The New Year is just around the corner, so it’s time to figure out how you’re going to organize yourself into a better person for the first few months of 2019 before you give up and go back into your old ways! I am (mostly) kidding; I am an avid bullet journaler (it helps me stay on top of my tasks so much!) and I’m here to help you choose which journal is the best for you. Below, I’ve compiled a list of the best journals for bullet journaling, and what the pros and cons of each one are—take your pick and stay organized!
Leuchtturm1917 Dotted A5
This is a classic bullet journal starter and the overall best bullet journal notebook of 2018. The dotted layout allows you to make of it what you want; a spread with a grid? Just connect the dots with a ruler. A spread of tasks to do that day? just use the dots as lines. Habit trackers are very easy to draw with in this notebook. I personally used a pink Leuchtturm1917 during most of 2018 and it was great—the lack of lines allowed me to be more creative and free.
But beware: if you don’t like writing that is somewhat crooked here and there, I’d stick with the next option—or just any other option with lines. Another great thing about Leuchtturm1917 is that the pages are numbered and there’s an in-build index page at the beginning of the notebook, so you don’t have to design one yourself!
Leuchtturm1917 Ruled A5
This one is obviously similar to the dotted one, but it is ruled. It has the same features—numbered pages and an index page—but your writing will be less shaky and more complicated spreads will be more difficult to figure out. This is the one I am using now, just to mix it up from dots to lines.
Moleskine Notebook
My first bullet journal was a Moleskine, and while I’ve moved on, I don’t regret it. Moleskines are such classic, luxurious notebooks. You can find ruled or grid Moleskines, but their pages aren’t numbered and there’s no index in the beginning of the notebook.
Midori MD Notebook, A5 Grid Paper
Of all these notebooks, Midori has the best quality paper—so if your bullet journal is likely to have doodles or complex drawings that are likely to bleed through low quality paper, you should check this notebook out.
Miquelrius Soft Bound Medium Journal
This grid notebook is for those of us who need a lot more space than a Leuchtturm or a Moleskine—it has 600 pages!
BookFactory Ghost Grid Dot Journal
I’m not a huge fan of spiral bound notebooks, but I know some people are. This notebook will lie flat when you open it and it has an index page. At $8, it’s way cheaper than a Moleskine or a Leuchtturm1917, and it’s a dot grid journal.
The Official Bullet Journal Notebook by Leuchtturm1917
This notebook is the original Leuchtturm1917 but with specific bullet journal features, like a page for your key, as well as the usual index pages and numbered pages.
Northbooks Dot Grid Journal
This one has the feel and vibe of a Moleskine but it’s much more affordable at $10. It’s less luxurious and doesn’t have numbered pages—but could be a good option for someone who isn’t sure about bullet journaling yet and doesn’t want to invest too much money until they are sure.
Of course, bullet journaling isn’t strictly a bookish activity, but there’s definitely some overlap between readers and bullet journalers. Once you choose your notebook, make sure to check out Book Riot’s round-up of spreads for readers, a list of three spreads that improved a reader’s reading habits and these cool bookish ideas for bullet journaling.
Happy journaling!
