Many people today are questioning their relationship with alcohol and what it does both to them and for them. But how specifically does drinking—or not drinking—affect your dating life? If you're single and looking for romance, but worried about putting yourself out there without leaning on liquor, you're not alone. Navigating the already-tricky terrain of modern romance can be especially difficult for the sober community. But there are many sober dating apps to the rescue.
"When I went on a date, the woman would say, 'How are we going to have any fun if you're not going to drink alcohol?'" MJ Gottlieb, the founder of the sober dating app Loosid, previously told Best Life. Left with limited options to meet women without alcohol, Gottlieb found himself falling off the wagon again and again before finally getting clean.
"If there was a sober curious movement when I was trying to quit, I would have done it a long time ago," he said. "It's so important for people to have a safe space to explore their relationship with alcohol."
So whether you're in recovery or simply sober curious, these sober dating apps can help you find romance.
Loosid
As one of the more well-known sober dating apps, Loosid has a great reputation for connecting people in the sober community. Gottlieb knows that the reasons that people have for being sober can vary, so the app lets you share whether it's because you're in recovery or because you want to reap the health benefits of not drinking. Whatever the reason, Loosid is a great place to start your sober dating journey.
"When I was trying to get sober, you were either an alcoholic or you weren't, and it's much more complicated than that," Gottlieb told Best Life.
Clean and Sober Love
Like Tinder, Clean and Sober Love (CASL) shows you a photo of a potential match and whatever personal information about themselves that they want to share, giving you the opportunity to swipe right and start a conversation or swipe left and move on. The only difference is that this is a dedicated space for people who want to date sober, so you don't even have to ask.
SoberSinglesDate
SoberSinglesDate is also meant to be just for people who are #livingsober, but it offers you the option of expressing what you're looking for (fun? friendship? a relationship? someone to go hiking with?) as well as the ability to text and video chat a match if you want to get more up close and personal.
Sober Grid
Sober Grid is especially useful for anyone who is struggling with sobriety. In addition to connecting you with sober people in your area, it has a "sobriety calculator" that keeps track of how many days you've been sober, which can be a useful motivational tool for someone in recovery. There's also the option to alert other members if you need help, and you can even request someone in your area to give you a safe ride from a recovery center.
I Am Sober
I Am Sober's mission is to connect "a wide network of people all striving for the same goal: staying sober one day at a time." Knowing that this might be harder than it sounds, the app offers motivational tools. You can read inspirational messages, reach out to others for advice, track your days, create daily challenges, build new habits, and even calculate how much money you're saving by not drinking.
Meet Mindful
Unlike some of the other apps on this list, MeetMindful isn't centered specifically around alcohol. Rather, it's "for people who keep their lives mindful and high-vibe." This seems like a good choice for people who are interested in healthy living in general, as you can match with people on the basis of your individual interests and dealbreakers. So if you're looking for someone who not only doesn't drink but is also dedicated to wellness overall, this could be the app for you.
Hinge
Of course, Hinge isn't exclusively for the sober community. But preferred members can make note of whether or not they're open to dating someone who drinks alcohol and, if so, how much. This could be a good option for someone who wants to try dating sober, but isn't committed to never having a glass of wine ever again. Hinge has also been around for a while, so it's likely to have a wider pool of candidates to choose from than some newer apps on this list.
