Cougar Life Review: Best Site For Cougar Dating?

Wondering if Cougar Life is the best way to find a cougar or cub? This Cougar Life review will help you decide if this dating site is worth your time - and money.

Our team of dating experts has been immersed in the online dating industry since 2009. We manage dating apps on behalf of thousands of clients, logging in daily to swipe, match, and message on the most popular platforms.

Our experience extends to niche dating apps as well. We advise clients on which platforms will give them the best results, and have reviewed hundreds of dating sites and apps to help singles make the best choices.

Keep reading for all the details you need to decide if Cougar Life is right for you, or start with the section that interests you most.

What Is Cougar Life & Who’s Using It?

When this age gap dating site first launched back in 2008, Cougar Life was specifically designed for older women (“cougars”) looking to meet younger men (“cubs”). These days, it also attracts mature men looking to date younger women, as well as age gap daters of all orientations. 

That being said, the site is still mainly focused on connecting “mature, vibrant” women with interested younger men. You’ll find singles looking for everything from a casual fling to a long-term, committed relationship. You’ll also find users looking for sugar dating.

Cougar Life is owned and operated by Ontario-based Ruby Life, the self-proclaimed “industry leader in innovative, open-minded dating services.” Ruby Life was formerly known as Avid Life Media, rebranding in 2016. 

Ruby also owns sugar daddy dating site Established Men, and Ashley Madison, a dating site for those looking for “discreet relationships of all kinds”.   

Pros & Cons Of Cougar Life

Our team of experts has logged hundreds of thousands of hours on dating apps, using them on a daily basis on behalf of the clients we represent. We’ve found that while no dating app is perfect, some are more advantageous than others. 

Cougar Life is not one we often recommend, as it simply doesn’t attract a large number of users. That doesn’t mean you can’t make it work for you, but it does mean you may need to bring your patience along for the ride. 

Here are the top pros and cons based on our experience with Cougar Life:

Top 3 Cougar Life Advantages

• Of the dating sites specifically created for cougars looking for cubs and vice versa, Cougar Life is one of the most legit.
• You can set up an account for free and take a look at who’s using it in your area before making any financial investment. 
• Everyone is on the same page about the cougar lifestyle, which removes any of the potential awkwardness you may feel when messaging much older or much younger matches on traditional dating sites like Match.

Top 3 Cougar Life Disadvantages 

• Niche dating sites, whether for cougars, vegans, digital nomads, etc., typically have a much, much smaller pool of users than more popular mainstream platforms. A lack of local users is one of the most common Cougar Life complaints, so it’s best to use any niche site in addition to a more popular app or two.
• One of the other common complaints about Cougar Life is fake profiles, so you may need to do quite a bit of curating.
• Unless you’re a female cougar looking for a male cub, you’ll have to purchase credits to communicate with any member. You’ll also need to purchase mobile access if you want to use the app. That “nickel & dime” approach can be a source of frustration, especially if you find yourself not getting the results you want.

On that note, let’s take a look at the numbers.

Cougar Life Cost

You can sign up and create an account for free online, but basic accounts have limited functionality for men. If you’re a woman seeking a man, you can use all of Cougar Life’s features at no cost. 

A free account lets you:

• Create a profile
• Upload photos
• Send winks
• Access to any profile or photo that is public

If you are a man interested in women, a man seeking other men, or a woman seeking other women, you’ll need to purchase credits if you want to communicate with them in any way. 

Cougar Life offers a pay-as-you-go system that uses an in-app currency called credits. So, unless you’re an older woman looking for a younger guy, you’ll need credits to send or view received messages. 

Credits can be purchased from the Cougar Life Credits Store at any time. If you try to do something within the site or app that requires credits and don’t have a sufficient amount, you’ll be redirected to the credit store.

How Much Do Credits Cost On Cougar Life?

Credits on Cougar Life cost anywhere from 15 cents to 30 cents each. They come in 3 different packages: Basic, Classic, & Elite:

Credits go on sale for the first 10 minutes after you sign up, and sometimes you're offered bonus credits in addition to the normal amount. 

You’ll need 5 credits to send a message, or you can use 10 credits to send your message via priority mail. Priority mail means it will appear highlighted at the top of the recipient's mailbox. 

You’ll also need 5 credits to open any message you receive. However, once initial contact is made, you can continue communicating freely without spending additional credits.   

You can use the website version at any time after your account is set up. 

But if you want to use Cougar Life on the go, there’s a one-time mobile access fee of $9.99 to use the companion app. The Cougar Life app is only currently available for iOS.

If you’d prefer to just stick with the website, you can deactivate this feature by toggling off the mobile access on your payment details page.  

Priority Man

Male users can subscribe to become a Priority Man. This subscription means that your profile is highlighted in searches within your area for 30 days at a time.

Is Cougar Life worth the money? Seeing what some cougars and cubs had to say about their experiences using the site will help you decide!

What Users Are Saying In Their Cougar Life Reviews

Cougar Life has a 2.4 rating on Trustpilot, but it’s only based on a handful of user reviews.

While the majority of reviews were 1 star, there were a handful of 3 & 4 star reviews as well. 

One pointed out the distinct lack of dating sites for “real” cougars, and said Cougar Life was the best option even though it was one of the more expensive:

Another Cougar Life reviewer said he felt the photos were more genuine than what he’d found on other dating sites:

The negative reviews were more recent. One Cougar Life review mentioned a user having their account suspended without explanation:

Another 1-star Cougar Life review writer wasn’t happy that you had to pay to say hi to someone, and this user said there were very few potential matches in his area:

On the App Store, the Cougar Life App has a 3.9-star rating based on 600+ ratings.

On the positive side, this cougar reported meeting a variety of different men on the Cougar Life app, but thought some aspects of the user experience could be improved:

But the majority of the Cougar Life app store reviews were negative. Many reviewers like this one complained about having to buy tokens:

And several Cougar Life reviewers like this one found there to be few active users:

Cougar Life does not have a profile listed with the Better Business Bureau; however, their parent company Ruby Life Media does have a page. 

The company has an F rating based on the number of complaints filed:

Cougar Life Verdict

If you want to try a dating site where everyone is either a cougar or a cub, Cougar Life is likely your best bet. The site is available worldwide and has been around since 2008.

Just go into it expecting to purchase credits to do just about anything if you’re a cub, and you may not find a lot of active users in your area. 

On the plus side, it’s free to register and take a look around. You don’t even need to fill out your profile or upload any photos first.

How Cougar Life Works

Creating an account takes less than a minute, you just need to fill out some basic details like your email, birthdate, gender and what you’re looking for. 

If you just want to see who’s available, you can immediately head over to the discover section and start browsing. 

The search filters are pretty standard: 

• Age range
• Location (you can search anywhere in the world)
• Radius from your location
• If they’ve logged in within the last 24 or 48 hours
• Whether they have private photos and/or public photos
• New members only
• Body type
• Height
• Ethnic background
• What they’re looking for (i.e. short term, long term, ‘whatever excites me’, ‘erotic chat’, etc.)

When someone catches your eye, you can add them to your favorites, send a wink, or send a message. Winking is free for men, but messaging isn’t. 

If a potential match has private photos, you can request a private key to view them, or send a private key for them to view your private photos.

You can also set your ‘private key exchange’ to automatic in your profile settings, which means if someone sends you a private key, they’ll automatically get yours in return. 

You’ll need a paid membership to access the private keys, though.

There’s also a section where you can see who viewed your profile. That’s a great place to look for cougars or cubs who catch your eye. If you’re interested, send a message. 

In our experience, users who have already viewed your profile are more likely to respond to an icebreaker.

Setting Up Your Cougar Life Profile

If you’ve taken a look at your potential matches and like what you see, you’ll want to put some effort into your Cougar Life profile.

Profiles are basic, consisting of a greeting, a photo gallery, an “about me” section, your vitals (your gender and what you’re seeking, ethnicity, age, and star sign), and your interests & desires badges.

Let’s talk about the 3 most important elements of your Cougar Life profile:

The Greeting

The greeting functions as your headline, so whether you’re a cougar or a cub, you’ll want to make it catchy. Greetings can be up to 64 characters, and the default is “hello”. If you want any chance of standing out, you definitely need to change that. 

Approach your dating profile headline like a marketer would - you’re essentially selling yourself as a viable match, so make it benefit driven and compelling.

For instance, we’ve found that a headline like “Let’s throw a dart at the map” works well. It promises a taste of travel and adventure, instantly upping the intrigue factor.

About Me

Cougar Life has a more casual vibe to it, but that doesn’t mean you can just phone in your profile. It’s all about first impressions, and if you can’t be bothered to make a good one on a dating site, why would potential matches think you’d be any different in person?

You have a max of 2,000 characters, and in that space you’ll want to share a glimpse of your lifestyle and personality. We’re in an age of authenticity when it comes to online dating. Or, as Plenty Of Fish dubbed the trend, “bae-realing.”

Share a little bit about what you do for a living, what you do for fun, and what you’re on the site to find.

Authenticity will ultimately lead to more compatible matches, which means more successful IRL dates. So resist the temptation to exaggerate or paint yourself as someone you’re not in an effort to attract more matches.

Here is another common mistake singles make, especially on niche dating apps where it’s already a narrow target audience: Telling people what you don’t want.

Negativity in a dating profile is an instant mood killer, leading people to make some assumptions about your personality and what you may be like in a conversation.

Keep things positive, wrapping up your profile with what type of singles you’re hoping to meet.

Photo Gallery

Your public photo album is viewable by anyone on the site, and you can add up to 12. Our team of pros has put together hundreds of thousands of profiles for clients, employing a data-driven photo analysis as part of the process. 

We’ve found an array of 5 to 7 photos works best. That’s enough to showcase multiple facets of your personality and lifestyle. Unless you’re an Instagram addict, it’s hard to find more than 7 recent pics where you’re looking your best. 

And it only takes one bad photo to make someone move on.

Check out these science-backed tips for choosing your most attractive dating photos!

If you’re new to the cougar dating scene, check out these 7 cougar dating tips next. 

And if you want to meet high-quality matches the easy way, why not check out VIDA Select’s modern matchmaking service? No matter what type of relationship you’re looking for, our team of dating experts can help you find it. 

We do everything from setting up your profile to screening your matches, handling your messaging, and setting up your dates. All you do is show up and meet singles who fit all your criteria. It’s that easy!

Learn more about how VIDA works here.