Best Positions List - LustQuarters

Quick Note On Science

Sex science is a small field. Most studies have small sample sizes. Most surveys are self reported.

When other articles say 78 percent of couples prefer X, theyre usually citing a survey of 200 college students from 2014. The data is not great. The conclusions are mostly directional. We will tell you what the literature actually finds and where it gets shaky. We will NOT tell you that a 2022 study proved anything because there are like four 2022 studies on this and you can read them yourself.

With that said. Here are the positions that consistently rank well across surveys, sex therapist recommendations, and direct user experience. The ranking is honest. The reasoning is honest. The asides are extra.

The Ranking (Honest Version)

01
Doggy Style
Consistently shows up at the top when people are surveyed about favorite positions. Why: works for almost any body, lots of variation possible, and gives both partners a lot. Take any specific percentage you read elsewhere with a grain of salt. The general direction (popular and well liked) is the part to trust. Full guide here.
02
Missionary
Yes really. Stop laughing. The face to face setup is intimacy hardware most other positions cant match, which is why couples therapists like it for connection work. Get over the basic jokes and try it with the variations from our guide. Full guide here.
03
Coital Alignment Technique (CAT)
Developed by sex therapist Edward Eichel in the 1980s as a missionary variation focused on clitoral stimulation through grinding instead of thrusting. Used in sex therapy. Couples who actually try it tend to report it changed how they think about missionary. Specific orgasm percentage claims you see online are mostly invented or wildly extrapolated. The technique itself is real and worth trying. Full guide here.
04
Cowgirl (Receiver On Top)
Receiver controls pace and angle, which is the obvious explanation for why it shows up well in surveys. Pace control matters. Thats the whole story.
05
Spooning
Quietly underrated. Used by long term couples. Low energy, high contact. Sex therapists like it for couples in low desire phases or recovering from illness, pregnancy, or stress. Not flashy. Saves rotations. We are sentimental about spooning.

Honorable Mentions

Mating Press. High satisfaction for couples who like depth. Doesnt rank universally because it requires flexibility. More here.

Bear Hug. Doesnt show up in many studies because nobody studies it. Anecdotally beloved. Therapist favorite for emotional reconnection. More here.

Reverse Cowgirl. Polarizing. Some surveys rank it high. Others low. Real answer: it works great in short bursts, terrible as a default. More here.

69. Survey scores are mid. Anecdotal stories are mixed. Truth: most couples have done it badly and assume thats just how it is. Were here to fix that.

What The Research Actually Shows

The position matters less than communication, comfort, and pace. The data is annoyingly clear about this.

Pretty much every actual sex therapist

Heres the thing nobody wants to hear. The research, when its solid, doesnt actually point to a SINGLE BEST POSITION. It points to factors that matter way more than position choice. Communication during. Time spent on warmup. Comfort with the partner. Pace control. Mutual interest in each others pleasure. Whether the receiver can talk freely about what they want.

Quick aside. The reason 90 percent of best sex positions articles invent fake stats is that the truth is boring. Position choice is maybe 15 percent of why sex is good. Everything else is the 85 percent. We could write SEO bait that lies. We are choosing not to. Welcome to the new LustQuarters.

The Bottom Line

Best position is whichever one you and your partner actually communicate during.

If we had to pick winners: doggy, missionary, CAT, cowgirl, spooning. Roughly in that order, with massive room for individual preference. But honestly, the ranking matters less than the basics that everyone skips. Talk during sex. Slow down. Make sure both partners are actually into the position, not just tolerating it. Use pillows. Read the rest of our guides. Apply.

BEST
POSITIONS

Quick Note On Science

The Ranking (Honest Version)

Honorable Mentions

What The Research Actually Shows

The Bottom Line

Related Reads

Watch These Now

BESTPOSITIONS

Quick Note On Science

The Ranking (Honest Version)

Honorable Mentions

What The Research Actually Shows

The Bottom Line

Related Reads

Watch These Now

BEST
POSITIONS