As the saying goes, age is just a number, and the same is true for weight. That means that the digits on the scale don’t have to hold you back when searching for a partner online. Of course, not all dating apps are plus-size friendly, so we went to work to find the best of the best.
During our research, we discovered an assortment of mainstream and niche dating apps that are perfect for big beautiful women (BBW), big handsome men (BHM), and the people who love them. They’re low on harassment and high on successful matches, so get ready to find your dream date in a few swipes or clicks.
5 Best Plus-Sized Dating Apps
| Ranking | Dating App | Claim Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Try Free |  |
| #2 | LargeFriends | Try Free |  |
| #3 | WooPlus | Try Free |  |
| #4 | Zoosk | Try Free |  |
| #5 | Bumble | Try Free |  |
eHarmony – Best App for Soulmates of All Body Types
How many times have you thought, “If people could just see my personality, they’d love me?” That’s a huge issue for plus-sized women and men, but you can find a solution on eHarmony.
This app uses personality-based matching, so your natural charm and wit will take center stage. And the same is true for the singles you meet, so you’ll also get to know who they are deep down instead of getting hung up on looks.
And it’s not just a matter of finding people to date. You’ll also have access to people who want a long-term relationship. That’s a far cry from other dating apps that are full of people who fetishize plus-sized guys and gals.
The Bottom Line: With millions of users and compatibility scoring, plus-sized men and women can find true love on eHarmony.
LargeFriends – Best App for Rusty Plus-Sized Daters
Do you feel a little rusty when it comes to dating, especially regarding making the first move and coming up with date ideas? Unfortunately, that can happen when you spend months or years trying to make it work on less-than-friendly apps.
Well, LargeFriends is here to grease the dating wheels and knock off the rust. The niche-dating app is full of plus-sized men and women and people who love them, so that’s a win out of the gate.
But it also has some cool features that will help you get back in the dating game. Your free membership will allow you to like and wink at singles, so you can make the first move without inducing a panic attack. And you can choose the reason behind the wink, giving a little bit more information to prospects.
Plus, it’s full of first-date ideas in various categories. You can get started by signing up for free. Then, upgrade your membership to send messages to others.
The Bottom Line: Dating can be hard as a BBW or BHM, and you might be out of practice. You’ll feel like a dating pro when using LargeFriends.
WooPlus – Best for Empowerment and Body Positivity
Most apps don’t do much to empower plus-sized singles when they’re harassed. Sure, they might have customer support to investigate reports, but body-shaming is low on the list of punishable offenses. That’s why we love WooPlus.
Not only does it have a massive database of BBWs, BBMs, and interested singles, but it has a strict Zero Tolerance Policy for shaming or harassment of any kind. In 2015, it led the way on the anti-harassment front by letting female members rate guys after each interaction. Then, it buried the low-rated profiles, preventing the guys from harassing other women.
These days, all members can report the behavior to trigger an investigation. If guys or gals cross the line, the support team is quick to step in and penalize accounts. The most serious penalty is a ban, and the team isn’t afraid to hand them down.
And get this… WooPlus is considering letting members start deciding who can join. It truly does provide a safe space for everyone, and it might be about to get safer. If you’re looking for a safe and fun space to date online, sign up for WooPlus for free.
The Bottom Line: You can forget about harassment and focus on dating with WooPlus. This is the safest of all safe places, so jump on with confidence.
Zoosk- Helps Plus-Sized Singles Ease into the Dating Game
Are you a little nervous about getting out there? You might be shy because of your weight, so you want to form a connection before meeting in person. That’ll help you break the ice and move out of the nervous stage of dating.
You won’t have any trouble doing that when using Zoosk. While not available with a free account, upgrading your membership will give you access to interactive video dates on demand. You and that special someone can choose a location and share it over video with the Great Dates feature.
This will help you become so much more comfortable before meeting in the real world. The boost of confidence can lead to a real connection.
The Bottom Line: Get comfortable with your next date online with Great Dates. Your confidence will get a boost online, and you can take that into the real world.
Bumble – Best for Safe Plus-Sized Dating in the Mainstream
You expect niche apps to do an excellent job of protecting users against body shaming. However, the mainstream app Bumble also stands out, although that wasn’t always the case.
So, let’s hop in our time machine and go back to 2021 when a Bumble user took a screenshot of a body-shaming convo and shared it on Twitter.
Normally, the story would stop there, but this one has a happy ending. A Bumble team member saw the tweet, located the abusive member’s profile, and banned him. Then, Bumble updated its terms and conditions to outlaw any type of body shaming.
And it’s not just about getting rid of abusive language. The app will also match you up with singles interested in everything from casual flings to long-term relationships. Are you ready for safe dating in the mainstream? Sign up for a free Bumble account today.
The Bottom Line: With singles all over the world, it’s easy to match on Bumble. And you can do so with confidence thanks to the app’s policy that bans body shaming and other forms of harassment.
Why We Love These Dating Apps for Plus-Sized Singles
Match with People of All Sizes – Because men and women of all BMIs use these apps, you’ll have a large dating pool to choose from when looking for love. You won’t be limited to dating other plus-size people, but you’ll have that option as well.
Personality Over Size – Each app uses proprietary matching algorithms that favor personality over physical attributes. You’ll find it’s easy to land dates when your personality is on display.
Fetishizing is Rare – For the most part, the singles on these apps are looking for life-long connections, so you’ll be a real person instead of a fetish. This is true, regardless of the person’s weight.
Anti-Harassment Policies – These apps have supportive customer service teams that take reports of harassment seriously. The teams are quick to hand down penalties and bans to users that break the rules.
Apps Plus-Sized Singles Should Avoid
Some apps still have a long way to go when it comes to protecting users. As a plus-sized person, you’d prefer to sit it out until the apps get it right, so it’s important to know what to avoid.
Consumers’ Research surveyed online daters that use Tinder, eHarmony, Grindr, Match, and OkCupid, and the results were eye-opening.
Tinder and OkCupid are the worst by far regarding harassment of plus sized singles. Harassment can come in all forms, including body shaming, so you’ll be better off using something else.
While it wasn’t part of the survey, our own research has led us to add BBWCupid to the list. It’s glitchy and so full of fake profiles that you’re unlikely to find love. And the word must be out because the userbase seems to be dwindling.
How to Avoid Being Fetishized on BBW Dating Apps
Slim men and women also sign up for plus-sized dating apps to broaden their dating pool. Many of these people want serious, long-term connections based on personality. However, some people fetishize overweight men and women, meaning the relationship will be more about your body than your personality.
First, pay attention to the compliments you receive. If a potential date gives you one compliment after another about your size, there might be a fetish involved.
The same is true if a guy or gal asks your weight. Along with not being the person’s business, it’s a big red flag.
Also, be mindful of the labels used during conversations. Does the other person constantly use words like “thick,” “BBW,” or “BHM?” Those labels are great for dating sites, but you should move past them when entering a relationship.
Oh, and here’s a big red flag. Does the single connect for sex, but then leave whenever you get back to normal life? Real partners are there for the mundane and the sexual, while fetishists tend to hit it and forget it.
What Types of Photos Should You Upload to Your Profile?
You want people to love you for who you are, not who they think you might be. That means you need to show them the real you online before meeting in person. By putting it all out there, you’ll feel less stressed and more in control.
With this in mind, add at least one full-body picture that you took within the last few months. Some plus-sized people are afraid to do this, but this strategy will give you the best results.
And here’s the thing…
The best plus-sized dating apps are all about openness and honesty. You’ll be rewarded by showing who you are instead of retreating behind filters.
How to Deal with Body-Shaming when Dating Online
Unfortunately, some jerks slip through on dating sites and might decide to harass you. If this happens, do not engage with the user. This will add to your frustration and could cause your confidence to dip. Plus, the person wants to get a rise out of you, so don’t give the member that satisfaction.
The best plus-sized dating apps have supportive and emphatic customer support teams. You can report the harassment, and they’ll investigate. That way, you can wash your hands of the jerk and let someone else deal with it.
Often, the apps issue a warning first, and if the behavior continues, they move forward with a ban. The team can also help you block the user.