45 Best Sex Positions Every Couple Should Try

Right now, off the top of your head, name every sex position you know. We'll wait. You probably listed the usual best sex position suspects—missionary, cowgirl, spooning, doggy. You can do better. Not just because it'll give her better orgasms, but for your own orgasms as well.

We have a few suggestions for the best sex positions. Well, more than a few—45, to be exact—ways to make sex better. (Have one you like best? Find out What Your Favorite Position Says about You.)

That number probably sounds intimidating. We're not saying you have to try all45 sex positions. Not in the same night, anyway. (Unless the mood strikes you. In which case, God speed!) Just add these moves to your sex position playbook, so you're ready when the time comes.

And don’t forget: Sex positions are only part of the formula for great sex. Discover How to Last Longer in Bed. You can thank us in the morning.

Benefits: Strong clitoral stimulation. In one study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, women who were unable to have an orgasm in the missionary position reported a 56 percent increase in orgasm frequency using the coital alignment technique.

The CAT is just like the missionary except that your body is farther up and to one side. Instead of being chest to chest, your chest is near her shoulders. Have her bend her legs about 45 degrees to tilt her hips up. This causes the base of your shaft to maintain constant contact with her clitoris.

Now try this: Ask her to straighten her legs. Push your pelvis down a few inches while she pushes up.

Hot Tip — His

Instead of thrusting up and down, rock forward and back to, hopefully, provide enough stimulation for her to orgasm. Also make this the best sex position by  grinding your pelvis in a circular motion. Other studies suggest even greater success, with up to 73 percent of women achieving orgasm with CAT.

Benefits: The blood will rush to your other head, too.

Move to the edge of the bed and lie back with your head and shoulders on the floor as she straddles you. The blood will rush to your head creating mind-blowing sensations upon orgasm.

Benefits: This is the best sex position for women who are particularly sensitive along one side of the clitoris.

Kneel on the floor with her lying on the edge of the bed. Raise one of her legs and ask her to support her leg by wrapping her hands around her hamstring just below the knee. With one hip raised, she’ll be able to add some movement to aid in your stroking or to help move you to the perfect spot.

Now try this: Encourage her to wriggle a little to help you get the rhythm right. 

Hot Tip — Hers

Let him know the tongue pressure and technique you prefer by demonstrating with your mouth on his earlobe.

Hot Tip — His

During oral sex allow the knuckle of your finger to trail behind your tongue. The contrast between soft flesh of the tongue and hard bone of the finger will create a pleasing sensation.

Benefits: Puts her in control. Great for G-spot stimulation and her orgasm.

Woman-on-top is one of the best sex positions because it allows for a variety of interesting sights and sensations, and offers her the psychological advantage of taking charge of pace and depth of penetration. Alternate between shallow and deep thrusts. "Shallow will stimulate the front third of the vagina, which is the most sensitive," says sex therapist Rebecca Rosenblat, author of Seducing Your Man.

Now try this: Lie chest to chest, with her stretching her legs out on top of your legs. She should brace her feet on the tops of yours and push off to create a rocking motion that will rub her vulva and clitorial area against your pubic bone for greater pleasure.

Hot Tip — His

It will be easier for her to climax if you stimulate her manually and orally until she is extremely aroused. From the woman-on-top position, have her squat over your face where you can orally stimulate her.

Benefits: Good G-spot stimulation.

Sit on the edge of the bed or on a chair with your feet on the floor. She turns away and backs up onto you, sitting between your legs. She can ride back and forth by pushing off the chair arms or pressing up with her feet. She can control the angle of entry by arching her back and pressing her buttocks into your groin. While doggy-style is about your dominance, The Hot Seat puts her in the driver's seat. And that makes it one of the best sex positions for both of you.

Now try this: She can reach under and stimulate the base of your penis, scrotum, and perineum. Meanwhile, you can reach around and stimulate her nipples.

Hot Tip — His

The best ways to help her get interested in sex when you can tell it's the farthest thing from her mind: Draw her a bubble bath, give her a massage, wrestle.

Benefits: Extra vibes.

This is a variation on the Hot Seat with her sitting in your lap, but this time planting yourselves on top of a washing machine set at the highest agitator cycle.

Benefits: Good hand holds for her, and you don't have to wait until reaching the bedroom.

This is a variation on the Hot Seat with her sitting on top of you while you sit on one of the stairs of a staircase! Stairs offer good seating possibilities, and a hand rail for extra support and lifting leverage for her.

Benefits: With a pillow under your head, you get an awesome view of her backside. She can control depth of penetration and pace with this sex position.

Lie on your back with your legs outstretched. She kneels next to you, then turns and spreads her legs, straddling your hips and facing your feet. Kneeling, she lowers herself onto your penis and begins riding you.

Now try this: Have her lean forward or back to change the angle of the penis for greater stimulation.

Hot Tip — Hers

From this position, she can easily reach down to stimulate herself or direct your penis to where it feels best.

Benefits: Dual stimulation for her; for you—a great view of her rear and your penis entering her.

Lie on your back and bend one of your legs, keeping the other outstretched. She straddles the raised leg with a thigh on either side and lowers herself onto your member so that her back is facing you. She should hold your knee and use it for support as she rocks up and down.

Now try this: She can press her vulva hard against your upper thigh rubbing as the feeling dictates.

Hot Tip — Hers

From Pole Position, she can massage your raised leg during the action. Or reach down and touch your perineum.

Benefits: Allows for face-to-face intimacy; cozy for long sessions.

Sit on a chair or the edge of the bed. She then faces you, wraps her arms around your back, climbs on top, and sits on your lap. Once in the saddle, she can can ride up and down on your penis by pressing with her legs or knees. Want to go faster? Assist by grabbing her buttocks and lifting and bouncing.

Now try this: She can sit astride facing you on a rocking chair. Old wooden rockers on hardwood or stone floors provide the greatest variety of good vibes.

Hot Tip — His

There's lots of room for creativity in this position for stimulating erogenous areas of the upper body, head, neck, and face. If she likes to have her nipples licked, go for it!

Benefits: Puts her in control; maintains intimacy.

Place pillows behind your back and sit on the bed with legs outstretched. She straddles your waist, feet on the bed. She then bends her knees to lower herself onto you, using one hand to direct your penis in. Just by pressing on the balls of her feet and releasing, she can raise and lower herself on your shaft as slowly or quickly as she pleases.

Now try this: From this position, you both lie back into the Spider position or its more challenging variation The X.

Benefits: This sex position is the piece de resistance for women who prefer a strong, upward stroking motion.

Place a pillow under her hips to tilt her pelvis up. Bend her knees so she can place her feet on your shoulder blades.

Now try this: Amplify your oral efforts with a simple sleight-of-hand trick: While you lap away, try using your hands to push gently upward on her abdomen, stretching her skin away from her pubic bone, and helping to coax the head of her clitoris out from beneath the hood.

Hot Tip — His

Let your tongue rest firmly and flat against the full length of her vaginal entrance, then have her move and grind against your tongue.

Benefits: The ultimate sex position for oral on the go, use this to get her in the mood and help her cut loose

Have your partner sit on a chair with her legs wide open. You take it from there. This is a good sex position for either beginning the slow build-up with loose, broad, strokes, or ending with strong suction. Your partner is able to easily guide you, and she's able to get a full view of you between her legs, which is a turn-on for many women.

Now try this: Switch to a swivel chair and turn it left and right as you hold your tongue stationary.

Hot Tip — His

Insert your index and ring fingers and stroke in a "come hither" motion to wake up her G-spot using this sex position. With either your tongue or other hand, apply pressure to her pubic bone. This dual stimulation executed just right will send her over the edge.

Benefits: A variation of One Up that allows for slow buildup.

Some women find direct clitoral stimulation uncomfortable. Having her close her legs during oral sex may help. Place your hand above her public mound applying light pressure, then rub your firm tongue on the area around the clitoris to add indirect stimulation.

Hot Tip — His

During oral sex allow the knuckle of your index finger of your free hand to trail behind your tongue. The contrast between the soft flesh of the tongue and hard bone of the finger will create a pleasing sensation.

Benefits: The deep penetration of doggy-style while face to face

Kneel and straddle her left leg while she is lying on her left side. She will bend her right leg around the right side of your waist, which will give you access to enter her vagina. For many women, rear entry hurts their backs. This sex position allows her to lounge comfortably while enjoying deep penetration.

Now try this: Manually stimulate her using your fingers. Or withdraw your penis and, holding the shaft with your left hand, rub the head against her clitoris to bring her to the brink of orgasm then you can reinsert when she wants you inside her.

Hot Tip — Hers

And ask her to direct you, faster, slower, lighter, harder.

Hot Tip — His

Be gentle with her clitoris. It's more sensitive than your penis, so touch lightly at first. Some women even prefer gentle pressure around it rather than direct stimulation. Go soft, then increase speed and pressure.

Benefits: Allows deep penetration and targeting the G-spot

She lies on her back. You kneel between her legs and raise them, resting her calves over your shoulders. Rock her in a side-to-side and up-and-down motion to bring the head and shaft of your penis in direct contact with the front wall of her vagina. Because this angle allows for deep penetration, thrust slowly at first avoid causing her discomfort.

Now try this: Bring her legs down and have her place her feet on your chest in front of your shoulders. This allows her to control the tempo and depth of thrusts.

Hot Tip — His
 

Notice her nearing orgasm. You do that by listening for her breath to become short and shallow. Flushed skin and slightly engorged breasts also indicate she's nearing the peak of her arousal.

Benefits: Deep penetration and an erotic view.

This could be your next move after starting in The Flatiron sex position. Entering her from behind, you'll be able to thrust deep so the tip of your penis touches her cervix, an often-neglected pleasure zone. But you should do this slowly and gently. Some women find it painful.

Hot Tip — Hers

She may be able to increase the intensity of your orgasm by pushing her pelvic floor muscles outward, as if trying to squeeze something out of her vagina. This causes the vaginal walls to lower, making her G-spot more accessible.

Benefits: Intensifies vaginal pleasure

She lies face down on the bed, knees slightly bent and hips slightly raised. For comfort, and to increase the angle of her hips, she can place a pillow under her lower abs. You enter her from behind and keep your weight off of her by propping yourself up with your arms. This position creates a snug fit, making you feel larger to her.

Now try this: You'll last longer in this position if you switch to shallower thrusts and begin deep breathing.

Hot Tip — His

Less friction means less stimulation—and can help you last longer. Try using a very slippery silicon-based lubricant like Durex Play More, which may allow you to thrust longer before reaching orgasm.

Benefits: An extra rush of blood to her head to increase her ecstasy.

Have your partner lie on her back with her legs raised over her head. This is not a plain Jane position! Squat over her and dip your penis in and out of her. Be extra careful to thrust lightly to avoid stressing her neck.

Now try this: By removing yourself fully, you'll give her the extremely pleasurable feeling of you first entering her over and over again.

Hot Tip — His

Novelty ignites passion by increasing your brain's levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to romance and sex drive, says biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, PhD. The Butter Churner qualifies for novelty, but you don't need to go to such extremes to sustain romance. Anything that's new and different will do the trick.

Benefits: Erotic move for quickies in tight quarters. Good option for outdoor sex. Allows for easier penetration. She has control of thrusting, depth, and angle.

You stand facing one another. She raises one of her legs up and wraps it around your buttocks or thigh and pulls you into her with her leg.

Now try this: If her wrapped leg gets tired, cradle it with your arm. If she's very flexible, lift her leg over your shoulder.

Hot Tip — His

Try this standing position in a hot shower. During the steamy foreplay, rub each other's entire body with a coarse salt scrub to stimulate nerve endings and blood flow.

Benefits: You can enjoy the view of your penis thrusting.

Stand at the edge of a bed or desk while she lies back and raises her legs to her chest. Her knees are bent as if she's doing a "bicycling" exercise. Grab her ankles and enter her. Thrust slowly as the deep penetration may be painful for her.

Now try this: Have her place her heels on your shoulders, which will open her hips so her labia press against you.

Hot Tip — Hers

Encourage her to play with her clitoris manually. Also, show her that she can control your penetration by flexing her thighs.

Benefits: Good sex position for a quickie with deep penetration.

Another variation on The Ballet Dancer, in which she raises her legs up and wraps them around your butt or thighs. Your kitchen counter is the perfect height for this standing-to-seated appetizer.

Benefits: Good for an outdoors quickie, while still avoiding prying eyes.

A variation on The Ballet Dancer. Her buoyancy in the water makes this sex position easier to hold. And all you need to do is shift some bathing suit material out of the way of certain body parts; the lifeguards will be none the wiser.

Benefits: Calorie burner because it's so athletic. You can stroll around the house in this position, but draw the shades first.

You enter her as you would in standing, rear entry, but lift her up by the pelvis and have her grip your waist with her legs. Summer camp wheelbarrow races were never this much fun!

Now try this: Ask her to rhythmically squeeze her PC muscles to help her climax.

Benefits: Less strenuous than the standing varieties of this sex position, while still offering intense sensation.

Now try this: Try the wheelbarrow while sitting on the edge of a bed or chair. Movement is limited, but penetration is deep.

Hot Tip — His

Make some noise. Explore the deeper sexual response and energy by letting loose with powerful sounds, a roar, perhaps?

Benefits: An ideal position for G-spot stimulation. Seeing the round curves of her rear tends to be highly erotic for you.

Stand and enter her from behind as she poses on all fours on the edge of the bed and arches her back to lift her buttocks.

Now try this: With your legs outside of hers, use your thighs to squeeze her knees together, which tightens her vagina around your penis.

Benefits: Good for a quickie at a party.

Slip into a bathroom and ask her to look into the mirror while you enter her from behind. It lets you have eye contact during the G-spot-targeting rear-entry sex position.

Benefits: Convenient for a quickie and adds spice outside the bedroom.

Ask her to bend her body over the arm of a couch as you enter her from behind. She can grind on the firm but cushy arm for multiple stimulation with minimal effort.

Now try this: Have her cross her ankles. This will squeeze her vaginal and gluteal muscles tightly around your penis.

Benefits: Greater thrusting power, and good for quickie sex in your kitchen, especially if she is wearing a skirt.

Ask her to bend at the waist and rest her hands on a piece of furniture, her knees or the floor for support. You enter her from behind and hold her hips for support as you thrust.

Now try this: Reach below to caress her clitoris for extra stimulation.

Hot Tip — His

Massage her shoulders or stimulate her breasts by bending over her.

Benefits: Creates great eye-to-eye contact. Keeps your weight off her bod.

There's a reason women swoon when they see a six-pack. They know a man with strong abs is going to be great in the sack. The mountain climber position shows off your strength and hard abs (if you have them). While between her legs, assume the standard "up" sex position.

Now try this: Lower yourself to kiss her teasingly while thrusting with your shoulders as well as your pelvis.

Hot Tip — His

Tease her with a series of moves: by entering with just the tip; thrusting just halfway in; then removing yourself and stroking her outside with your member. She can reach down and grab your shaft and rub her clitoris with it.

Benefits: A little bit of variety if missionary begins to feel stale; good upper body exercise.

Place a pillow under the small of her back or her buttocks to tilt her pelvis and change the angle of your penetration for different sensations. Bracing yourself with your hands on the bed as in a pushup position, you take your weight off her body.

Benefits: Lots of eye and body contact.

The most commonly used position in the world, the missionary is an especially intimate position allowing for face-to-face contact. You like it because you can control penetration depth and speed of thrusting. She enjoys feeling your weight on her body, and the maximum skin-to-skin contact. Note that this position can make it more difficult to hold off ejaculation because of the intense friction and deep thrusting. To lengthen lovemaking, start there then switch to a position that maintains clitoral pressure without so much pelvic back and forth.

Now try this: Push up to create space in between you to sneak a small vibrator down for buzzing the top of her mound.

Hot Tip — His

Raise her left leg so her knee is level with your right shoulder. Keep her other leg flat on the bed. Thrust toward the inner thigh of her raised leg. This adjustment forces tighter penetration and more clitoral pressure.

Benefits: Comfortable sex position if she's pregnant or you're heavy. Also ideal for long lovemaking. Good one for falling asleep afterward.

You both lie on your sides facing the same direction, you behind her. She bends her knees and pushes her rear back toward you for easier access to her vagina. Adjusting the lean of your bodies will vary the angle of entry and help with rocking and thrusting.

Now try this: Synchronize your breathing. One of you takes the lead and the other follows so that you inhale and exhale together. The coordinated rhythm opens an unspoken dialogue of intimacy.

Hot Tip — His

To give her the sensation of greater width inside her, from the Spoon position have her bend and lift her top leg to her breasts. Adjust your position so you are more on top of her top hip than behind her.

Benefits: Offers a natural bridge to more creative positions.

She lies on her back, and raises her right leg so you can position yourself between her legs at a 90-degree angle and enter. Her legs will form the tines of a spork, a spoon-and-fork utensil. She can do this with you facing her or facing her back.

Now try this: If she's limber, lift her left leg up to increase the depth of penetration.

Hot Tip — Hers

From the Spork position, have her lift her top leg and support it by resting it on your shoulder. From here, she can easily stimulate her clitoris using her fingers while you're inside her.

Benefits: Relaxing position with deeper penetration and increased intimacy.

Both of you lie on your sides facing one another. She bends and spreads her legs, and angles her vagina toward you. You lift your legs between hers to enter while she wraps her legs around your back.

Now try this: She can use her legs and feet to pull you close during thrusts for deeper penetration.

Benefits: A very intimate face-to-face position that encourages hugging and kissing.

This is an ideal position if she is pregnant or either one of you had a knee injury because it keeps weight off the body. To get into the position, begin by lying on your sides and facing one another. She spreads her legs slightly to allow you to enter her, then closes her legs so the part of your shaft that's outside can press against her clitoris. It's easy to kiss from this intimate face-to-face position.

Now try this: Because thrusting is more difficult in this position, use different techniques such as grinding, circular, and up-and-down motions for added stimulation.

Hot Tip — Hers

Hug each other for 20 seconds before getting busy. Hugging raises your levels of oxytocin, a bonding hormone your body produces naturally, and that will enhance your connection. Awww ...

Benefits: Prolonged slow sex to build arousal. Shallow thrusts stimulate the nerve endings in the head of your penis.

Sit on the bed facing each other with legs forward. Lift your right leg over her left and she lifts her right leg over your left. Come together so you can enter. Now both of you lie back, with your legs forming an X. Slow, leisurely gyrations replace thrusting.

Now try this: Reach out and hold hands to pull together for pelvic thrusting. Also, take turns alternatively sitting up and lying back without changing the rhythm.

Benefits: She gets a prime view of your derriere.

This is challenging: She lies on her back while you straddle her facing away. She lifts her legs and wraps them around your back to elevate her pelvis so you can enter. She then grabs your butt to help you slide up and back. She can add a little massage action to her grip also.

Hot Tip — His

Spin around into missionary style to face her while trying to stay inserted. Then switch positions, this time with her on top and facing away.

Benefits: Quicker orgasms for her; easier motions. 

From The Spider, she can lift her legs onto your shoulders, which increases the muscular tension that advances the orgasm sequence. By elevating her butt off the bed, it'll be easier for her to thrust and grind in circles.

Benefits: You both can still maintain eye contact while viewing the action at center stage.

Both of you are seated on the bed with legs toward one another, arms back to support yourselves. Now move together and she moves onto you. Her hips will be between your spread legs, her knees bent and feet outside of your hips and flat on the bed. Now rock back and forth.

Now try this: She grabs your hands and pulls herself up into a squatting position while you lie back. Or you can remain seated upright and pull her against your chest into the Lazy Man position.

Hot Tip — His

Help turn her on by straddling her bottom and massaging her back. While you're busy with your hands, she can wiggle, grind, and move her mons pubis in a circular motion against the sheets to stimulate the clitoris.

Benefits: She can direct the position of your tongue and the pressure against her by rising up or pressing down.

She straddles you placing her knees at your ears. She can hold onto a wall or headboard for support. While you're doing your thing, she can use her fingers to graze her nipples or rub the top of her vulva.

Now try this: Hold your tongue firm as she gyrates her hips, pressing her clitoris against it.

Benefits: Simultaneous oral pleasure.

When she's on top in 69, she can control the intensity of oral stimulation on her clitoris by lifting or pressing her pelvis. From this position it's easy to work her finger magic on your perineum, the sensitive area just below your testicles. Also try the man-on-top position.

Now try this: Roll over onto your sides in the 69 sex position.

Hot Tip — Hers

Place a cup of warm tea and an ice cube on the nightstand near the bed. When she gives you oral sex, she can alternate placing the ice cube then the tea in her mouth.

Benefits: A comfortable position for the woman. An erotic one for you.

Rest a pillow behind her head, then straddle her shoulders. Support yourself by holding the bed's headboard or the wall.

Hot Tip — Hers

If her mouth becomes dry after awhile, she can add some mint- or fruit-flavored lube to your shaft.

Benefits: Great for out-of-bedroom fellatio.

She kneels in front of you, covering her teeth with her lips and encircling your glans with her mouth. She then slowly pistons her lips up and down on your shaft, alternating speeds and occasionally stopping to move her tongue over and around your head.

Now try this: Lean a dressing mirror against a wall to the side of your body so you can enjoy the view of her going down on your from the side versus top down.

Hot Tip — Hers

For variation, she can take one of your testicles into her mouth as she strokes the shaft with her hand. Want to satisfy her every single time? 

Benefits: See The Hot Seat. Also, adds bounce to his thrusts.

Have a ball in your workout room? Use a stability ball to add some bounce to The Hot Seat . Have him sit on the ball with his feet on the floor. Back up onto him, sitting between his legs. Roll and bounce to it.