8 Best Romantic Sex Positions (With Illustration + Tips)

11 min read
8 Best Romantic Sex Positions (With Illustration + Tips)

For slower, more sensual lovers, knowing which are the most romantic sex positions is second nature, but for others, once the honeymoon phase has drifted into the distance, adding intimacy into your sex life might take a little extra thought.

Romantic sex positions create more connection between partners (as shown here in a study around sexual desire and intimacy in longer-duration relationships), taking advantage of easy eye contact, perhaps a full-body embrace, or those intimate sex positions that reveal more about each other than the usual in-and-out get-the-job-done routine sex sadly often ends up as.

Romantic sex positions create more connection between partners

In today's article, we provide a selection of intimate sex positions to add to your repertoire, enhancing sexual experience and emotional connection while boosting your romantic relationship.

Facing Off on A Chair


Illustration of the Facing off on a chair Sex Position


This position requires the penetrating partner to sit on a chair or bed while the receiving partner straddles them face-to-face. This position works well with a rocking back-and-forth motion instead of the typical thrusting.

What makes this a great position

  • Deeper penetration
  • The ideal angle for G-spot stimulation
  • Direct eye contact
  • Perfect for kissing and nuzzling your partner's neck
  • Plenty of access for feeling, fondling, space, and super-tight hugging

    Our tips for this position

    1. Slow things down – With such firm genital contact, taking a slower pace while grinding instead of thrusting will help the male partner extend his performance.

    2. Get deep and grind things out – Deeper penetration promotes G-spot stimulation. Combine that with a steady rhythm, grinding your genitals together, and this dual-function sex position provides the opportunity for orgasm through penetration and clitoral stimulation.

      The Missionary Position

      Illustration of the The Missionary Sex Position

      When creating deeper connections and intimacy, Missionary is the Swiss Army knife of sex positions and can be well-utilized in all kinds of situations.

      If you're in the 'Missionary sex is vanilla sex' camp, then it's time you got more creative. Missionary can be incredibly intense. As the original face-to-face position, it provides so many opportunities for eye contact, skin contact, kissing, nuzzling on necks, nibbling on your partner's ear, and access for roving hands; you merely need to slow it down to savor the details.

      What makes this a great position

      • A classic face-to-face position, the Missionary position is ideal for deep kissing, closeness, sexy whispers, the heaviest breathing, and all-over-body contact.

      • The bottom partner can bring much to the act with sensitive stroking while exploring their partner's body. As the top partner typically controls the pace and action, the receiving partner can control the level and depth of penetration by opening, closing, or keeping their legs straight, raising their knees to their shoulders, or clamping them shut.

        Our tips for this position

        1. Don't dive in too quickly – Take time to build body contact, slowly rubbing your legs, chests, and breasts against each other. Add lube or massage oil to activate even more sensual touch sensations.

        2. Let her take control – With the man on top, he usually takes control of the timing and pace. Having the woman take control, she can take her partner's penis in her hands and rub it slowly against her vulva and clitoris. This is incredibly sexy for him and allows her to turn herself on with precisely the type of clitoral stimulation that works for her.

          Spooning

          Illustration of the Spooning Sex Position

          We all know how intimate the Spooning position is after sex, so why not add a little gentle sex to step it up a level? If you're looking for relaxed and lazy sex, Spooning was made for you.

          What makes this a great position

          • With the receiving partner wrapped up in the penetrating partner's arms, there's something about feeling protected and loved while being held this way.

          • This is another of the sex positions that should hit the G-spot directly.

          • This is an ideal position for breast men to play with their partner, squeezing and teasing her nipples, guiding her hands to join you, or asking her to show you how she likes to be touched during those tender moments.

          • Encouraging your partner to play with herself doesn't have to stop with her breasts and nipples. Penetrating your partner from behind leaves plenty of access to her genitals and clitoris. It's another one of our sex positions to try to achieve a penetrative and clitoral orgasm.

            Our tips for this position

            1. Try the Spooning position in front of a mirror. To explore new levels of intimacy, watching each other is incredibly erotic and will break down some of the barriers you may have in the bedroom. It also provides eye contact during a position that doesn't usually lend itself to that.

            2. Varying the pace throughout the session will create different sensations. Avoid the typical 'start slow, build speed, climax' route by mixing it up to change the mood. Edging during Spooning sex is a great way to build arousal and deliver explosive orgasms.

              Receiver on top of the giver, on a chair

              Illustration of the Receiver on top of the giver, on a chair Sex Position


              With the penetrating partner sitting on the edge of the bed or a chair, the receiving partner sits on his knee, facing the same direction, away from their partner.

              What makes this a great position

              • The receiving partner controls the pace and motion of this intimate sex position. They decide whether to slowly grind around his genitals, rock slowly back and forth, or move up and down on top of him.

              • Both partners have their hands free to explore each other's body. With a female in the receiving position, both can caress her breasts, nipples, clitoris, and vulva—together or take turns stimulating her different body parts.

              • The penis aims directly at her G-spot, but being in control, she can ensure she gets maximum contact through a motion she knows will hit all her pleasure points.

                Our tips for this position

                1. This sensual sex position is perfect for doing in front of a mirror. Like Spooning, there's plenty to see; in their reflection, the receiving partner gets to see how much their partner is getting turned on.

                2. Despite much of the attention focusing on the receiving partner, they can reach down and grab, stretch, and play with his balls to share the intimacy.

                  The Spork

                  Illustration of the The Spork Sex Position

                  The Spork is a variation of the Spooning sex position. It's another low-energy, slow-paced type of sex, but instead of penetration happening entirely from behind, the receiving partner lies on their back, raising one leg, while the penetrating partner lies at 90º to them, holding the bottom partner's leg over their shoulder.

                  What makes this a great position

                  • It's a minimum effort, maximum result sex position. Again, it allows good eye contact and a great view of the action for both, and as intimate sex positions go, it delivers a few new sensations due to how the penetrating partner enters from a novel angle of penetration.

                  • It allows for deep penetration and G-spot stimulation.

                    Our tips for this position

                    1. Take a good firm hold of that floating leg and use it for added leverage to slowly drive deeper than is possible from other sex positions.

                    2. Sporking can provide plenty of clitoral stimulation, and with her legs spread apart, she has an ideal opportunity to touch and fondle herself with her fingers or a toy of her choice, delivering even more sensation to an already erotic yet romantic position.

                      Giver Standing, Holding the Receiver

                      Illustration of the Giver standing, holding receiver Sex Position


                      A real Hollywood star of an intimate sex position; when the sparks start to fly in the movies, it's standard to see the woman leap into the man's arms, looping her legs around his waist as he carries her to the bedroom.

                      If you've got what it takes to replicate that in the real world—go for it; you'll get plenty of return from your efforts.

                      What makes this a great position

                      • As one of our favorite intimate sex positions, it provides trust, masses of body contact, and a reminder for the receiving partner of the strength their partner brings to their physical relationship. However, this isn't a position for anyone skipping their gym sessions.

                      • Our romantic sex positions lean heavily on eye contact, embracing, and kissing. This position has all of those in abundance and a great deal of clitoral contact with the base of the penis.

                        Our tips for this position

                        1. For the more exploratory, this is ideal for sex away from the bedroom. Without having to lie down, it's a good option in the shower, out in the wild, or in dark, secluded corners. Adding this kind of intimacy while the honeymoon phase is fading into the distance is a great way to bring back the spark.

                        2. We won't deny it; this requires strength from the carrying partner. For those whose muscles may fatigue during a lengthy session, leaning against a wall will relieve some of the strain, or lowering your partner onto a worktop, wall, or desk can do the same.

                        3. The receiving partner can drop a leg to the floor to maintain standing, helping with the strain. This position is often called the Ballerina or Ballet Dancer.

                        Giver standing, the receiver on the edge of the bed

                        Illustration of the Giver standing, the receiver on the edge of the bed Sex Position

                         


                        The next of our intimate sex positions is often called the Butterfly. The receiving partner lies on their back on the edge of the bed while the penetrating partner stands between their legs, face to face. Typically, the receiving partner's legs sit on their partner's shoulders. It's another stunning position for sexy talk and getting a great view of each other's bodies.

                        What makes this a great position

                            • It's great for low-effort, maximum-sensation sex. Try slow grinding as you build to frantic, climax-inducing sex, as little movement is necessary from both due to the positioning dictating how deep the penetration.

                            • There's also a lot of natural clitoral contact with this position, so it's a win-win for penetrative and clitoral climaxing.

                          Our tips for this position

                              1. For the more experimental – With the penetrating partner in a position of control, this is a great position to explore BDSM. The Butterfly offers perfect positioning for choking and light slapping to dirty talk. If you're up for anal sex, this is the perfect position to retain the intimate eye contact this face-to-face sex position brings.

                              2. For the more conventional – If the receiving partner isn't comfortable with deep penetration and prefers shallow thrusts, they can place their feet on the penetrating partner's chest, controlling how deep each push goes. Alternatively, crossing their legs over their partner's chest creates a smaller insertion area.

                            The Lotus

                            Illustration of the The Lotus Sex Position

                             

                            The Lotus position is often considered the cream of intimate sex positions. Depending on how supple they are, the bottom partner may assume the yoga Lotus position, sit cross-legged, with knees half bent, or however their legs allow while sitting upright. The receiving partner straddles their partner's lap face-to-face, lowered onto their penis, strap-on, or dildo.

                            What makes this a great position

                                • Being so close, with bodies tightly pressed together and each other's eyes in direct line, it's impossible not to feel the heightened intimacy the Lotus brings.

                                • For yoga lovers, you'll spot that this intimate sex position has all of your chakras aligned, creating multiple energy circuits between partners.

                                • As well as intimate connectivity, the receiving partner is perfectly placed to rock and rub their clitoris against the base of their partner's penis.

                              Our tips for this position

                                  1. The Lotus position is perfect for getting your breathing and motion in sync, touching foreheads, and kissing. This full-body embrace delivers masses of personal connection and intimacy. Whether it's sweet nothings or downright dirty talk, you're perfectly placed to whisper in your partner's ear while nibbling on their lobes.

                                  2. With a few minor adjustments, the Lotus delivers several different sensations. While leaning into your partner brings heightened intimacy, leaning backward changes the angle of penetration and gives the penetrating partner a superb view of them rocking and rubbing on top of them.

                                  3. Try throwing your favorite toys into the mix – the Lotus is perfect for a vibrating penis ring, wands, butt plugs, and anal toys.

                                Best tips for romantic sex

                                Improving intimacy isn't just about sex, but as this review into marital intimacy-enhancing interventions discusses, it's a key component running alongside a selection of other intimacy models.

                                1. Work on your breathing

                                Breathing in time with your partner will sync your bodies, and tantric breathing—inhaling and exhaling your partner's breath while they do the opposite—can be incredibly erotic.

                                It's said to create a circular flow of energy between partners. Alternatively, try breathing in and out together, as this is thought to set hearts to beat at the same rate, creating empathy within your romantic sex to what each other is feeling.

                                2. Set the mood

                                Clear the room of all the day-to-day bits and pieces, dim the lighting, and relax. Build a romantic mood by lighting scented candles, putting on a slow, sensual playlist, and clearing the calendar to give yourselves all the time you need for a super intimate connection.

                                Clear the room of all the day-to-day bits and pieces, dim the lighting, and relax.

                                Communication plays a huge part in romantic sex, so have those conversations up front, during, and after. Finding out what each other likes won't just help in the bedroom but bring you closer emotionally.

                                3. Don’t rush things

                                Being on a timer will kill the mood, so take your time. Slowly build each act, exploring how light touches, licks, and caressing induces tingles, tickles, and sensations you miss out on with the usual race-pace-sex designed purely to get you to the finish line.

                                4. Spend your time on romantic foreplay

                                Perfecting your foreplay game is a must. It builds anticipation and heat, so it's ideal for building intimacy and connection. Take your time to pleasure each other before the main feature; it'll be worth every added minute.

                                5. Kissing. Just kissing.

                                There isn't much out there that's as intimate as kissing, and making out is so underrated; it's sexy, hot, and incredibly intimate when you slow it down. Access your inner teenager and remember how good a long, slow kissing session is and how much it adds to your sex life.

                                6. Make eye contact

                                While admiring your partner's body or getting turned by watching them touch themself is incredibly hot, making eye contact throughout the stages of sex creates unspoken communication between you. A smile, grin, or groan says so much more while looking directly into your partner's eyes, so make them count and keep them coming.

                                7. Tender touches add to your intimate positions

                                Passionate sex includes a lot of grabbing and groping, and as wonderful as it is, slow, tender, delicate strokes, touches, and soft scratches are the order of the day during your romantic sex sessions.

                                8. Try letting your toys do the work

                                We've mentioned adding sex toys to a few of our romantic sex positions, but realistically, they'll add something to all of them. You don't even need to have sex; using toys while masturbating together or in front of each other, whether using them on your own body or your partner's, adds more intimacy than many romantic sex positions.

                                We've mentioned adding toys to a few of our romantic sex positions, but realistically, they'll add something to all of them.

                                And why stop with toys? Why not add a little flavored lube or a drizzle of chocolate sauce to lick from your partner's most sensitive areas?

                                Summary

                                A study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy states that "Sexual satisfaction significantly predicted emotional intimacy." It goes on to discuss how emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction affect the views around communication and relationship satisfaction.

                                Romantic sex positions bring something softer, slower, and more intimate to your sex life.

                                While the frenzy of wild, passionate sex, thrusting frantically during doggy style, the pile driver, or the power grab, delivers masses of endorphins and excitement into the bedroom, picking the slower, steadier, sexier, face-to-face positions builds a stronger connection between you, meeting very different sexual needs.

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