These are the best dating sites for professional modern men
Whether you stoke the fires of Tinder, happened upon Happn, or whether you're just Bumbling around, find out which site is right for you.
Words: Gentleman's Journal
If you’re looking to meet someone organically — in a bar, say, or at the beach — then you may be looking for a long time. People do still meet organically, of course; but those natural meetings are becoming fewer and further between. Natural ‘meet-cutes’ have taken on a level of elusive, mystical romance apropos of Richard Curtis — and in the meantime, there are dating apps.
Dating sites are the undeniable future — and, indeed, present — of the dating universe. If there’s any stigma still clinging on to the online dating world, it won’t be long before it gives up and relinquishes its hold: thus cementing online dating as the indisputable ruler over the romantic realm.
"Natural ‘meet-cutes’ have taken on a level of elusive, mystical romance..."
Perhaps you already know this? Maybe you’ve got dating icon after dating icon popping up on your phone screen, inundating you with matches, dates and facts about myriad people hovering on the periphery of your internet orbit: all promising you everything from a lifetime of happiness to one night of fun.
If that’s the case, it’s time you had a spring clean. There’s an overwhelming amount of dating sites around — from Bristlr (an app for bearded men) to Down (which explores romantic avenues with existing friends) to Luxy (dating for millionaires). It’s a lot to get your head around. So we’ve curated six of the very best dating sites around into one handy list. We’ve filtered them out from the competition: and so we’d advise going with one of the sites below if you’re looking for romance, dates or just to dive straight into that much-awaited summer of love.
For ease of use, go with Tinder
The big one. Tinder is the app that really kicked off the app-dating revolution. It transformed online dating from being a tricky, complicated, tedious activity to a remarkably simple, easy one.
Boasting 20 billion matches to date, it’s the world’s most popular app — and there’s a reason for that. It’s simple to use, and only pairs people when there’s a mutual interest — which saves you from embarrassment or heartbreak.
Points of interest:
- It’s easy. Swipe, match, chat, date. No hidden costs or terms
- There’s a Gold option, if you want to up your chances
- With Super Likes, you can highlight who you particularly like
For respectful interactions, go with Bumble
Bumble works in much the same way as Tinder, in terms of the swiping system — with one significant difference. The women have to speak first. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd has long been on a mission to end misogyny and sexism in dating, and outdated ideas surrounding women ‘waiting’ and men doing the ‘chasing’.
Bumble puts a stop to all of that, and puts women’s autonomy front and centre. The result? This is a forward-thinking app that introduces you to as many prospective partners as any other app: but it provides a foundation for respectful, measured behaviour. A gentleman’s dating site, in every sense.
Points of interest:
- In heterosexual matches, the woman has 24 hours to make the first move
- With Bumble BFF and Biz, there are options other than dating
- By building in a ticking clock, it forces you to step outside your comfort zone
To live in the moment, go with Happn
Have you ever exchanged snatched glances with another person on the tube? Thinking, ‘I want to talk to her — and I think she wants to talk to me — but I don’t want to overstep the mark, or create an awkward situation for both of us?’ Enter: Happn. This site is where things start getting clever — or creepy, depending on how you look at it.
It’s a geo-location app that pairs people who have actually crossed paths in real life — so ending things at snatched glances before both going your separate ways is a thing of the past, assuming you both have Happn (and assuming she wants to talk to you, of course — on which note, never assume, gents). Think of it as a second chance in an app, and an opportunity to live through a Richard Curtis meet-cute in the digital era.
Points of interest:
- When you cross paths with someone, their profile appears on your app
- If you both ‘like’ each other, you can start chatting and meet up — again
- Happn Premium allows you to notify people who haven’t yet ‘liked’ you
To find a relationship, go with Hinge
‘Designed to be deleted’. That’s Hinge’s slogan; and we think it’s rather a good one. With options to share your degree and job title, it’s the ultimate ‘young professional’ app — and you can share a lot more information than that. Hinge poses a selection of questions to every user who signs up, and you can share the answers to three of those questions on your profile.
You can opt to go down the more serious route, focusing on what you’re looking for in a relationship — or you can keep things more light-hearted, with a ‘here’s a recent shower thought I had…’. Ultimately, it’s designed to bring people together with as much information on each person’s personality and interests as possible; so this is certainly one for anyone looking to find a romantic partner.
Points of interest:
- Upload substantial amounts of information to your profile — from your degree, to your drinking habits, to whether or not you want children
- The app is free; or you can ‘upgrade’ to access Hinge’s Premium features (such as sending unlimited likes, rather than being restricted to a certain amount per day)
- Aims to save you time by giving you as many insights into someone’s personality as possible
To put safety first, go with Badoo
Badoo, believe it or not, one of the world’s biggest dating networks. It’s not generally considered to be one of the most popular in Britain; but it’s free, safe, and has over 509 million users: so it caught our eye.
Like Tinder, you can swipe. Like Bumble, it has a strong verification system. Like Happn, you can see who is close to you. Plus, it’s as safe and secure as they come, with a three-stage verification process and a ‘Selfie Request’, which aims to eliminate catfishing. It’s a win-win-win-win. So why aren’t you on it?
Points of interest:
- Badoo Premium includes the ‘Badoo Live’ function, allowing you to livestream key life moments
- Badoo has a team of over over 5,000 moderators, who will check that users have followed the guidelines and ‘verify’ them accordingly
- The ‘Visitors’ feature allows you to see who’s viewed your profile
To meet like-minded people, go with Inner Circle
We’re betting you’re an ambitious, driven, career-minded sort of gentleman. In which case: Inner Circle is the dating site for you. This is an app about which we’ve waxed lyrical in the past; and for good reason. Inner Circle doesn’t believe in endless swiping, being greeted with face after face who — most likely — won’t be the one for you.
Instead, it prioritises pairing like-minded individuals together; and there’s actually an application process to join. Trust us: you can swipe on Inner Circle safe in the knowledge that the other person isn’t sitting on the sofa in their underwear — this is for people who are serious about getting to know someone.
Points of interest:
- Real life members’ events are frequently hosted around the world
- The app is compatible with your Apple Watch, so you’ll always be online
- All users must comply with the app’s ‘Date Better’ pledge — thus committing to being respectful and inclusive
Looking for more hints and tips about online dating? Here’s everything you should know before using a dating app…
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