Stairway to Heaven Sex Position - Image and Instructions from Kinkly

Stairway to Heaven Position

Updated: MAY 26, 2022

Reviewed by Andrew Gurza

on December 20, 2022

The Stairway to Heaven sex position lets you finally put that long staircase to good use! The variable elevation of stairs can make this modified Doggy Style position great for partners of mismatched height or those with injuries.

Stairway to Heaven sex position. The receiving partner is on their hands and knees with their knees on the floor with their hands braced a few steps up on a stairwell. The penetrating partner is kneeling behind the receiver for penetration like in doggy style position.

To get into the Stairway to Heaven sex position, the receiving partner kneels on the flat surface in front of the stairs. They then lean forward to one of the elevated stairs, placing some of their body weight on their arms in a doggy style position. The penetrating partner can then kneel behind the receiving partner, gripping the receiving partner's hips for additional stability.

We understand that for people with disabilities, chronic pain, especially for those unable to transfer, this position may be completely inaccessible to you.

More About Stairway to Heaven Position

As the Stairway to Heaven sex position revolves around your position on the stairs, your first priority should be stair selection. Ideally, for this position, you want a roomy landing area. If your location happens to have flights of stairs that are split into two sets of staircases, you'll have a landing between the staircases, but for many couples, this may mean using the bottom of the staircase as your go-to spot for Stairway to Heaven.

The Stairway to Heaven position, with the help of the stairs, features a built-in mechanism for couples of varying heights. If Doggy Style positions have been difficult in the past because of a height difference, either partner can move up or down a step on the stairs to accommodate.

As Doggy Style positions rest a lot of weight on the knees, be cognizant of the material of your staircase. Carpeted stairs offer a bit of cushioning, but run a higher chance of rugburn if rough sex is on the menu. Wood stairs are the perfect choice for easy cleaning if you're both prone to messy sex, but they offer no comfort for either partner's knees.

In most sex positions, we would recommend adding padding underneath the knees to help improve the experience, but we recommend extreme caution when doing that with the Stairway to Heaven position. For either partner, the knees will be the primary contact spot for stability and holding body weight. Adding anything that may slip with movement, like a pillow or blanket, could lead to either partner falling, resulting in severe injury.

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More About Stairway to Heaven Position

With that in mind, we recommend choosing your padding very carefully. Something with a lot of traction (like a pad designed for kneeling) is ideal. We recommend giving the padded surface a test run before getting lost in the throes of passion; face-planting mid-sex usually isn't anyone's idea of a good time.

However, in some cases it may not be possible to add padding to the stairs; if the stairs feature open risers (open space underneath each step), your padding may slip right through. For this reason, the Stairway to Heaven sex position may not be suitable for anyone with knee concerns -- and that's okay! There are thousands of sex positions out there that will better honor the body you're in today.

On the other hand, if the receiving partner has back concerns, the Stairway to Heaven position may be a better fit than traditional Doggy Style as it allows the receiver to elevate their upper body and reduce bowing in the back.

Don't forget to use this elevation change to your advantage. No matter what bodies you're working with, changing the elevation of the receiver's torso can entirely change how intercourse feels and may make the g-spot or p-spot easier to target.

With all of these concerns happening at the same time, don't forget to keep the lines of communication open. Both of you should check in with one another regularly to ensure sex feels fantastic for both of you. If the staircase is high up with no banisters and either partner has vertigo or a fear of heights, it's a good idea to check in more frequently to ensure you both feel comfortable continuing the position.

If ever your knees start to get sore or you'd like to explore another position, the Stairway to Heaven transitions easily into Blind Hold, Lotus, Kneeling Fox, Rocking Horse and Face Off positions.

With stairs access being so readily available, it's no wonder the Stairway to Heaven sex position is a fan-favorite for public sex -- like in concrete stairwells. Just make sure to pack what you need to clean up after yourselves!

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