Tinder’s recent decision to introduce a height filter has sparked debate across the UK dating scene—and for good reason. While it may appear to be a helpful tool for streamlining preferences, at The Matchmaker UK, we believe this move highlights a far deeper issue: Some dating apps appear to be reinforcing surface-level criteria and it may impact how people connect.
Let’s be honest, this isn’t just about making dating easier for women. Like many platforms, Tinder is ultimately a business – so features often serve both user demand and revenue strategy.
Adding premium features such as height filters is as much about monetising preferences as it is about improving the user’s journey.
Yet our experience tells us that these surface-level “improvements” rarely help people find love. Many of our clients come to us disillusioned after years on the apps, realising that height, job title, or a clever bio don’t equate to real-world compatibility. True connection runs deeper than that—and it can’t be found by ticking boxes.
Height has long been one of the most frequently exaggerated details on dating profiles, especially among men. By formalising this as a filter, Tinder could unintentionally incentivise dishonesty, just to stay visible in the competitive online dating scene.
This plays straight into the trust issues already rampant on dating platforms. A significant number of our clients come to The Matchmaker UK because they’re exhausted by the endless cycle of mismatches, ghosting, and misrepresentation. In contrast, we vet all of our clients thoroughly to ensure that honesty and authenticity are at the heart of every introduction.
The gamified, checkbox culture of modern dating apps has led people to treat finding a partner more like online shopping than building a relationship. Age, height, religion, location, hobbies—users are encouraged to narrow down their preferences as if choosing specifications for a car. But love doesn’t work like that.
What we’re seeing at The Matchmaker UK is a rise in dating fatigue. People feel overwhelmed and undervalued. They tell us they feel like a product, not a person. That’s why we work differently. Our clients are more than a profile. We take the time to understand who they are and what they’re truly looking for, not just what they think they want based on a screen.
Society has long championed the tall-man/short-woman ideal, perpetuated by film, media, and even children’s stories. Dating apps have taken this further by allowing users to filter by height, making these social norms feel not just common, but required.
But the truth is, many people don’t even realise how influenced they are. At The Matchmaker UK, we work hard to challenge these inherited preferences. We’ve seen countless success stories from couples who would never have matched online simply because they didn’t meet each other’s “ideal height”. In real life, chemistry is more complicated (and more exciting) than filters would have you believe.
Many men under 5’10 report feeling dismissed before they’ve even had a chance to show who they are. And we get it, it can be incredibly disheartening to feel judged for something entirely outside of your control.
A recent YouGov UK survey found that while 65% of women said they prefer taller men, only 20% said height was a deal-breaker after meeting someone in person. This shows us that in-person chemistry often rewrites the rules. That’s what we see daily in our matchmaking—once genuine connection enters the picture, height becomes secondary.
We coach our clients to build confidence, lead with their best qualities, and most importantly, understand their worth. Being a good partner is about so much more than physical stats.
Statista’s 2023 findings show that just 12% of UK singles consider height a top-three priority when dating. Compare that to values like kindness, emotional availability, and humour, and you’ll see how little height actually influences long-term attraction.
In our experience, the people who stay rigid in their filters often miss out on the most rewarding connections. That’s why we encourage open-mindedness. We match people based on real compatibility, not checkbox perfection.
There’s growing discontent online about the current state of dating apps. Many users say it’s the worst it’s ever been with too many people playing games, too little sincerity. While dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge will likely continue to exist, we predict a major shift in how people seek connection.
More and more, people are turning to personalised matchmaking and curated social experiences. There’s a hunger for something more genuine, something grounded in human intuition rather than algorithms. And that’s exactly what we provide.
At The Matchmaker UK, we believe the future of dating isn’t tech, it’s trust. It’s time to move away from the swipe and toward the spark.
Ready to experience a better way to date? Book a complimentary discovery call with us today and take the first step toward finding a truly meaningful connection.