The perfect notebook

2 January 2020

I keep a daily journal. And journaling daily make pocket planners usable as journal notebooks.

I tend to be particular about certain things. So when searching for a new notebook -- one that I will carry around for a year -- I decided the following things are important.

The cover looks nice. But is this the perfect notebook?

Must haves

A5 format. Everything else is too big or too small.
Hardcover. No flappy stuff.
Lined paper Not too wide or too thick, but I do need to see where I'm writing. No dots or blank paper.
Rounded corners.I pull the notebook out of my bag a lot. I don't like dented corners.
Elastic band. When I throw the notebook in my bag, it shouldn't open and wrinkle the paper.
Bound bookmark. So I can start where I stopped last time.
Pen loop. So I don't have to look for a pen. And this makes sure I always use the same pen.
Bound.No rings.
Soft paper. There is probably a technical term for this that I don't know, but I know good paper when I see or feel it. So no hard print paper (paper that is made for printers and not for writing).

A5 format ✔️ Hardcover ✔️ Rounded corners ✔️ Bookmark ✔️ Bound ✔️ Elastic band ❌

Nice to haves

These things are pluses:

Printed dates. So I don't have to write them down every time.
Max. 100 pages.One week or multiple days per two pages is fine (7D/2P they seem to call that). One page per day would of course give more room: but this makes the journal at least 365/2 pages which is too big.
The above only works if there is also room for notes. I tend to take a few notes specific to a day (usually short) and the really important stuff I write down in one place (i.e. the blank left page, or in the notes section). Things I want to return to often.

Not important

Cover color/look/style. I don't think I actually care too much about this.

No

Tear-off corners. Just don't.

Did I find it?

Not really. It is surprisingly difficult selecting a notebook that checks all the boxes. And, trust me, I spend way too much time looking for one -- online and in bookshops. Moleskine has one and Baron Fig also, that come close (though both have no pen loop) . But there are many more -- like this one (too big) -- that come close. And I think this one probably checks most boxes.

But I had already settled on one: the new year was starting! It doesn't check all the boxes (I ordered a pen loop from eBay). And I do think I will miss the elastic band. And to be honest (it's day 2 of the year) I am not too thrilled about the paper as of yet. It's a bit too hard, the pen doesn't glide. But we'll see and maybe I'll switch pens.

Now, about the perfect pen....