Cuffing season isn’t fading, it’s evolving, according to data from DoorDash

Every fall, cuffing season begins like clockwork—those unofficial months from October through February when casual flings turn into something more intentional as couples take shelter for cozy winters. This year, insights from DoorDashCuffing season is in full swing and the proof is in the data.

The State of Cuffing: What the Orders Reveal

The story of cuffing season is written on the receipts. Data from DoorDash shows that what people order, leave and update says more about the connection than any caption. Order data from September 1 – October 15, 2025 and October 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025 (compared to May 1 – September 30, 2024), along with a survey of 1,000 adults ages 18 to 58, tell the full story.

Define the relationship (and the delivery address).

The section “What are we?” talking still ranks among the scariest dating milestones, especially for Gen Z. But when it comes to defining a drop-off address, people seem a lot braver. The week of September 1st saw an unexpected high in DoorDash addresses labeled “bae” or “bf/gf,” evidence that cuffing season (and new connections) started ahead of schedule this year.

By the first week of October, widely recognized as the start of cuffing season, the trend was back up. It’s proof that people often play the part before they say it, and in 2025, defining the delivery address might be easier than defining the relationship.

Toothbrush area

The toothbrush has become the silent MVP of cuffing season. DoorDash is seeing a nearly 30% increase in toothbrush and toothpaste orders between 5pm and 9pm on Thursdays through Saturdays as date nights kick in, and by the really late hours (midnight to 5am) orders increase by more than 10%, indicating that some of those date nights are turning into late nights that weren’t exactly planned. But there may be more to the order. According to a DoorDash survey of 1,000 American adults ages 18 to 58 who are single, dating or in a relationship, one in four daters admit to purposely leaving a toothbrush behind, a small but undeniable way of marking their territory. As one respondent put it, “I left my toothbrush to let him know I planned to come back.”

The ‘Ick’ factor

According to the DoorDash survey, 68% say they’ve gotten a kick out of seeing someone’s home, with clutter and poor hygiene topping the list. Data from DoorDash shows that orders for sheets, pillowcases and blankets increase nearly 80% during cuffing season. Call it the Navy Sheet Clearance, as people trade in old habits (and old bedding) for something more seasonally appropriate.

The modern state of dating

Cuffing season isn’t fading; it evolves. According to the survey, 94% of singles say they are participating in cuffing season this year, proving this isn’t a passing trend, but part of the culture. Nearly all Gen Z respondents (97%) say they plan or could participate, showing that younger daters aren’t shying away from connection; they just reconsider how it fits into their lives.

Dating today reflects the mentality of Gen Z: flexible, spontaneous and a little more on-demand – from late night to ordering together. Nearly 70% of respondents say ordering in feels just as, if not more, intimate than going out, proving that modern romance is all about convenience.

Culturally, there has been a shift from talking about a relationship to subtly showing the signs of one, from labeling an address with “bae” to ordering a toothbrush late at night after a date. People express connection in smaller, more personal ways. The receipts often tell the love story before the words do.

Because ultimately, cuffing season is not just about pairing, but also about getting used to it.

This story was produced by DoorDash and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

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