Dating Reviews For The Best Dating Sites of 2024
An honest review of all dating apps!
An honest review of all dating apps!
While I was feasting on brunch with my girlies last weekend, one of them mentioned a dating app I hadn't heard of called Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB). My friend is on the hunt for a meaningful relationship and claims that this is the real deal for those looking to get serious. 👀
Naturally, my curiosity got the best of me, and after a mimosa or two (okay fine, several mimosas) I decided to check it out for myself. Much like my other posts, I’m putting together this Coffee Meets Bagel review from the sign up process, to features, to how trusted/safe it felt so you can see if this is the kind of dating app for you.
If CMB had a different tagline it would be this: Sick of trying to find out who's looking for love and who's looking for hookups? Enter Coffee Meets Bagel, a dating app that helps weed out the not-so-serious daters so you can find your Prince or Princess Charming. (Hey CMB – I’m available for hire! Kidding…)
This is a perfect dating app for people looking to have more control when it comes to their matches. Those signing up should know that it's not an app for hookups - it's for daters who are looking for quality over quantity. CMB delivers you matches (aka bagels) with similar interests, goals, and preferences so it gives you something else to break the ice with besides "Sooo, what did you do this weekend…?"
An added bonus about this site is that it was created by three sisters to bring you a customizable and deeper way of connecting with others. This helps the trust and safety factor for us gals as well.
I found this app easy to use with seemingly genuine people. It’s user-friendly, and I like how it gets right into the dating process without putting a 24-hour hold on using features, like certain other dating apps. Alright! Let’s get into it… here are some other interesting deets about Coffee Meets Bagel.
How to permanently delete Coffee Meets Bagel: Permanently deleting CMB is super easy. Just go to your profile, click on settings, and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. Here you click on delete account, and you can either delete it for good, or pause your account.
What does pausing Coffee Meets Bagel account do? Pausing your account will keep your account but hide your profile from others to give you a break.
…What are Beans?!: As mentioned before, beans are Coffee Meets Bagel's version of in-app currency. Beans are used to unlock bagels, reopen or extend chats, and send more likes in Discover. You can get some extra beans by following CMB on social media, referring friends, or purchasing some from the Bean Shop. Upgrading your subscription to Premium is also a good way to get a large deposit of beans.
Coffee Meets Bagel is ephemeral: Once you get your selection of bagels for the day, anyone you end up not connecting with will disappear by noon the next day. Similarly, any chats you have going on will disappear after 7 days in order to prompt you to meet up in person.
Can you boost a Coffee Meets Bagel profile?: Yup! Use the Boost option to have your profile viewed up to 5x more and get up to 3x the matches. If you're a Premium subscriber, you’ll get 3 Boosts every month on the date you subscribed. Using a Boost will also show a person you like them faster with less waiting time. 😈
Skip the Line: This feature lets you be seen faster by those who have a long like/pass queue. When you like a bagel with a long queue, you will receive a pop-up screen asking if you want to send flowers. Those who choose to send flowers will get matches and be seen up to 3x faster.
Is there a rewind feature?: Mmmhmmm. Passed on someone and having second thoughts? This may or may not happen to me all the time... luckily, you can use the rewind feature to take back your pass and give that bagel a second chance.
As of now, the only way to connect with your fellow bagels is to use the app as there is no desktop version. The CMB app is available on both iOS and Android devices, so pretty much anyone with a smartphone can join.
Ok, I know all the language around flowers and bagels and beans can feel overwhelming, but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Each day at noon, you’ll receive a limited amount of bagels to choose from. I found this refreshing as sometimes swiping on unlimited options can feel more like a game and less like a dating experience. The algo gods will match you based on the info in your profile, and also by your Facebook page, if you decide to go this route. (Do any of us use FB anymore?
As for how you’re matched, the Coffee Meets Bagel app uses a certain formula or algorithm to connect you with other daters who have the same interests. If you both connect together, you can chat it up or if not, say, "Thank u, next."
Once 24 hours have passed, your suggestions disappear and are replaced with a fresh batch of bagels. If you don’t like the options you were given or feel like exploring some more cuties, you can check out the "discover" tab to see who's near your location.
LONG. Lol. Once you download the app, you have the option to link your profile with Facebook or your phone number. If that sends any red flags for the ‘privacy conscious’ like me, CMB promises not to post on Facebook on your behalf or share your number.
After you download the app, the signup process is in-depth but easy enough to answer. I’d set aside a few minutes since there are a lot of screens!
The first step was entering in my first and last name, however, CMB will not show your last name to matches.
Next, it asked me for my email address.
Then I was able to choose what I’m looking for, but remember that Coffee Meets Bagel is more for those looking for a serious relationship, so you might want to think twice about this app if you're looking for something casual.
Next up, it had me choose my gender. When selecting your gender, you're initially shown two choices: woman or man. Don't let this limited list fool you because once you click on "more options", you're presented with an extensive list of other choices. Hooray for inclusivity! Beware though – choose wisely because once you make your decision, you can't change it.
Told ya! I wasn't kidding when I said extensive list. Again, love all of the options and how inclusive this app is.
Next up, it asked me who I wanted to date. In case anyone was wondering, I chose everyone.
Then I was asked for my birthday. Only your age will be shown to the other bagels, not your actual birthday.
Next, I had to set up my location so I could see who’s near me. You'll have the option to choose your specific address or, if that's too close for comfort, you can select a broader range of your area. You can also change your location via the app if you end up moving, going on vacation, or taking a business trip.
Next up was something I hadn’t had to answer before – it asked if I dated online before or not, which I have, so I chose that option.
And finalllyyyy, it was time to upload some pics. You'll be told that profiles with 5 pics or more get about 15% more likes. I'm a rebel, so I wanted to see what happened when I tried uploading only one photo. CMB lets you know that the more pics you have, the better your chances of getting liked. They also suggest uploading several different photos that show off your hobbies.
After I uploaded my pic, I was asked a bunch of different questions so the app could get a better understanding of who I am. This helps CMB figure out the best matches for you.
The first question asked about my height, and then the next question dove into my ethnicity.
Again, you get a good list of options to choose from, and you can pick more than one ethnicity if that applies to you.
Next up: Religion or spiritual beliefs. I'm seriously loving the variety of choices this app provides, and so far this is one of the most inclusive apps I have come across.
We’re almost to the end, I swear. This screen asked me about my job title and employer. Keep in mind, you can skip any question you don't feel comfortable answering. Butttt, just like when I tried to upload only one pic, you’ll be slightly scolded by CMB with them saying you will gain more likes with the more info you provide.
Then I was asked what college I went to and what degree I had. In typical CMB fashion, they don't skimp on the choices for degrees.
Then it asked me what my type was. Here you get to be as specific or open as you want in what your type is. This helps CMB customize your daily batches. If you decide to change what you're looking for, those changes will take effect at noon.
Almost done! Now, you'll choose how near or far your potential match is. You also get the option to view others outside of your distance range if you run out of matches in your area. This didn’t happen to me FYI, and I was happy with the number of matches I found.
After a pretty lengthy sign up process, you're surprisingly not dropped into a main feed. Instead, you're presented with your first suggestion where you can like or pass. By the time I wrote this short paragraph, I already had my first like!
After checking out some potential cuties, I clicked on the pic of me in the left hand corner. It took me to my profile where I could add prompts to my profile, use a boost to give myself 5x more profile views, change my preferences, and more.
Yup, the app is completely free to join and its main features such as talking, liking, and declining daters are also free. CMB calls their in-app currency coffee beans, and each new user is gifted around 1,400 beans. While females can pull as many bagels as they want from the discover tab, males need to "pay" 380 coffee beans per each bagel they swipe from the tab. 😱This helps with holding men accountable rather than letting them go through the list all willy-nilly.
If there’s a bagel that stands out from the rest, you can send them "flowers" to move yourself up that person's queue at 180 beans a pop. While there are ways to earn free coffee beans, the fastest way to gain a large amount is by purchasing them. You also have the option to subscribe to the app, giving you access to unique features such as read receipts, discover likes, and activity reports.
To me, the best part of going basic is that it's free (obvi!) and you get to see if you like the app enough to upgrade. Here's what comes with the free version of Coffee Meets Bagel
You already know that Coffee Meets Bagel is free to join, but how much do the coffee beans and/or a subscription cost? Let’s jump in.
So just how much is a Coffee Meets Bagel's subscription? You can choose the Premium subscription with all of the perks listed above for $20 a month. If you are interested in upgrading your basic subscription to Premium, you will receive:
If you're interested but not ready to commit just yet, you can choose the Mini subscription for $9 a month. The Mini includes:
To unlock certain features, you can purchase additional beans for a pretty affordable price. If you’re cool with your friends knowing you’re using online dating sites, following CMB on social media will earn you 200 beans for free! Once you exhaust that option, the cheapest package gives you 100 beans for only $1.99.
I found CMB to be different from other dating sites or apps due to its focus on serious relationships. They really focus on quality over quantity so you can stop wasting time and start getting to know someone. Here are some other reasons why I feel Coffee Meets Bagel is different from other dating sites:
I really enjoyed this app and felt like the people on CMB seemed more genuine than those on other dating sites. I didn't get the feeling that everyone was an influencer (or a bot) and it was relieving to know that I wasn't about to dive straight into a raunchy convo with a rando. Here's the lowdown:
Once I got used to the language, Coffee Meets Bagel felt super easy to use.
Coffee Meets Bagel dating is fun and easy. Almost as soon as I got my account set up, I already had a like, which made me feel pretty damn good. However, even though my profile said I have over 99 people who liked me, I could only view 5 out of the 99 unless I became a Premium member.
Part of me likes the fact that you only get a limited amount of bagels each day to choose from because it makes the selection process seem more exclusive instead of having unlimited options. That being said, the amount of bagels you get each day isn't the only limited feature of this app. CMB lacks video chat for all devices as of right now (only iOS), and any chats you do have will disappear after 7 days as a way to encourage you to meet the other person face-to-face.
If you need a break from hooking up and want to work on building a solid connection with someone, Coffee Meets Bagel will do the trick! It felt safe, was far less spammy than other sites, and I did meet some yummy bagels after all. 😋
Visit CoffeeMeetsBagel.com
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