Which is the Best Lube?

15 February 2011

A well-chosen lube can enhance any sexual experience and leave you wondering how you ever got by without it. From flavoured lubes to silicone lube, solo play and fun with a partner, this guide will help you to find the perfect sexual enhancement for any occasion.

You may be familiar with well-known lube brands such as Durex Lube, Pasante, ID Glide and KY Jelly, all of which are favourites with fans of slippery and pleasurable sex, and through exploring Lovehoney's wide selection of lube products and brands, you'll be introduced to other new and exciting lubes such as Tracey Cox Supersex Lube and Sliquid Organics.

So if you've come this far in your sex life without using lube, why should you start now? Even if you feel that your body is doing a great job without any assistance, you might be missing out on reams of extra pleasure without knowing it.

Lube Types

Water-Based Lubricant

Water-based lubes such as our best-selling Tracey Cox Supersex Love Lube or Sliquid Organic’s Vegan-friendly lubricants have a light, natural feel which is perfect for vaginal play, and they won't rot your condom. Nor will they stain your bedsheets, mess with your barrier contraception or - and this is of great importance - warp the surface of your faithful vibrator. The only downside with water-based lubes is that you may need to use quite a lot during prolonged sessions as it can dry out easily and be absorbed into the skin.

Silicone Lubricant

Silicone-based lubes give us the best of both worlds: the highly-arousing, slick feel of oil plus the safety-first advantages of water-based lube. Silicone lube is generally more expensive than water-based lube but you get a lot for your money.

The long-lasting properties mean you won’t need to keep topping up your lubrication and you’ll probably need less of it too. Silicone lube is even waterproof, so next time you're off on holiday pack some silicone lubes along with your factor 25 and get busy in the pool.

One note of caution: silicone lubes and silicone toys don't mix. Silicone will not harm latex and is perfectly safe for internal use as silicone molecules are too big to enter the body.

Flavoured Lube

Water-based lubricants with a tasty twist. Wonderful for oral sex, they can make foreplay great fun and tasty, too. Lovehoney's bestselling flavoured lubricants are from Durex Play and Pasante and come in delicious flavours including cherry lube, strawberry lube and pina colada. If you're looking for more adventurous flavours, ID Juicy lubes come in twelve varieties so you can have plenty of fun tasting each fruity flavour and seeing which one is for you. Flavoured lubricants are equally as suitable for penetrative sex, so oral sex doesn't have to be the main agenda when using these delicious treats.

Anal Lube

The consistency of anal lubes is much thicker than that of ordinary lubes. This extra thickness helps protect the sensitive skin of the anus and many also offer a moisturising effect to. When using anal lube, apply it both to your anus and your sex toys or partner. Although it might be difficult to achieve penetration at first, you'll appreciate the ultra slick feel once you get into the swing of things. Maximus Anal Lubricant and Tracey Cox Supersex Anal Lubricant are both best-sellers and designed to stay slippery for longer to enable safe and enjoyable anal play.

Organic Lube

An increasingly popular choice for those concerned with the environment and sensitivity, organic lubes such as Sliquid Organics Natural Gel Lube are often fortified with beneficial ingredients and soothing botanical extracts. Using plant-based cellulose for thickness, these lubes are safe to use and ideal for those investing in a healthy lifestyle and clear conscience. All Yes Organic Lubes meet the Soil Association Organic Standard, are Vegetarian Society approved and made from all-natural ingredients, including hypoallergenic aloe vera, with oil-based or water-based lubes available from the range.

Warming and Cooling Lube

Fast becoming a must-have in every bedside cabinet, warming and cooling lubes are a fun and easy way to spice up your sex life. They're water-based lubes that contain special ingredients that feel warm or cool on the skin - and react when you start rubbing or blowing. There are a variety of stimulating lubricants and gels available, designed to stimulate, increase desire and introduce women to intense orgasms. Durex Play O Female Orgasm Gel is one of the leading stimulating orgasm gels on the market and is popular with Lovehoney customers.

Designed for both solo play or as an accessory for better sex with your partner, stimulating lubes have are designed to add a little extra orgasmic zing to your sex life.If you are keen to experiment with a whole range of sensory titillation, Durex Play Sensations gives you the opportunity to play around with 10 sachets of warming, tingling, soothing and flavoured lube to help you decide which is the one for you or to simply add a bit of variety to your sex life.

For Better Sex - Lube!

A recent study by Sexual Health Researchers at Indiana University gave lube samples to a group of women to use during all of their sexual activities over the course of two weeks. Over 70% of participants reported more sexually-satisfying experiences of masturbation, sex toy use and penetrative sex. With results like that, even the most lubricated of women will be turning to bottles of the good stuff in preparation for pleasure.

There are times in a woman's life - certain days within the menstrual cycle, just after childbirth, during or after the menopause - when natural lubrication needs a helping hand. Reaching for a bottle of lube provides a simple, fun and highly-effective way of continuing a healthy sex life.

Stress, tiredness, some over-the-counter drugs and contraceptive medications or devices can also contribute to a drier-than-normal vagina. Having sex without lube when the body is feeling a little run down can lead to tiny tears in the vagina which are sore and leave it vulnerable to infection. Tiny tears in the anus can be even more of a problem - so if that is your preference, lubricate, lubricate, lubricate! The anus isn’t self lubricating and will need extra help in order to keep it healthy.

Sex Toys and Lube

Lubricants, oils and lotions are commonly used to slick-up solo sex. Masturbation lubes can enhance any solo play and all lubricants help sex toys slip and slide, just make sure your chosen lube won't mess with your toy. Some lubes, like Liquid Silk, are formulated specifically for use with sex toys. Your lube can even help to care for your toys, providing nourishment to the materials and helping them stay in pristine condition. Latex toys in particular benefit from contact with silicone lube.

Oil-based lubes cannot be used with latex condoms as it weakens the rubber and causes them to rot and on a similar vein, it isn't advisable to use with sex toys made out of rubber. Silicone lube is also a big no for use with silicone toys and remember, lube is an area which is best left to the professionals to develop and test so avoid reaching for Vaseline or cooking oil as they are known to carry infections and rot latex.

The good news is water-based lubes go well with just about everything, are generally odourless, condom compatible and usually tastless. They are a great choice for sex with a partner or with sex toys, although you may find it too thin for extended couple play and anal penetration.

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