7 Dating Sites for Seniors
Just because a person reaches the age of 65 does not mean that such an individual no longer has an interest in dating or in establishing an intimate relationship. The bottom line is that adults of all ages date – including women and men in their Golden Years. In this article, we provide you with basic information about the best dating sites for seniors. There are seven dating sites that have been proven to be particularly in tune with the needs of seniors:
- eHarmony
- Silver Singles
- Our Time
- Match
- SeniorMatch
- Zoosk
- Love Begins At
eHarmony
eHarmony is one of the most widely used online dating platforms. This includes seniors who make significant use of eHarmony when they are looking to date.
On eHarmony, users typically fill out a detailed personality profile. The personality profile is based on a set of 32 characteristics. An algorithm then uses that information to find matches that are likely to fit your specific criteria. A free basic account usually lets you browse through the eHarmony site. A one-month paid membership costs $59.95, a three-month membership is $23.95 per month, and a twelve-month membership is $19.95 per month.
Silver Singles
Silver Singles is primarily geared toward users ages 50 and up. The service matches around 2,000 singles a month. Silver Singles has an average of 50,000 new signups each week. When a person registers, they generally are asked to fill out a questionnaire with over 135 questions. This is designed to help categorize participants based on personality.
Silver Singles indicates that the company does daily profile checks on new members. The company says it uses software like ID Authentication, SSL Encryption, and a Fraud Detection System to help ensure its users feel safer online using the platform.
Silver Singles also has professionals who can help a person write a personal profile, for an additional fee. The basic version is free to use but you can only view photos of singles on the paid premium version; a 12-month plan runs $27.95 per month.
Our Time
Our Time is an online dating platform specifically designed for use by people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond. The free app, which a person can download from the App Store or Android Store, typically lets you receive emails from other users, view profiles and photos, and see who has been viewing your profile.
Once a person creates an account, a member can fill out a form with personal information, which helps potential matches find out some information. Premium memberships start at about $30 for one month, $60 for three months, and $90 for six months. Paid memberships may also let you filter results by options like age, body type, religion, children, and more.
Match
Match went online in 1995. Match is considered by many to be a major player in the online dating industry ever since.
While it caters to ages 18 and up, the service says that nearly 40 percent of its users are 50 and older. Match generally allows users to search by a variety of features that include:
- Age preference
- Smoker or nonsmoker
- Sexual orientation
- Location
- And many more features
Match is also said to have one of the largest dating pools out of all the dating sites in operation today. A person can sign up for a free trial, but to really dive into the service, an individual may want to get a premium account. Membership options include $35.99 a month for one month, $19.99 a month for three months, $17.99 a month for six months, or $15.99 a month for twelve months). Users can also link their profiles to their Facebook accounts. If you don’t find a match within six months, the company currently offers another six months for free.
SeniorMatch
SeniorMatch is another site focused on people ages 50 and up. SeniorMatch is designed for seniors looking for love, as well as travel mates, activity partners, and friendly companions. Thus, it can be a good place to search for everything from friendships to long-term romantic relationships. When a person signs up, they typically begin by creating a dating profile and uploading as many as 20 photos.
SeniorMatch searches primarily by location. The amount of matches it pairs a person with is largely based on how many users are in a particular area. The service claims to offer more free options than competitors. This is designed to give a person a good taste of what SeniorMatch has to offer before signing up for premium. Paid service plans start at $15.99 per month.
Zoosk
Zoosk is an online dating platform that is popular with seniors. It has gained popularity among seniors interested in dating because it is relatively simple to navigate. In addition, Zoosk does not typically require a lengthy process to make a profile. It does not necessitate filling out a lengthy questionnaire either.
A person can simply create an account, add photos, and write a short profile. Zoosk indicates it reportedly verifies the profiles to make sure they’re real and authentic users.
Zoosk can show profiles in what is known as “Carousel mode.” This mode allows a person to quickly swipe through area singles. A person can conduct a more traditional search as well. Different filters on potential matches can be made using age, religion, education, and so forth.
When a person signs up for Zoosk, an individual can enjoy a free basic account. A person can also pay for a membership to Zoosk, with a one-month membership for $29.95 per month, a three-month membership for $19.98 per month, or a six-month plan for $12.49 a month.
Love Begins At
Love Begins At is another service with a generally easy-to-use interface. It offers a relatively hassle-free profile creation process.
Love Begins At is also made primarily for singles over 40. After registering, a member can simply upload photos, fill in some personal information, and answer just a handful of questions. The site has a chat room feature. The chatroom feature can connect a person with other singles. It also has a video chat function. The video chat function allows you to meet a user virtually before connecting in person.
The platform also comes complete with blogs that provide dating tips from relationship experts. Love Begins At also hosts singles night events for its members. A paid membership is $59.97 for one month or $64.90 for three months.
In addition to providing you with specific information about dating sites available to seniors, there are two other matters we discuss with you. First, we provide you with some basic information about dating while a resident in an assisted living community. Second, we provide you with some key senior dating and safety tips as well.
Dating in Assisted Living
Brad Breeding, an expert in long-term care living – including assisted living – shares with us that “it may be the worst-kept secret in the senior living industry: single residents of retirement homes are having sexual relationships with each other. And given the plethora of social activities planned by many senior living providers such as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs, also known as life plan communities) – including outings, dances, or game and movie nights – there are near-limitless opportunities to meet prospective romantic partners. Even single residents of assisted living facilities frequently meet a romantic interest and pair up. But there are also reasons for seniors in retirement communities to be cautious about starting an intimate relationship.”
Senior Dating and Safety Tips
There are a number of important safety tips to follow if you are a senior who intends to date with the help of an online dating service. We discuss these primary safety tips with you here to provide you with a foundation to prepare for dating through an online service.
Talk ahead of time: A key step to take towards having an in-person date is to get to know the other person better in advance of a face-to-face encounter. Before meeting in person with your dating site match, have a phone call or a video chat. This process will give you a better understanding of who your match is and whether or not that person really is a good connection for you.
Tell a friend or family member when and where you are going: When you schedule an in-person date, be sure to tell a friend or family member who you will be seeing. Tell such a person when you will be connecting with your date and where you will be going. You may even want to give serious consideration to arranging a check-in telephone call or text with a friend or family member at some point in time during your in-person date.
Be careful of scams: Scams abound when it comes to online dating. This particularly is the case when it comes to seniors who use online dating platforms. Do not send anyone money under any circumstances. If someone asks for money, that is often a red flag for a scam.
Never have anyone pick you up at your home address: When going out for the first in-person date, it’s better to meet out at a public place where you feel safe. In addition, do not get into person’s care to go somewhere else on your first in-person date.
Keep personal information personal: During the first in-person date, you may want to refrain from revealing much in the way of personal information that could potentially lead to your home address or work address. You need to be careful in order to unintentionally expose yourself to some sort of scam or other illicit purposes.
You might want to take a look at more than one of these sites to figure out which one is the best fit for you. We hope this basic information provides you with what you need to get into the proverbial “dating game” safely and enjoyably.