In order for an online dating site to remain competitive, it must focus on continuous improvement. It must be vigilant of the needs and wants of the audience that it serves. It must offer stability and consistency while at the same time being nimble enough to adapt and adjust. It must keep its loyal members happy and also be fresh and innovative to attract new users.

Not too long ago we reviewed GreenSingles.com, an online dating site dedicated to a broad range of green movement enthusiasts. We were impressed by their inclusivity which openly welcomed a wide breadth of environmental philosophies. Conservationists, environmentalists, vegans, social justice warriors, spiritualists — it was, and is, a hub for all those who love, appreciate and cherish the planet.

Recently, GreenSingles undertook a series of changes that have, in our opinion, resulted in great leaps in modernizing the look and functionality of the site. Here is our take of the improvements that they have made.

Green Singles Review Results Popularity - 78

Value - 82

Features - 77

Quality of Members - 86

Safety - 86

Customer Satisfaction - 88 83 Final Word on Green Singles It is a great feeling to see an online dating site that stays true to itself while continuously improving. GreenSingles had always been a solid and reliable dating site for the community that it serves. Following its most recent modernization effort, we feel that it will not only improve the user experience but also help to spur its growth even further. We find GreenSingles to be an excellent dating site for those conscious about our planet. We would strongly recommend it.

— Pros and Cons —

Pros

Been in continuous online operation since 1996

Active and engaged community

Free members can respond to messages

NEW “Match Questions”

Mobile-friendly design

Clean modern look

Cons

Lack of native mobile apps

— In-Depth GreenSingles Review —

Many times when an online dating site makes changes they wind up marginalizing and alienating one, or several, of their core demographics. We are happy to report that in the case of GreenSingles, their modernization efforts have been welcomed and appreciated by all — new and established users alike.

This is why it is important for us to begin by mentioning what has not changed with GreenSingles. The site is still keenly focused on helping those who are in tune with the environment and their inner selves find like-minded people for long-term relationships. Be it for platonic friendships, long-term romance, long-distance relationships — GreenSingles is as inclusive as ever.

We were gladdened to see that GreenSingles has stayed true to its principles while simultaneously revamping its site tremendously in terms of aesthetics and functionality.

— The New Look —

GreenSingles has been in continuous operation as a dating site since 1996. Its roots date back even further — all the way back to 1985 — when it was a newsletter. In its previous aesthetic incarnation, its age was clearly noticeable.

The new version of the site has taken great leaps in that regard. The look has now been updated and incorporates a clean and uncluttered modern design. Its color scheme employs a green and white pallet that seems well suited for its target audience.

The welcome page — what most new users will see first — now makes it much easier for people to visually absorb what the site is about. The use of tiled images of a wide range of happy couples as the background seems very fitting. The logo, accompanied by the tagline “make every day Earth Day,” is equally appropriate, in our opinion.

Getting started is also easier with the registration box now taking on a more modern appearance. Registration on GreenSingles is not as streamlined as on other dating sites, but that’s a good thing. We were happy to see that the site makes new users take the time to provide a basic set of information about themselves when registering. We feel that this helps to create and maintain a user base that is truly interested in the community created by the site. It also makes them more likely to be engaged as members.

— Core Improvements —

In the past, we had noted how GreenSingles was a solid and reliable performer where it counted — in security, privacy, and functionality. However, we had also made mention of the fact that its feature set, while effective, had an appearance that some people might have found to be rather plain. We are happy to report that the new version of GreenSingles has retained its strong performance while greatly improving the look and intuitiveness of its platform.

The search feature is now more robust and far easier to use. By simply clicking on “search” from the menu bar, a search column will open on the left-hand side of your screen. From there, you can easily review your current search options. You can also easily modify your location and whether you want to search for members with profile images or to search exclusively for new members. You can also edit these options directly from this column.

Immediately below your saved search options, you will find a menu of search categories that you can use to further fine-tune your search for a partner. These categories include marital and relationship status; spiritual beliefs; kids and living situation; food, drink and smoke; exercise and energy levels; education, environment and politics; astrological information; languages; ethnicity; and appearance. By tweaking these search options you will find far more compatible match suggestions than on other dating sites.

When you click on an individual profile you are also served with an excellent and thorough synopsis of the member. If you are used to skeletal bios from other dating sites, you will sincerely appreciate those found on GreenSingles.

Not only will you see the basic information of the person, such as location, age, sexual orientation and the age range that they are seeking — but you can also see a more detailed breakdown of the individual covering all of the search attributes that we had described above. You also get to see the introduction written by the member as well as interesting facts about themselves and things that they particularly enjoy. You can also find links to compatibility reports based on their astrological sign as well as a “Sun, Love and Passion” analysis.

There is also a new feature called “Match Questions.” In our opinion, this adds a whole new level of depth to the discovery process. It involves answering a collection of questions revolving around your personality, outlook on life and consciousness. You can view each member’s answers to Match Questions on their profile.

All in all, we found the discovery and matchmaking process on GreenSingles to be detailed, substantive and results-oriented.

— Other Improvements —

In addition to the obvious improvements that are visible at first glance, GreenSingles has also laid the groundwork for additional enhancements. The site is now responsive, meaning that it is mobile-friendly and accessible from your phone or tablet’s browser. There is a section on the menu bar titled “Classifieds.” When we clicked on it we discovered a “Coming Soon” banner along with what appears to be the structure for a categorized marketplace of products and ideas. This should serve to increase the community feel of the site.

We have also been informed by the administrators of the site that there will soon be live video chatting added to the communication features. Also, stealth profile viewing will be provided. When you take into account that free users can already reply to incoming messages without upgrading, GreenSingles will soon have one of the most impressive communications packages for both free and paid members.

— Cost —

A monthly subscription starts at $19. You can save money by paying for a six-month package for $60.

Previous Green Singles Review Below ( Early 2017)

GreenSingles is a niche dating site with a small but VERY active community. We took a close look to determine whether or not it’s a good choice for green-conscious singles.

— Pros and Cons of GreenSingles —

Pros

Been in continuous online operation since 1996

Small, but active community

Free members can respond to messages

Cons

Feature-set is routine, comparable to other sites

Design and navigation is dated

— Original GreenSingles Review —

Let’s face it, your run of the mill dating site may not be suitable for everybody. Just like a generic suit taken off the rack will never fit you as well as a bespoke suit tailored specifically to your measurements, so too will an online dating site designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution disappoint you when you are looking for a compatible partner to start a relationship. You shouldn’t feel bad about this — it’s not your fault. It just so happens that there are certain types of people whose goals and lifestyles don’t adjust so easily to the established norms of society. This doesn’t make you a snob, neither does it make you unusual. It just makes you unique — a trait that deserves to be praised, not lambasted.

Yes, you could make a stronger effort to tweak your profile, send more messages, engage users that don’t necessarily meet your desired criteria, but why should you have to? Think about it — if you begin to modify the true essence of who you are, if you try to pretend to be someone you’re not — what do you really gain? You should never feel that you have to conform to the preconceived notions of others to be successful with online dating. In case you are unaware, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of niche dating sites. Similar in purpose and function as the more well known generic dating sites — niche sites cater to a specific demographic. This could be based on ethnicity, lifestyle, age group — the choices are literally endless.

For those of you that take an Eco-conscious or green lifestyle seriously, you know the struggle that is involved trying to meet people that share your passion. That is why a site known as GreenSingles.com caught our attention. It is marketed as an online dating site built and maintained by individuals with profound roots in the green movement specifically to help others like them meet new people.

We take niche sites seriously. We are aware that even though the number of users for such sites will never match those found on the more well-known sites, their impact on the communities they serve is far more profound. They truly can make a difference. We reviewed GreenSingles to determine if it is worthy of an environmentalist’s time and effort when seeking to meet someone for a relationship. What follows are the results of our GreenSingles review.

— What is the Target Audience for GreenSingles? —

GreenSingles identifies itself as a serious dating site for those seeking a long-term relationship. They proudly announce that they are open to all people — of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, ethnicities, nationalities, etc. The only parameter that is placed for the creation of their larger community is that those that join be sincere enthusiasts of a green movement. GreenSingles doesn’t dictate a specific environmental philosophy. They welcome conservationists, environmentalists, vegans, social justice warriors, spiritualists — just to name a few. As long as you are serious about the planet, you are welcome to join.

In terms of the community that you will find, 57 percent of the members are women, 53 percent are between the ages of 18 and 49, with 47 percent being 50 and above. To be honest, we would have appreciated it if GreenSingles released greater itemized detail with regard to its members in the 18-49 bracket. It is too broad of an age group to be lumped into a single figure.

— How Reliable is it? —

Incredibly, even though it has not garnered the same level of name recognition as Match.com or e-Harmony, GreenSingles is one of the oldest and continuously operating online dating services. It was first launched in 1996. Prior to that, it operated as communal newsletter dating back to 1985. We mention this fact because dating sites that have a solid and stable history usually offer a better user experience.

In terms of practical reliability, during our test, we found that GreenSingles has a small membership base compared to a general audience site. The total number of active members on the site is only 85,000. At first, this low number worried us. After all, how could such a small membership base yield any significant result in terms of compatible matches? What we discovered, however, was that when it comes to such a niche demographic, 85,000 people who are just as serious about finding a partner as they are about the environment are a force to be reckoned with. They are more engaged and more responsive than those on generic sites where millions of users tend to be indifferent or unresponsive. Look at it this way — would you prefer 85,000 active and engaged people or 10 million inactive and unresponsive profiles?

— GreenSingles Registration —

When you register on GreenSingles.com you’ll be presented with a short questionnaire that will help the site match you with potential partners. The questions are straight forward and the questionnaire shouldn’t take you more than 10-15 minutes to complete.

You’ll also have to provide some details on your appearance.

When you’re done, all that’s left is to let the site’s algorithm know which answers you’re okay with concerning your potential partner. You’ll then have to submit a profile pic and wait for approval. That’s all it takes to become a registered member on Green Singles.

— GreenSingles User Experience —

When we review dating sites we often equate the quality of the user experience with the sleekness of design employed by the site. In the case of GreenSingles, it can best be described as sparse and antiquated in its look. In their case, however, this is not a bad thing. Due to the smaller user base, it is to be expected that they cannot waste their money frivolously on the aesthetics of the site.

Where it counts — in security, privacy and functionality — we found GreenSingles to be a solid and reliable performer. The feature set that it offers includes functions commonly found on most dating sites. A search module, a messaging system to communicate with other members, pre-written ice-beakers known as “halos,” and winks.

If you are yawning now at the feature set that we just described — we understand, GreenSingles will not wow you with features. What we can say is that the value of GreenSingles does not rest on the plainness of its features. GreenSingles earns its value from the quality and type of users that make up its membership. While we were underwhelmed by the design and functions of the site, we found the members that we engaged with to be real, honest and interesting people. We felt as if we were part of a community.

— GreenSingles.com Cost —

GreenSingles is free to join and allows free members to respond to messages and instant chat requests received from other members. This is a refreshing difference from the vast majority of other sites that sternly limit communication for free users. On Green Singles about the only thing that a free user cannot do is initiate a conversation (you can respond, just not initiate.) If you decide to become a paid member, the membership costs $10.00 to $19.00 per month depending on which package you select. Benefits of upgrading include unlimited PMs, more internal e-mail capability, the ability to upload more photos to your album, and more.