.
- Confusing a condom catheter with an indwelling catheter. External sheaths are not inserted; Foley and other indwelling types are covered in what is a Foley catheter, and the wider range of urinary devices in the urinary catheter types guide.
FAQ
What is a condom catheter?
It is an external urinary sheath worn over the penis to collect urine, not a tube placed inside the body. In U.S. regulation, 21 CFR 876.5250(a)(2) lists the “urosheath type incontinence device” among urine collectors not intended to be connected to an indwelling catheter. FDA product code EXJ (sterile) is a Class I device type; openFDA data was last updated 2026-10-19, and a non-sterile code, NNX, also exists. The Conveen Optima fact sheet states the product is silicone and is not made with natural rubber latex.
How do I apply a condom catheter?
Follow the step-by-step instructions in the IFU supplied with your specific product; they differ by brand and adhesive design, and a nurse or clinician can demonstrate the technique. This page does not give application steps.
How do I remove a condom catheter?
Use the removal directions in the IFU supplied with your specific product; they differ by brand and adhesive design. This page does not give removal steps.
Where can I find condom catheter sizes for other brands?
On each manufacturer’s own sizing guide and IFU. Related pages: male external catheter types and adult incontinence product selection. Products in this category are listed under catheters, urology and incontinence supplies.
Sources
All sources checked 2026-10-30.
- Coloplast, “Upgrading from Freedom Clear to Conveen Optima” HCP fact sheet, PM-35885: products.coloplast.us fact sheet PDF
- Coloplast, Optima sizer, document M1675N 05.15 (2015): coloplast.us sizer PDF
- U.S. FDA, openFDA device classification, product code EXJ: api.fda.gov classification record
- U.S. FDA, openFDA UDI record for Conveen Optima catalog 22028: api.fda.gov UDI record
- 21 CFR 876.5250, Urine collector and accessories: law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/21/876.5250
