How many is too many in a relationship?

Too many? No such thing. For ME I don't want to add anyone to the relationship, but that has nothing to do with a rule about it being "too many".

I would say that depends on the individuals involved and the dynamic of the relationship. There's no hard and fast rule that would apply to every poly relationship. I know people with VERY big relationship networks. Random made-up example, A and B are a couple, B and C and E are an equal triad, and E is with B and F, A is also with F, etc. etc. That WORKS FOR THEM and that's their business. I couldn't set a "rule" for how many is too many for them. That's as bad, to me, as saying two men shouldn't be together or whatever.

I'm in an equal triad, and we're happy like this -- for now. That doesn't mean it will always stay that way, of course!

interesting responses

It is what you make it. I don't think a single answer covers everyone!

You can't pick a number. It is up to the people involved, for sure.

depends on the people but I prefer less

Hard to say. That would be like saying I can have up to 3 people but those people are in relationships so it could be 6 or more...
And then there's the relationship itself. There are people I might be in a relationship that's platonic and others that are sexual, some that are BDSM related and others that are Ageplay and still others that are vanilla.

Right now its 2 plus me and it feels just right but that could change in the future and I'd hate to limit my emotional growth.

Honestly if everyone is happy the limit is nothing, however I've seen when you get past five total stuff really starts to fall apart. When I say that I mean five functioning as a single family unit, swinging and once a month fun with others is mehh.

The range of responses is really interesting !

It's so very person dependent! I've been in one on one relationships that were ever so much more complicated then weirder situations I've been in.

One of the most fun, playful, loving, situations I've ever been in involved a boygirl couple, a girlgirl couple, me, and another man. It lasted for several months, and was fantastic. Eventually the boygirl couple and the girlgirl couple..er..switched, and me and the other man wound up partners on the other side of the country from the other 4. But it was all pretty low drama and pleasant the whole time.

I don't think that there's a universally applicable "too many" but for me I think I would have trouble establishing intimacy with more than 4 other people at once.

I like me and one other person in a relationship.

3 or more is too many