How to Choose the Right Lube
Water-based, silicone, hybrid—here’s how to pick the right formula for every situation. The wrong one can damage your toys or irritate your body. The right one makes everything better.
Most men grab whatever is cheap or convenient. That works fine until it doesn’t—until a silicone lube ruins a silicone toy, or a flavored formula causes irritation somewhere it shouldn’t. Choosing correctly takes 30 seconds and saves you from all of that.
The Four Formulas
Water-Based
The safest all-purpose choice. Compatible with every toy material, every body part, every situation. Dries out faster than other formulas, so you’ll reapply more often—but that’s a small tradeoff for something that works everywhere without any risk of damage.
Use for: Any toy (especially silicone), anal play, vaginal use, everyday sessions.
Silicone
Longer lasting than water-based. Doesn’t absorb into skin. Excellent for extended sessions and anal play where staying power matters. The hard rule: never use silicone lube with silicone toys. Silicone degrades silicone—it’s not visible at first, but the toy surface breaks down and becomes unsafe.
Use for: Glass and metal toys, skin-on-skin, extended sessions. Not for: Silicone toys.
Hybrid
Mostly water-based with a small silicone percentage. Longer lasting than pure water-based but generally safer with silicone toys than pure silicone lube. Check the label—silicone percentage and toy compatibility varies by brand.
Use for: When you want more staying power but still need toy compatibility. Patch test with expensive toys first.
Flavored
Water-based formula with added flavoring. Designed for oral use only. Sugar content in flavored lubes promotes bacterial and yeast growth in areas where you do not want that. Oral only, full stop.
The one rule you cannot break: never use silicone lube with silicone toys.
What to Avoid
- Glycerin — a sugar alcohol that feeds yeast; common in cheap water-based formulas
- Parabens — preservatives linked to hormonal disruption
- Numbing agents (benzocaine, lidocaine) — removes the feedback your body uses to tell you something’s wrong
- Petroleum-based products (Vaseline, baby oil) — break down latex and degrade toy materials
How Much to Use
More than you think. The most common mistake is starting with the right lube and using too little of it. Reapply during the session, not just at the start. Friction building up is a signal—don’t push through it, address it.
Every formula we carry is body-safe.
No glycerin. No parabens. No compromises.
