I will shout it from the mountain tops as many times as necessary – your bedroom should have a bottle of lube! The ideal is more than one. Whether you fly alone or with a co-pilot, too much friction is a bad time for everyone. Even if it doesn’t seem like you need lube, you’ll be better off using some to protect yourself from chafing and micro-tears on sensitive tissues. We’ve tried several types, from silicone and oil to water; These are the best lubricants we have tried.
Be sure to check out our Best Sex Toys and Best Vibrators guides for more WIRED-tested recommendations.
Updated April 2024: We added Gun Oil Silicone Lubricant and Uberlube Silicone Lubricant.
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Lubricant based on silicone, water and natural oil
Photography: Lady
There are two main types of lubricants to consider: water-based and silicone-based.
Water-based lubricants They are by far the most common and affordable options you’ll find online or in a sex shop, and for most people, they’re the way to go. High-quality water-based lubricants could also be called aloe-based lubricants because Aloe barbadensis Leaf gel is the main thickener in almost all of them. Provides a high degree of slipperiness without leaving a sticky residue. (Sometimes a mushroom extract is also used to help achieve a silky-smooth texture.) However, not all water-based lubricants are created equal and some can be sticky. They have a bad habit of being absorbed quickly into the skin, so they need to be reapplied more frequently than other lubricants. Still, they are body and toy safe, making them by far the easiest option.
silicone lubricants, on the other hand, are oil-based and provide a much greater degree of friction reduction and last longer because they are not absorbed as easily by the skin. Because they are oil-based, you have to be careful not to stain your sheets or clothing when using them. Additionally, silicone lubes can degrade silicone toys over time, so it’s best to keep most of your toys away from silicone lube (although glass toys and silicone lube get along just fine).
Lubricants based on natural oils They are becoming more common and generally use vegetable oils such as coconut oil or avocado oil to provide lubrication. The advantage of these is that they work very well with silicone toys and don’t degrade them like silicone-based lubes do, and since they are made from natural oils, they generally smell pretty good. The downside is that they are a little more delicate and don’t provide as much lubrication as silicone-based lubes.