Whatever your thing, from tattoos to teddy bears, there is a matchmaking website created just for you.
marijuana – and judging from the website’s homepage, guys who like bikini
wearing redheads in high heels too.
We work online, we order food online, we tell people when we’re sleeping online in Skype mood messages, we get jobs online, we invite friends to parties online and we meet interesting people who turn into friends on Twitter. Perhaps more than any other activity, online dating remains a mysterious realm where our real life interactions have been hugely augmented by sites like Match, eHarmony, JDate, Plenty of Fish and OKCupid.
You would think the ultimate dating site on the planet would have all the singles on it. That would make the most sense from a selection standpoint. Singles could select and search for people who match their infinite preferences from a vast pool of other singles. The reality, however, is that people often have a particular thing (kink, quirk, fascination) that is really important to them. It could be they want to date a Christian, or meet someone into tattoos, or who loves dogs, or horses, or golf, etc. and that has lead to the growth of niche dating sites: to serve these interests and commonalities.
On that note, I’ve rounded up a list of some niche, and even seriously strange, online dating sites. I’m not suggesting you use any of them, but wanted you to be aware they exist for your daily consumption and browsing pleasure.
Love Horse
Love Horse is a dating site for horse lovers. What is it about women and horses? In old folk lore, women were always portrayed in near religious ecstasy when paired with a muscular stallion. Whether you are looking for romance, flirtation, pen pals, or just some new friends who share your passion for equestrian pursuits, you’ll find exactly who you are looking for here or around the world.
Yes! Mrs. Robinson
On the website Yes! Mrs. Robinson, love gets younger every day. The site is dedicated to pairing cougars with their prey — in other words older women who enjoy the company of younger men as was famously portrayed in the 1967 film The Graduate. Enjoy modern relationships where no one is off limits. Age, status and background are no longer obstacles to love and today’s young man loves the confident, experienced woman who knows exactly what she wants. The site’s blog is amazing, including plenty of advice for cougar women and their toy boys such as, how to introduce your cougar to mum? Be afraid; be very afraid – and be brave. It’s got to be done if you two are getting serious.
For another cougar toy boy website, check out Toy Boy.
Brainiac Dating
Tired of shallow conversation? Want to have dinner with someone who can discuss time travel and multiple dimensions? Check out Brainiac Dating where members earn badges for solving puzzles and playing games. Lawrence Chernin, the CEO and founder of Brainiac Dating, runs the site on his own and says he started the site for people who value intelligence, but not necessarily via book learning or college degrees. “I was thinking of the case of many super-successful college dropouts — especially those in the tech world like the Facebook guy,” Chernin says.
For another geeky dating site, check out Seek a Geek.
Cuddly Lover
Cuddly Lover (UK only) is for all the chubby chasers out there. BBW, BBWW, SSBBW and BBT admirers all know that spending the whole day in bed with someone is no fun if they’re following the size zero craze. What you want is a woman who knows what it means to have curves and is as soft and squishy as a pillow when it comes to cuddling her up close. Sound appealing? Then why not find a cuddly lover of your very own today by signing up with Cuddly Lovers Dating. Male or female, if you prefer a partner with a bit of meat on their bones, then you’re sure to find them online with Cuddly Lovers.
Savage Hearts
If you do most of your shopping at Hot Topic, then Savage Hearts may be the dating site of your dreams. For all the Gwen Stefani wannabes with Hello Kitty tattoos, it’s the No.1 online alternative dating site in the UK. Savage Hearts is a fiend finder service, for those proud to be a little different! Pin-up pretties, tattooed temptresses, gorgeous geeks or fruity fetishists … all warps of life are warmly welcomed at Savage Hearts. Now you can search through tons of new profiles and find likeminded alternative gals and guys who share your tastes, whether you’re after an epic romance, a no-strings fling or new pals.
Tattooed Singles
There’s a huge crop of online dating websites dedicated to pairing up lovers with tattoos. One is Tattooed Singles, “where body and art connect” which helps singles with tattoo designs and body art to meet and enjoy each other. Love tattoos and piercings? You’re not alone! Share your passion for body art with other women and men. From flowers to dragon art, even washable tattoos, our free dating service helps you find like-minded people. Word to the wise: not every chick on these sites is going to look like Megan Fox.
Are you looking for love in the tattoo world? Also see: Date Ink and Tattoo Lovers.
DateGinger
In various times and cultures, red hair has been coveted, feared, and ridiculed. Red hair and green eyes were thought to be the sign of a witch, a werewolf or a vampire during the Middle Ages. But in many cultures, gingers have been found to bring good luck into homes and a surprisingly large number of big lottery winners have been found to have recently “rubbed a ginger” in the belief that some of that ginger luck would rub off. If rubbing a ginger is your thing, check out DateGinger, which is “the ginger and redhead dating specialist, purely for gingers, redheads and their many fans.” The site operates in both the UK and the US.
For similar sites, there’s also Redhead Passions and Redhead World.
So, what is it about niche dating sites that attract users’ attention?
“When someone hits a dating site home page and sees people just like them, they feel like they are home. They feel warm and fuzzy, and are more likely to convert as paying members, so niche dating makes good business sense,” says Mark Brooks, an Analyst and Consultant in the online dating world.
Is generic online dating old business these days? I guess after 16 years of Match.com, it’s time to spice it up in the online bedroom.
Courtney Boyd Myers is the East Coast editor of TNW, based in Brooklyn, NYC. She began her career writing about robots. She loves magnets + reading on a Kindle. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter @CBM.
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We also run a website in the UK that launched 10 years ago specifically for older cougar women to meet and date younger men, it’s also based around the growing Toyboy Dating trend.
sent me to match
hello