The 8 Best Lubes of 2021

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First Look

Best Overall: Aloe Cadabra Natural Personal Lube at Amazon

"The aloe vera-based, edible lube gives you long-lasting moisture without damaging petroleum oil or silicone."

Best Organic: Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant at Amazon

"Certified-organic, the lubricant is made of only seven ingredients and leaves out everything you don't want."

Best Water Based: LOLA Personal Lubricant at mylola.com

"This features a convenient one-click pump so you can apply it without interruption."

Best For Sensitive Skin: Uberlube Luxury Lubricant at Amazon

"When you’re done using it, it becomes less slick, moisturizing your skin instead of demanding to be rinsed off."

Best Silicone: Sliquid Organics Silk Lubricant at Amazon

"Primarily made with organic ingredients, this aloe- and silicone-based hybrid lube offers long-lasting moisture."

Best Flavored: Wet Flavored Popp’n Cherry Edible Lube at Amazon

"This is a great lubricant and tastes very good on those occasions where the lubricant comes in contact with the mouth."

Best Heating: K-Y Warming Jelly Personal Lube Tube at Amazon

"The warming effect is quite pleasant without feeling too intense."

Best for Fertility: Pre-Seed Fertility Friendly Lubricant at Amazon

"This spermicide-free lubricant scored higher than comparable lubes on measures of sperm vitality and motility."

Using the right lubricant can make or break your sex life. Whether it’s for your own pleasure or it’s a joint effort with a partner, lube is the simplest way to reduce injury and ultimately take a sexual experience to the next level. No matter your sexual activity, lube can only make things better. You just have to know what you’re looking for and the following list can help. From all-natural options to the best lubricants for fertility, there are plenty of options on the market to fit your individual needs. Here are a few of the best picks on the market, so if you're looking to turn the heat up on your sex life, this is a great place to start.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Aloe Cadabra Natural Personal Lube

The Aloe Cadabra Natural Personal Lube is vegan and comes in four flavors. It’s free of parabens, petroleum, phenoxyethanol, glycerin, and other chemicals. In addition to it being safe for your body, it helps to reduce painful intercourse and menopause dryness. All in all, it’s a two-in-one deal as it acts as a personal lubricant and a vaginal moisturizer. Bonus: It’s edible, and rubber and plastic-friendly, so it won’t damage any of your sex toys.

Because it contains some vitamin E oil, you may want to exercise caution in pairing it with latex condoms.

Best Organic: Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant

Get ready, the water base behind the Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant will leave you feeling almost naked. It’s highly recommended by gynecologists and is free from petrochemicals, parabens, and glycerin.

The formula is long-lasting and easy to clean up. You won’t have to worry about it leaving behind any bothersome stains. It’s infused with light lemon and vanilla scents without irritating chemical additives making it ideal for anyone with sensitive skin.

Best Water Based: LOLA Personal Lubricant

Remember, you can never go wrong with a water-based lube. The LOLA Personal Lubricant features a simple, one-click pump that makes application a breeze and saves you from unnecessary messes.

It’s completely hypoallergenic and is made up of only six ingredients. The aloe leaf juice, vanilla, and lemon are all organic. There are no fragrances or synthetic flavors to complicate the moment, you’ll just be left with safe, sexual fun. Additionally, it has a pH-balanced formula to support better vaginal health.

Best For Sensitive Skin: Uberlube Luxury Lubricant

If you’ve ever had issues with lube before, you won't need to worry once you try the Uberlube Luxury Lubricant. It’s colorless, odorless, tasteless, and won’t leave behind any sticky, stain-prone residue.

On top of that, it’s free of animal products, parabens, alcohol, gluten, and glycerin, proving it’s made for sensitive skin and won’t harm healthy bacteria or affect pH levels. Furthermore, a little goes a long way with Uberlube, which certainly justifies its higher price tag. It has a single hand pump that will give you the perfect amount every time.

Best Silicone: Sliquid Organics Silk Lubricant

When being intimate, the last thing you should be thinking about is harmful chemicals in your body. Sliquid Organics Silk Lubricant’s silicone and water-based formula is free of any unwanted additives.

This lube is botanically infused and vegan, and the 12 percent silicone blend makes it longer lasting and perfect for sensual massages. If you apply it to your skin, the Aloe Vera in the formula acts as a natural moisturizer and alongside it, there’s vitamin E, green tea, and hibiscus within the lubricant. This combination is special and will result in the most unforgettable, invigorating sensations.

Best Flavored: Wet Flavored Popp’n Cherry Edible Lube

If you have a sexy sweet tooth, you won’t want to miss the Wet Flavored Popp’n Cherry Edible Lube that’s perfectly safe to eat. You may choose from five luscious flavors that are all sweeter than ever.

Surprisingly, the lube is sugar and gluten-free, but it will still taste like the real flavors without an artificial aftertaste. This product is made for foreplay, so if you’re looking for a sweet way to spice of your sex life (literally), this is it.

Best Heating: K-Y Warming Jelly Personal Lube Tube

From the second you play around with the K-Y Warming Jelly Personal Lube Tube, you’ll feel a warm sensation. You can trust K-Y with your needs as it’s a popular brand recommended by doctors.

Adding heat to your intimate moments can heighten your senses and enhance intimacy with your partner. You can opt for it in liquid or jelly form. If you prefer the item to stay in place, the jelly is your best choice. Neither options are too overwhelming and will never burn. It simply gives you the extra stimulation you may have been longing for.

Best for Fertility: Pre-Seed Fertility Friendly Lubricant

The Pre-Seed Fertility Friendly Lubricant is specifically designed for couples trying to conceive, so speak to your doctor and partner before purchasing it. The advanced product helps support sperm quality and is frequently used by fertility clinics.

It was developed by a female reproductive physiologist and many reviewers claim to have had success after using the product, so it’s certainly worth a try. The lube was made to create a welcoming environment for the sperm by mimicking fertile fluids, all while helping with the common problem of vaginal dryness.

Note: While this lube is glycerin-free, it does contain parabens.

Final Verdict

Lube can be the key to an all-around better sex life. It’s guaranteed to make the moments safer and more pleasurable, so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use it. If you’re nervous about it causing an irritation, stick with the unproblematic Uberlube Luxury Lubricant. It may be pricer, but it won’t leave behind any residue as it’s colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

What to Look for in a Lube

Natural Ingredients: Similar to most products, it’s beneficial to have all-natural labels. The Aloe Cadabra Natural Personal Lube is a go-to that’s gentle to the skin and features aloe vera, one of nature’s common moisturizers. The Sliquid Organics Silk Lubricant is another that boasts natural components including Vitamin E, Green Tea, and Hibiscus, which combined provide healthy, invigorating results.

Water: If all else fails, pick a water-based lube. It’s a safe choice that won’t harm your body. The LOLA Personal Lubricant is a water-based fan favorite that’s safe, easy to apply, and a pH-balanced formula that’s great for your vaginal health. The gynecologist-recommended Good Clean Love Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant should also be on your radar as it’s water-based without any chemical additives allowing it to work on all skin types.

Multipurpose: The lube you choose has to fit all your needs. If you’re hoping to get pregnant, that’s what the Pre-Seed Fertility Friendly Lubricant is for. For those interested in something different and new, try the K-Y Warming Jelly Personal Lube Tube, a product that turns to heat to intensify the senses. In short, whatever your need may be, the perfect formula is out there waiting.

Lube Ingredients to Avoid

Lubes can contain a range of ingredients—some of which you may want to avoid. A few worth looking out for:

Glycerin

Glycerin is a clear, odorless compound that acts as a humectant, which means it seals in moisture. Because of this, it’s often used to make lubes last longer. Some research has suggested that glycerin can damage skin cells, potentially increasing the transmission of STIs.

Nonoxynol-9

Nonoxynol-9 is a compound commonly added to lubes, because it can act as a spermicide. Some research has shown that long-term use of Nonoxynol-9 is associated with increased prevalence of bacterial vaginosis, but that this effect is generally rare and often dose-dependent.

Petroleum

Petroleum is a gooey, jelly-like compound found in some oil-based lubes to promote moisture. One small study found a link between petroleum jelly and an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis.

Propylene Glycol

Propylene glycol is a humectant added to lubes to make them last longer. One small study linked propylene glycol to the spread of STIs (specifically, herpes) in mice, but this effect does not seem to have been replicated in human-based research. Other research has linked propylene glycol to skin irritation—the American Contact Dermatitis Society went as far as naming the ingredient its "Allergen of the Year" for 2018.

Chlorhexidine Gluconate

Chlorhexidine gluconate is an antibacterial commonly used in mouthwashes and oral rinses. It’s also occasionally used in lube. Chlorhexidine gluconate may cause skin irritation. Poison Control also notes that chlorhexidine gluconate shouldn’t be orally consumed, so be sure to avoid it in any lubes you plan to use orally.

Parabens

Parabens are synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives in a number of products, lube included. Some experts have expressed concern that parabens could potentially disrupt the endocrine (or hormonal) system, but research has yet to clearly demonstrate this effect.

Some research has suggested that single-exposure parabens consumed at recommended doses do not significantly affect the endocrine system. But that same review notes that most of us aren’t exposed to just one paraben at a time, so further research is needed. Put simply, the jury is still out on this one.

Why Trust Verywell Health

As a seasoned health writer, Isis Briones knows the importance of finding products that work best for you and your conditions. You can count on her to always provide a variety of recommendations from licensed medical professionals because she has tested and reviewed tons of products over the years to know everyone is different.