Best Notebooks for Making a Bullet Journal

The best notebooks for bullet journal.

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Leuchtturm 1917 Hardcover Medium Dotted Journal

The Leuchtturm 1917 is one of the most popular notebooks to create a bullet journal.

Pros: This notebook has a pre-printed index or table of contents page at the beginning. This is nice, especially if you’ve ever tried to create a key and didn’t know where to start. There are eight perforated pages that you can pull out. The binding is thread so the journal can easily be laid open and flat.  Other features include dot grid pages, an elastic enclosure band, and a back pocket to keep track of loose papers.

Cons: The pages are not bright white but a slight cream color.  Also, the  paper is 80gsm, which makes the pages slightly thinner than other comparable journals.

InkWell Hardbound Notebook

The Inkwell Press Modern Mermaid hardcover journal is nice for bullet journaling.

Pros: The journal has a spiral binding. This means you can lay the journal perfectly flat while creating your awesome designs. The pages are super thick. Pens, including fountain pens, do not bleed through the pages. This is a big deal! I’ve ruined many beautiful spreads because my pens bled through the pages. Additionally the pages are printed with very light grid lines so you don’t have to worry about wobbles. Lastly, the journal comes with free downloadable bullet journal plans so you can customize your bullet journal.

Cons: There aren’t many covers or colors to choose from. I think they change the choice of covers seasonally.

Erin Condren Hardbound Notebook

The Erin Condren Hardbound Notebook is another great option for bullet journals.

Pros: They are a great size and small enough to slip into a purse or bag, yet large enough for a full page spread. The notebooks have plenty of pages and come in a variety of colors. Additionally, you can customize almost everything from EC. You can choose if you want your initials or name embossed on the cover of your notebook either in platinum, rose gold or gold foil. Pages come either with lined pages or dot grid pages. Personally, I went with the dot grid page so that I could get creative with my page designs. You can read about my personal bullet journal using the EC hardbound in this post.

Cons: Some pens can bleed through the paper. I find that Statdler and Erin Condren pens work great. Other heavier markers and pens will bleed through.

Minimalism Art Soft Cover Notebook Journal

These notebooks are a wonderful choice for bullet journals because they are thread-bound. This means that the entire journal will open flat.

The paper is nice and thick at 100 g/sqm. This means your ink won’t bleed through the page.

These come in two sizes, a B5 at 7 3/4 inch by 10 inch or an A5 at 5 4/5 inch by 8 3/10 inches. You can also choose dots, squared, or lined paper.