Autumn is a time of reflection. Mother nature leaves us no choice; she takes away the warmth of the summer sun, blows gales about the hills and the valleys, she beckons the grass to wither, the trees to poach the life from their leaves in a kaleidoscopic display. When the world around us is overtaken suddenly by the beauty of autumn, we naturally retreat into pursuits of the soul. The truly enlightened among us know that autumn is an opportunity that should never be squandered. Autumn is a gift. Because with autumn, comes Kinktober.

That’s right. October is the Month of Kink, a month to let it all hang freely, to embrace old favorites, and dive into new opportunities. What could be a better time to lock yourself inside and peruse the menu of sexual expression than Kinktober? When the air is cold, the lights are low, and the people are still warm from the kiss of summer. 

To kick off this year's celebration, we dropped our KINK-O-METER™ survey in September. We’re always trying to better understand our customers so we can better serve them. We asked you to rank some of the most common kinks, tell us the kinks that don’t get the love they deserve, and to share personal stories from your own experimenting where your kinks went thrillingly right, and terribly wrong. 

Respondents were ranked on a scale of 0-100 on our KINK-O-METER™. Those who completed all questions were entered into a giveaway for a custom goody box. We received over 1,200 responses and we’ve already learned so much! It’s only right that we share some of the most interesting, exciting, and unique responses — and hopefully spread the word that Kinktober is the perfect time of year to try something new, and have some fun!

If you’re reading through and encounter a kink you’re not familiar with, please refer to our KINKTIONARY™ at the very bottom of this page to learn more!

ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH

To start, we shared a list of 15 of the most common kinks. We asked respondents to rank those kinks on a scale of 0-4 based on their willingness to participate — 0 meaning ‘Nope. No way. Never.’, and 4 meaning ‘Please! Don't stop.’ These rankings were tabulated to come up with the KINK-O-METER™ score for each individual. 

Far and away, the most popular kink among our respondents was dirty talk. You like that, huh? Dirty talk received an average score of 3.33/4.00 on our scale, almost a full half-point higher than the next most popular kink. This wasn’t surprising, as dirty talk requires no special equipment, unique knowledge, and is easy to stop and start whenever the mood strikes. It can also be easily incorporated into many other kinks. 

We did see some surprises in the top 5 though! Sensation play came in 2nd place with a score of 2.96/4.00. If you’re not familiar, sensation play is about using different textures, temperatures, or things like blindfolds to amp up how your skin and senses feel. If thrilling textures are your thing, we would recommend our ONE® Tattoo Touch® Condoms. These feature tattoo-inspired textures for bold, stimulating pleasure. The unique raised patterns are designed to mimic the look and feel of classic tattoo art, adding excitement and sensation for both partners. 

Roleplay also rounded out the top 5, receiving a score of 2.82/4.00. The one thing all the kinks at the top have in common is that they allow room for creativity, and that amateurs and professionals alike can participate at their own comfort levels.

At the bottom, we see kinks that unsurprisingly require a massive buy-in. Whether that’s the physical prowess required for many S&M practices, the mental fortitude to absorb direct humiliation, or the emotional strength to watch (and enjoy) your partner having sex with someone else in front of you. Ranked 15/15, the lowest on our scale at 1.08/4.00, was cuckolding. Cuckolding is when someone gets turned on by watching or knowing that their romantic partner is having sex with someone else. Right above that was humiliation, at 1.37/4.00. Both of those kinks are not for the faint of heart, and our KINK-O-METER™ scores reflect that reality. 

We were surprised however to see feet ranked at a 1.49/4.00 in the bottom 5. The foot fetish is commonly discussed in media and online, and anecdotally seemed far more popular than a deeply psychological kink like cuckolding. You can see all 15 kinks ranked below based on respondent’s ranking on our scale. 

HOW'D WE MISS THAT ONE?

Next, we asked respondents to reply to a few open-ended questions. First, about kinks that we didn’t include in our list of 15 that they felt deserved a spot. We received so many unique responses, both discussing kinks we’re very familiar with and kinks we (and probably you) have never heard of. We’ll share some of those with you of course. But first, let’s take a look at the top 5 most popular kinks we didn’t include in our list. 

Watersports. There’s no easy way to start a sentence with that word, so we’ll just leave it out on its own as the number one most requested kink. For those with KINK-O-METER™ scores below 95%, that kink is essentially anything and everything related to urine. Respondents went into verbose detail regarding some of their favorite practices and we’re glad they did! This was not a kink that we were familiar with so hearing from you was extremely enlightening. One respondent explained the appeal particularly well: “it scratches both the itch of humiliation and domination or submission with a different kind of tension release. Plus it can be paired with other fun things.”

Rounding out the 2nd and 3rd spots in an almost even split was pegging and anal play. Pegging is a form of anal play where one partner uses a strap-on dildo to penetrate the other partner's anus, so it just felt right to talk about these two together. We did think of including anal play in our list of 15, but honestly butt stuff isn’t something we view as ‘kinky’ per se. Our Butt Stuff Approved lineup here has been changing the condom world for about 5 years now. When you’re the first and only condom brand FDA cleared for anal use, you’re no stranger to the friend around the block. We’re just glad our customers are as obsessed as we are.

Next up on the list is cum play, or when partners explicitly interact with, display, or share ‘semen’ after ejaculation. We weren’t too familiar with this one before our survey, but it’s just one of those things that makes sense, isn’t it? It’s there, you might as well do something with it. If that’s something you may be interested in trying but aren’t ready to take the leap, we would recommend a kinky session with our ONE® Oasis Silk® Hybrid Lubricant. We’ve heard from many of our customers that this offering specifically resembles, well, cum. Not only in appearance, but also texture and feel due to the slickness provided by the included silicone ingredients. 

The next most requested kink from our respondents was sex toys, so why not load up your favorite vibrator, dildo, or masturbation sleeve with Oasis Silk and go to town? Kinktober is the time to try new things, and there is a whole wide world of kinks out there ready to be experimented with. You can see some of the other most requested kinks below. 

ONE & DONE

But what about when you try something new and you just know it’s not for you? For most people when it comes to kink experimentation, it only takes a moment to see if their heart is really in it. We asked you all if you’ve ever tried a kink that you wouldn't try again and we received so many replies that highlight the same kind of instant awareness. 

Looking at the list of ‘one and done’ kinks for people, we see many familiar kinks like anal play and watersports at the top. For these two, people were pretty clear that their imagination and anticipation differed from their experience. One person said it best regarding their first time trying watersports, “It didn't hit the way I expected.” With anal play similarly, many people highlighted the difference in their fantasy vs the painful and sometimes messy reality when trying it for the first time. While anal sex can be deeply pleasurable, it often requires a bit of preparation ahead of time to ensure comfort, safety, and maximum enjoyment. Although this is possibly the least sexy sentence ever written, based on our results it might be worth thinking through the logistical realities of your fantasies before putting them into action. 

For example, rounding out the top 3 of ‘one and done’ kinks was group play. Many respondents highlighted the ‘awkwardness’ of group sex or a threesome, either when boundaries are not clearly defined beforehand, or when one or more partners showed differing levels of interest in the act as a whole, or the other involved partners. One of our respondents stated that “threesomes require a lot more planning, care, and trust between the people involved,” and we could not agree more. Rushing into something like that without setting clear boundaries beforehand is a recipe for disaster, and this carries through to other kinks that don’t even involve additional or unfamiliar partners. 

Bondage was number 5 on our list of ‘one and done’ kinks, with most people saying that a lack of boundaries set beforehand made the experience awkward and unenjoyable. 

So the next time you find yourself buzzing at the thought of an exciting new kink, take a beat to really think it through and do a little homework. Imagine the practical reality, picture yourself tied up, imagine your partner with someone else, or visualize the actual moves and conversation. Step outside the fantasy, and take time to read up on the practice beforehand. Whether you're curious about candle play, electroplay, or bondage, there is a wealth of safety tips and expert advice online to help you start safely, such as this beginner's guide to mindful rope play. If your motor is still revving after looking into the details, then by all means, give it a try! Hands-on experience is the best teacher, and even uncomfortable moments offer valuable lessons. As with all things sexual health: listen to your instincts, do your research, communicate clearly, set firm boundaries, and enjoy the journey.

ONE TIME...

Speaking of fun, we also asked you to tell us your funniest kink-related stories. We received hundreds of replies and there’s no way we could do them all justice, so we think it’s best to include a few here in their entirety, and let the stories speak for themselves. Here are some of our favorites and a word cloud of all the submissions we received: 

“We had a gourdgy. It was an orgy with gourds. Quite the way to celebrate the season!”

“The funniest kink related story involves wax play. I made the rookie mistake of not shaving my chest prior to this and after having a large amount of wax poured onto me had the less than ideal time of peeling it all off. Thankfully it worked as a masochistic moment.”

“We decided to break out a pair of heavy-duty metal handcuffs for a weekend hotel getaway. Everything was incredibly dramatic and going perfectly until we realized the tiny key had bounced off the nightstand and vanished into the thickest, fluffiest shag carpet I've ever seen. We spent 45 minutes awkwardly shuffling around the floor on our knees, completely naked, using a smartphone flashlight to comb through the rug fibers like a CSI team before finally finding it. It completely destroyed the mood, but we still crack up every time we see a shag rug.”

"I had a girlfriend who could only get aroused if she was having sex inside a closed wardrobe. We would literally begin on a bed with ‘normal’ warm up activity and then close ourselves inside a large wardrobe for sex itself. Just as well as she made so much noise while having sex that the closed wardrobe protected us from nosy neighbours."

“One time my girlfriend and I employed the skills of our horror movie makeup artist friend to make prosthetic zombie makeup on each of us and we did a zombie roleplay”

“With the right item, food play can be fun and exciting. But honey is definitely not a right item.”

ONE FOR THE ROAD

Kinktober comes and goes too quickly every year, just like all the other amazing things in life. But thankfully, Kinktober doesn’t have to be a fixed time on the calendar. Kinktober is a state of mind! It’s a feeling, it’s a soulful expression of inner biology, a yearning for excitement and fulfillment. 

If reading this blog has inspired you to try or even think about trying something new then, please do! Have that conversation with your partner, have that pep talk with yourself in the mirror, never be afraid to explore your sexuality in a way that is safe and consensual, and always put your pleasure first. Unless your kink is putting your pleasure second or forgetting about it all together, then please, you do you. 

And if you’re wondering about the lucky winners of our custom ONE® Goody Boxes and you submitted answers for all the questions in our survey, keep an eye out on your inbox as we’ll be reaching out to the lucky few very soon. And as always, if you have any questions about Kinktober, the KINK-O-METER™, or ONE® in general, please reach out to our support team here and they’ll be happy to help: info@onecondoms.com

DISCLAIMER: All kinks discussed in this article are assumed to have two or more consenting partners participating. None of the rankings, questions, or definitions pertain to non-consensual kinks, or non-consensual participation in kinks.

KINKTIONARY™

OUR KINKS:

Dirty Talk: Using explicit or suggestive words during intimacy to heighten sexual arousal and mental stimulation.

Sensation Play: Using temperature, textures, or touch; like ice, wax, or feathers, to explore physical feelings.

Praise: A kink focused on verbal approval, compliments, and positive reinforcement to build confidence and arousal.

Roleplay: Adopting fictional characters or scenarios during sex to explore creative fantasies and power dynamics.

Dom/Sub (Dominance & Submission): A dynamic where one partner (dominant) leads and the other (submissive) surrenders control.

Bondage: Restraining or being restrained by a partner using ropes, handcuffs, or ties to explore physical restriction and trust.

Public Play: Sexual activity or thrill-seeking behavior that occurs in semi-public or potentially exposed places.

Cosplay: Dressing up as fictional media, anime, or video game characters to add visual fantasy to intimate encounters.

Sensory Play: Restricting or stimulating senses by using blindfolds, sound, or textures to intensify physical touch and focus.

Group Play: Sexual activity involving three or more people, such as threesomes or group sex.

Food Play: Incorporating edible treats like whipped cream, chocolate, or fruit into intimate touch and pleasure.

S&M (Sadomasochism): A sexual dynamic combining sadism (enjoying inflicting pain/control) and masochism (enjoying receiving pain/submission).

Feet (Foot Fetish): Sexual or sensual focus centered on feet, toes, or footwear through touch, massage, or visual appreciation.

Humiliation: Psychological play involving controlled teasing or mock shaming.

Cuckolding: A consensual relationship dynamic where one partner is sexually aroused by their partner engaging in intimacy with someone else.

YOUR KINKS:

Watersports: Sexual play centered on urine or urination for physical sensation and arousal. 

Pegging: An intimate practice where a partner uses a strap-on dildo to penetrate their partner's anus. 

Anal: Sexual stimulation or penetration involving the anus. 

Cumplay: Erotic play focused on the touch, sight, or enjoyment of semen during or after intimacy. 

Sex Toys: Devices and accessories designed to enhance sexual stimulation, physical pleasure, and intimacy. 

Orgasm Denial: Delaying or withholding a partner's climax to build intense anticipation and emotional focus. 

Edging: Bringing someone to the brink of climax repeatedly before backing off to prolong pleasure and intensify orgasm. 

Impact Play: Physical play using controlled spanking, slapping, or striking with hands or implements to trigger sensation.

Pet Play: A form of roleplay where individuals adopt animal personas, gear, or behaviors for fun, comfort, or power dynamics. 

Oral Sex: Using the lips, mouth, or tongue to stimulate a partner's intimate areas. 

Breeding: Erotic fantasy or roleplay focused on the act or concept of insemination and pregnancy. 

Chastity: Consensually locking a partner's genitals in a device (chastity cage) to transfer control, prevent self-touch, and build long-term sexual tension. 

Spanking: Striking the buttocks with an open hand or paddle for physical sensation or power exchange. 

Latex: Wearing or appreciating latex and rubber garments for tactile sensation, visual appeal, or body-conforming fit. 

Teasing: Building sexual tension through touch, talk, or delay without immediate gratification. 

Underwear: A sexual focus on specific underwear, lingerie, or fabrics for visual appeal, intimacy, and arousal. 

Breath Play: The restriction of airflow to heighten arousal, requiring strict safety awareness due to inherent physical risks.