Sex & Relationships

9 Expert-Approved Sex Positions For Partners With Height Differences

Reverse cowgirl just got even hotter.

Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Spooning, reverse cowgirl, and modified doggy style are all great sex positions for tall guys or par...
Westend61/Westend61/Getty Images

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to sex positions — especially when you’re having sex with someone who’s taller than you. While height differences don’t necessarily matter during sex, some positions simply might not work logistically if one partner is much taller. For example, missionary — if you want it to involve kissing and eye contact — isn’t going to be an easy one to pull off.

But with so many different kinds of sex positions out there, height difference needn’t be an obstacle. Here are nine of the best ones to try when you have a tall partner:

1. Person With A Vulva On Top

How to do it: With your partner lying flat, straddle their hips, then sit down. You can have them penetrate you with their penis or with a strap-on. You can do this either lying perpendicular across your partner’s torso or sitting on top of them.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: If your partner is 6’7” and you’re 5’1”, height difference won’t matter with this sex position. Do your thing straddling them on top, and if you want to lean down for a kiss or a cuddle, it’s within reach.

2. Reverse Cowgirl

How to do it: Straddle your supine partner, same as the on top position, only facing the reverse direction with your back to them.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: According to Dr. Stacy Friedman, clinical sexologist and certified sex coach, reverse cowgirl allows the person on top to “control the motions and depth” while the bottom partner lies back and enjoys (with a nice view to boot).

3. The Sofa Embrace

How to do it: First, you need a sofa. Next, in a kneeling position, drape yourself over the back or side of the sofa, so your partner can penetrate you from behind.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: Many people love doggy style for the direct G-spot stimulation that comes with it, as well as the deepness factor. But when your partner is much taller, lining up your hips during doggy style can be challenging. With the sofa embrace, you can drape yourself as far over the sofa as need be until your partner can comfortably enter you with your hips at the same height as each other.

4. The Bridge

How to do it: While lying on your back, have your partner kneel between your legs and pull your hips up so they’re in line with theirs. From here, your partner can pull your hips into them, creating leverage to pull you in even deeper.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: Because they’re in control of making your hips just as high as theirs, height difference isn’t a concern. As you’ll find with all these sex positions, if you and your partner can get your hips to the same height, then you can make it happen — this is why standing-up sex rarely works for couples with big height differences.

5. Spooning

How to do it: Both of you lie on your side next to each other, facing the same direction. Then tuck yourself into your partner’s lap while they penetrate you from behind.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: The spooning position mimics sitting in your partner’s lap — a position that doesn’t rely on height. With minimal adjustment, your partner can easily penetrate you.

6. Sitting In A Chair

How to do it: Have your partner sit in a chair while you straddle them, either facing them or facing away. (Facing away will allow for deeper penetration.)

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: Even if your toes can’t reach the floor, it doesn’t matter, because you don’t need your toes to have sex. In your partner’s lap, you can easily ride them, and height difference doesn’t even come into play.

7. Modified Doggy Style

How to do it: Start in doggy style, but move forward to rest on your forearms or flat onto your stomach.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: Although doggy style is awesome, it does create issues with the difference in hip height. However, that difference becomes less obvious when the two of you extend into more of a 45-degree angle. It’s also ideal for making people with penises last longer in bed.

8. X Marks the Spot

How to do it: Lying on your back, put your legs straight up in the air, crossed at either the ankles or the knees. Then let your partner penetrate you while standing and grabbing your ankles for support and leverage.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: If your partner is taller than you, any sex position in which you’re lying down and they’re standing will work. Kitchen tables, hoods of cars, high beds, or public bathroom counters are all apt locations to try this sex position for height difference.

9. 69 Lying Down

How to do it: Lie down facing each other, but with your heads at each other’s feet — the 69 position, but adjacent instead of stacked on top of each other.

Why it’s a great sex position for tall partners: Similar to the spooning position, lying side-by-side allows the shorter partner to curl into the taller partner, making it easier to connect despite the height difference, says Friedman.

Source cited:

Dr. Stacy Friedman, clinical sexologist and certified sex coach

This article was originally published on