Forget working out more, spending less, or finally picking up that hobby you’ve been thinking about for years. If there’s one resolution we’re rallying for in 2026, it’s investing in a superb sex life. Ofc we would say that, but it’s not just us here at Cosmo who think the new year inspires a renewed sense of horniness. In fact, last New Year’s Day was the most popular day for users of the period-tracking app Clue to experience high sex drive, sex, orgasms, and fantasies. There is something erotic about a fresh start, isn’t there? But who says that arousal can’t be maintained throughout the year? 2025 might have been a weird year for sex, with rumours of a sex recession proving stronger than ever. Regardless of relationship status, it’s no secret there’s a pretty widespread sex drought for everyone. Even those who are cuffed up are bearing the brunt of low libido, with 51% of couples in the UK having mismatched libidos and a fifth being completely sexless, according to research by supplement brand JOLT. Meanwhile, a separate study by Lovehoney found that 35% of couples say their phones affect their enthusiasm to be intimate with a partner — and a shocking 10% admit to actually checking their phones during sex (what the hell guys?!). It’s not all doom and gloom, though — things can always improve! So, to help you have a banging Twenty Twenty Sex (as Lovehoney has coined), we’ve rounded up everything you need for better sex in the new year. Keep reading for our recommendations of the best sex toys, accessories, porn and erotica, and more. What does better sex mean in 2026? What with being overwhelmed by work, the demands of being constantly available to anyone anywhere in the world, and the cost of living skyrocketing over the last few years, it’s no surprise that, for many, sex has been put on the back burner. There’s always a way around that, though, so we asked the experts what better sex looks like in 2026. Overarchingly, a more intentional and purposeful approach to sex and intimacy was the key; incidentally this was one of Lovehoney’s sex trend predictions of 2026. According to Angie Rowntree, sexologist and founder of ethical porn platform Sssh.com, finding your own ‘arousal anchors’, or triggers that help you get in the mood, could help to reinvigorate your desire in the new year. “In the realm of psychology or neurolinguistic programming, an ‘anchor’ is any stimulus (sound, touch, word, gesture, scent, or visual cue) that is deliberately linked to a specific internal state,” she explains. “So when we apply anchors to our sexual arousal, they can help to signal your brain that you are open to pleasure or are entering a space where pleasure is imminent.” This could be anything that engages any of your senses, such as soft lighting (for a visual anchor), whispering or music (for sound), silky or velour sheets (for touch), or a specific dessert or flavoured lube that gets you going (for taste). “The key to picking an anchor is finding something you or your partner enjoys, and can enjoy in repetition,” says Rowntree. “Repetition is the key to building a strong mental association between the anchor/trigger and the arousal — but do not overuse the anchor in non-sexual contexts or you might become desensitised to it. As always, if you’re exploring arousal anchors with a partner, communication is key. Whatever ‘anchors’ you wish to explore, make sure you’re both enthusiastic and receptive.” For Vanessa Cuccia, founder of Chakrubs, this intentionality should go further than just being an anchor. Instead, she suggests using breathwork and being aware of the senses throughout sex, rather than powering towards an end goal (read: orgasm). “When you slow down and pay attention to sensation, breath, and emotion, you retrain your body to feel more deeply and respond more honestly,” Cuccia says. “That awareness carries into partnered sex. People become clearer about what they enjoy, more present with their bodies, and less dependent on fantasy or external stimulation to get aroused.” Instead, Cuccia recommends reframing masturbation. “For many people, masturbation is a way to rid the body of arousal, which is often treated as a distraction,” she explains. “If arousal is instead understood as a signal of what the body needs, everything shifts. Masturbation becomes an act of attention rather than release.” The products you need for better sex in 2026 Keep reading for our sex writer’s round-up of everything you could possibly need to have a smashing new year. There’s nothing more romantic than your partner kneading away your tension, and while you can use *regular* oil or body moisturiser to do it, we’re partial to a massage candle. This amber and tonka bean-scented one from Maude comes in a set with bath salts, so after a long soak in the tub (solo or together, you choose), you can light the candle for some gentle, flickering light. And, when the oil has oozed to your liking, ask your partner to drizzle it over your shoulders (or any other tight spots) for a strong stroking. For caress-free nights, the candle smells delicious enough to leave it burning away in the background. We don’t know about you, but occasionally we find ourselves rubbing one out because we’re horny; there’s no shame in that. Taking a moment to focus on the sensations, and indulge in pleasure, though, can be just as — if not more — pleasurable. If you’re looking to elongate your solo sessions, or even use them as a chance to practice some breathwork and mindfulness, Kama has a series of video and audio guides to help lead you through. It also has a ton of sex education content, such as how to touch a penis or vulva in a pleasurable way, and we love Beducated for even more in-depth tutorials and courses on every sex act you can think of. Non-vibrating sex toys It goes without saying that we’re huge fans of vibrators here at Cosmo — not only have they normalised female pleasure, but they introduce so many new and different sensations into sex. J’adore. But sometimes they’re so good that they deliver orgasms a little too easily (IYKYK). If you want to take it back to basics, or try something on the slower side, this crystal dildo from Chakrubs promises to speak directly to your heart chakra (via your vulva ofc). Made entirely from rose quartz, the crystal might help dissolve emotional wounds and provide a feeling of emotional fulfilment and contentment — as well as helping you get off, duh. Rose quartz not speaking to you? Don’t worry, the brand has a selection of all kinds of crystals, and recommends choosing the one that speaks to you. Should crystal not be your vibe, you can go for internal toys in a range of materials, like stainless steel or borosilicate glass — and even ones that are egg-shaped to help strengthen your kegel muscles. We’re also enamoured by these unisex Tenga jellies, which can be used either as a penis stroker or to drag textured lumps and bumps over your external erogenous zone of choice. And vibrating ones Look, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it (although here’s a PSA that you should probs be recycling your sex toys after five years). If prioritising your pleasure looks like investing in a device that is guaranteed to get you to the big O (when, ahem, nobody is) we’re all for it. If you’re a buzzing beginner, there’s a whole world out there for you to explore, because vibrators come in the form of bullets, rabbits, pebbles, rings, and pretty much any other form you can think of under the sun (what about this lemon one, eh?). Prostate massagers If there’s one thing we want penis-possessors to do more of in 2026, it’s pay attention to their prostate. Stimulating your P-spot can bring you whole new levels of pleasure, whether that’s with a finger, butt plug, anal beads, dildo, or prostate massager. Feminist porn and erotica If you’re a regular porn peruser, we don’t have to tell you that in summer 2025, the UK government passed legislation that means you have to now show ID to confirm your age when accessing online porn. Unsurprisingly, concerns about data protection (and the inconvenience of it all) has meant that visitors to some of the biggest porn sites have fallen by more than 75% since that came into force. While many have admitted they’re now accessing porn on even shadier sites than before, might we point out: there is no better time to pay for porn. Just as you splash out a portion of your income on safe for work streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney every month, there’s no reason you can’t spare a sprinkling of cash on material to get you off. And the good news is, there are plenty of porn and erotica sites out there created by women for women, and those with LGBTQ+ content, too. Even better: these sites are usually completely transparent about their production, and the lengths they go to to make it ethical. If watching porn isn’t your jam, Bloom has thousands of audio erotica stories voiced by real people, whose characters you can have spicy chats with via the ‘chat’ and ‘roleplay’ features. While Quinn has a celebrity-voiced erotica series among its line-up — and who doesn’t want to hear Christopher Briney or Andrew Scott whispering sweet (sexy) nothings in their ear? But, if it’s the old-fashioned visual porn you’re after, there are a ton of feminist sites like FrolicMe, Erika Lust, Ssh.com, and Lustery that create videos based on real people’s fantasies — not an algorithm. Treat yourself! Wearable sex tech In 2025, censorship of sex, LGBTQ+, and women’s wellness-related content became more obvious than ever. Even as a sex writer, the only sex tech that is recommended to me on my social media is ‘discreet’ sex toys (but lingerie is fine, apparently!). So really, it’s kinda radical to be so proud about your use of sex tech that you don it as an accessory — and we want to see more of this in 2026. The OG wearable vibrator is this chic necklace from Crave, but you could also don a whip on a chain, or a chunky vibrating ring. Then just sit back and wait for someone to ask you about what it is. Lube For our sake, we hope 2026 is the last year we have to keep saying this: lube is an absolute essential for sex, people! Whether you’re playing orally, anally, vaginally, or with sex toys, adding a dollop of this slippery substance will level up your sex game and prevent the risk of dryness and chafing. Our personal fave from last year is HOWL’s water-based formula, which is infused with CBD to boost sensations wherever it’s applied. Not to mention, the brand does loads of cool collabs with people like singer and DJ Shygirl and artist Luis de Javier (need we point you in the direction of their queer-friendly raves/ sex parties?). But if you like your lube to double up as a tasty treat, Satisfyer has countless flavoured formulas (think coffee, lavender, cherry, and even Christmas cookie), or you can go for a simple pH-balanced and hyaluronic-loaded formula from Sex Brand. Libido boosters Have we pointed out we’re all busy and stressed? Naturally, our libido is one of the first things to take a hit amidst overwhelm and fatigue, so luckily for you there are plenty of supplements that claim to keep it ticking along in the background. One of the latest to the game is this unisex supplement from JOLT, which is stuffed full of ingredients to boost energy and fertility — including maca root, ashwaghanda, fenugreek, and potency wood (so you just like Taylor Swift, you don’t have go knocking). But daily pills aren’t the only option to accelerate your sex drive, you can also go for an aphrodisiac-infused chocolate to share of a date night, or CBD-infused melts that can be inserted into your vagina for relaxing the muscles before you get down and dirty. Or, if it’s the membered mate in your relationship that needs a little helping hand maintaining erections, LELO’s F2S masturbator uses real-time feedback to adjust its vibration modes for a longer and more pleasurable orgasm. Plus, when synced up with the LELO app, it provides a range of personalised kegel and stamina training exercises. Soft and silky sheets, and more ;) No one’s thinking about how good their partner’s hands (or other body parts) feel when their sheets are all rough and crumby. To really set the scene for a hot and heavy evening, invest in some smooth and sleek bedding. We’re fans of this pillowcase from Slip and these soft PJs from Chelsea Peers, but if you’re going all out, this set containing pyjamas, a pillow case, eye mask and scrunchies means you won’t have to be anywhere that isn’t within inches of a silky surface. If you’re worried about making a mess on your new bedding, though, a waterproof sex blanket, like this one from Splash, will help catch any of the fluids that are flung around during your romp.
