Make a Splash in the Sack With the Best Water-Based Lubes

Listen, you deserve the best—the best cookware, the best bedding, and the best lube for your tube. I want you to be able to talk about the smorgasbord of lubricants in your bedroom the way most food-lovers talk about their selection of fancy olive oils. And whether you’re new to lube and looking to educate yourself on the best lube for every kind of sex, or a seasoned contestant of the competitive Japanese lube stairs reality TV show, finding a bangin’ water-based lube is a great place to start.

For one, water-based lubes tend to be best for sensitive skin, since they contain little to no fragrance, and include ingredients such as aloe that are designed to hydrate the tender skin of your gooch, cooch, and anus. Unlike silicone-based lubes, they also won’t stain the shit out of your European linen bedding from Quince (RIP), and they are also compatible with every kind of condom and silicone sex toys (which shouldn’t be used with silicone-based lubes, as there’s an increased risk of surface erosion).

As James Cameron would (probably) say, the way of water is here, and it’s fueled by lube.

This lube has over 140,000 Amazon reviews

Naturally, Lube Life, the brand that blessed us with barrel-sized containers of lube, also has a water-based lube with thousands of devotees and more than 140,100 Amazon reviews. As one stan writes about the water-based ambrosia, “I love this brand [because] it doesn't have a bad smell, it doesn't have a bad taste, the bottle lasts forever, and the actual lubricating aspect of it lasts forever as well!” You can’t beat that $9.99 price tag, either.

The best luxury water-based lubricant

There’s nothing worse than reaching for a bottle of lube that looks like cheap motor oil, unless you’re doing some Herbie: The Love Bug roleplay. Luckily, Nécessaire makes a hydrating, fragrance-free, water-based lubricant that feels just as good as it looks, because it’s infused with  hyaluronic and lactic acid for increased moisture. Plus, the minimalist bottle sure will look nice on your nightstand by that Noguchi lamp.

The best budget pick

Listen, we have purchased almond croissants that cost more than this ultra-popular Good Clean Love lube, which is not only a bestseller from the VICE guide to the best natural lubes, but a GOATed lubricant on Amazon with high ratings from over 11,000 reviews. The lube is 95% organic, enriched with aloe for extra comfort, and doesn’t contain parabens or petrochemicals. One Amazon reviewer explains that it’s the only lube she has used “sometimes this means 5+ times a week,” and has “never experienced any irritation or lack of performance.”

Lovehoney’s water-based lube

Ah, Lovehoney. No matter where we shop for our thrills [neighs in faux leather horse mask from Amazon], we always end up back at your pearly gates for the wide selection of couple’s toys, ball gags, and bestselling lubricants such as this water-based, fragrance-free lube with a 4.5-star average rating from over 300 reviews. Plus, as a water-based lube, it’s compatible with all latex condoms as well as silicone sex toys. As one Lovehoney shopper writes, “I just feel cleaner using a water-based lubricant and it has the added benefit of not damaging the [sex toy].”

Amber is the color of your energy

Again, we’re suckers for an aesthetic lube—and that’s OK. Why shouldn't we expect to have chemistry with the packaging of our most intimate essentials? Maude’s organic Shine lube is a VICE editor favorite for its smooth, non-gloopy feel and sleek amber bottle, which comes in both large and travel-sized containers.

… Actually, you’re more of an Eiffel 65 bro

You may have a blue house with a blue little window and a blue Corvette, but you’ll never have blue balls with Dame’s Aloe Lubricant, which comes in a handsome, frosted blue bottle worthy of Eiffel 65 as well as your most intimate zones. The lube is formulated with organic plant-extracts such as aloe for silky, long-lasting glide, and extra hydration. (Maybe pass some on to that viral ‘alien body’ in Mexico, next? Bro is looking parched.)

You still think about the Softsoap fish sometimes

Remember him? Or her? Or them? Maybe we’ll never know more about the fish behind the Internet's most beloved bottle of budget soap, but the novelty aloe vera-shaped bottle of this fittingly aloe-enriched lubricant feels like the next step/emotional replacement for horny adults who grew up wanting nothing more than to live in the tiny Softsoap bottle aquarium. It also has one of the highest ratings out of any lubricant in our round-up, boasting a 4.8-star average rating from over 100 reviews on Amazon that praise how “non-greasy and non-sticky” it is.

Stay wet, and wild.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.