The New York Times - Our guide to lube

Plus: What else is hot at Wirecutter this week
View in browser
The Recommendation

You can do better than drugstore lube

Four personal lubricants pictured with fruit.
Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Personal lubricant can enhance both solo and partnered sex, making the experience more comfortable and pleasurable overall. But finding the right one can be tricky.

To find the best ones, we tried 29 options: We assessed the feel, smell, and taste of each, and we considered factors like packaging (Is the bottle travel friendly? Is it discreet enough to display?), price, and consistency. And we interviewed experts, including sex educators, doctors, sex-toy store owners, and even the chief science officer of a major lube company.

After all that, we’re sure that there is no single best lube for every body and every sexual activity. But we did find six great standout options for different needs to help kick-start your search.

The lubes we recommend→

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more ›


What’s hot at Wirecutter

Nine pairs of sunglasses of varies colors and styles, neatly arranged in three rows.

Our favorite cheap sunglasses

We found seven high-quality pairs that won’t break the bank→

Two images with a border, one of a pizza on a wooden cutting board and one of a pizza coming out of the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven.

“This outdoor pizza oven transports me back to Italy”

How one Wirecutter journalist uses a portable pizza oven to whip up divine crusts and melty cheese pulls in her backyard→

A selection of our favorite gifts that'll last forever, including a butter warmer, scissors, a trivet, and a leather tote.

23 gifts that’ll last forever (or extremely close)

Including beautiful wooden bowls and a luxurious leather tote→

Plus: The best vibrators

Five of the vibrators we tested for this guide, including all of our picks for best vibrator, shown side by side.
Photo: Sarah Kobos

Shopping for sex toys can be intimidating for first-time buyers and experienced users alike. After 10 years of research and testing, we still think our (widely beloved) top pick is the best vibrator. No other toy offers the same level of power and intensity. And as an added bonus …

It’s an effective body massager, too→

Yep. We really do test everything.

You can reach the Wirecutter Newsletters team at newsletters@wirecutter.com. We can’t always respond, but we do love to hear from you.

Was this email kindly forwarded to you? Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for The Recommendation from The New York Times.

To stop receiving The Recommendation, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to The Times

Connect with us on:

facebooktwitterinstagram

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

Older messages

Wednesday Briefing: Major protests in Nairobi

Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Also, Julian Assange's plea deal with the US View in browser|nytimes.com Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition June 26, 2024 Author Headshot By Amelia Nierenberg Good morning. We're

We love this not-a-hat hat

Monday, June 24, 2024

It's cute, packs down small, and banishes hat hair View in browser The Recommendation “The $20 visor I'll be wearing all summer long” A person wearing the Simplicity Roll-Up Straw Sun Visor on

Tuesday Briefing: Dagestan attack revives terrorism fears in Russia

Monday, June 24, 2024

Also, a shift in Israel's focus and extreme heat in Mecca. View in browser|nytimes.com Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition June 25, 2024 Author Headshot By Amelia Nierenberg Good morning. We

Monday Briefing: Among some Israelis, muted sympathy for Gaza

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Also, shootings in Dagestan, a Russian republic. View in browser|nytimes.com Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition June 24, 2024 Author Headshot By Amelia Nierenberg Good morning. We're

How to keep your house cool

Sunday, June 23, 2024

Plus: Douse yourself with buckets of cold water View in browser The Recommendation How to stay cool when it's extremely hot An illustration of two people on pool floats, on top of an ice cube tray.

You Might Also Like

Prediction Markets Suggest Replacing Biden

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Mantic Monday 7/1/24 ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Nasty regreSSHion bug in OpenSSH puts roughly 700K Linux boxes at risk [Tue Jul 2 2024]

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Hi The Register Subscriber | Log in The Register {* Daily Headlines *} 2 July 2024 software bug Nasty regreSSHion bug in OpenSSH puts roughly 700K Linux boxes at risk Full system takeovers on the cards

Our Favorite Underwear Is 10 Bucks for a 3-Pack

Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Here's what you missed on the Strategist. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. Our

Trump-o unchained

Monday, July 1, 2024

The Supreme Court handed Trump broad new protections from criminal prosecution. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Six Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Decision on Trump and Presidential Immunity

Monday, July 1, 2024

Columns and commentary on news, politics, business, and technology from the Intelligencer team. Intelligencer the law 6 Takeaways From the Supreme Court's Decision on Trump and Presidential

Our most popular picks from June

Monday, July 1, 2024

Plus, what your newsletter editors bought View in browser The Recommendation Everything you loved in June Clockwise, from left to right: A portable camping chair, a window AC unit, and bug spray. Photo

Tuesday Briefing: Top court gives Trump significant immunity

Monday, July 1, 2024

Plus, what's next for France View in browser|nytimes.com Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition July 2, 2024 Author Headshot By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering the Supreme

Kingdom Come

Monday, July 1, 2024

Immunity Split Decision, Biden's Choice ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Seattle-area EV chargers hit by ‘epidemic’ of cable theft 

Monday, July 1, 2024

Snowflake moving into larger Bellevue office | Warren Buffett's Gates Foundation funds will dry up ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Washington state's second-largest city is the hub of

☕ All eyes on me

Monday, July 1, 2024

How Olympic years breathe life into niche sports. July 01, 2024 Marketing Brew PRESENTED BY Wistia It's Monday. The entire Marketing Brew team is OOO this week conducting research on how all those