Which lubricant with which toy

A plain guide to pairing water-based, silicone, hybrid and oil-based lubricants with your toys and with condoms.

A lubricant and a toy are often chosen separately, so it is easy to end up with a pair that does not suit. The rules are short, and they turn on one question: what is each product made from? The Material line on a toy's page and the Base line on a lubricant's page answer most of it.

The short version

• Water-based lubricant suits toys of any material. If you only keep one kind, keep this.
• Silicone lubricant can damage silicone toys. Pair it with a toy made from something else, or test first, following the toy maker's guidance.
• Oil-based lubricant is not for use with latex condoms.
• If a product page or its pack gives its own instruction, follow that over anything written here.

Water-based lubricant

This is the easy choice, because it suits toys of any material. Sliquid Organics Natural Intimate Lubricant is a water based formula in a 255 ml bottle, listed at £20.99. If you would like a thicker texture, Sliquid Naturals Tsunami is a water based gel, also 255 ml, at £21.99. Its page describes it as water soluble and non-staining.

Some toy pages ask for water-based lubricant by name. The page for the Mina Pure curved silicone toy says to always use it with a water-based lubricant. Where a page says that, it is the simplest instruction in this guide to follow.

Silicone lubricant

Sliquid Naturals Silver is a silicone lubricant in 255 ml, at £35.99. Its page says it is easy to clean up with simple soap and water, and that it may stain clothing and sheets. Mates Skyn All Night Long is a silicone based lubricant in an 80 ml pump bottle, at £9.99, and its page says it is compatible with latex condoms.

The catch is the toy. Silicone lubricant can damage silicone toys, so keep it for toys made from something else, or test first as the maker advises. Many toys in the shop are silicone, so read the Material line before you open the bottle. The Loving Joy Real Feel stroker is TPE, at £10.99, and its page says it can be used with both water-based and silicone lubricants.

Hybrid lubricant

A hybrid is a blend of water and silicone. Sliquid Naturals Silk Hybrid Lubricant is listed as a hybrid of purified water and silicone, in 125 ml, at £14.99. Because it contains silicone, use it as you would silicone lubricant on a silicone toy: look at the toy maker's guidance first, or test a little before you rely on it.

Oil-based lubricant

YES Coco Oil-Based Lubricant comes as six 5 ml travel doses, at £20.99. Its page gives the base as oil-based (coconut oil), and the ingredients include coconut oil and jojoba oil. Oil-based lubricant is not for use with latex condoms. With toys, check what the maker says about oils before you use one.

Lubricant and condoms

Condoms are not all made from the same material. Glyde Ultra Vegan Condoms are natural rubber latex, sold here as a bulk pack of 100, at £74.99. Mates Skyn Original condoms are made from Skynfeel synthetic polyisoprene, in a pack of 10, at £10.99. Read the leaflet in the pack, and the label on the lubricant, before you combine them. The rule to remember is the oil-based one above.

How to read a lubricant page

Lubricant pages use the same few lines. Base says what the lubricant is based on: water, silicone, a hybrid of the two, or oil. Volume says how much there is, such as six 5 ml travel doses or a 255 ml bottle. Flavour says whether it is flavoured, and the Sliquid Organics Natural and Tsunami pages above both list theirs as unflavoured. Use is where a page puts anything specific, such as the Mates Skyn line about latex condoms, or the Sliquid Naturals Silver line about staining. Ingredients, where listed, are on the page too.

Pairing at a glance

• Silicone toy: water-based lubricant.
• Toy made from another material: water-based lubricant, or whatever the toy's page allows, as with the TPE stroker above.
• Toy with no material listed: water-based lubricant.
• Latex condoms: keep oil-based lubricant away, and check the pack for anything else.
• Anal toys: follow the page. The Toosh butt plug sets ask for anal lubricant.

Sizes run from six 5 ml travel doses to 255 ml bottles, so pick the amount that suits how and where you will use it. If you are still unsure, choose water-based, and look at the toy's page for anything that says otherwise.

When you are finished with a toy, our guide to cleaning sex toys covers the next step. You can also browse every lubricant and every condom in the shop.