Incredible Shower Sex: 9 Positions Worth Trying

Shower sex deserves a spot on everyone's fantasy list, especially armed with these shower sex positions. Running water feels inherently erotic, and intimacy skyrockets as you look at, touch, and wash each other in that hot, steamy, enclosed space. But a few practical issues deserve attention first, before we cover...

Which shower sex positions actually deliver the most pleasure.

The Mechanics Involved

Before attempting shower sex, a few tips will help make it genuinely enjoyable. Plenty of people botch it the first time, have a rough experience, and give up entirely. That doesn't have to be you.

• Remove your makeup before stepping in so you still look great once wet. Skip this and you risk mascara streaking down your face, even "waterproof" formulas often aren't.
• Soaping each other up is fun and worth doing, but rinse thoroughly before penetration. Sex and lathered soap don't mix well, it can even trigger a bacterial vaginal infection. More on vaginal infections in this post.
• Trade off under the running water. Unless you've got dual showerheads, only one person gets the warm spray at a time. Fairness matters here, being cold and wet the whole time kills the mood fast.
• Here's an underrated shower perk: there's usually a mirror nearby. Use it to watch yourselves in the act. Suction-cup shower mirrors are an easy add-on too.
• Don't expect marathon sessions. Standing and thrusting in a cramped space is genuinely tiring. Showers work best for quickies or as a warmup before finishing elsewhere in the house.
• Anal and oral sex often work better in showers than vaginal sex, anal because you can both face the same direction, oral because kneeling is straightforward.

Setting The Scene

Think your bathroom can't be sexy? Think again. Scented candles along the tub rim or counter add real atmosphere (LED versions sidestep any fire risk). Incense works too.

Add music. Our ultimate sexy song playlist offers plenty of inspiration. Some waterproof phones and Bluetooth speakers can even join you in the shower itself, otherwise, just leave your device on the counter.

A tidy bathroom reads as noticeably sexier than a cluttered one, so a quick clean beforehand pays off.

Lube Is Essential

Water might feel like it's doing the lubricating job, but it actually strips away your natural lubrication entirely [1, 2].

Lube genuinely makes or breaks shower sex.

Silicone-based specifically is the way to go. Water-based rinses away almost instantly under running water, while silicone-based stays put [3, 4] and lasts considerably longer. That's part of why it's also the top pick for anal sex.

Read More: What Is Lube And Should You Use It?

Without enough lubrication, shower sex just won't feel great, easily avoidable with the right prep.

Psst, the right lube matters for any sex in water, not just showers.

Staying Safe

The single most important thing about shower sex is staying injury-free. Slip prevention matters enormously, especially for standing positions. A shower or bath mat is ideal, a towel works in a pinch. Also avoid excessive position-switching, pick one (covered below) and stick with it to minimize slip risk.

Grab The Installed Bars

Those grab bars installed for general shower safety? They're not just for entering and exiting safely.

They double perfectly as something to hold onto during sex. Just confirm they're rated to support real weight, the last thing you want is a fall onto hard tile mid-act.

Add Footrests

Plenty of women already use shower footrests for leg-shaving, but they work great for repositioning during sex too. Again, confirm weight capacity for both partners.

Use A Shower Seat

Got a built-in shower seat? Try a pseudo-lotus setup, sitting on his lap. No built-in seat? A shower chair works fine, or try standing on it, especially helpful with a notable height gap. Just hold onto something stable while standing.

Install Heavy-Duty Suction Handles

Never lean on a faucet or fixture not built to bear weight, you don't want to become an injury statistic from failed shower sex. Hardware stores often carry suction-cup handles too, no sex shop required.

Add Non-Slip Mats Or Stickers

Non-slip mats give your feet real traction [5, 6]. Adhesive stickers achieve the same thing more permanently.

Skip Soap As Lube

It stings badly if it enters the urethra, something plenty of guys learn the hard way during early masturbation. Soap also disrupts vaginal pH [7], and deodorized varieties can trigger bacterial vaginosis [8] [9, 11] or yeast infections [12, 13].

Related: Causes, Symptoms & The Treatments of Yeast Infections

Definitely not worth the hassle from lack of preparation. Keep a bottle of silicone lube in the shower for whenever the mood strikes unexpectedly.

If injury or infection does happen from shower sex, don't hesitate to seek medical help, even calling 911 despite the awkwardness of being found naked. Medical staff have seen far worse, and delaying for modesty's sake in an emergency isn't worth the risk.

Staying Protected

Being in the shower doesn't mean skipping safer sex basics. Hormonal birth control prevents pregnancy [14, 15, 16], but without it, or with STI concerns in play, condoms remain essential.

Condoms can work in the shower, but require care. Apply as usual when semi-erect, and put it on outside the shower to avoid water or air getting trapped (squeeze the tip during application [17, 18, 19]). Skipping this raises the odds of slippage or breakage.

Learn more about using condoms.

Condoms can still slip or take on water during sex in water generally [1]. Bath oils and soap can also weaken condom durability [1].

There's a genuine learning curve to combining condoms with shower sex. If condoms are your only protection method, the shower might not be your best venue.

Dental dams (a plastic barrier held against the body during oral) are another option, though managing one in the shower is similarly tricky.

Oral Sex In The Shower

Don't skip oral. Guys love it, shower or not. With him standing, drop to your knees, positioning him so his back faces the showerhead to keep water off your face. Wait until after he's rinsed, and make sure all soap residue is gone first.

Use the bath mat or towel to avoid slipping. Water actually helps here, keeping everything slick. Use your normal technique, hand-and-mouth combos, treating him like an ice cream cone, whatever he typically enjoys. Our full list of blow job techniques has plenty more ideas. Whatever you choose, the shower setting adds a fun twist.

The Intimacy Of Washing Together

Standing naked together, washing each other with a loofah or washcloth, builds real intimacy beyond just physical closeness, similar to how cuddling feels intimate even fully clothed. Just being present together, rinsing off after a long day, can feel satisfying on its own, and all that mutual washing might well lead to great sex once you're out.

Edible shower gel exists too, perfect for lathering up before licking it off.

That said, it's completely fine to prefer actually getting clean once things wind down. Shower sex is fun, but it rarely leaves hair, skin, or freshly-shaved legs looking their best.

Don't Forget The Showerhead

You already know how orgasmic a handheld showerhead can be for masturbation, so why not bring that into partnered sex?

During Sex – He can take you from behind in something like the bodyguard position while you aim the showerhead at your vulva.

Put On A Show – Or masturbate with the showerhead while he watches.

One caution: water pressure carries a small risk of forcing air into the vagina, potentially causing an embolism [21]. Keep the spray aimed externally only.

The Best Shower Sex Positions

Here are our favorite shower sex positions:

1. Standing, Face-To-Face

Standing face-to-face works especially well with similar heights, or him slightly shorter. Doesn't matter whose back faces the showerhead.

Rise onto your toes and wrap one leg around his waist or back, he supports your thigh with one or both hands. Flexible enough? Wrap both legs around him. The key here: he presses you against the wall for stability.

Not everyone can pull this one off, and that's fine. It also works beautifully for manual stimulation, a slippery hand job for him, reciprocated with clitoral rubbing or fingering.

2. Standing, Facing Away

Struggling with the first position? Try this instead. Squirter? (more on squirting) No mess worries here since you're already positioned to rinse off.

Have him face the showerhead directly so water doesn't hit either of your faces. Lean against the wall as he enters from behind, or if you've got a combo tub/shower, bend over and grip the tub edge.

He should plant his feet firmly with hands on your hips. A shower seat or built-in bench lets you lean forward on your hands for extra stability. Lifting one bent knee onto a surface works too.

3. Seated

Put that shower chair to work (this adapts well to hot tub or pool sex with steps or ledges too). Being lower to the ground with four-legged support makes this a lower-risk option. He sits while you straddle him lap-dance style, or straddle the chair backward while he kneels for anal entry. Our sitting positions list offers plenty more to adapt for shower use.

4. Seated In The Tub

Prefer sitting in the tub itself? Water running or not, it's your call. Slide in facing each other, both knees bent with feet tucked around one another, similar to Lotus. Scoot closer for penetration, going slowly if the tub's full to avoid splashing everywhere. Extra towels nearby are a smart precaution.

This one may not work well for larger bodies or a narrow tub. Alternative: sit and lean back (a bath pillow helps support your neck) while he sits outside the tub, working your clit, kissing you, or even washing your hair. More on making bathtub sex hotter.

5. Doggy Style

Doggy works great in the shower for several reasons, easier with a height gap, fantastic G-spot access, and hair-pulling potential if you're into rough sex. Works for vaginal or anal. Both partners can reach your clit, and a waterproof toy fits right in too.

A standing-room-only shower without a tub might rule this one out.

6. Bulldog

Not designed specifically for showers, but it works. This doggy-style variant suits vaginal or anal, with more stability from staying lower to the ground. No face-full-of-water risk either, since your arms support you. More tips for the Bulldog position.

7. Teaspooning

If your shower allows it, Teaspooning delivers real intimacy. He kneels behind you, whispering as he enters, and either of you can soap up your breasts or work your clit. Lean forward toward the floor for support, especially useful during orgasm.

Fair warning: this can be tough on your knees, a soft mat or folded towel helps.

The Blooming Orchid position is similar, but face-to-face while kneeling.

8. On Your Knees

Perfect setup for oral. Simply kneel in front of him. Use your hands to work his balls or stimulate his prostate. Shower floors stay hard even with a mat, so a folded towel under your knees adds comfort and grip both. More blow job positions in this post.

9. Kneeling Burning Man

Not technically a shower position, this one's for right before you hop in to clean up. Burning Man is usually done standing, but kneeling over the tub edge with him entering from behind works too. Since you're not wet yet, traction's better, great if rough is your speed.

Larger showers, walk-in tubs, or communal shower access all open up more experimentation.

Check out this ultimate list of sex positions.

Toys Take Shower Sex Further

Don't leave your favorite toy behind. First: not every toy is shower-safe.

Non-motorized toys (dildos, plugs) are generally fine. Motorized ones (vibrators) need a closer look. "Splashproof" or "water-resistant" labels usually mean shower-safe as long as it's not submerged. "Waterproof" toys handle full submersion, tub included [22].

Anything that plugs into an outlet is obviously never shower-safe.

A note on materials: silicone lube works great in the shower for slickness, but it can make toys genuinely slippery to hold, worth reconsidering glass or ceramic on tiled floors given the breakage risk. Also, silicone lube isn't always compatible with silicone toys. Spot-test by rubbing a dab on the base for 5-10 minutes, tackiness means avoid pairing them.

Your Shower Might Already Have A Toy Built In

Plenty of women already enjoy masturbating with the showerhead or faucet spray, so bring that into partnered play. A detachable head works best, aimable directly at the clitoris. Installing one takes no special tools or experience.

Related: 25 Earth-shattering Orgasm Techniques That Will Make Her Sexually Addicted To You

Stuck with just a walk-in shower or small tub? Save more elaborate positions for a hotel room or a larger shower elsewhere. Just steer clear of communal showers, it's inconsiderate and risks spreading infections neither of you may realize you're carrying [23].

Once you've nailed shower sex, it becomes a genuine alternative to bedroom sex. The sensation of hot water against skin during sex adds a completely new dimension. Now you've got everything you need to spice things up.

Resources

THE Sex & Pleasure Book from sex toy retailer Good Vibrations covers shower sex in depth alongside plenty of other great advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ #1 – Is it fine if shower sex isn't for me?

Absolutely. Everyone should try it at least once to see, but plenty of people just don't click with it. Opinion seems genuinely split. Reddit threads on the topic show plenty of range, from a woman whose faith in shower sex was renewed to the take that "[s]hower sex isn't great for penetration, but it's bloody awesome for everything else."

For every positive account, though, you'll find people who've fallen, gotten hurt, experienced accidental anal penetration, struggled to line up properly, dealt with erection issues, or ended up choking on water or freezing.

FAQ #2 – What actually makes shower sex work?

Three things make it considerably easier: the right shower setup, lube, and reasonably matched height.

A big height gap makes standing positions, shower ones included, genuinely difficult. And without a tub, kneeling or seated positions aren't really an option.

Not essential, but a centered or rainfall showerhead (or two) solves the classic problem of one partner getting soaked in the face or left shivering in the cold.

And don't skip lube. Despite intuition, water actually strips your natural lubrication away, leading to painful, uncomfortable sex. A silicone-based lubricant holds up against water for a genuinely slick, sensual experience.

More info in this post about lube.

FAQ #3 – Any workaround for a height mismatch?

Kneeling can help, or consider a shower stool or chair. Some showers even come with built-in seating, making things considerably easier.

FAQ #4 – Does shower sex prevent pregnancy?

Any time ejaculation happens inside the vagina, pregnancy risk exists. Some semen may leak out while standing, but birth control or a condom remains necessary for real protection.

FAQ #5 – Is shower sex actually risky?

It can be. Slipping is a genuine hazard, and if one partner falls, the other often follows. Head or other injuries are a real possibility, along with one partner landing on the other.

Some people lean on faucets or fixtures (soap dishes, etc.) for support, generally not built to hold full body weight and prone to breaking off, causing a fall and shower damage in the process. Never grab the shower rod either, it typically just rests in brackets or holds via tension, not real support.

Suction-cup handles and footrests designed specifically for this purpose make shower sex considerably safer and more comfortable.

December 4, 2020