How to choose the perfect bullet journal for you
Bullet Journaling in it's core is a simple organisational system in a notebook, where you basically create your own planning layout and inserts according to your needs. And that is the beauty of it - everything is created by you and therefore is unique!
And even though it is true that, in order to start bullet journaling you only need a notebook and a pen, I do believe that there isn't one notebook that is perfect for everyone. Each one of us, depending on how we're using our bullet journal, has different needs. Some people like to doodle and draw, others use watercolours and fountain pens, and others like to simply write their day-to-day tasks. So, choosing the right journal is very important in order to have an enjoyable experience with it.
When choosing your journal you'll have to think about:
The Size:
How big you want your journal to be?
The most common size is an A5 for a lot of bullet journalists. However, you might need more space to write things down, so an A4 might be a better size for you. On the other hand, if you're planning to take your bullet journal with you in your bag every day, then a small pocket-sized notebook would be ideal for you, and therefore maybe an A6 is the size you need.
Design:
You might prefer beautifully designed notebooks.
Leather-bound journals or nicely decorated ones might be what inspires you. For example, the original Bullet Journal used to come out only in black and that was a no-no for me. I love my notebooks to be colourful, and therefore I chose a bright orange Leuchtturm1917. Others might want intricate designs on the cover of their bullet journal, and therefore a Nuuna notebook might appeal to them more. You also have to consider if you prefer the cover to be hard or soft.
No. of Pages:
The number of the pages is another thing to consider, since the more pages a notebook has, the longer it will last. When starting a bullet journal, a lot of people are concerned that they will fill in their notebook before the end of the year. And even though it's very common to have 2 (or even more) bullet journals per year, I have to admit that starting over a new notebook is not that easy, especially if you need to migrate some of the spreads you've already created in your first journal.
Type:
You can choose dotted, lined, squared or plain - it's really up to you and what you prefer.
Another thing to consider would be how dark the lines (squares or dots) are, and how big is the space between them. Generally Moleskine notebooks have lighter lines, if that's what you prefer. And about the spacing, there are bullet journals where the dots are 5mm apart (like the Leuchtturm1917), 4mm apart (like the Fabriano), or 3.5mm apart (like the Nuuna).
Quality of Paper:
The thickness and smoothness of the paper will definitely affect the way you write. You might be fine with any kind of paper, or you may prefer a better quality one. A better quality paper will have a smooth finish, high opacity (so when you write on one side, it's not visible on the other side) and minimal to no feathering (the ink doesn't spread out on to the page).
One way to measure the quality of the paper is to check the g/sqm. Grams per Square Meter is a basic measurement that shows the weight of the paper. In practical terms it is used to describe and understand the heaviness of the paper.
* I'd like to state here that this is not the only way to measure the quality of a paper. Other things that should be taken under consideration are the finish, the texture, the brightness and the opacity. However, my intentions for this post, are not to get too technical, so we're going to take into consideration the g/sqm only.
Another thing that you should consider when choosing the quality of paper you prefer, is what writing instruments are you going to use. For example, you can't use a nice fountain pen on a low quality notebook, because the results will be disappointing!
Type of Binding:
Do you prefer case bound or spiral bound notebooks? Do you like them to be tread-stitched or glued? Do you like the notebook to lie flat open or not? Do you mind having spirals or coils in-between the pages? Do you prefer an ARC customisable notebook system like Jane's Agenda, the Happy Planner or the William Hannah one? Lots of choices there!
Now let's take a look at the most popular notebooks used for bullet journalin:
1. The Original Bullet Journal
A5 Dotted notebook. Comes in black and emerald with hard cover
80g/sqm ink proof paper
expansive cover pocket, elastic band and 3 coloured ribbon book marks
index page, bullet key page, 249 pre-numbered pages
|Find on Bullet Journal Website|
2. Leuchtturm1917
A5 Dotted notebook with colourful hard cover
80g/sqm ink proof paper
expansive cover pocket, elastic band and 2 coloured ribbon book marks
index page, 249 pre-numbered pages
3. Moleskine
Dotted notebook with soft or hard cover
Dimensions: 5" x 8-1/4"
70g/sqm acid free paper
expansive cover pocket, elastic band and 1 ribbon book mark
192 pages
4. Rhodia
Dotted notebook leatherette soft cover
Dimensions: 6" x 8.25"
90g/sqm smooth finish paper
expansive cover pocket, elastic band and 1 ribbon book mark
80 pages
5. Nuuna
Dotted notebook with smooth bonded leather cover
Dimensions: 10.8 x 15 cm
120g/sqm Munken paper
176 pages
6. Scribbles That Matter
A5 Dotted notebook with synthetic leather cover
100g/sqm ivory paper
pen holder, expansive cover pocket, elastic band and 2 coloured ribbon book marks
index page, key code page, 185 pre-numbered pages and a pen test page
Me personally, I've used the Leuchtturm1917 notebooks, the Moleskine Notebooks (I have a Moleskine bullet journal specifically for my work) and the Fabriano dotted notepad. I’ve also used the Scribbles That Matter and my favourite one is the Dingbats Notebooks.
If you want to see what I think, check out the following blog posts:
What attributes are you looking for when choosing a notebook? Is it the quality of the pages, or the design and the cover are equally important to you? What type of bullet journal do you currently have (lot's of questions there!!!)