Sex Positions for Couples: 20 to Try, From Easy to Adventurous

Most couples have three or four sex positions they always come back to, and that is not a problem. A new position is rarely about acrobatics. It changes the angle, who sets the pace, how close your faces are, and how much of each other you can touch, and small changes like that are often enough to make a familiar night feel new.

This guide covers twenty positions for couples, grouped by how much effort and trust they ask for: easy and intimate, playful, and adventurous. Every entry says how it works, why couples like it, and one tip that makes it easier. No pictures, no gymnastics you need a stretching routine for, and nothing you have to talk your partner into.

Before You Try Something New

• Pick one, not five. One new position in an otherwise familiar night is plenty. Switch back whenever it stops being fun.
• Use pillows. A firm pillow under the hips fixes the angle of half the positions on this list.
• Talk while you try. "Higher", "slower", "stay there" is not a mood killer. Guessing is.
• Laugh when it goes wrong. Somebody's leg will cramp. That is part of it.

Easy and Intimate Positions

Face to face or skin to skin, low effort, good for slow nights and for anyone who wants closeness more than novelty.

1. Missionary With a Pillow

How: The classic, with one change: a firm pillow under the hips of the partner on their back. They can bend their knees or wrap their legs around their partner.

Why couples like it: You can kiss, keep eye contact and talk the whole time, and the pillow tilts the pelvis for a noticeably different angle.

Tip: Try the pillow folded double, then flat, and keep whichever one you both prefer.

2. Coital Alignment Technique (CAT)

How: Start in missionary, then the partner on top shifts their body a few inches up so their pelvis rests higher, and you rock against each other instead of thrusting in and out.

Why couples like it: The steady grinding pressure is designed for clitoral contact, which is why it is one of the most recommended positions for orgasm during intercourse.

Tip: Go slower than you think. The rhythm is a shared rock, not a pace one person sets.

3. Spooning

How: Both partners lie on their sides facing the same way, the back partner curled around the front partner, entering from behind.

Why couples like it: Almost no effort, lots of skin contact, and the back partner's hands are free to roam. A favorite for mornings, tired evenings and pregnancy.

Tip: The front partner can lift their top leg or pull their knees up slightly to change the angle.

4. Lotus

How: One partner sits cross-legged, the other sits in their lap facing them and wraps their legs around their back. You rock rather than thrust.

Why couples like it: It is the most face-to-face position there is: chests together, arms around each other, slow and intense.

Tip: Sit on the bed with a headboard or wall behind the bottom partner to lean against.

5. Bear Hug

How: One partner sits on the edge of the bed, the other stands or kneels between their legs, and you wrap your arms and legs tightly around each other.

Why couples like it: It is basically a full-body hug during sex: very close, very warm, and easy on the knees if you use the bed edge.

Tip: Read our full bear hug position guide for the side-lying version and the variations.

6. Side by Side, Face to Face

How: Both partners lie on their sides facing each other, legs intertwined, one partner's top leg resting over the other's hip.

Why couples like it: Lazy, tender and good for long, slow sex where nobody carries the weight.

Tip: Shuffle until your hips line up: the smaller partner often needs to slide down a little.

Playful Positions

A bit more movement, a bit more variety in who leads. These are the positions most couples add once the basics feel familiar.

7. On Top (Cowgirl)

How: One partner lies on their back, the other straddles them facing forward and controls the depth and the rhythm.

Why couples like it: The partner on top decides everything, which takes away the guessing. The partner underneath gets the view and free hands.

Tip: Lean forward onto your hands for a different angle and a kiss, or sit up straight for a slower grind.

8. Reverse Cowgirl

How: Same as above, but the partner on top faces their partner's feet.

Why couples like it: A completely different angle and sensation, and a lot of control for the partner on top.

Tip: Go slowly at first. The angle is less forgiving, so let the partner on top set the depth.

9. Doggy Style

How: One partner on hands and knees, the other kneeling behind them.

Why couples like it: Deep, energetic and primal. Both partners can move, and the front partner can lower onto their elbows to change the angle.

Tip: If it is too deep, the front partner can lie flatter or press their knees closer together.

10. Butterfly

How: One partner lies on their back with their hips at the edge of the bed and their legs raised, resting on the shoulders or chest of the partner standing at the edge.

Why couples like it: Deep and precise, with eye contact, and the standing partner has good leverage without holding anyone's weight.

Tip: Bed height matters. Our butterfly position guide covers how to fix it with pillows.

11. Flatiron

How: One partner lies flat on their stomach with a pillow under their hips, the other lies on top of them, entering from behind.

Why couples like it: Tight and intense with very little effort, plus full-body contact. Many people find it is the easiest position to reach orgasm in by grinding against the bed.

Tip: The partner underneath keeps their legs together for a snugger fit.

12. Seated Lap

How: One partner sits in a sturdy chair without armrests, the other straddles their lap, facing them or facing away.

Why couples like it: Getting out of the bedroom is half the fun, and the partner on top has full control.

Tip: Pick the chair before you need it. Wobbly furniture ends the mood fast.

13. Legs Up

How: Like missionary, but the partner on their back rests their ankles on the other partner's shoulders.

Why couples like it: The deepest of the face-to-face positions and easy to hold for a while.

Tip: Start with one leg up and one down, and only lift both if it feels good.

14. Spoon From the Front

How: Spooning, but the front partner rolls a quarter turn onto their back and drapes their top leg over their partner's hip.

Why couples like it: You keep the low effort of spooning but can kiss and see each other.

Tip: Prop a pillow behind the back of the partner who rolled over.

15. Sixty-Nine

How: Both partners give oral sex at the same time, either lying side by side or one on top, facing opposite directions.

Why couples like it: Mutual, playful and a classic for a reason. Side by side is far more comfortable than on top.

Tip: Take turns focusing if doing both at once gets distracting. Nobody is scoring.

Adventurous Positions

More balance, strength or trust. Worth trying once you are comfortable laughing at a failed attempt.

16. Waterfall

How: One partner lies on their back on the bed with their head and shoulders hanging off the edge onto a pillow on the floor. The other partner straddles them on top.

Why couples like it: The blood rushing toward the head of the partner underneath can make orgasm feel stronger. It is a short, intense finish rather than a whole session.

Tip: Keep it short and stop at any dizziness. Our waterfall position guide covers the safety side.

17. Standing

How: Face to face, one partner leans against a wall or the edge of a counter while the other stands in front of them. A step or a few books helps if you differ in height.

Why couples like it: Spontaneous and urgent. It is the position of sex that cannot wait for the bedroom.

Tip: Use a counter or the back of a sofa as a seat for the shorter partner instead of lifting anyone.

18. Wheelbarrow

How: One partner on their hands on the floor or the bed edge, the other standing behind holding their thighs up at hip height.

Why couples like it: Deep and different, and good for laughs, but it takes upper-body strength from the partner on their hands.

Tip: Start with the front partner's elbows on the edge of the bed rather than hands on the floor.

19. Pretzel

How: One partner lies on their side, the other straddles their bottom leg and wraps the top leg around their own waist.

Why couples like it: Deep, close and a combination of side-by-side and rear entry, with a lot of skin contact.

Tip: Move slowly into it and let the partner on their side guide the angle.

20. Amazon

How: One partner lies on their back and pulls their knees to their chest, the other squats or kneels over them and controls the movement.

Why couples like it: A full role reversal of who sets the pace. Intense for both, and more about power play than comfort.

Tip: Only the partner on top moves, and slowly. The partner underneath says when to stop.

How to Choose a Position Together

Reading a list like this alone is easy. Saying "I'd like to try number sixteen" out loud is the hard part, and most couples never do. A few ways around that:

• Each pick three. Separately, write down three positions you would try. Start with any that appear on both lists.
• Pick by mood, not by name. "Something slow tonight" or "something where you are in charge" is easier to say than a position name.
• Keep a maybe list. A maybe is not a no. Positions that were a maybe last month are often a yes this month.

Couplet, our sex position app for couples, is built around the first idea. You each swipe privately on positions and ideas, and only the ones you both said yes to are revealed. Nobody has to suggest anything first, and a no is never shown. If you want more than positions, try our 50 sex ideas for couples by spice level or the 12 sex games for couples with rules.

Find out which positions you both want to try. Swipe privately, only mutual yeses are revealed. Free for both partners.

App Store Android

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best sex positions for couples?

There is no single best position, but the ones couples most often name as favorites are missionary with a pillow, the coital alignment technique, spooning, cowgirl and doggy style. For closeness, try lotus or the bear hug. For something new, try butterfly or the waterfall.

What sex positions are best for beginners?

Start with positions that need no strength or balance: missionary with a pillow under the hips, spooning, side by side and cowgirl. They are easy to hold, easy to adjust, and you can talk and kiss the whole time.

Which positions are best for orgasm?

For clitoral orgasm, positions with steady grinding pressure work best: the coital alignment technique, cowgirl leaning forward, and the flatiron. Adding a hand or a toy helps in almost any position.

How do we decide which position to try next?

Each of you picks a few privately and you start with the overlap, so nobody has to propose anything out loud. Couplet does this with swipes: only the positions you both said yes to are revealed.

How many sex positions are there?

Books like the Kama Sutra list dozens, and online lists claim hundreds, but most are small variations of five basic shapes: face to face, from behind, on top, side by side, and standing or seated.