The 12 Best Personal Lubricants That Make Sex Way More Fun

Communication may be the best way to upgrade your sex life, but the best personal lubricant is a very close second. 

"Store-bought lube offers a convenient, easy way to make any sexual interaction or act more comfortable and pleasurable," says medical doctor and women's health specialist Clare Bertucio, MD, the CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Medicine Mama. When dry, the sensation of skin-on-skin or toy-on-skin can create an uncomfortable amount of friction that results in pain rather than sexual pleasure, she explains. But even just one pump of personal lubricant (aka sex lube) adds a slippery, liquid layer that allows bodies and toys to glide one another in a way that feels *oh so good.* 

The only rub? With so many options for sale—and a few different types of lube out there—trying to choose the best personal lubricant for you can cause libido-crushing stress. That's not ideal. So, to make it easy, we put together this guide for the best lubes for every sexual need and preference. Whether you're looking for a toy-safe pick for solo play, a masturbation cream to grease your willy, or a long-lasting aid for anal sex, you'll find a personal lubricant that will elevate your pleasure. 

Best personal lubricants, at a glance:

1. 1.
   Best Overall: Coconu Water-Based Organic Lubricant, $27
2. 2.
   Best Value: Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant, $12
3. 3.
   Best for Vaginal Play: Sliquid Satin, $15
4. 4.
   Best for Anal Sex: Hello Cake Tush Cush, $22
5. 5.
   Best For External Play: Boy Butter Lubricant, $26
6. 6.
   Best Water-Based: Sutil Rich Botanical Lubricant, $30
7. 7.
   Best Silicone-Based: Überlube, $25
8. 8.
   Best Oil-Based: Foria Intimacy Sex Oil with CBD, $36
9. 9.
   Best Flavored: Sliquid Swirl Green Apple, $14
10. 10.
    Best for Travel: DeoDoc Lubricant Drops, $25
11. 11.
    Best for Menopause: Medicine Mama Intimate Glide, $24
12. 12.
    Best Waterproof: Lubify Luxe Lube Neroli, $36

What to look for in a personal lubricant

But before you buy lubricant, it can help to know what you should be looking for in the first place. There are several different types of lubes that are made from different ingredients and come in a variety of flavors. Take the following things into consideration to see which kind of lube is best for you and your needs.

Type 

There are four major types of lubricants, each offering its own unique benefits. 

• Water-based lubricant: The most budget-friendly and versatile lubricant on the market, the best water-based lubes are compatible with all barriers and all toys, making them an easy choice for solo and partnered play. The downside is that most water-based picks dry out within just a few minutes, as the water in their formula gets absorbed into your skin. This means you'll have to stop to reapply more often. Keep in mind: they aren't optimal for anal sex as friction can create discomfort and cause those delicate tissues to tear. 
• Silicone-based lubricant: Silicone-based lubricants are longer-lasting and thicker than water-based formulas, which is excellent for marathon and anal play. It is also safe for use with all barriers. However, silicone sticks to itself, so using silicone lube with silicone sex toys will warp and ruin your favorite sex aid. It's also worth mentioning that they're usually a little more expensive, can stain your sheets, and some formulas get sticky. 
• Hybrid lubricant: Typically, hybrid lubricants are water-based products with a small amount of silicone-based formula added. This marriage makes hybrid options longer-lasting than purely water-based picks. Plus, because the amount of silicone is usually relatively low, most hybrid lubes are safe to use with silicone sex toys. Hybrid lubes are typically best for anal penetration with silicone dildos (i.e., pegging), as well as for vaginal toy play for individuals who don't naturally produce any lubrication at all, including those with a vaginoplasty). 
• Oil-based lubricant: Much like body and baking oil, oil-based lubricants are ultra-slippery. Their staying power makes them ideal for people who don't like to interrupt play to reapply, while their neutral taste is nice for pleasure-seekers who want to alternate between oral sex and (vaginal) penetration. However, oil-based lubes can only be used during solo play or with partners with whom you are fluid-bonded, as oil degrades the integrity of latex barriers and thus renders them ineffective at protecting against STI transmission or unintended pregnancy. 

Ingredients

Certain lube ingredients—glycol, glycerin, alcohol, and fragrances—are well-known to cause issues such as irritation and infection (like yeast), so you’ll want to avoid those. You'll also want to skip any lube that contains ingredients to which you're personally allergic or sensitive, as well as parabens and preservatives, says Dr. Bertucio. 

Broadly speaking, the fewer ingredients a lubricant has, the better it is. But for people in the menopause transition as well as those navigating vaginal dryness, Dr. Bertucio recommends seeking out a lube with natural moisturizers such as aloe, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid. 

Flavored vs. edible 

Most personal lubricants on the market are, at the very least, safe to ingest in small quantities. However, while some lubricants have a taste reminiscent of Elmer's glue and others have no discernible flavor, flavored lube tastes like candy, cocktails, or even chai. 

If you enjoy oral sex after lube-supported penetrative, hand, or toy play, you’ll want to opt for a personal lubricant that doesn’t make you gag. Many of the non-flavored water-based lubes below are totally tasteless. 

However, if oral sex is the only activity on the menu, you might want a lube formulated to taste fruity, fun, or savory. While flavored lubes may detract from the mouth-watering, natural taste of your loved one, they can help those with scent or taste shame actually enjoy the moment. "Flavored lubes can also cover the plastic taste of latex during oral sex with barriers," says Lisa Finn, a sex educator with sex-toy store Babeland. 

Packaging and dispenser 

Your sex life will benefit from you judging a personal lube by its bottle. You'll want a design that is both easy to use in the heat of the moment and hygienic. Pump bottles are my personal favorite because I can add more slippery stuff to my sexual activity without the bottle getting slick with lube. Meanwhile, tub dispensers are the least ideal design, as sticking a hand into the lube transforms the aid into a breeding ground for bacteria. 

Consider how discrete the labeling is. While some options will blend seamlessly into your collection of hand creams and pillow spray on the nightstand, others make their intended use very well-known. 

12 best personal lubricants

Best Overall: Coconu Water-Based Organic Lubricant

$27

After more than a decade of testing lubricants professionally, Coconu Water-Based is my favorite—and there’s no competition. For starters, this slick and silky selection is compatible with all sex toys and barriers, so I can use it whether I’m getting down with a vibrator or utilizing condoms or latex underwear with a partner. It is also pH-balanced to match the vagina and has never messed with my finicky microbiome. To top it off, the ultra-hydrating coconut water leaves my sensitive tissues moisturized ever after sex. 

Type: Water-based
Size: 3 ounces
Notable ingredients: Coconut water, xanthan gum, guar gum, potassium sorbate

Shop at Babeland

Pros:

• Texture mimics natural lubrication
• Smells great and tastes neutral 
• pH balanced to match the vagina 
• Safe for use with toys and condoms

Cons:

• Only available in a squeeze bottle 

Best Value: Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant

$12

Good Clean Love’s Almost Naked is a favorite amongst gynecologists and experts for its body-friendly formula. It’s free from additives that can disrupt the vaginal flora, like petrochemicals, parabens, and glycerin, says Carol Queen, PhD, a sex educator with Good Vibes and co-author of The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone. But it contains other ingredients designed to hydrate and moisturize whatever tissues it touches. OB/GYN Lucky Sekhon, MD also adds that there’s lactic acid that helps the vagina maintain its natural pH balance after sex. 

Type: Water-based
Size: 4 ounces
Notable ingredients: Aloe, xanthan gum, agar, lactic acid

Shop at Walmart

Pros:

• More affordable than alternatives 
• Hydrating aloe-vera-infused formula 
• pH-balanced formula 
• Safe for use with all toys and barriers

Cons:

• Squirt tube increases risk of mess 
• Bottle appearance is not as appealing as others 

Best for Vaginal Play: Sliquid Satin

$15

With Sliquid Satin, your body will give you the smooth and silky feeling you've been needing. “Developed specifically to alleviate vaginal dryness, Sliquid Satin has a great all-natural formula with aloe to help moisturize and hydrate the body while providing additional lubrication,” says Finn. This slippery sex aid is thicker than most other water-based picks, which creates a nice cushiony layer for comfort, they say. “Because it’s water-based, it's safe to pair with any toy or safer sex barrier material, as well as for body-to-body play," Finn adds.

Type: Water-based
Size: 4.2 ounces
Notable ingredients: Water, plant cellulose, aloe, tocopherols

Shop at Babeland

Pros:

• Doubles as a vaginal moisturizer
• Thicker than most water-based options 
• Contains hydrating aloe 

Cons:

• Will have to reapply often

Best for Anal Sex: Hello Cake Tush Cush

$22

Anal penetration should never hurt and Hello Cake's anal lube keeps things on the pleasure end of the spectrum. The gel-like consistency of the aptly named Tush Cush creates a cushiony layer between your anal canal and whatever toy or body part is getting inserted. The hybrid formula features a part-water, part-silicone base, offering the best of both worlds. It's safe to use with silicone toys, just like all water-based lubricants, while also providing the long-lasting formula typically associated with silicone. Oh, and while the lube is specifically labeled for its prowess during peach play, it's also a safe and satisfying option for vaginal or penile play. 

Type: Hybrid
Size: 3.3 ounces
Notable ingredients: Propylene glycol, water, phenoxyethanol, dimethicone

Shop at Hello Cake

Pros:

• Designed for all types of anal 
• Thick jelly consistency
• Safe for use with all toys and barriers 
• Can also be used for vaginal or penile play

Cons:

• Non-discrete bottle 

Best For External Play: Boy Butter Lubricant

$26

Don’t let the fact that it's packaged like a butter substitute keep you from this wondrously creamy contender. “Boy Butter is named because it is homogenized like real butter, which gives it a delightfully creamy consistency,” says Finn. Especially beloved by people with penises, this oil-based option is long-lasting and leaves skin feeling soft with each stroke. Plus, “the adorable squeeze bottle has an easy flip-off cap for mess-free reapplication,” they say. 

Type: Oil-based
Size: 9 ounces
Notable ingredients: Vegetable oils, glycerin, polysorbate 60, techoyl acetate

Shop at Babeland

Pros:

• Ultra-creamy consistency 
• Long-lasting masturbation cream
• Made for hand and toy play 

Cons:

• Not safe for use with condoms 
• Gendered lingo 

Best Water-Based: Sutil Rich Botanical Lubricant

$30

Sutil Rich is the chocolate fudge cake of personal lubricants—it’s thick, creamy, and a little goes a long way. Despite having a water-based, Sutil Rich's viscosity has staying power that allows you to go and go, rarely stopping to reapply. Dr. Queen also likes that it’s infused with various botanicals (like horny goat weed), which support the arousal process and pleasure. 

Type: Water-based
Size: 4 ounces
Notable ingredients: Water, propanediol, hyaluronic acid, lotus root

Shop at Amazon

Pros:

• Very long-lasting 
• Unscented and unflavored 
• Safe for use with all toys and barriers 

Cons:

• Squeeze bottle

Best Silicone-Based: Überlube

$25

Sex-havers everywhere love (love!) Überlube for its long-lasting formula, slinky consistency, and sensitive-skin friendly formula. “It’s a best-seller across the board for a reason,” says sex educator Marla Renee Stewart, MA, expert with Lovers and co-author of The Ultimate Guide To Seduction and Foreplay. “The Scentless, tasteless, and non-staining option is great whether you’re fluid bonded or using barriers of any kind.” (Yes, it’s safe for use with latex). Meanwhile, the elegant, clear glass bottle is discrete and features a pump top that makes it easy to reduce spill, she says. Also neat: This lube works overtime as an anti-thigh chafing cream and hair gel, too. 

Type: Silicone-based
Size: 1.7 ounces
Notable ingredients: Dimethicone, cyclomethicone, vitamin E

Shop at Babeland

Pros:

• Safe for use with condoms 
• Pump top for easy application 
• Simple formula 
• Infused with moisturizing vitamin E 

Cons:

• Not for use with silicone toys 

Best Oil-Based: Foria Intimacy Sex Oil with CBD

$29

19% off

Clap it up for Foria Intimacy Sex Oil with CBD, the two-time trophy winner for best oil-based personal lubricant and best CBD lube. This option contains two powerful ingredients—MCT coconut oil and 400 milligrams of CBD—which work together to synergistically improve your sex life. “It can reduce friction, enhance pleasure, and support relaxation, especially for those experiencing pain or discomfort during sex,” says Kiana Reeves, somatic sex expert and sex and community educator with Foria. Additionally, it can be used as a massage oil during pre-penetration play or along your legs after pounding pavement. 

Type: Oil-based
Size: 3.8 ounces
Notable ingredients: Coconut oil, CBD

Shop at Foria

Pros:

• Contains just two ingredients 
• Doubles as a massage oil 
• Pump bottle application 
• Free from THC

Cons:

• Not safe with latex

Best Flavored: Sliquid Swirl Intimate Glide in Green Apple

$14

Tasting your partner is one of the most intimate experiences. But for the days stress around their flavor keeps them from relaxing into your oral lovemaking, you’re short on spit, or you’re both feeling playful, there’s flavored lube. Finn recommends Sliquid’s Swirl line, which contains a variety of sugar-free, punchy options. “If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth and want something a bit bolder in flavor, the Green Apple tastes exactly like the green apple Jolly Rancher,” they say. “The slightly sour flavor also helps the giver’s mouth create extra saliva, which mixes with the lube to make it even longer-lasting for some delightful oral play,” they say. 

Type: Water-based
Size: 4 ounces
Notable ingredients: Water, plant cellulose, conditioner, flavoring

Shop at Walmart

Pros:

• Fun, fruity flavor 
• Supports natural saliva production 
• Free from sugar 
• Multiple other flavors available 

Cons:

• Best for just oral sex 

Best for Travel: DeoDoc Lubricant Drops

$25

Home humping isn’t the only sex that benefits from a little extra wetness—vacation sex does, too. For a personal lubricant that will go undetected through security, you can’t do better than this luxury creation by Swedish intimacy line DeoDoc. This scentless silicone sex lubricant comes in a one-ounce travel-friendly bottle and sports a lock top that reduces the risk of it messing your bag mid-flight. Best of all? Because the Drops contain just four simple ingredients and are pH balanced to match the vagina, you can use it without worrying about a yeast, urinary, or bacterial infection interrupting your trip. 

Type: Silicone-based
Size: 1 ounce
Notable ingredients: Dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethiconol, phenyl trimethicone

Shop at Deo Doc

Pros:

• Travel-friendly size with a lock top 
• pH-balanced formula 
• Fragrance and flavor free 

Cons:

• Not for use with silicone sex toys 

Best for Menopause: Medicine Mama Intimate Glide

$24

Medicine Mama may be best known for VMagic, a vulva moisturizer with over 15,000 five-star reviews on Amazon—but their entire intimate care line is equally effective and well-made, including their Intimate Glide personal lubricant. I'm pre-menopausal, and I love how slick the sensitive-skin-friendly lube feels during use, as well as how moisturized it leaves my vulva after use. However, Dr. Bertucio notes that Intimate Glide's formula is particularly well-suited for individuals in the menopause transition and beyond. "The aloe reduces skin irritation and dryness that can cause painful intimacy, the hyaluronic acid helps support and hydrate vaginal tissue, and snow mushroom helps lock in hydration and increase tissue elasticity," she says. "It's also free of flavoring or added scents, which reduces the risk of irritation, and comes with a pump-top applicator for easy application." 

Type: Hybrid water- and aloe-based
Size: 2.5 ounces
Notable ingredients: Aloe, propanediol, mushroom extract, gluconolactone

Shop at Amazon

Pros:

• Designed for pre- and post- menopausal use
• pH-balanced to match the vagina 
• Safe for use with condoms and toys
• Contains moisture-locking ingredients 

Cons:

• Not the best for oral sex 

Best Waterproof: Lubify Luxe Lube Neroli

$36

Say hello to this lubricant that is waterproof and keeps you wet. The Lubify Luxe Lube Neroli is soft and hydrating, making it a great choice for anyone experiencing dryness or hormonal changes. This pH-balanced formula also contains ingredients like vitamin E and hyaluronic acid that keep your bits moisturized. If you're someone who wants a little bit of a sensual scent, the neroli and cedarwood oils infused in the lube awaken your senses and keep you relaxed. And because of its silicone-based nature, you don't have to reapply—so, a little definitely goes a long way.

Type: Silicone-based
Size: 2 ounces
Notable ingredients: Polydimethylsiloxanes, squalene, tocopheryl acetate, sodium hyaluronate, citrus aurantium amara flower oil, cedrus deodara oil

Shop at Lubify

Pros:

• Moisturizing and waterproof
• Subtle calming scents
• Airless pump is perfect for travel
• Good choice for anyone going through menopause

Cons:

• Not compatible with silicone sex toys
• Can be a little sticky

The bottom line

A squirt (or three) of the best personal lubricants can make your solo or partnered play more pleasurable, not to mention make sexual pain a thing of the past. All of the products have been vetted for efficacy, safety, and value and have been tested by me or our editors and personally recommended by a sexual health doctor or expert. When shopping for the best personal lubricant, consider how you'd like to use it and let that guide your selection. Trust, whichever you choose, your body and boo(s) will be happy you did.