We have the Internet to thank for a lot of things. Memes. Cat videos. Endless distractions. But perhaps the best part of the Internet is its main feature: the ability to connect with far-away people who are into the same specific things you are. That’s especially true if you’re looking for love. If you’re sick of Tinder and OKCupid, take a look at these non-conventional dating sites, ranked from the esoteric to the brilliant.
10. SaladMatch
Can your salad preferences foretell your love life? Um, maybe, and that’s what the folks who use SaladMatch are betting on. However, things aren’t how they first appear, as SaladMatch in fact is an app that serves to promote Just Salad, a New York chain of salad restaurants. Users who match up are encouraged to visit nearby Just Salad locations for their dates. Something tells us that true love isn’t the first thing on SaladMatch’s agenda.
9. Clown Dating
The idea of a clown, for most people, conjures up horrible imagery and feelings of terror. But as Clown Dating puts it on the website, they’re “unique entertainers loved by some yet feared and hated by others.” Because of that, you have to admit that the site, which serves an often ostracized group, has good intentions. Clowns are people, too!
8. Ugly Schmucks
We can’t all be 10s, and for people who skew more toward the other end of the continuum, online dating–which typically relies on profile pictures to provide the initial spark–can be difficult. Enter Ugly Schmucks, the dating site for those with appearances that don’t quite meet society’s standards of beauty. It’s honest, straight-to-the-point, and hopefully successful for those who’ve had trouble finding love with other dating sites.
7. BeautifulPeople
On the other hand, maybe you’re a bit self-possessed and sick of the uggos clogging up your dating site feeds? We have news for you, as BeautifulPeople is here to help you find the attractive, similarly narcissistic partner you’ve been looking for. Thousands of people have found success in the platform, the site says, and they’ve “gone on to start beautiful families.” Beauty is everything – that’s what they say, right?
6. Trek Passions
There’s really not much to say about Trek Passions, which seems to exist for when listing “Star Trek” as an interest on your regular dating profile isn’t enough. For some people, sci-fi isn’t just entertainment – it’s a way of life, and hopefully, a pathway to everlasting love.
5. Tastebuds
While attempting to find love through all things “Star Trek” might be a little too specific, there’s no doubt that we do emphasize common pop culture interests when dating. That’s something Tastebuds understands, matching its users up based on their musical tastes. Even if you don’t find Mr. or Mrs. Right, perhaps you’ll find some new bands to listen to.
4. Gene Partner
Some look for compatible personalities and certain physiques in their sole mates. Well, that’s not the intetion of Gene Partner, which is like if Match.com and Ancestery.com got together and had a nerdy kid. While Gene Partner does factor in the “social compatibility” of its users, the real draw here comes when you send in a bit of your DNA and get matched with somebody who’s genetically compatible with you. It’s science, apparently!
3. Singles With Food Allergies
Food allergies affect people in different ways, causing some to watch what they order and others to constantly stay mindful of their surroundings. That’s something that a person without a food allergy might not really get, making dating hard for people who want to avoid certain foods. Hence why Single With Food Allergies puts the malady front-and-center.
2. Positive Singles
Similarly to Singles With Food Allergies, Positive Singles takes all the awkwardness out of an ailment by making it the point of the website. This site, however, caters to people living with sexually transmitted diseases and infections such as herpes, HPV, and HIV/AIDS. Positive Singles attempts to provide an accepting environment for people who might be shunned elsewhere, and that’s pretty commendable.
1. Meetup
Meetup, first and foremost, isn’t strictly a dating site. Instead, it gets people of common interests together to do the things they love to do together. While that might not sound romantic, it does encourage meeting similarly-minded people, one of which may be the one. And hey, even if you don’t meet your one true love, at least you’ll have some new friends.
[Image via Getty]
