Authentic, heartfelt profiles
Compared to other apps, profiles on LaVette felt authentic and natural. It was nice to have something more centered on the actual person, versus their pictures. The interaction leans more toward a cerebral and serious dater. Personally, I think swiping is fun—but LaVette’s format helps you get to know the real person, giving more depth to the dating experience.
No ghosting…kind of
The app aims to eliminate ghosting by giving users a way to tell their match where they stand after each video date. This is done by clicking a button, rather than overthinking what to say, or wondering how someone feels about you. I think this is a great tool to take out the guessing game, but I experienced some glitches in the messaging system which led to me unintentionally missing messages—this, of course, could be interpreted as ghosting.
Events are great when they happen, but aren’t frequent enough
When I first learned about LaVette, the idea of events really stood out to me. I was excited for a different way to interact with other singles, rather than just through one-on-one matches. That said, I wish the events were more frequent. Unfortunately, the event I planned to attend was canceled at the last minute. This could be due to the app being new, and hopefully there will be more events in the future as the user base continues to expand. I’d love to see events done weekly.
App features and functions are a bit clunky
Unfortunately, the app itself could use some further work. For example, I was not able to coordinate a message with someone I was chatting with, simply because the messaging system was not working cohesively. I also had issues setting up my profile. The app is best viewed on a desktop or laptop, which will probably frustrate some people. Frustrating tech issues could certainly drive people away from the app, so hopefully these are straightened out as the platform grows.
Larger time investment could be off-putting
Some folks may enjoy the extra work it takes to set up their own profile, as it adds a layer of thoughtfulness and intention. However, others may find this to be a deterrent, since filming multiple videos is much more time-intensive than simply uploading a few pictures. Going through profiles also takes time, which gives me mixed feelings. Again, some people might like that this process weeds out less-serious daters, I found myself not checking the app as frequently as I did others, since I knew it was going to be a longer scroll.
The app is not available everywhere
One obvious con is that this app is only available to people in the United States, which (of course) takes it off the table for anyone who wants to date in another country.
Not enough users to interact with
Since the app is still new, there aren’t that many users to interact with. The platform only has about 500 users in its current state. Keep in mind, that’s across the entire United States—so the amount of users in specific areas is going to be even smaller.