Urinary catheters have been used for more than 3000 years, although materials have changed from wood to silver to rubber. Research continues to try and find the optimal catheter materials, which improve safety and quality of life. Advantages when comparing newer catheter materials are not always obvious but catheters coated with a hydrophilic layer may reduce urethral trauma and the incidence of urinary tract infections. However, extrapolation of the data is limited by lack of end-point standardization and heterogenous populations.