Most people don’t really think about which lube to choose. They don’t know that the wrong lube can ruin their toy and can cause other problems. But the good lube can totally make the experience effortless and juicy and so satisfying.
You don’t need to be an expert, you “just” need to know some simple rules and play a bit around so that you can be sure that you have the yummies, most orgasmic sex.
So let’s start with the foundations
The 3 bases for lubes
Silicone-based: These lubes are longer-lasting, super slippery and feel very pleasurable. Unfortunately they are not compatible with most silicone and jelly toys. Hence the base is silicone and the toy is silicone they can merge. (I saw this once, and I've been even more cautious since then.) This depends a lot on how porous the silicone toy is, so some, very good quality silicone toys can be used with also premium quality silicone lubes, but please be careful, use your discernment and clean your toys thoroughly. They are safe with condoms.
Water-based lubes: They can be used all around with toys and condoms, but they are not as long-lasting as silicone lubes. Most of them start to feel a bit sticky after a while. If you add some moisture to them (saliva is perfect too) it can revive the lube. Premium water-based lubes (like the Skins Aqua Water Based Lubricant or the System JO H2O Lubricant) can also be very long-lasting.
Hybrid lubes: They are a mixture of water-based and silicone lubes combining the good features of both bases but a bit safer with toys. Again… please be very careful, clean your toys right away and very thoroughly..
Oil-based lubes: At the moment you can’t buy oil based lubes. They are safe to be used with silicone toys, but they are a big NO for condoms, latex, rubber or PVC.
Purity
If you are a sensitive person, maybe you also need a purer lube as well. Flavours, stimulants, and glycerine are the most well known irritants. I recommend to go for a clean, water-based lube like the ID Totally Naked or the Swiss Navy All Natural Lube.
Thickness
Some people love their lube very liquidy so it spreads thin and quick all over. Some prefer a very thick lube that stays exactly where you put it, without much spreading.
The Sliquid Natural Silver Silicone Lubricant is almost like an oil. It is super concentrated, and one drop can last for a very long time.
The Fist It Extra Thick is on the other end of this spectrum. It is especially liked for anal play because it just stays exactly where you put it allowing an amazing slide.
So it is not “just” about what you like, but what exactly fits the task the most.
Anal Lube
Why is anal lube a different category and can you use anal lube elsewhere or non anal lube in other places?
Most lubes are universal and you can use them wherever you feel like, so just because a lube is not “made” especially for anal, you are free to use them for the backdoor.
But some anal lubes can have a desensitising effect as an extra help for penetration, but this means that if you use them on other parts, you can also have the numbing effect, which is not necessarily what you want, like the Fist It Numbing Lube. You can have anal numbing and//or relaxing sprays separately, like for example the Boo Anal Desensitizer.
Flavoured lube
Edible and delicious lubes are always liked. Of course it is very subjective what flavour you like, but there is a lot to choose from, like Sex on the beach to passionfruit and the classic strawberry.
But you can want even more. Like the ID 3some is watermelon flavoured, but also a warming lube, perfect for oral play.
Extra stimulation
Of course you can have non flavoured warming lubes, or cooling ones, or tingling ones. They can help you to be more present in your genitals, inviting more blood and also more sensations in the area.
So it is all about what would work for you. Consider if you want to use toys or not, if you want some extra sensations or maybe some numbing or relaxing. Are you sensitive to any ingredients? … Be safe and have the most orgasmic time of your life.