Lavalife Review
Overall Rating 9/10
Spending time at Lavalife has been a refreshing change of pace after having just visited Eharmony recently. The two sites are polar opposites and I have to admit that personally I much prefer Lavalife. Unlike at Eharmony where you start out with a mandatory hour long personality "test," and must follow a rigid structure when first communicating with a possible match, at Lavalife you can start searching for singles immediately. Overall it's a much more laid back, lower pressure, and enjoyable scene in my opinion.
While at Eharmony I almost felt like everyone that I communicated with was scrutinizing me as potential marriage material. At Lavalife you can choose right from the get-go how serious you want to take things. The site is divided into three major areas; "Dating," "Relationships," and "Intimate Encounters." While I probably don't need to explain what the "Intimate Encounters" area is for, the "Dating" area is for just that, casual dating which is where I spent most of my time. The "Relationships" area is for those looking for something a bit more serious.
Lavalife has been around in one form or another since 1997 when they first started as a personals service. Since that time they've developed into one of the largest singles dating sites on the net. The site attracts singles from primarily the US and Canada. There are a lot of Canadian singles on the site so Lavalife is a good choice for our friends up north.
One feature which I really like and makes Lavalife stand out from the pack is their unique payment system. Instead of paying nearly $50 a month for a plan through which at most I'll probably make contact with three or four women a month, at Lavalife you pay per email that you send. I'm extremely picky when it comes to prospective dates. When using a dating site I don't indiscriminately send out hoards of emails to every single woman that looks halfway decent. I take my time and choose a few women that stand out from the rest. Then I compose something unique for each one.
At Lavalife you purchase credits which can be used to send emails and initiate online chat sessions. Additional emails to the same member are free. I really like this method of payment because with other dating sites I always feel like I'm not getting my money's worth.
Overall I'm really impressed with Lavalife. Being a laid back type of person, their environment suited my needs perfectly. I'll probably continue to hang out there for awhile even after having finished my review of the site.
Lavalife Offers
- $14.99 = 60 credits
- $24.99 = 115 credits
- $39.99 = 200 credits
- Area for Intimate Encounters
- Ability to view who has "Hot Listed" you.
- Ability to send "Smiles" for free.
- LOTS of real members (no shills) with picture profiles
- Impressive search features
- Instant messaging
- Personal mailbox