Transition metal di-chalcogenides MX 2 (X = S, Se, Te; and M = W, Mo, Nb, Ta) are one kind of solid lubricant materials that have been widely used in industry. The lubricant properties of such lubricant coatings are dependent not only on microstructure, orientation, morphology, and composition of the coatings, but also on the substrate, the interface between substrate and lubricant coatings, and the specific application environment. In this review, the effects of parameters on tribological properties of such kind of lubricant coatings were summarized. By comparing advantages and disadvantages of those coatings, the special treatments such as doping, structural modulation and post-treatment were suggested, aiming to improve the tribological performance under severe test conditions (e.g. high temperature, oxidizing atmosphere or humid condition).