Best paper notebooks and journals, tested and reviewed (2026): Leuchttherm, Midori, Field Notes

Is there such a thing as the best notebook? Maybe not. Laptops are not a one-size-fits-all commodity. If none of these things quite appeal to your pen, here are some general things to look for in a paper notebook.

Paper quality:High quality paper will improve your writing experience. However, what constitutes high-quality paper depends a lot on your writing device. For example, heavier pens, such as fountain pens, require thicker paper to avoid ghosting (when the ink soaks), while rougher paper may be better for drawing with a soft pencil. (A lot of this depends on personal preferences, too.) If you primarily take notes with a ballpoint pen, almost any paper will do.

Size and shape: For writing, I like portrait-oriented notebooks, which are roughly A5 format, but for drawing and watercolor I prefer landscape-oriented notebooks. I know people who like the exact opposite. You’ll have to figure out which look you prefer, but once you do you can narrow the field down considerably. Also keep in mind that if you’re carrying a laptop all day, weight matters. Everyone has their sweet spot between page count, weight, and size. You’ll have to experiment to find what works for you.

Binding style: This may seem obscure, but how you lay a notebook when it is open is very important, and how you lay a notebook is largely determined by the cover. For example, some people (especially left-handed writers) like layup notebooks because they are completely flat, making them easier to write on. Others like spiral binding because you can fold the entire notebook in half, and it’s easy to tear out pages. Perfectly bound notebooks (the most common binding, such as Moleskine) are much more durable than spiral bound notebooks but are not as flat, and pages are harder to tear.

Page ruleThere are four common types of ruler: lined, dotted, grid, and none. Judgment is mostly a matter of taste, though I find a dot grid essential for some project planning, especially anything that involves measurements (like woodworking projects, for example), so I always have a dot grid notebook with me. A dot grid is also a popular choice for keeping a dot journal.

Reusability: I’ve come to think of notebooks as having two parts: the cover and the pages. Hardcover notebooks, such as the Leuchtturm1917, come together in one package, where softcover notebooks, such as the Field Notes or Moleskine Cahier notebooks, can be placed in an additional sleeve. What I like about keeping the two separate is that my notebook always looks the same. The leather cover never changes, all I do is keep inserting new notebooks inside. There are covers for Leuchtturm notebooks, so you can do both if you want, but I find that this makes the notebooks rather heavy.