There’s something about cougar dating that’s just irresistible — finding a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it without playing games or messing around is a blessing. You’ll get to spend time with a woman who wants to enjoy life to the fullest.
While it’s a dream come true to meet a cougar like this, it can actually be more complicated than it seems — in large part due to the social stigma surrounding cougar dating. So, most mature women and their loyal fans have turned to cougar dating sites to find suitable partners.
Such sites are among the most popular niches in online dating. While this comes as great news to women and their boy toys, it also presents a challenge. There are, unfortunately, many fake sites and apps in the niche that are full of cat-fishing, bots, and spammers, and you’ll want to avoid them as it’ll only waste your time and money.
If you want to meet a cougar and make real connections, you need to find a reliable dating site for 2024. The following are some of the best places where you can find real women looking for younger men.
1. AshleyMadison.com
Despite the 2015 data breach, AshleyMadison remains among the most popular dating sites for adults. It boasts around 60 million active users and up to 20,000 daily logins. The community is highly active and engaging, so it shouldn’t take you long to find a cougar of your dreams.
Registration on AshleyMadison is quick and easy, and you won’t have to provide much personal information. However, you will have to specify your relationship status and include details such as your height, ethnicity, and the like.
You’ll have to provide your real picture, but you can blur it out or add filters to partially cover your face and ensure greater discretion. You’ll have a private showcase key that you can send to other users to allow them to see your pictures without filters and blurring.
All the basic functionality is there — you can send messages, filter out your search, send winks, add members to your favorites, send virtual gifts, and more. Women on the site can use every feature for free, but men do have to pay to send messages and make connections.
Considering that AshleyMadison is among the top 10 online dating sites in the US, it’s definitely worth checking out.
2. AdultFriendFinder.com
AdultFriendFinder might just be one of the most popular sites for meeting mature women. It boasts a vast community of well over 100 million members around the world, 64 million of whom are from the US alone. Users of all sexual orientations and preferences are welcome to join — straight men and women, gays, bisexuals, trans looking to spice up their love life.
To join the site, you’ll have to go through a quick sign-up process which requires only a valid email address. Of course, you’ll also have to specify who you are and who you’re looking for — choose your sexual orientation and the orientation of the person you’re looking to find.
To get in touch with members you’re interested in, you’ll have quite a few options at your disposal. You can go the old-fashioned way and start chatting and exchanging messages; you can join group chats, start live streams, leave likes and comments on pictures, send virtual gifts, include members on your hotlist, and more.
Since it’s pretty easy to join the site, you can expect to encounter a few fake profiles here and there. However, they’re usually quickly removed from the site, and the majority of users are real individuals looking to have fun.
3. CougarLife.com
As its name would suggest, CougarLife is a dating site specifically designed for mature ladies and their younger fans. It has quite a user base for a niche dating site, boasting around 4.9 million members in the US alone. The majority of them are males between 18 and 34, but there are still plenty of active women on the site daily.
Registration on CougarLife is nice and streamlined, so it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes to complete your account. You’ll need a valid email, a profile photo, and some basic information about your body type, ethnicity, hair and eye color, and the like.
Since the registration is so simple, you’ll likely encounter a few fake profiles, like on any other dating site. In most cases, they’re easy to spot since they’ll have no profile picture (or an obviously fake one), and they’ll bombard you with messages. Use your common sense, and don’t fall for these fake profiles.
CougarLife has convenient search filters that enable you to find currently active members, those with a profile photo, those in your area, and more. To make contact with other members, you’ll need to have a premium account, however.
4. Match.com
Match is an increasingly more popular dating app with around 4 million users from the US and 20 million total. It has a very active community with millions of daily logins, allowing you to meet suitable singles with ease.
The site doesn’t cater specifically to cougars and their fans, but many of its users are, in fact, women between the ages of 35 and 54.
When signing up, you’ll need to provide your email address, country, birthday, gender, and sexual orientation. You’ll then go to the profile builder, where you can add more details about yourself, including your body type, relationship preference, and more. You can fill in the 100-character limit About Me section to add more details.
You can access all the essential search filters and communication options and even join video calls with other members.
What makes Match stand out is its Date Check-In functionality. To ensure its members’ safety when meeting their matches IRL, Match enables its users to input three emergency contacts who will receive information about the date — name, time of the meeting, and location. During the date, users will receive automated messages asking whether they’re feeling uncomfortable/unsafe during the date. If they check “yes”, emergency contacts will be immediately notified.
5. Happn
Happn is a unique dating app. It’s mobile-only and allows you to make contact with random people who you’ve come across in real life. The basic premise behind it is to help you find your missed connections.
If you and another person both have Happn installed on your phones, and you’ve crossed paths within a 250-meter radius, the app will notify you and recommend matches for you.
To sign up, all you need to provide is either your Facebook account or your phone number. You’ll need to provide your name, birthday, gender, and optional information regarding your work and education, appearance, and match preferences.
You can only make contact with members you’ve crossed paths with and who’ve liked your profile (and vice versa). There’s no traditional search functionality.
Happen is best suited for those living in larger cities as chances are higher that a cougar might have the app installed.
6. CougarD
CougarD is the self-proclaimed number 1 dating app for older women. It’s estimated that around 150,000 new members sign up each month. While it doesn’t have users in the millions like a few other cougar dating sites mentioned on this list, the community is very active, so the chances of making real connections are pretty high.
Once you’ve downloaded the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store, you can finish the registration within minutes as only the essential information is required — name, age, gender, match preference, and location.
CougarD has all the basic functionality of a dating app — streamlined search filters, recommended matches based on your location, messaging and live chat functionality, and more. It’s simplified and easy to use, so even if you’ve never used a similar app before, you’ll quickly get accustomed to it.
7. OlderWomenDating.com
Older Women Dating is a renowned cougar dating site that’s been in the business for almost two decades. It enjoys an excellent reputation among cougars and their cubs, providing a safe space for those interested in cougar dating. It has about a million members in the US, with around 77,000 active weekly.
When you’re creating your profile, you’ll have to state whether you’re the cougar of the cub. To complete the registration, you’ll have to provide basic information regarding your age, location, email address, phone number, relationship status, and the like.
Of course, you’ll need to upload a profile photo as well, which will go through site moderators before it’s posted. This is all to prevent the creation of fake accounts and keep the site free of explicit content.
You’ll have access to an abundance of search filters that can help you find the best match. Once you’ve found a suitable partner, you can send them winks, flirts, and greetings and start chatting.
8. PlayCougar.com
PlayCougar was established back in 2010, so it’s been in the online dating industry for a while now. It has over 20,000 monthly active visitors and many new daily subscriptions. Although its user base is not much to write home about, the members are active and fake profiles are uncommon.
Since PlayCougar mainly caters to those who are interested in non-committed dating, profiles aren’t quite as detailed as on some other sites. Registration will take only a few minutes as only the most basic information is required.
You can only search for members from your own country as PlayCougar is dedicated to helping you make real connections. While this does make sense, it also limits your options when you’re traveling.
The site has an internal messaging system that allows you to connect with other users without a hitch, and you can even join message boards for group chats.
Overall, it’s a simple site that’s quite effective even though it doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect.
9. ToyboyWarehouse.com
If you’re in the UK, Toyboy Warehouse might just be the site for you. Since 2006, it’s been considered the best cougar dating site in the country, even though it has only around 56,000 members.
The gender distribution is pretty good, with 60% of the site’s users being male and 40% female. Both cougars and their cubs are active throughout the week, so you’ll likely find a good match pretty quickly.
To sign up, men need to have at least 18 years and women at least 24 (but the vast majority of women are between the age of 35 and 54). You’ll need to provide a valid email address, your location, relationship status, details about your appearance, habits, and general lifestyle. A profile photo is necessary, and it will go through site admins before it gets published.
You’ll need a paid account to start contacting other members and sending messages. You can also send winks, virtual cards and use advanced search filters to find your perfect match.
Final Thoughts
Cougar dating offers a unique opportunity to connect with confident, self-assured women who know exactly what they want in life. These relationships can be dynamic and mutually rewarding, providing both excitement and emotional fulfillment. However, with so many dating platforms available, it’s crucial to find the right one that meets your needs and ensures genuine interactions.
Whether you’re looking for casual fun or a deeper connection, the cougar dating sites we’ve highlighted are excellent starting points. Each platform caters to different preferences, with features designed to facilitate meaningful connections, protect your privacy, and ensure safety. From sites like AdultFriendFinder for a broader adult audience to more niche platforms like CougarLife and PlayCougar, there’s something for everyone.
While some sites may require a bit of patience to navigate through the occasional fake profiles, most maintain a solid reputation and offer active communities where real connections are made. Don’t be afraid to explore different options and see where you feel most comfortable. With the right platform, finding a confident, mature woman who shares your passions can be a thrilling and fulfilling experience. So, go ahead and dive into the world of cougar dating — you might just discover a whole new way to spice up your love life!