- Brits’ favourite sex position and the most tried in the bedroom is…Doggy Style
- More than a third of women say their partners initiate a new sex position
- 69 is the sex position women most want to try, while anal sex is the position men most want to test out
- For both sexes, not having enough experience is the biggest fear when experimenting with a new sex move
It’s official, Brits are a nation of dog lovers – and we’re not talking about the furry four-legged kind.
Brits are often portrayed as a prudish and uptight bunch, and while that may be true for some, a look at some of the more ‘out there’ sex moves from our data, shows we also have a naughty side.
Sex positions ranked
To get a better understanding of the nation’s favourite sex moves in the bedroom, Vivastreet surveyed nearly 13,000 Brits to uncover peoples’ prime position. Curious about Britain’s favourite days and times to have sex? Find out more here.
So what are Brits’ favourite sex positions? From favourites Missionary and Reverse Cowgirl to more quirky sex positions like the Lotus and Amazon, the go-to sex positions for Brits have been revealed.
Discover the full breakdown of each sex position here.
Here’s what the data revealed, broken down by sex.
Battle of the sexes
When it comes to the sex positions men and women engage in the most between the sheets, Doggy Style came out as the clear winner for both.
While everyone’s sex style differs, some classic moves never fail to hit the spot. The classic Missionary position is one of the most performed in the bedroom, coming (ahem…) in second place for men, and third place for women. 69 proved to hit the spot, coming in second for women as the most tried sex position, and ranking in third place for men.
According to Somatic Sexologist, Stella Anna Sonnenbaum, “Doggy, 69 and Missionary are so well known and accepted” that it’s no surprise they would be the most tried sex positions. For her, these positions show that sex partners usually prefer to “play it safe, before trying anything new that may go hilariously or terribly wrong”.
In short, people are more prone to “choose safety over adventure!”
Brits’ favourite sex position is……doggy
As well as citing Doggy as the sex position they have tried the most, 36% of women and 33% of men also cited Doggy Style as their favourite sex position in the bedroom.
So why is Doggy such a turn-on? According to sex experts, not only is Doggy known to stimulate many areas, but it also provides better access to the G-spot. Not to mention there’s also something slightly naughty and a little wild about not having face-to-face sex.
Interestingly, the second favourite sex position differed between men and women. 15% of men said 69 was their second favourite sex position, while for 23% of women it was the more traditional Missionary position – a stark contrast to their favourite sex position, Doggy.
Missionary is known to be pleasurable, while also harbouring closeness, making it one of the more romantic sex positions.
Rounding out the third spot, was Cowgirl for men (15%) while for 16% of women, it was 69.
Like this article? Read our previous research on Brits’ favourite sex sounds in the bedroom.
Sexual desires between the sheets
When it comes to the sex positions men and women most want to try, for men, Anal was the clear front, or rather back, runner, with around 1 in 3 (36%) admitting to wanting to try this sex position.
If you’re considering engaging in anal sex, Sonnenbaum recommends “preparation, such as finger penetration, and plenty of lube, to make sure it can be carried out pain-free.”
In contrast for women, Anal ranked 4th for the sex position they most wanted to try. In actual fact, for 25% of women, 69 was the sex position they most wanted to try.
According to Sonnenbaum, “women get plenty of vulva and clitoral stimulation in 69, so it’s quite a hot position for Vulva owners!”
Coming in second place for the sex position women most want to try was Doggy Style, while the Amazon was voted the third most desired sex position. This sex position is similar to Reverse Missionary, which sees one partner (in heterosexual couples this would be the man) lay on their back with their knees pulled to their chest, while the other partner, in this case, the woman straddles them. The Amazon position allows the person on top, who does most of the work to explore their more dominant side.
The fact that this sex position ranks #3 three for the sex position women most want to try may suggest that women are looking to take more control and assert their dominance in the bedroom.
Not only does it seem like women want to become more assertive in the bedroom, but this may also be a sentiment shared by men.
The second sex position men most wanted to try was Reverse Cowgirl (18%). Reverse cowgirl involves the man lying on his back, the woman straddling his hips, facing away from the man’s face. A combination of the popular Doggy, while similar to the Amazon, this sex position not only allows for the woman to take control but also promotes deeper penetration.
Sex education
When asked how they learn about a new sex position, a whopping 67% of men cited porn as their inspiration. In comparison, 51% of women revealed they most commonly learn about a new position from a partner.
Sonnenbaum cites that although this is not surprising, as “men are generally more visual than women, so it’s understandable that they derive erotic inspiration from porn”, she argues that “social conditioning around sex may prohibit women from taking charge to actually voice their erotic creativity, which allows the men to be in charge.”
Does this mean that men are more likely to inform sex in a relationship?
For Sonnenbaum, this is a concern as it ultimately means that “the erotic inspiration seems to come from porn, either directly through watching it, or indirectly via women learning it from other sex partners, who are male.”
Interestingly, women were more likely to talk to their friends about sex (23%) when compared to men (13%). Previous research on this topic by Dr Eva Lefkowitz found that ‘women not only reported talking more about sex and sex-related topics with their best friend but also reported being more comfortable doing so, than men.’ Likewise, a 2014 survey by Match.com, found that 57% of women talk about their sex lives with their friends — more than speaking to their partners about it.
Taking the lead
When it comes to who initiates a new sex move, men take the lead. Over 87% of men said they were the ones more likely to want to try a new sex position.
Moreover, more than a third of women admitted that their partner was more likely to initiate a new sex position.
Again, Sonnenbaum is not surprised by this. She cites that generally “women need to feel safe to open up for sex, and tried and tested positions may put them at ease.” In comparison “with men being generally more visually oriented, new positions give them new perspectives on their partners.”
Nookie novice fears
Despite many people wanting to spice up their sex life, the reality is, experimenting with a new sex position can be daunting if you haven’t tried it before. The biggest fear when trying a new sex position for both 40% of men and 36% of women was not being experienced enough.
“With new positions, there is a level of awkwardness and clumsiness involved, especially when trying them for the very first time, or with a new partner,” says Sonnenbaum.
“What’s more, when we suggest a new position we would also risk rebuttal or rejection, and possibly being judged.”
Body confidence
Interestingly, men’s second biggest fear was that they’ll hurt their partner in bed, while the second biggest fear for women was that they would not be flexible enough. Coming in as the third biggest fear for 25% of women was hurting themselves when trying a new sex position.
A look at some of the acrobatic requirements needed for some of these sex positions, it’s perhaps not surprising that this could be a worry for women.
Sonnenbaum agrees, citing that unfortunately, “some women feel awkward being on top, because of body confidence issues, or they try to perform for their partners instead of following sensation and pleasure. Women may be afraid to be seen in new positions, and feel awkward or clumsy, which is even less fun when we are naked.”
Being too big or heavy was a fear for 22% of women. In comparison, just 17% of men cited this as a fear for trying a new sex position, suggesting that even in the world of sex, body confidence is something that continues to unfairly torment women more than men.
Location location location
Breaking down people’s favourite sex positions by location, Vivastreet also analysed Google search data from across the UK to reveal the country’s most popular sex positions across the biggest cities.
Londoners love 69, with 18,000 monthly searches for this position alone. People in Birmingham were more traditional, with Missionary being the #1 searched sex position for the UK’s capital city.
The Mermaid, which has little to do with the undersea, proved to be a big hit in Manchester. This sex position requires one partner to lie back onto a table, counter or bed (the study the better) with your hips at the edge. The partner enters standing or kneeling, depending on height.
A great “YEE-HAW!” is needed for Leeds where Reverse Cowgirl was revealed to be the most-searched sex position in the West Yorkshire city.
The full breakdown by city can be found here:
| City | Favourite Sex Position |
| London | 69 |
| Birmingham | Missionary |
| Manchester | Mermaid |
| Leeds | 69 |
| Bradford | 69 |
| Liverpool | Reverse Cowgirl |
| Sheffield | Missionary |
| Newcastle | 69 |
| Sunderland | 69 |
| Wolverhampton | 69 |
| Belfast | 69 |
| Bristol | 69 |
| Leicester | 69 |
| Glasgow | Reverse Cowgirl |
| Edinburgh | Reverse Cowgirl |
| Southampton | 69 |
| Portsmouth | Missionary |
| Nottingham | Missionary |
| Aberdeen | Reverse Cowgirl |
| York | Reverse Cowgirl |
| Slough | 69 |
| Brighton | Missionary |
| Cardiff | Missionary |
| Bath | 69 |
| Ipswich | Missionary |
| Norwich | 69 |
| Plymouth | 69 |
| Peterborough | 69 |
| Swansea | 69 |
| Coventry | Missionary |
| Milton Keynes | 69 |
| Oxford | Reverse Cowgirl |
| Cambridge | 69 |
What your sex position bucket list should look like
Vivastreet also looked at new and emerging sex positions. From the sex positions that have seen a sudden spike in searches over the last year to positions that were downright quirky, the findings proved to be interesting.
The already popular ‘Butter Churner’ saw a 125% surge in online searches when compared to 2021. This position involves the woman lying on her back with her legs raised above and behind her head. The man then squats, angles his penis downwards and squats, penetrating her from above.
Forget opening a bottle of wine in the evening after a hard day’s work, as the ‘Corkscrew’ saw a whopping 510% increase in people searching for this sex position online. This position involves the receiving partner sitting on the edge of a bed, couch, table. They then need to turn onto one side, resting on the hip and using their arm for support. From here, the penetrating partner stands and straddles the receiver, entering from behind.
The ‘Lazy Dog’, a relatively new sex position and a take on the classic Doggy Style sees the male partner using his female partner as a human cushion as he lays down on top of her and lie and enters the receiver from behind. This sex position saw a 50% increase in searches when compared to the previous year.
A full breakdown of the sex positions that have seen the biggest YoY growth in online searches can be found below:
| Sex Positions | YoY Growth in Online Searches |
| Bulldog | +40% |
| Butter Churner | +125% |
| Butterfly | +39% |
| Camel | +25% |
| Captain | +100% |
| Corkscrew | +510% |
| Frog | +50% |
| Lazy Dog | +52% |
| Pretzel | +171% |
| Waterfall | +29% |
Experimenting with a new sex position
Sex can become repetitive, so experimenting with different sex positions with a partner can be a fun way to bring the spark back between the sheets.
This sentiment is shared by Sonnenbaum, who concurs that “sex is no fun when things get too acrobatic or strenuous.”
She goes on to say that “new positions are a good way to break out of routines, but of course, many other factors are relevant too, such as communication and embodiment skills, intimacy with Self and partner, and erotic knowledge and playfulness.”
It’s also important that you feel comfortable when trying a sex position to ensure you get the most from the experience and reach the formidable OMG-Spot.
To help you choose the best sex position for your needs, we asked Somatic Sexologist, Stella Anna Sonnenbaum to recommend the following sex positions for:
Putting the spark back in your relationship:
How about Doggy Style? The penis owner will enjoy the view, and for women, this can be an exciting position as well, particularly with a mirror.
Exercise and Fitness:
Try the Superman position if the penis owner wants to work out their arm muscles: you need to lift your partner’s pelvis and legs and hold them up.
When you are feeling lazy:
I would suggest 69 when you are feeling lazy. The side position is really comfortable and can be maintained for a long leisurely pleasure time.
Reaching an orgasm (for the vagina owner):
I would suggest a variation of the Missionary position here, where the woman has her pelvis on a cushion, and the penis owner has their legs together and rests more weight on the clitoral area. The man can try the angle of penetration to awaken different sensations in the vagina.
Lasting longer in bed (for the penis owner):
The woman on top is usually more conducive for lasting longer, as the blood flow for the underneath partner is away from the glans. The woman can move slowly, and rub her clitoral area while she moves. This requires a good fit and is not ideal for long penises.
For the adventurous:
Try the Eiffel Tower, which requires an extra partner of any gender in the bedroom.
Breakdown of UK’s favourite sex positions
1. Doggy
Doggy Style is a sex position in which the person penetrating stands or kneels behind their partner. The classic form of Doggy Style is when the person who is receiving is on all fours.
2. Missionary
In this position, one partner is on top of the other so that they are face-to-face. The penetrating partner, or the one who’s on top, usually has more control than the partner underneath them.
3. 69
69 is a common nickname for when sexual partners give each other oral stimulation at the same time. The nickname refers to the positions of the bodies fitting together like the shape of the number 69.
4. Cowgirl
Cowgirl position means the partner with the penis or strap-on lies on their back with their legs straight while the other person straddles them.
5. Anal
Anal sex is sex where a penis, a sex toy or fingers enter the anus. Oral-anal sex is where a person stimulates the anus with their mouth – this is also known as ‘rimming’.
6. Reverse Cowgirl
Reverse Cowgirl sees the person receiving penetration sitting on top of their partner, but instead of sitting face-to-face, they face away toward their partner’s feet. The person on top can control the pace, rhythm, and depth of penetration.
7. Spooning
The Spooning sex position is when you and your partner are laying down, you’re both on your side and facing in the same direction, with one partner (the rear or big spoon) tucked behind the other.
8. Eagle
The Eagle sex position is when one partner lies on their back with their legs spread apart, or spread eagle. It’s said to be similar to Missionary, but with the person lying down having their legs wide and in the air, rather than straight and flat on the bed.
9. Amazon
The Amazon position involves one partner lying on their back with their legs positioned similarly to a tabletop, bent and pulled to the chest with knees together, and the other partner squatting down to position their genitals on top of their partner’s.
10. Lotus
The Lotus sex position involves one partner sitting cross-legged, and the other facing them, straddling them. Think “Cowgirl” position (one person rides on top of the other) but seated upright.
A special thank you to the following expert:
Stella Anna Sonnebaum: Stella with Love
Study methodology
Using our database, we surveyed nearly 13,000 respondents to find out their sex trends. Google Search and trends data was also used for the most searched sex positions in 2022. We analysed the cities searching for these sex positions the most, by applying search volume data from the Google Adwords Keyword Planner over the last 12 months.
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