The Best Bullet Journal Notebooks
This post will give you a quick overview of the best bullet journal notebooks available.
Northbooks Notebook
Northbooks notebooks are one of the newer notebooks options available in the market but they have quickly become one of my favorites. Northbooks notebooks are made in the USA and feature 90gsm 30% recycled paper that’s thick, smooth and acid free. You can get them with blank, dotted, ruled, or grid pages. They have a premium feeling with an affordable price tag, which is why I have put them at the top of this list. They are my new go-to!
Leuchtturm 1917
This company has been making high quality journals and stationery since… you guessed it… 1917! Known for their bleed-proof paper, numbered pages, and slim profile, Leuchtturm1917 notebooks are a top choice for many journal enthusiasts. Plus, fun fact: the original “Bullet Journal” branded notebook was made by Click here to check the price for Leuchtturm1917 notebooks on amazon.
Rhodia
Rhodia has been making their iconic orange and black paper pads since 1934 in Lyons, France. They make dotted journals that come in many sizes, styles, and colors. Click here to check the price for Rhodia notebooks.
Moleskine
An Italian brand that has been designing notebooks since 1997. Moleskine notebooks are based on a traditional type of handmade notebooks sold in Paris since the 1800s. Moleskine notebooks were my planner of choice during my college years. They hold up well being carelessly tossed in a backpack for a year and have paper quality that’s comparable to Leuchtturm1917.
moleskine notebooks on Amazon | moleskine notebooks on Walmart.com
Filofax
The refillable organizer planners by Filofax became a must-have item in the 1980s. They have six rings and many types of planner page inserts and separators (including 5mm dot grid) so you can make a completely customized planner. Currently, the company also makes a gorgeous range of planners as well as luxurious organizers and cases for tablets and phones. Click here to check the price for Filofax notebooks.
Muji Bullet Journals (& Knockoffs)
If you are familiar with the Japanese brand “Muji” you’ll know that they are known for their minimal, blank aesthetic, good quality, and good price. Here are all the Muji shops in the USA on Google Maps. If you don’t live near a Muji store you can order online from their website here. There are some Muji products available on Amazon as well but be wary of knockoffs and price hikes.
If you live near a Daiso store, they have many notebooks that are very similar to Muji and are very inexpensive. Here are all the current Daiso Japan stores in the USA on Google Maps. I have several Daiso notebooks that I bought at Daiso in Dallas, TX and they’re wonderful quality (and were super cheap).
If you don’t live near a Daiso or Muji store, don’t fret! You can find some really good quality Muji-style notebooks on Amazon, too.
Exceed
Exceed dotted notebooks available exclusively from WalMart. They come in several sizes, colors, soft/hardcover, and a range of page types such as blank, lined, and dot-grid.
When I bought my first Exceed dot grid journal from WalMart year ago, I didn’t think the quality was up to my standards as a journaling enthusiast (we are a special breed, really). However, I continued buying Exceed journals every now and then throughout the years and I’m happy to share that the quality of their notebooks has improved markedly with each new notebook I take home.
My latest exceed notebook has wider margins (making it more comfortable to write in), a chic white cover, a printed bullet journal index or table of contents page, numbered pages, and yes – the dots line up evenly on facing pages. At less than ten bucks a pop, the Exceed dot grid journals are one of the best journals I have seen when it comes to value for quality.
Check out Exceed Notebooks on Walmart.com
Scribbles That Matter Bullet Journals
The Scribbles That Matter bullet journal comes with pre-printed index pages just like the Leuchtturm1917 and Exceed journals.
They have 160gsm paper that will allow you to use most water-based pens and markers without bleeding through, and they come in a wide selection of colors. Scribbles that matter also has options for notebooks that blend bullet journaling with planners, so they save you some time with setting things up if you intend to use your bullet journal as a planner as well.
view Scribbles That Matter on amazon
Bullet Journal Notebooks – Summary
In this post you got an overview of the best notebooks for bullet journaling. There are some old classics, such as Moleskine and LT1917 notebooks, as well as some new contenders such as the Scribbles That Matter brand.
For the minimalists, I recommend Northbooks notebooks, Muji, Daiso, or something similar.
In the end, you can really use any notebook of your choice for bullet journaling. Even make your own!