The 3 Best Lubes for Sounding [2024 Review]

Want to explore urethral play? Here’s a list of the best lube for sounding that you can use to stay safe and enjoy deep urethral stimulation to the fullest.

best lube for sounding

Urethral sounding is a pleasurable, kinky, and safe practice… but only if you follow proper precautions.

One of them is using lube. And not just any lube in your stash, but a lube for sounding.

Your urethra is made up of muscles to push pee out, so there’s resistance when you put something in. And it’s a tiiiiiny, tiiiiight canal.

So, you would need lube for the instrument to glide in smoothly. This lube should be sterile, super slippery, and long-lasting to prevent potential issues like injuries and UTIs.

While there are many lubes in the market, not a lot of them are made for urethral sounding. But, fret not, as I’ve gathered the 3 best lubes for sounding for you.

SexualAlpha Top Pick

ElectraStim Sterile Lubricant is a water-based sterile lubricant that’s super hygienic and surgical-level. It’s even bacteriostatic (aka, it stops bacterial growth). Quite pricey, but worth it as it’s sooo slippery, smooth, and sterile.

Best for Those Susceptible to UTI

OptiLube Lubricating Jelly is friendly for people who are susceptible to UTIs. It’s made of quality ingredients, is sterile, and free from petroleum. This lubricating jelly’s thick consistency makes applying the lube a breeze without leaving any tacky feeling.

Best Water-based Sterile Lubricant

KY Jelly is another sterile water-based lube that’s non-greasy and non-irritating. It’s formulated to not harbor bacteria, making it safe to use for sensitive people or those prone to infections.


Best Lube for Sounding in 2024

Best for Those Susceptible to UTI

OptiLube Lubricating Jelly

SexualAlpha Top Pick

ElectraStim Sterile Lubricant

Best Water-based Sterile Lubricant

KY Jelly

Type:
Water-based
Water-based
Water-based
Sterile:
Yes
Yes
Yes
Price:
$$
$$$
$$

SexualAlpha Top Pick

1. ElectraStim Sterile Lubricant

Type:
Water-based
Sterile:
Yes
Price:
$$$
  • Bacteriostatic formulation
  • Individually packed for hygienic purposes
  • Pretty expensive

ElectraStim Sterile Lubricant is formulated especially for—yes, you guessed itElectraStim toys

And because of that formulation, it’s one of the best lubricants for urethral sounding.

One, it’s categorized as a surgical lube. It’s a specialist lubricant used by medical professionals for surgical and gynecological lubrication.

You can assure it’s sterile and features the best-possible cleanliness you’d look for in a lube.

Plus, it’s also bacteriostatic. That means it inhibits the growth and multiplication of bacterial cells.

I also like that it’s individually packed in a sealed packet. 

It’s more hygienic because you’ll only use one packet and then throw it out. 

Once your lube bottle is opened, some bacteria might be able to get in. Yikes! You wouldn’t want to risk any of those potential infections.

It’s also super slippery that inserting the instrument into my urethra is so easy. It just gliiides

With that, it’s pretty pricey.

There are 10 packets in one pack with 0.10 oz. of lube each.

It doesn’t sound a lot, but enough for the urethral sound. But then again, it’s a price you’d want to pay to ensure safety.


Best Sounding Lube for Those Susceptible to UTI

2. OptiLube Lubricating Jelly

Type:
Water-based
Sterile:
Yes
Price:
$$
  • Non-greasy and non-sticky formula
  • Petroleum-free
  • On the pricier side

The OptiLube Lubricating Jelly is a water-based lubricant. It’s sterile and formulated to not harbor bacteria.

It only comes in a tiny tube, but a small application goes a long way. You can easily squeeze out the lube from the tube without making a mess.

OptiLube’s THICK consistency makes it easy to coat the lube where you want it.

It’s great for people susceptible to UTIs because it doesn’t contain risky ingredients. And it’s petroleum-free, which is known to harbor some chaotic infections in the body.

I also like how it doesn’t feel greasy or sticky at all. 

Plus, it lasts long, so you won’t have to reapply the lube, which is hard to do in sounding.

This comes in a teeny tiny tube of 3.98 oz. of product, so it might seem pricey for its size. But a little goes a long way, and it has the essential features of a sounding lube you should look for.


Best Water-based Sterile Lubricant

3. KY Jelly

Type:
Water-based
Sterile:
Yes
Price:
$$
  • Non-greasy and non-irritating
  • Unscented
  • Quite pricey

You may have already heard of KY Jelly before. Yep, it’s a popular water-based lubricant and a bit easier to find in most sex toys.

As a sterile lubricant, you can safely use this for your urethral play.

KY Jelly is non-greasy and non-irritating. It’s also unscented, ensuring there will be no irritants when you use it in a very sensitive part like the urethra due to fragrance.

It’s even smaller than OptiLube. KY Jelly has 2.89 oz. worth of lube for the same price.

It doesn’t harbor bacteria, which is crucial for people who are sensitive or prone to infections.


Buyer’s Guide: Best Lube for Sounding

Features

There are two most important features you should look for in a lube for sounding:

  • Sterile – Not all lubes in the market are sterile. In fact, only a few are. So make sure you only use a sterile lube for urethral play.

Why?

The urethra is a very sensitive spot. It absorbs bacteria, among other things. Using unsterilized lube could lead to UTIs.

  • Long-lasting – Urethral play is not a fast done-and-go sexual activity. It takes time, so you need a lube that lasts as long as your session.

Reapplying lube once the urethral sound is plugged inside isn’t easy, so you need to make sure your lube doesn’t dry out before then.


Types of Lube

Most sex toys are compatible with most or one of three lubricants: water-based, oil-based, or silicone-based lube.

You don’t have to stick to one, as the preferred choice will depend greatly on what you like to do with your toys.

As long as you ensure it’s clean, that’s all it takes to go all out with your urethral adventures.

Bacteria and other similar substances can easily access the urethra, and some ingredients in lubricants can hurt or even give you an infection if you use them.

For example, if you are using a silicone toy, it’s vital to consider which lube is compatible with the material. 

Silicone is a specific material that can have harmful effects on itself. And if you use silicone lube on a toy with the same composition, the surface can break down and leave pieces inside your body.

You don’t want this to happen. So if you’re using a silicone material, use a water- or oil-based lube instead.

The safest option of the three is to go with a water-based lubricant as a general go-to. But it tends to dry out faster. So you also have that to consider. 


Size

Most lubes for sounding don’t come in super large bottles like regular lubes.

For one, you don’t need to use TOO MUCH lube in urethral sounding. After all, the instrument and the pee hole don’t cover such big areas.

That said, you still have to make sure you use the right amount for a smooth, frictionless glide.

Another reason is hygiene.

The more you open and close your lube container, the more bacteria could get in the lube (and maybe multiply right there without you knowing).

For regular uses, it’s not a big deal. Our immune system is built stronger than that.

But the urethra is a very sensitive spot that absorbs stuff—including bacteria from the lube.

You’d want to minimize those chances, so smaller packaging is safer.


Budget

Sterile lubes are a bit pricier than your regular lube if you look at them on a per-ounce basis.

But then again, there are extra considerations in a sterile lube that justifies the extra cost.

Also, the lubes aren’t THAT pricey. Most of them are less than $20, in fact. It’s just that they also come in smaller packets, so they seem pricey for their size.

However, I suggest not skimping on your lube for sounding. Find the best one for you and invest in it.

Interested in other ways to enhance pleasure with lube? Check out our best sexual lubricant guide.


FAQs

Why do we need a lube for urethral sounding?

The urethra lubricates naturally, but it’s not enough for urethral play. You will need lubrication to insert an object into your urethra.

There would be friction without lube that could be painful, potentially resulting in injuries like tissue damage and even urethral tearing. It might even cause the sound to get stuck too deep into the urethra.

Some urethral toys are also not meant to be pushed inside. These toys are designed to slide into position through natural gravity after positioning within the urethra.

Lube makes that so much easier. It helps the instrument glide in without friction.


Is it safe to use saliva as lube for urethral play?

No, no, no.

You might think saliva is the simplest lube to use—there’s plenty available, and it’s just right there! In your mouth! Easily accessible!

How-e-ver, saliva dries really, REALLY fast.

And while you might have a lot of saliva, you’re unlikely to produce enough to coat the entire length of your urethral sound AND your urethra. 

By the time you do, it’s already dried up.

Okay, let’s say you were able to insert the sound successfully.

When it’s time for you to remove it, all your saliva is used up. And it’s going to be so difficult AND painful to take out the sound dry.

Do yourself a favor and just use lube. Please.


How do you lubricate your urethra?

Aside from coating your urethral sound, it’s also essential to coat your urethra with lube.

The lube coated in the sound could get pushed out if the urethra is dry. There’s so much less lube left in the sound by the time it’s in.

Thus, you can use a syringe to push the lube directly into the urethra. This helps you do more coating on the lining and gently open the urethra in the process.

For more urethral stimulation guide, consider checking out this article.


Conclusion

Urethral play could give you intense orgasms. 

Still, you must take proper precautions, especially the right lube, for a safe urethral-sounding sesh. Sounds good?

Dainis Graveris

Dainis Graveris

Over last 4 years Dainis have helped millions of people through his advice on this site (200+ guides and 1M+ visits/monthly). His work & advice has appeared on sites like: Healthline, Vice, Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, WomensHealthMag, MindBodyGreen & more. Read More.

Got Questions? Ping me on Twitter.