An eternal truism of love, sex and dating is that no relationship style is one-size-fits all. Not everybody is cut out for a romance that will last the ages!!!! with all the cartoon hearts and animated cherubs that are implied. Some people are cool with being single and doing their own thing without the responsibilities that come with the label of “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” or “partner”.

But at the same time, people frequently do want the physical intimacy and pleasure of at least semi-regular sex. And while many people may enjoy them, one-night stands and one-off Tinder hook-ups aren’t for everyone. After all, sex is almost always better with a regular partner rather than a new rando every time.
This is why, for many people, the happy middle ground is a “friends with benefits” style relationship. For many, FWBs offer the best of both worlds: companionship, the easy intimacy of friends and occasional bed-rocking sex.
Problem is… well, frankly, most people are bad at finding and maintaining FWB relationships. So let’s talk about what it takes to make sure that being friends with benefits doesn’t tilt too far towards neglecting the friendship… or the benefits.