In the run up to Valentine’s Day, people across the nation research the best way to ‘woo’ their partners. But what exactly are they researching?
In celebration of our flourishing sex and adult category on OnBuy, our researchers have analysed Google search volumes and conducted a nationwide survey to find out.

Pexels/Ingo Joseph
Love Island Launches The Eagle As The UK's Most Searched Sex Position
OnBuy.com started the analysis by looking at Google search volumes.
By inputting over 60 sex positions in the keyword analytics section of online visibility and marketing tool SEMrush, OnBuy.com identified the 10 most and least-searched sex positions in the UK.
Please note: all keyword variations were considered to calculate the top 10 most/least-searched and figures reflect average monthly search volumes.
The 10 most-searched sex positions in the UK:
Rank | Sex Position | Average Monthly Search Volume |
---|---|---|
1 | Eagle | 150,730 |
2 | 69 | 11,660 |
3 | Missionary | 11,420 |
4 | Cowgirl | 8,550 |
5 | Reverse Cowgirl | 3,720 |
6 | Standing | 2,470 |
7 | Lotus | 2,090 |
8 | Spooning | 1,910 |
9 | Doggy Style | 1,220 |
10 | Pretzel | 660 |
The 10 least-searched sex positions in the UK:
Rank | Sex Position | Average Monthly Search Volume |
---|---|---|
1 | Nirvana | 10 |
2 | Sphinx | 10 |
3 | The Cross | 20 |
4 | X Marks the Spot | 20 |
5 | Thigh Master | 40 |
6 | Candle | 50 |
7 | The Shard | 50 |
8 | Sideways Straddle | 50 |
9 | Peg | 60 |
10 | Side by Side | 100 |
OnBuy’s research revealed the Eagle is the most-searched sex position in the UK. In the last month, 150,730 people have Googled it, and this is partly thanks to telly sensation Love Island.
The mere mention of the Eagle on the smash hit show inspired viewers to ready their lubricants and try something new. And the fact over 150,000 people are still Googling it shows it must be a winning formula.

Pixabay/DanaTentis
Love Island: Other Positions of Interest
What other positions are getting airtime on Love Island and how many people are searching for them?
- Butter Churner (400 average monthly search volume)
- Anvil (280 average monthly search volume)
- Mermaid (150 average monthly search volume)
- Turtle (130 average monthly search volume)
- Candle (50 average monthly search volume)

Pixabay/keem1201
What UK Cities Love Most
To gain more insight into which city favours what when it comes to making love, OnBuy.com conducted a survey.
To achieve the results, OnBuy.com surveyed respondents from each UK town or city with a population of 100,000+ people. We simply asked: what is your favourite sex position? Because (sometimes!) the same old sex toys and erotic games just aren’t enough to get you there!
Here’s the results:

Place | Region | Favourite Sex Position |
---|---|---|
Aberdeen | Scotland | 69 |
Basildon | East | Cowgirl |
Basingstoke | South East | Cowgirl |
Bath | South East | Cowgirl |
Belfast | Northern Ireland | Missionary |
Birkenhead | North West | Cowgirl |
Birmingham | West Midlands | 69 |
Blackburn | North West | Missionary |
Blackpool | North West | Cowgirl |
Bolton | North West | 69 |
Bournemouth | South West | Missionary |
Bradford | Yorkshire and The Humber | Missionary |
Brighton | South East | 69 |
Bristol | South West | 69 |
Cambridge | East | 69 |
Cardiff | Wales | 69 |
Chelmsford | East | Cowgirl |
Cheltenham | South West | Missionary |
Colchester | East | Eagle |
Coventry | West Midlands | Eagle |
Crawley | South East | Missionary |
Derby | East Midlands | Eagle |
Doncaster | Yorkshire and The Humber | Missionary |
Dundee | Scotland | Cowgirl |
Eastbourne | South East | Missionary |
Edinburgh | Scotland | 69 |
Exeter | South West | Missionary |
Gateshead | North East | Cowgirl |
Glasgow | Scotland | Eagle |
Gloucester | South West | Cowgirl |
Hemel Hempstead | East | Missionary |
High Wycombe | South East | Cowgirl |
Huddersfield | Yorkshire and The Humber | Eagle |
Ipswich | East | Cowgirl |
Kingston upon Hull | Yorkshire and The Humber | 69 |
Leeds | Yorkshire and The Humber | 69 |
Leicester | East Midlands | Eagle |
Lincoln | East Midlands | Missionary |
Liverpool | North West | Eagle |
London | London | Eagle |
Luton | East | Eagle |
Maidstone | South East | Lotus |
Manchester | North West | Eagle |
Middlesbrough | North East | Standing |
Milton Keynes | South East | Standing |
Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | Eagle |
Newport | Wales | Lotus |
Northampton | East Midlands | 69 |
Norwich | East | Standing |
Nottingham | East Midlands | Eagle |
Oldham | North West | 69 |
Oxford | South East | 69 |
Peterborough | East | Eagle |
Plymouth | South West | Eagle |
Poole | South West | Lotus |
Portsmouth | South East | Eagle |
Reading | South East | Eagle |
Rochdale | North West | Lotus |
Rotherham | Yorkshire and The Humber | Standing |
Sale | North West | Reverse Cowgirl |
Salford | North West | Reverse Cowgirl |
Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | Eagle |
Slough | South East | Standing |
Solihull | West Midlands | Reverse Cowgirl |
Southampton | South East | 69 |
Southend-on-Sea | East | Eagle |
St. Helens | North West | 69 |
Stockport | North West | Standing |
Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | Eagle |
Sunderland | North East | Standing |
Sutton Coldfield | West Midlands | Reverse Cowgirl |
Swansea | Wales | Eagle |
Swindon | South West | Eagle |
Telford | West Midlands | Standing |
Wakefield | Yorkshire and The Humber | Reverse Cowgirl |
Warrington | North West | Reverse Cowgirl |
Watford | East | Standing |
Wigan | North West | Reverse Cowgirl |
Woking | South East | Standing |
Wolverhampton | West Midlands | Eagle |
Worcester | West Midlands | Standing |
Worthing | South East | Standing |
York | Yorkshire and The Humber | 69 |
Survey Highlights
- 11 cities in the UK name Missionary as their all-time favourite, but DOUBLE that prefer the Eagle
- Londoners name the Eagle as their favourite, while Scots in Edinburgh favour 69
- 36% of people in the East of England say the Eagle is their preferred position
- Standing stands out in the North East (50%), while 29% of the North West get rowdy over Reverse Cowgirl
- 29% of the South East love Standing, while 33% of the South West get in the mood with Missionary!
- In Yorkshire and The Humber 69 comes top (and bottom), with over a third of the vote (33%)!