CAVAN IMAGES//GETTY IMAGES
POV: You and your partner are curled up on the couch, watching (or maybe rewatching) your favorite show on HBO. You’re cuddling, then making out, and it feels great—and then, before you know it, one thing is leading to the next. You don’t have to take things into the bedroom, though. You’re already comfortable, so why not just have sex on the couch?
Having sex outside of the bedroom can “help you break routine and explore new pathways to pleasure,” says Jess O’Reilly, PhD, a sexologist and host of the Sex With Dr. Jess podcast. “Often, our brains and bodies go on autopilot and we do the same things over and over again. This might be efficient, but it can also be repetitive and boring. Small changes like moving outside of the bedroom can intensify excitement, sensation, and pleasure.”
Because the couch has a smaller surface area than your average double bed, it can also force you to get a bit creative with your angles and positions, adds Rachel Needle, PsyD, a Florida-based psychologist and co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes. And many of the best couch sex positions out there involve tons of skin-to-skin contact and face time, which can seriously up the sense of intimacy.
Meet the experts: Jess O’Reilly, PhD, is a sexologist and host of the Sex With Dr. Jess podcast. Rachel Needle, PsyD, is a Florida-based psychologist and co-director of Modern Sex Therapy Institutes.
But which moves can you comfortably try on the couch? Ahead, Needle and O’Reilly offer their favorite couch sex positions—plus, some pro tips for making the most of your makeshift sex furniture.
The Spoon
This is one of the easiest positions to try on the couch. In fact, there’s a chance you’ll end up in this position while cuddling, anyway, so “you might as well take advantage,” says O’Reilly. The amount of skin-to-skin contact also makes this position extremely intimate, adds Needle.
How to do it: Both partners lay on their sides, getting “close and comfortable,” says Needle. Then, the penetrating partner enters the receiver.
Missionary
Missionary is a classic for a reason: it can be done pretty much anywhere, even on a couch. It also offers up a lot of opportunities for intimacy and romance, since you can gaze into each other’s eyes, says O’Reilly.
How to do it: The bottom partner lies down with their back against the couch. The penetrating partner gets on top, so they’re face-to-face, and enters them.
Kneeling Oral
With this position, only one of you is technically on the couch. But it’s still a great position to try on the sofa or in a chair, says O’Reilly. (For a sexy twist, the receiving partner can also sit on top of the couch, and the giving partner can sit on the cushion.)
How to do it: The receiving partner sits on the couch with their legs stretched out. The giving partner kneels in front of them, performing oral sex.
Doggy Style
There are several ways you can try doggy on the couch. The receiving partner can use the armrest to stabilize their hands; or, they can kneel against the back of the couch as their partner thrusts, which might help provide an all-new angle, says O’Reilly.
How to do it: The receiving partner gets on their knees, then holds onto back of the couch (or the armrest). The penetrating partner enters them from behind.
Standing Doggy
Looking for another couch-friendly variation on doggy? Try this position, in which the receiving partner bends over the back of the couch (or the armrest), suggests Needle. As a bonus, this one allows for super-deep penetration.
How to do it: The receiving partner bends over the edge of the couch. Then, the giving partner enters from behind.
Face-Off
This is essentially a seated variation on cowgirl, but it’s even more comfortable, especially if you’re on the couch, says O’Reilly. It also “offers more support, and your hands are free to play as you please,” she adds.
How to do it: The penetrating partner leans back, keeping their feet on the ground. The receiver straddles them, staying face-to-face.
The Wrapped Lotus
Just like Face-Off, this version of cowgirl is very comfortable and couch-friendly. The biggest difference? The receiver’s legs are wrapped around the penetrating partner, which is “great for clitoral rubbing and grinding,” says O’Reilly.
How to do it: The penetrating partner sits on the couch. The receiving partner straddles them, staying face-to-face, and wraps their legs around their body.
The Snake
This position is “like doggy-style,” but almost fully horizontal, notes O’Reilly—making it a great position for any tight surface.
How to do it: The giving partner lies on top of the receiving partner, and enters them from behind.
Classic Oral
This is another easy position to try on the couch. In order to get the angle just right, you might want to try sliding a pillow to prop up the receiver’s hips, suggests O’Reilly.
How to do it: The receiving partner lies down, with their back against the couch. The giving partner kneels in front of them, performing oral sex.
Seated Wheelbarrow
If you’re looking to level up your couch sex game a notch, you might want to try this creative variation on reverse cowgirl.
How to do it: The giving partner sits on the couch with their feet on the ground, says O’Reilly. The receiving partner sits on top of them (with both people facing the same direction) and then leans down, keeping their hands on the ground. The two of you will look a little like you’re in a wheelbarrow race, hence the name.
69
Oral lovers, listen up. This classic position is actually super easy to try on the couch, says Needle.
How to do it: One person lies down with their belly up. Their partner rests on top of them, aligning their mouth with the bottom partner’s genitals. Then, you both perform oral sex on each other.
Lydia Wang is the love & life editor at Women’s Health, where she writes and edits articles about sex, relationships, identity, and pop culture. She lives in New York and spends way too much of her free time reading romance novels in coffee shops and tweeting about her favorite dating shows.
