Disclosure: Dynamo Delay makes one of the sprays in this comparison. We have not tested the other products, and we received nothing from their makers. Every product fact below comes from that product's drug facts label on DailyMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's label database, so you can check each one yourself.
Most delay spray rankings compare marketing claims. This one compares labels. The surprise: the four best-known lidocaine sprays all list about the same amount of lidocaine per spray, about 10 mg. So the differences that matter are how many uses you get from a bottle, what else is in it, and what the label tells you to do.
How to Compare Delay Sprays
Read six things on the drug facts label:
- Active ingredient: lidocaine or benzocaine.
- Amount per spray: the dose you actually apply.
- Directions: how many sprays, where, and when.
- Daily limit: some labels cap sprays per 24 hours.
- Sprays per container: how many uses you get.
- Inactive ingredients and condom notes: fragrance, and whether the label addresses condoms.
Why the percentage isn't the whole story
Dynamo Delay lists lidocaine 13%; Stud 100 and K-Y Duration list 9.6%. Yet all three labels say about 10 mg of lidocaine per spray.1,2,3 The percentage is concentration, how much lidocaine is in the liquid. The dose you apply depends on concentration and on how much liquid each spray delivers. So a higher percentage does not mean a stronger spray.
Delay Sprays Compared
| Label fact | Dynamo Delay | Stud 100 | K-Y Duration | Promescent | Trojan Extended Pleasure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Lidocaine 13% | Lidocaine base 9.6% w/w | Lidocaine 9.6% | Lidocaine (% not stated) | Benzocaine 7.5% |
| Amount per spray | About 10 mg | About 10 mg | About 10 mg | About 10 mg | Not stated |
| Directions | 3 to 10 sprays, head and shaft, before intercourse | 3 to 10 sprays, head and shaft, before intercourse | 3 to 10 sprays, head and shaft, before intercourse | 3 to 10 sprays, head and shaft, 10 minutes before; start with 3; rub in | A small amount, head and shaft; let dry before intercourse |
| Daily limit | Not stated | 24 sprays in 24 hours | 20 sprays in 24 hours | Not stated | Not more than 4 times a day |
| Container | 3/4 fl oz (22.2 mL), 270+ sprays | 7/16 fl oz, about 120 sprays (maker FAQ) | 0.16 fl oz (5 mL), 36 sprays | Not stated on the label | 2.0 fl oz (60 mL) |
| Fragrance listed | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Condoms | Not addressed | Not addressed | "Not compatible with condoms" | Not addressed | "Compatible with latex condoms" |
The Sprays, One by One
Dynamo Delay
Lidocaine 13%, about 10 mg per spray, 270+ sprays in a 3/4 fl oz bottle, made in the USA.1 That is the most sprays per container of the products here that print a count. The inactive ingredients are isopropyl palmitate, SD alcohol 40B and stearic acid, with no fragrance listed. The label directs 3 or more sprays, not to exceed 10, to the head and shaft before intercourse, and to wash it off afterward.
Stud 100
Lidocaine base 9.6% w/w, about 10 mg per spray, in a 7/16 fl oz can.2 The maker says a can holds about 120 sprays.4 Same 3 to 10 spray directions, plus a limit of 24 sprays in 24 hours. Fragrance is listed. The maker says Stud 100 has been sold since 1970.4
K-Y Duration
Lidocaine 9.6%, about 10 mg per spray, 36 sprays in a 5 mL bottle.3 Same 3 to 10 spray directions, with a limit of 20 sprays in 24 hours. Its label says it is not compatible with condoms, and fragrance is listed. The small bottle is easy to carry but gives far fewer uses.
Promescent
About 10 mg of lidocaine per spray; the label does not state a percentage or a spray count.5 It directs 3 to 10 sprays to the head and shaft 10 minutes before intercourse, recommends starting with 3, and says to rub the spray in until it is absorbed. Its longer ingredient list includes fragrance and macadamia seed oil.
Trojan Extended Pleasure
The one benzocaine spray here: benzocaine 7.5% in a 2.0 fl oz bottle.6 The label says to apply a small amount, let it dry, use it no more than four times a day, and that it is compatible with latex condoms. It does not state an amount per spray. For how benzocaine and lidocaine products differ in use, see delay spray vs. delay wipes.
Uses Per Container
Because the lidocaine sprays deliver about the same dose per spray, uses per container is the fairest way to compare value. At the labels' minimum of 3 sprays per use:
- Dynamo Delay: about 90 uses (270+ sprays)
- Stud 100: about 40 uses (about 120 sprays)
- K-Y Duration: about 12 uses (36 sprays)
Promescent and Trojan do not print a spray count. To compare cost, divide each product's current price by its uses.
How to Pick the Right Delay Spray for You
- The most uses per bottle: Dynamo Delay, at 270+ sprays.
- No added fragrance: Dynamo Delay or Trojan Extended Pleasure.
- Using condoms: read the label. K-Y Duration's says it is not compatible; Trojan's says it is compatible with latex.
- A benzocaine product: Trojan Extended Pleasure, or a single-use wipe such as Dynamo Delay Wipes (4% benzocaine).
Whichever you choose, follow its label. The International Society for Sexual Medicine's guidelines rate the evidence for topical anesthetics in lifelong premature ejaculation as strong (level 1a).7 If premature ejaculation started suddenly, comes with erection problems, or doesn't improve with a product used as directed, see a doctor.
The Bottom Line
On the label, the big lidocaine sprays deliver about the same dose per spray. What separates them is uses per bottle, ingredients and directions. Dynamo Delay gives the most sprays per bottle of the products that publish a count, lists no fragrance, and is made in the USA. See Dynamo Delay Spray.
