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Our pick of the best water, oil and silicone-based lubes to elevate your sex life.
Picture this: lube is like butter and your body is the toast. Without it, you could still have a nice nibble, but it will likely be a bit dry. Add a generous slick of full-fat butter, and your breakfast will transform into a much tastier snack. The best lubricants are an essential part of enjoying sex – or just a bit of solo time greasing the wheels, so to speak – regardless of whether a sex toy, partner, or your own good right hand is involved. At GQ, we’re all about improving sexual health and wellness, so if you’re yet to stash a bottle of lube in your bedside drawer for those special occasions, we’ve got you covered.
Introducing any sort of sex toy or assistant – like a masturbator or cock ring – to the bedroom is most certainly encouraged, as it helps you and your partner understand your bodies better, gets you exploring what feels good, and can also alleviate some of the pain points found in relationships up and down the country, be that performance issues, or dry, uncomfortable sessions that can impact on your overall body health. Hungry for more? Keep scrolling for our pick of the best lubes to shop now.
Silky smooth and ready to make insertions as stress-free as possible, Roam's Front is one of our favourites. Looking after your sensitive areas with gentle confidence, this is the only fragrance-free personal lubricant you need to care about.
It might have a larger price tag than most other lubes, but Lelo's F1L is perhaps the best available, particularly for elevating solo tugs. It's thin, slippery and kind to your skin. It also pairs up nicely with Lelo’s other silicone sex toys if that’s your bag.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that you're having sex to enjoy yourself, so be reminded of that with Lovehoney's water-based number. It won't stain your sheets but will keep you slipping in and out without an issue.
Skip to: What is lube? | What are the benefits of using lube? | What is the best lube for sex? | Should I use lube when using sex toys? | Can you use Vaseline as lube? | How to use lube
In its simplest form, lube is an emollient that can significantly improve sexual enjoyment. But unlike butter on toast, the right product can also work as a hydrating moisturiser for your skin, minimising chafing and transforming an awkward encounter into an extra-sensory sex party. So, resist the urge to use butter and invest in some quality sex lube instead.
There are, inevitably many different types of lube, from massage oils and natural lubes like coconut oil and aloe vera, to water-based formulas in pump bottles that can be flavoured or scented for a more holistic sensual experience and even used during oral sex.
“Lube is a liquid or gel that helps reduce friction during intimate moments - including during self-pleasure, sex toy play, vaginal or anal sex,” says Kalila, Co-Founder of SheSpot, a curated marketplace for sexual wellness products. But the fun doesn’t end there. “Using lube can help relieve sexual discomfort and also enhance sexual experiences through heightening sensation and intensifying pleasure,” she adds.
There are multiple reasons why your sex life will benefit from the addition of a dollop of lube.
Lubricants have a variety of benefits for all who are looking to enhance their sexual experiences, be they beginners or veterans. With that in mind, the benefits last as you get older, with those who enter menopause or suffering from vaginal dryness can now use hypoallergenic, paraben-free, natural materials to enjoy sex.
Now that we’ve convinced you to get stuck in, what’s the best lube to buy? In theory, any type of emollient will ripen your sexual encounters. That said, there are a huge number of products on the market designed to boost bedroom performance. So, it is worth shopping around to find the best lube for the job. To help you get started, lubricants typically fall into the following categories:
Absolutely. Lube can be incredibly helpful to improve your experience with any kind of sex toy, whether it’s one that simulates penetrative sex like a cock ring or even something like nipple toys. Is there a right amount of lube to use? “Our viewpoint is if it feels good you’re doing it right,” said Griffiths. Generally, the best level for you is something you can only figure out through trying out different volumes, he said, though he did have one generality: “The more lube you use, the better it does feel most of the time.”
Kaila advises against using Vaseline as a lube for sex. “It can break down condoms and increase the risk of infection,” she explains. “Plus, it can be a pain to wash off your sheets or your body. Stick to the good stuff – like specially formulated lube – for a better time.”
“Apply as much as you need to the areas that feel good for you,” says Kaila. “You can use it on your fingers for self-pleasure or foreplay with a partner, sweep across a sex toy to enhance sensation, or apply to the penis, vagina or anus to make penetration feel more comfortable and heighten pleasure," she adds. "Lube can also be used to give a sensual massage to heat things up.”
If you’re going to treat yourself to a bottle of lubricant, you may as well go all out and buy the best sex lube on the market. UK brand Roam produces PH balanced, delightfully silky lubes that are packed with enough natural ingredients to keep your sensitive bits in tip-top shape. If that’s not enough to convince you, it’s the first lube in the world to put disability inclusivity centre-stage and comes with braille script on the side and a square-edged design to prevent it from rolling off your nightstand. They stock lube especially for anal pleasure, too.
If you're single or in the mood for some me-time tonight, this premium lube from Swedish sex tech pioneers LELO is perfect for solo masturbation. It's silky enough to convince your dirty mind that you’re ploughing into a real-life orifice and not your own hand. Better yet, it's designed to pair with the brand's exquisite sex toys, so squeeze a couple of drops onto the bestselling F1S V2 male masturbator and get stuck in. You can thank us later.
Luxury doesn't have to come at a price. In fact, you can find quality lubes that feel like liquid silk for less than a tenner. This particular lube is excellent combined with sex toys, as it's long-lasting, anti-friction and non-tacky. Pump out a few squirts and off you go.
There's a lot to be gained from adding some fun sensations to your intercourse and foreplay, which is why we recommend Tracey Cox's orgasm gel that has a hint of tingling buzz that's just enough to get you going. It's travel-friendly with a handy pump to release the formula, and it's also water-based and very skin-friendly.
If you're a fan of using male sex toys to enhance solo or partner play, then what you really need is a water-based lubricant that plays nice with those toys and its materials. This particular one is a dedicated lube for fleshlights, with a long-lasting stick-free texture that can also be happily used in some skin-on-skin action if that's your pleasure.
We're all familiar with the brand, yes? Durex has been there with you from the very first time you nervously entered your local corner shop to buy condoms and it will be with you as you explore your sexual horizons long into your life. This particular lubricant offers a tingling sensation that is skin safe but heightens the mood with a magical mix of warmth, coolness and a shivering sensation that is sure to get the motor running.
Water-based lubes are typically made from natural thickeners found in plants, so they’re a great shout if you have sensitive skin, you’re prone to chafing or you simply prefer the idea of adding condom-safe and veggie-friendly fluids into the mix. This classic version from Lovehoney is long-lasting, delightfully smooth and it comes with a handy pump to make application even easier.
Once the only lube you could get your hands on, veteran UK brand Durex has dominated the market for decades, with good reason. Durex (which stands for durability, reliability and excellence) has specialised in keeping horny Brits safe from STIs and unwanted pregnancy for over 100 years. So it will come as no surprise that its lube offering is on point. This classic lube is delightfully light and long-lasting, plus it won’t stain your bedsheets.
Admittedly the punny name was a deciding factor when we chose this lube. But now that we’ve tried Lubido out for size, it definitely deserves a spot on our hot list. It’s a hybrid lube so it comes with the natural benefits of a water-based lube, but it's slightly thicker for extra staying power. Plus it’s condom-safe, non-staining and vegan, so it will save your bedlinen and the planet too.
Is anal sex on the menu tonight? If you’re hoping to be on the receiving end of a good pegging, you’re going to need some decent lube. But even if you’re the putter and not the pitcher in this particular sexual scenario, when it comes to bum fun you can never have too much lube. Sliquid Sassy uses natural plant cellulose to keep things sticky, so it will be kinder to your ring piece and won’t give you (or your lover) thrush either.
On the subject of anal, if you’re feeling even remotely anxious about butt fun, it’s likely to hurt more. The back entrance can be sensitive at the best of times, and clenching your buttcheeks will not lend itself to a comfortable bum session. You need to feel super-relaxed before you can get so much as a single digit up there, nevermind a hard penis. Step in numbing lube, the solution to your tight-ass woes. This clever product literally numbs localised areas you might be keen to explore so that fingers, sex toys and human appendages can slip in easier. Win-win.
It might sound like it belongs on a coastal stag do, but fruity lube can work wonders in the bedroom and this strawberry-flavoured option from Lovehoney might just transform your sex life. Strawberries are believed to have aphrodisiac properties. But let’s be honest, the real bonus here is that we all sometimes taste a bit cheesy. Apply this juicy lube to your shaft and it promises to transform your sex session into a sensory paradise. Hey, if it boosts your chances of getting head tonight, roll with it…
From supplements to fizzy drinks, CBD is having a moment. But just when you thought the market couldn’t be any more saturated, CBD lube steps in and raises the bar. The theory goes that CBD-infused products come with relaxing and soothing properties that lend themselves well to a good old rodgering. The truth is we were already pretty turned on when we tried this product, so it’s hard to tell just how relaxing a gel product can be. That said, if you’re after a light and long-lasting water-based lube with no nasties in sight, Oomph lube is a winner.
Arguably good sex is pretty tingly anyway. But if you struggle with occasional erectile dysfunction or just prefer a little extra sensation in the pants department, this is a really fun product to try. The best way to describe it is when you accidentally use a little too much mint shower gel while cleaning your peen but pause to enjoy the moment. It might feel a tad unusual at first, but we relished the unusual sensation.
If you’re in for the long haul tonight, you’re going to need a silicone-based lube. This thick and juicy gel is super-concentrated so you can use it sparingly and it will keep going all night long. It’s also condom and latex safe too. Just be aware that it’s thicker than some of the other best lubes on our list, so it’s a bit of a bugger to remove from your bedlinen. But hey, it’s a great excuse to get jiggy in the bathroom/kitchen and save your Egyptian cotton bed sheets.
Arguably sex is supposed to be messy, so throw caution to the wind and get seriously stuck in with this luxuriant oil-based lube. It contains almond oil and shea butter to keep things supple, plus it feels warmer to the touch than some of the lubes on our list, which makes it glide on easier.
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