This work presents a comparison of ionic coatings (ICs) developed specifically for electroactive yarn actuators, able to operate in open-air. Six ionically conducting materials, previously reported in different studies from our group, were used and compared. Two all-solid-state crosslinked materials based on polymeric ionic liquids and four ionogels are described. They are all soft but differ from (i) their nature, i.e. all-solid polymeric ionic liquid vs "wet" ionogel, and from (ii) their ionic charge carriers, i.e. conventional ionic liquid vs biofriendly ionic liquid. As a result, they have conductivities ranging over two orders of magnitude. In spite of the different electrical stimulations applied on the yarn actuators and their electrochemical charging behavior, i.e. bipolar or unipolar, we achieved a conceptual understanding of the key characteristics that ICs should exhibit to induce optimal CNT yarn actuation through the establishment of a relationship between stroke rate-to-potential of coiled CNT yarn actuators' operation in open air.