When it comes to being productive, a good pen and a good notebook are essential tools. I’ve been through quite a lot of pens and notebooks to try and find the best ones possible.
Today we are going to look at the best notebook for journaling, whether it be bullet journaling or just straight up writing things down. No matter how you keep a journal, these are the go to notebooks.
Finding the Best Notebook for Journaling
When it comes to finding the best notebook for journaling there are a couple of things to think about, and they really all have to do with the paper inside the notebook.
Before you pick the best notebook for your journal, be sure to think about:
- How many pages you want.
- The thickness and feel of the paper.
- Do you want a blank page, lines, dots, or grids?
- Binding of the paper.
- Size of the notebook.
These are all important decision points.
The number of pages is important to decide how long you want to use the notebook for. If you are looking for a bullet journal notebook to last you throughout the year, or want to use a page a day to record your thoughts, teh number of pages is an important consideration.
Don’t worry, we’ll tell you how many pages are in each and every notebook.
The thickness and feel of the paper is very important, depending on what kind of writer you are. In our guide to to pens for thin paper, we talk about pens that work great on thinner papers. Thinner paper is key for a notebook with lots of pages!
We will call out if the paper is thin in our reccomendations.
The feel of the paper goes along with the thickness. Each and every notebook for journaling we recommend is going to write as smooth as butter.
I have been using paper and pen for a long time to journal and be productive, and there’s nothing like something that feels nice to write on. These won’t be the scratchy notebooks you are used to from grade school!
We can’t is the format of the paper as well. Do you want completely unlined paper? Dots? Grids? Lines? The options are endless, and we will make sure to tell you what format each notebook comes in to help you find the perfect one.
Next is the way the notebook is bound. You won’t find any wire in this list, since we want our journals to stick around for a long time.
The last thing to think about is the size of the notebook. Are you looking for something small to bring with you everywhere, or are you looking for something bigger that you will use at your desk? We will recommend notebooks in all sorts of sizes to help you find the perfect one.
A good notebook is an essential too to being productive and journaling.
Now onto our favorites!
The Best Notebook for Journaling
When it comes to journaling, whether it be a bullet journal or simply writing down thoughts and plans, a good notebook is essential.
We are going to show you some of the best notebooks for journaling out there, along with the important features and options availabe in each and every notebook.
STALOGY 018 Editor's Series Notebooks
STALOGY notebooks are one of my go to for journaling. They are great to consider if you want a high page count. They are designed to last 356 days or 180 days, and come in a wide variety of sizes: A6 (4.1" x 5.8"), B6 (4.9" x 6.9"), A5 (5.8" x 8.3"), and B5 (6.9" x 9.8").
The STALOGY notebooks for journaling are unique in a number of ways. First each and every page has an index that allows you to circle the date. This is handy even if you do not end up using it every day, or use it as a periodic journal.
Next is the paper. STALOGY notebooks feature a thin smooth paper with very very light gridlines, making it ideal for each and every purpose.
Don't miss our favorite pens for thin paper to go along with it!
Rhodia Goalbook Journal, A5, Dotted
Rhodia notebooks are known for their super smooth paper. This particular notebook comes with dotted pages, which are great for various differnet types of journal.
The paper in Rhodia notebooks is also on the thicker side.
This notebook also comes in a wide array of colors, and features 120 sheets, a pocket in the back cover, a strap to keep it closed and a ribbon bookmark.
When a notebook has less sheets, I like to sometimes use wash tape to tape additioanl pages to other pages, in a landscape orientation, using a Rhodia dot pad
The Author Tomoe River Notebook
Tomoe River paper has one of the best reputations around for writing, especially with fountain pens.
These notebooks come in four differnet colors, and in lined, dot, or plain/blank.
They feature 192 pages which is a good size for daily bullet journaling or using for a project like your blog progress.
If you have never written on Tomoe River paper, you will not be disappointned by these notebooks! They live up to their name and more.
This notebook is in the A5 form factor, 5.83" x 8.27"
LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 Notebooks
LEUCHTTURM1917 is best known for their thick and creamy paper. While there are a couple sizes available, the most available options come with their A5 size (5.83" x 8.27"), and this is what LEUCHTTURM1917 is best known for.
These notebooks for journals come in either blank/plain, dotted, lined, or grid pages.
They come with an ample 249 pages, and in almost every color under the sun.
Moleskine Notebooks
Buckle up, becuase there are a ton of uptions when it comes to Moleskine notebooks for journaling.
First of all, they are available in dotted, plain/blank, lined, or grid like many other notebooks. The paper is smooth, creamy, and an all around wonderful texture. It can bleed through though, so don't miss our pens for thin paper.
They are also available in a wide array of sizes such as:
Classic or Pocket - 3.5" x 5.5" - 192 Pages
Medium - 4.5" x 7" - 192 Pages
Large - 5" x 8.25" - 240 Pages
XL - 7.5" x 9.5" - 192 Pages
XXL - 8.5" x 11" - 192 Pages
Because of the wide variety of sizes, they are great for just about any purpose, and especially great if you really like to go all out with your bullet journal layouts.
Don't miss our favorite colored pens to go along with all the possibilities of this notebook.
Field Notes Notebooks
If I didn't mention Field Notes notebooks, this would not be a complete list of the best notebooks for journaling for one simple reason, the size advantage this notebook has.
Field Notes notebooks are 3.5" x 5.5", which make them fit nicely in a pocket or a purse.
They are available in dot, linne, grid and blank/plain, and the paper is nice and thick.
Since they are only 48 pages, they are ultra light and portable. If you are looking for portability in your journaling, this is a notebook you simply must consider.