Dating sites are in their hottest season of year. As we emerge from the pandemic, bleary-eyed yet eager to make up for lost time, more people than ever are looking to head on a first date. Plus, it’s spring time – and doesn’t the first glimpse of sunshine just get you in the mood for romance?
You’re not alone. According to recent research from one of the best dating sites (and apps!) Match.com, 67 per cent of people in the UK feel that they’re in a positive state of mind about dating right now. So, if you’re keen to make the first move and meet up with other keen single people, joining a free dating site – or something more exclusive with a paid membership – could be your solution.
We know what you’re thinking: surely a dating website can’t be home to the sort of dating profiles that you’d deem your perfect match. Surely the best dating websites have been overtaken by social media and the likes of Bumble and Hinge. But that’s where you may be wrong.
It’s called “online” dating, not app dating – right? And there are endless benefits to signing up to one of the best dating sites (eHarmony and Match.com, we’re looking at you) that apps or even real life dating doesn’t offer. Scams, dating sites are not. If you’ve got repetitive strain injury from swiping on Tinder, and your local pub is filled with creepy winks from strange old men, it’s officially time to widen your dating pool and find the one.
Here’s everything you need to know about the hottest dating platforms of 2022 – for queer women, heterosexual daters, LGBTQAI+ singles, casual dating and serious relationships.
What are the benefits of using a dating website?
There are tonnes! Seriously – website dating isn’t all that bad. In 2020, there were over 1,400 dating services in Britain with the aim of finding you your soulmate, and plenty of them are overflowing with millennial profiles. Result.
Match’s Dating Expert, Hayley Quinn, told us: “Dating sites are great for being able to put together a really high-quality profile, if you’re looking to connect with people who want serious partnerships, then using a site that really focuses on compatibility is a real win.”
Which dating site is best for serious relationships?
We love eHarmony. Their very in-depth relationship questionnaire gives the team the ability to match you with people you’re genuinely compatible with. They take the whole “love” thing pretty seriously; their patented eHarmony Compatibility Matching System actually looking 35 years to create. Once you’re signed up, there are over five million members in Britain (of the 60 million+ global total). The result? Well, the stats speak for themselves. Someone finds love every 14 minutes on average on eHarmony, apparently.
What is the most trusted dating site?
Match – is one of the most popular dating websites around thanks to the fact that is really focuses on giving daters the opportunity to form meaningful connections. An impressive 1.6 million people in the UK have already met their partner on Match! The sign-up process is easy. You join a paid subscription of £9.99 per month, and after signing up, you can filter your matches with the advanced matching feature, and even put yourself into “zen mode” which means that you’re only contacted by those who meet your criteria. Match puts on regular singles events exclusively for their subscribers, so you don’t have to resign yourself to a lifetime of video chats, and because the site is so popular, it attracts a really broad demographic of people. That means your chances of finding someone you like are much higher.
The best dating sites at a glance
For more from our Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.