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This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.
Dating as a senior isn’t easy, but it’s not nearly as tough as you think. Dating at any age is tricky — and being over 60 in the dating world could actually have its perks. There’s a reason why post-retirement age could be the happiest time of your life.
Yes, there may be fewer potential partners in the dating pool, but if you think about it, that just makes everything less overwhelming. And now that online dating is hot and heavy for the over 60 crowd, it’s easier than ever to track down that special someone.
It’s totally normal to feel hesitant about making the jump to online dating, but there really isn’t anything to fear.
How do you start dating again as a senior?
The first step to start dating after a break is simply acknowledging that you’re ready. At this point, you can decide how and where you want to try to meet people. Dating apps have been around for decades, which means they are totally normal and shouldn’t be a last resort.
You’ll also want to be direct with what you’re hoping to achieve. A serious relationship? Casual hookup? Friendship that might led to more? Whatever it is, be upfront because you don’t want to fall for someone who isn’t looking for the same thing. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to dating.
Should older adults use dating sites?
Finding the best dating site is intimidating at any age. That age group does have a few more options, which may be another reason that you’re feeling unsure about online dating if you’re a baby boomer.
However, youth has a disadvantage you may not have considered: Many people in their 20s and 30s just aren’t ready to settle down yet. Developing a crush on someone is more likely to end up in an awkward “situation-ship” rather than a serious relationship. Dating over 60 means you’re at an age when you know what you want and you’re not afraid to put it all out there. This is the “no bullshitting” age of dating.
As you get older, you realise what’s important to you and what you’re truly looking for. Doesn’t finding love with that mindset sound a hell of a lot easier? EliteSingle’s senior dating blog notes that most older individuals realise that life is just too short to play games, and that older people take dating much more seriously than they did 40 years ago. And while it may be a little weird that this person isn’t your first love, you can take solace in the fact that it could be lasting love.
Does all this seriousness mean that the excitement from meeting someone new is gone when dating as a senior? Absolutely not. An advice post for seniors on Zoosk says to “be prepared to return to your inner teenager,” because the firsts are just as exciting. You’ll get butterflies, wait for them call and do a happy dance when they do, and first kisses will be just as tingly.
Should you use free dating apps?
There are a lot of free dating sites and apps out there, and the likes of Tinder and Hinge are good examples of free apps with massive networks of users. The bad news is that a lot of free apps simply don’t cut it. You get what you pay for with dating sites and apps, and for the best experience with the greatest possibility of finding exactly what you’re looking for, you are going to have to cough up the cash.
You can still find something worth your time with a free app, but if you’re looking for compatibility tests, chat rooms, videos, and a greater level of control, we recommend upgrading. Paid sites provide access to premium features that give you the best chance of finding something special.
What is the best dating site for seniors?
We scoured the internet to find the best dating sites for single seniors. Some websites are for all ages with a senior option, and some sites are specifically for people over 50. And we’ll just tell you now: All of the sites have free memberships, but to get the real in-depth features to find real connections with other mature singles, you’ll want to have a paid account.
We’ve noted those price differences, as well as the differences in sign up, navigation simplicity, and the overall relationship tone of the site to help you choose the best one to fit you. Take your pick from this strong selection of dating sites for seniors, including popular services like Match and eharmony.
These are the best dating sites for seniors in 2024.
Dating over 60 means that, more than likely, this is your second or third attempt at love. SilverSingles is here to let you know you’re not alone, and that putting yourself back out there doesn’t have to be scary.
A sister site to EliteSingles, SilverSingles uses the same intense compatibility system that EliteSingles does, bringing in the popular big five personality traits to assess five levels of your being: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. If you’ve heard of Senior Singles Meet in the past, SilverSingles is that same site with a rebrand — so they’ve actually been working on mastering the five factor model in tandem with senior dating for about two decades. SilverSingles wants to ensure that your next relationship lasts, so the sign-up process and questionnaires will take some time. SilverSingles will only send you five matches a day, and you can’t search through a pool of people — but this will force you to seriously consider if you can see yourself with these people.
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The mother of all dating sites (it debuted in 1995, five years before eharmony), Match is a tried and true option with over 20 years of perfecting the matchmaking process. It’s actually so confident in its skills that it has an “I Met Someone” guarantee, offering six months of use for free if it doesn’t make love happen for you within your first six months. And it must work to some extent, as it has gained the trust of upwards of 35 million unique monthly visitors, which is the highest of all current dating sites. That’s a lot of fish in the sea. If you’re feeling down, remember that your person is out there — you just might need help sorting through millions of people.
Unlike eharmony, which chooses your matches for you based on questionnaire results, Match has you create a profile that will pop up in other users’ feeds. While Match does suggest five daily matches for you, you’re also free to browse the entire pool of profiles by age range, location, or online status, which makes Match a significantly more social option than eharmony and slightly better for those looking for something casual. This freedom is great for the picky people out there whose idea of hell is a blind date. Match also has a cool feature called “Missed Opportunity” that uses your location to help you find matches that you’ve crossed paths with in real life. We’d also like to point out that Match sees a 42 percent spike in registrations between the Dec. 26 and Feb. 14, which makes sense — those cold months leading up to Valentine’s Day can be torturously lonely. But if you were wondering when the best time to sign up is, it’s right now.
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eharmony is pretty much the go-to for marriage-minded people looking for a serious commitment (since some other sites cater to those looking for a more casual fling). eharmony is pretty confident in its matchmaking abilities, too, because it makes a guarantee that if you’re not satisfied in three months, it’ll give you another three months for free.
eharmony has an intense compatibility system (29 dimensions, to be exact), with a lengthy quiz that focuses on your long-term success as a couple. There is an option for local dating, however, many of eharmony’s success stories feature couples who were living states apart before they met. Once you’ve completed your questionnaire, eharmony will provide you with matches so you don’t have to browse profiles. For some, this may not be enough freedom, but for those who aren’t great at choosing partners or have no clue what they need, this may be a breath of fresh air. eharmony also offers a series of senior dating advice, with topics from how to start dating again after a divorce or death, to tips on what to ask on the first date. One post even mentions that the prime of your life doesn’t even start until 60. eharmony also screens for sex offenders and monitors each user’s activities, making it ones of the safest options available.
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When it comes to being picky, EliteSingles is *the* site for those people who know exactly what they want and who aren’t really interested in casual mingling. You know, the people who wouldn’t be caught dead going on a blind date. The idea here is quality over quantity, as a majority of EliteSingles users are college graduates (67% have a bachelor’s degree or higher) and are looking for other professionals with similar interests.
Rather than being thrown into a pool of 5,000 profiles, you’ll be given a limited number of matches picked for you using 29 extremely detailed, professional-level matchmaking algorithms (based on the popular Five Factor Personality Test). Like eharmony, the registration and stuff to fill out is pretty lengthy — however, if you’re trying to find a true commitment that will last, that’s what you want. One cool thing about EliteSingles personality test is that they actually show you your own results and allow you to compare them to those of potential matches, showing you how you really stack up. By only making a certain number of matches available, the site forces you to seriously consider whether the people in front of you are a compatible match. There are a few more expansive options like the Wildcard option, which offers a little more variety with 20 or so matches to browse from, but it’s not nearly as overwhelming as having access to the entire database. Because you only view a certain number of individuals per day, the whole “finding love” process could take a little longer — but slow and steady wins the race, right? There are separate pools based on location, religion, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. You can even break it down by profession. For example, if you are or were a teacher, you might only want to date someone who was also a teacher. There’s an option for that. All profiles are verified manually with an upscale Fraud Detection System, so you can be pretty sure that you’re dealing with people who are who they say they are. It’s a place where genuine, ambitious people can go to find like-minded users, and is perfect for people who are tired of being scammed.
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If you’ve been down on your luck recently or are feeling extra lonely, OurTime wants to show you that life can truly start at 50. It’s another site dedicated to singles over 50, but is unique in that it helps users outside the realm of romance. Find pen pals, travel buddies, and other types of casual companionships to help make the most of the golden years. But just because the non-romantic option exists doesn’t mean a serious relationship or marriage isn’t possible here — just check out these adorable success stories.
If you were previously scared away from online dating because it seemed too overwhelming, OurTime has the laid back atmosphere you’re looking for. Since it’s targeted toward an older crowd, OurTime is one of the most user-friendly options out there with numerous helpful features. It’s no secret that not everyone is as tech-savvy as 20 and 30-somethings. Sign-up has step-by-step instructions, and users can easily fill out sections on personality traits and interests, upload a photo, and write a “short essay” to help others get to know them. If you’ve been on Match before, OurTime may look familiar — they’re owned by the same people. Matches will be recommended to you based on your answers, and you can search profiles as well by specifying your preferences. It’s not as complex as some other sites, but sometimes, you just need things to be straightforward. The site was just launched in 2011, as the makers of Match wanted to make sure they perfected the dynamics of mature companionship before launching an over 50s site. Basically, you can be sure you’re in good hands. Chatting can be done via “flirts”, on-site messaging, virtual gifts, or even a live chat when both people are online at the same time. OurTime does a fantastic job at giving users ways to communicate effectively — in ways other than texting all day like the younger crows may prefer. If you’re in need of some advice, OurTime offers tons of over 50 dating tips.
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In an attempt to correct one of the common complaints of dating apps — that women get spammed with lots of creepy, overly-sexual messages from entitled men — women are required to message first with Bumble. Despite its millennial veneer, the dating app version of the Sadie Hawkins dance has become a favourite among Reddit users in their 50s and 60s.
It pushes some women out of their comfort zone, but like Tinder, you’ll at least know that someone also swiped right on you before making a move. It also takes the pressure off of men who may be rusty and uncomfortable with starting the conversation every time. (For same-sex matches, either party can start things off.) Matches expire after 24 hours so you can’t agonise over that opening line for too long, and your match list won’t be filled with people you forgot you matched with 57 weeks ago. You’ll see pictures and short bios of potential matches in your area and can swipe depending on whether you’re interested. Bumble also offers a BFF feature to find strictly platonic friends and a LinkedIn-ish networking feature called Bizz in attempts to remind everyone that it’s not just a hookup app.
Bumble is a free online dating app, but users can spend cash for special perks. These give you more visibility and popularity on the platform, but they aren’t absolutely necessary.
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Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she’s not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she’s almost definitely watching a horror movie, “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” or “The Office.” You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming services, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day.
Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable’s sister site, AskMen.
Deputy Editor, Shopping and Reviews
Based in New York City, Miller Kern is the Deputy Editor, Shopping and Reviews at Mashable, where she writes and edits reviews, roundups, and deals about tech products including headphones, skincare devices, laptops, sex toys, e-readers, robot vacuums, and more. She has five years of experience writing buying guides, gift guides, and deals, and covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday. Miller can tell you which products are actually worth your money. She also explores trends in the shopping sphere, such as dupes and viral TikTok moments.
