How to Choose the Right BBW Dating Website

Introduction

It takes all sorts of people to make an interesting planet of diversity. But you wouldn’t think so sometimes, looking at the way the media portrays the human race as muscular models in their underwear. What about all the regular people with folds and bumps, walking around without striking a pose every time they see a clean car or a can of soda? Well the internet hasn’t abandoned us and the designers behind BBW Dating Websites realise that not everyone is after a thinner person. Some of us like a bit of meat to our bones!

What is BBW Dating?

B.B.W. is actually an acronym for "Big Beautiful Woman": a woman who is bigger and desirable. The term BBW was coined in 1979 by Carole Shaw, when she launched "BBW Magazine", which was targeted at plus-size women. The term quickly caught on and is now widely used in the world of online dating. Although the term BBW may be relatively new, there has long been a tradition of plus-size women being regarded as highly attractive.

The paintings of Renaissance masters often depicted voluptuous women with substantial curves. Rubens' "Virgin at the mirror" is an excellent example. In fact, full-bodied women are fondly referred to as "Rubenesque" on account of the painter's love of depicting voluptuous women in sensuous poses. In many cultures, during many eras, excess body weight was seen as a sign of wealth. So being over-weight was something many people aspired to.

BBW Dating is for big and beautiful people, inside or out. These sites are dedicated to helping people find dates, whether they’re bigger themselves or they’re looking for a relationship with someone who is bigger. Or both! There’s nothing necessarily to set these dating sites apart from generic dating sites, other than their focus and membership.

We’ve reviewed some of the very best BBW dating sites around in an attempt to help you to decide which one might be the right website for you. But before you jump feet first into reading our reviews and checking out the sites, there are a few important things to consider about the way we’ve analysed the BBW dating sites on offer...

Why Choose a BBW Dating Website?

If you are self-conscious (or occasionally depressed) about your body-shape then a BBW dating site is definitely something you should try. A study by British researchers showed that when women are exposed to images of larger models, their body-satisfaction increases. On the other hand, when they are exposed to images of thinner women, their body-satisfaction decreases. (See: http://www.psicothema.com/pdf/3517.pdf).

Therefore, in our view, it stands to reason that you will probably be more confident and less self-conscious about your body-shape if you join a dating site which is populated by big, beautiful women and, of course, by people who have a preference for big, beautiful women!

Chances of getting a date

Although some sites might have millions of members, whilst others only have a few thousand, this doesn’t always reflect directly on the chances of your finding a date. If profiles are incomplete or not used, or if there are restrictions on how you can chat with other members then your chances are more limited. Sometimes a smaller site with better features and more active members will actually prove more fruitful. We’ve taken this into account so that you can better understand your chances of meeting up with someone special. 

Features

Dating sites really can vary from one to the next and one of the biggest ways this can happen is through the features they have to offer their members. If you’re just looking to locate and chat with members via email or using an instant messenger then you ought to find that the vast majority of dating sites offer this. However, you may wish to talk to other people on forums or in chat rooms, maybe even play a game or show them you’re interested with a virtual flirt or gift. If you’re interested in video calling then you’ll want to find a site that offers this, as not all of them do. We’ve looked at all the key features a site has to offer and listed them in an easy-read format to help you locate what you need. 

Members’ photos

You can tell a lot about someone from the sort of photos they post. If you’re looking for someone outgoing and active and see a picture of them climbing a mountain then chances are you’ve found a potential match. Dating websites allow users to upload photos to show everyone what they look like and what they’re interested in, often allowing you to provide several photos.

The quality can vary from one site to the next, though, depending on the size of the files you are allowed to upload. We’ve looked at these details and checked out members’ photos to discover how many photos you can provide, and the quality that is available. If you want to give an honest impression of yourself, then photos can go a long way to doing that.

Help and navigation

If you’re ever confused about how to use the site or pay a bill then a decent FAQ and support system is really useful. If you’re fresh to online dating, then you may wish to read around the “help” section (there’s usually a link at the bottom of a website) to find out more information on how all the features work and what to do if you come across a problem.

Some of these sites provide relationship guidance too, so if that’s important to you, then look out for that option. On the whole these BBW dating sites were pretty easy to use so you shouldn’t struggle very much, but it’s worth trying out the free registration options available to decide whether or not you can manoeuvre through the websites trouble-free.

Value for money

Low-cost doesn't necessarily mean the same as “superior value”. You may notice that some of the more costly sites we've reviewed have received a better rating for their value for money. That's because we take into account a range of significant factors when deciding whether a website offers good value for money. When it comes to dating, we feel that actually getting a date is a big contributor to whether or not the site offers value.

We also consider the range of packages that are available and whether or not we feel they all offer you good value for money. It's usually the case that shorter contracts will cost more on a month by month basis, so often you'll find that long term contracts are a better deal. It's advisable to think about how long you'll realistically need to be using a dating site before you find your ideal match. 

You’ll probably be surprised at how different each dating site is from the next. It’s important to give at least a couple a try, even if you don’t actually end up using either of them in the long run. All the sites we’ve reviewed offer a free trial which should at least allow you to build a profile, take a look around and search for potential dates. If someone lights your fire then check whether or not they’re a paying member, and whether or not that will limit the interaction you can have with them.

For those of you who are more interested in getting to know a lot of people and then deciding whether or not you’d like to meet up, you may wish to consider sites that have more community features such as chat rooms and forums. Meanwhile if you’re hoping to get to know someone up close and personal, then perhaps you’re more interested in the 1 on 1 options.

The bottom line

If you are a BBW and would like to connect with someone who has a preference for voluptuous women or men, then BBW dating websites are a superb place to begin. Why not take a look at our BBW Dating Website reviews? We’re sure you’ll find someone who makes your world go around. Good luck!