Lelo has announced that it has recruited Charlie Sheen as brand ambassador for Hex, the company’s new condom which has been seven years in development. The Hollywood actor is as well known for his wild partying as his work, and he revealed last year that he was HIV positive.
Hex is no ordinary condom – it is described as being structurally different and aimed at addressing the most common complaints people have with condoms today– that they reduce pleasure, slip frequently and break too easily. Lelo states that Hex is the first major step forward in this sector since the reservoir tip was added almost 70 years ago.
Charlie Sheen will be in London on June 16th for the UK launch of Hex, and he can be seen in an online interview speaking candidly about why he feels condom usage continues to decline, and how the Lelo Hex can revolutionise safe sex for good. In the footage Sheen gives his personal views on condoms and the healing that came from the huge surge in STI-awareness after he announced his HIV-condition in November 2015. He also discusses the role he can play in supporting Lelo Hex, and how the new product can help remove the stigma that surrounds condoms today.
“Announcing my HIV condition gave me a new sense of purpose in speaking actively on sexual health,” said Sheen. “That’s why Lelo Hex is such an important project for me. Not only is it a revolutionary product that is ready to go – it’s something radically different that can help curb the rise of STIs and reduce the stigma on condom usage. If you want to change how people see condoms – a great place to start is by changing the condom itself!”
Filip Sedic, inventor of Lelo Hex and founder of Lelo, said: “We’re building a better future and improving the world’s sexual health through innovations in technology and design. The challenge was to make something radically different with a material already approved for condom use. We did this because people need to be having great, safe sex today, not 10 years from now. That’s why all the talk of new condoms has never resulted in a revolutionary design making it onto store shelves. Talk is talk, but innovation is what really changes things.”
The difference between the Lelo Hex and what already exists is not the material, but the structure itself. Hex integrates 350 individual hexagons through its ultra-thin latex surface, and Lelo says this helps it perform differently from other condoms.
Sedic continued: “There’s a reason why honeycombs are the shape they are, and why snake scales move the way they do. It’s because hexagons are strong, symmetrical, and tessellate perfectly. They’re one of nature’s go-to shapes for anything needing to be at once lightweight, and incredibly strong. That’s why the structure of Graphene – the thinnest, strongest material we know of today is … you guessed it, hexagonal.”
The design combines a 0.55mm hexagonal web with ultra-thin 0.45mm latex panels for thinness and strength combined. Lelo says this allows Hex to flex and mould to the uniqueness of the wearer, while it channels unwanted stress through the structure itself. Another feature was inspired by Formula 1 wet tires, which have a texture to reduce the chances of slippage. Sedic added that he has never understood why other brands are emphasising ribs and dots on the outside, when applying texture on the inside would have such a clear benefit.
The global launch of Lelo Hex was on June 13th in New York, and Charlie Sheen will be at the UK launch on June 16th. There will follow a two—month Hex Appeal project on lelo.com. During this period, up to 10,000 backers will be able to order Lelo Hex before anyone else. The price will be £9 for a pack of 12, with free global shipping (the regular price will be £15.90). Those ordering in bulk in advance of the launch will enjoy significant discounts and gift cards which can be used on future condom purchases.
