BBW and curvy cams: plus-size performers live

Where "BBW" comes from

BBW stands for "big beautiful woman". The phrase was coined in 1979 by Carole Shaw, who launched BBW Magazine that year as a fashion and lifestyle title for plus-size women. It was meant as a positive label, and it still is: a way of describing a larger body without any judgement attached. It sits alongside older words like full-figured, voluptuous and Rubenesque, the last one named after the painter Peter Paul Rubens.

On cam sites the term has stuck. Plenty of plus-size performers use it proudly, and it's one of the established ways viewers look for them.

Two tags, slightly different meanings

Performers choose their own tags, and in this corner of the site two are common.

• bbw is the specific one. Performers who use it are generally saying they're plus-size and happy to be found that way.
• curvy is broader. It covers plus-size performers, but also many who are simply hourglass-shaped or fuller in places without describing themselves as BBW.

The list near the top of this page draws on both tags, so you'll see a mix. It shows public rooms that are broadcasting right now, busiest first, and refreshes every few minutes. If you only want one kind, GirlCamHub has a separate list for each tag.

Tags are self-chosen, so treat them as a starting point rather than a promise. A performer who uses neither may still be exactly who you're looking for. The room list's filters for region and room size also work alongside tags, which helps if you'd like quieter rooms, or performers who are on during your evening rather than the middle of your night.

What the rooms are like

A room tagged bbw or curvy works like any other: a public show that's free to watch, a tip menu, goals, and private shows for those who want them. What differs is the audience. Viewers in these rooms are there because this is what they like, and that tends to make the atmosphere warm. Many performers in this category build loyal regulars who come back for the person as much as the show.

You'll find every style here. Chatty rooms, dance and lingerie shows, interactive rooms with tip-activated toys, quiet rooms with a handful of viewers and very busy ones. Body type is one filter; the rest of what makes a show good for you is the same as anywhere. Finding shows you like explains how to combine tags, filters and follows.

Compliments that land, and comments that don't

Most viewers in these rooms mean well, but this is a category where well-meant comments can still go wrong.

• Compliment, don't qualify. "You're gorgeous" works. "You're pretty for a big girl" doesn't, and it's the kind of thing that gets people silenced.
• No weight talk. Questions about how much someone weighs, what they eat, or whether they plan to lose weight have no place in their room.
• Don't treat a body as a request list. If something is on the tip menu, tip for it. If it isn't, ask once and accept the answer.

Degrading or abusive chat breaks the platform's rules, and a performer can block anyone who crosses the line. Our cam room etiquette guide covers the rest.

Going private

If you'd like one-on-one time, many performers here offer private shows at a per-minute rate they set. A private show is also a better place than public chat for anything specific, because you can agree at the start what you're both there for. Before spending, decide on a limit; setting a cam budget has an easy method.

Questions people ask