It just so happens to be my birthday today. I’m keeping things simple this year since it’s on a Monday and my son’s birthday is just a few days after mine.
We’ll be celebrating with a cozy little family party of four at one of our favorite local restaurants on the weekend. It feels good to take things slow this season of my life and treasure these simple, meaningful moments.
That feeling of having simplicity is exactly what today’s post is about. If you’ve ever stood in front of a shelf of journals and wondered “Which one is really for me?”, you’re not alone.
Choosing a journal can feel confusing, but it can also feel like the beginning of a journey. It’s the beginning of something big: your story, your reflections, your growth. So today, I’ll walk you through how to choose a journal that feels like yours – one that supports your season of life right now – in this simple & easy guide.
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How I Choose My Journals.
I’ve tried many journals over the years and have a simple system of choosing what my next one will be. I think about the size, design, binding, whether or not it lays flat, and the features I like. Here’s what my next journal is going to be once I finish up the current one I’m using: The Rettacy Dotted Journal.
This journal is an A5 sage green bullet journal with a hard cover, elastic clasp, pen loop, 100 gsm paper, and stencil template. The journal is plain and has 3 lines in the front where I can write my name and contact information.
I chose this journal because I have never tried bullet journals. I was also particular about the page weight and journal size, which this journal has. Plus, the Rettacy Dotted Journal a more affordable alternative to the Leuchtturm1917 journals and I love how the color fits with the season of my life right now.
I’ll explain more about choosing your journal in the following sections so the next time you’re at the store, you’ll have a good idea of what type of journal you want to purchase.
1. Journal Cover
The first thing I think about when choosing a journal is the cover. I’ve purchased journals with soft and hard covers and I prefer hard cover journals because I don’t have to worry about ripping it or wearing it down too quickly.
There are different types of journal covers to choose from. Personally, I like the faux leather type, and fabric is a close second. There are also paper, textured, and soft journal covers.
There’s the journal cover design to think about. I love beautiful designs, even if they’re plain. It makes journaling much more meaningful and enjoyable when you choose a journal with a pretty aesthetic. The journal cover designs I’ve chosen in the past ranged from bright florals to soothing monochromes.
2. Journal Type
Journals come in many different types. I’ve personally tried spiral, stapled, glued, binder, composition, locked, and stitch-bound journals.
My personal favorite is stitch binding because they feel like books that hold a chapter of your life. I also like the ones that lay flat because you don’t have to hold the pages down while you’re writing.
3. Journal Page
I prefer journals with lines because I love the way uniform lines look on a page. Although, I recently purchased a bullet journal because I’ve heard others in my space rave about them and I’ve always been curious.
Journal pages can also be totally blank, lined, bullet, graph, loose leaf binder, and structured. By structured I mean guided journals, journal prompts, or built-in templates. So think about the season of life you’re in right now.
If you’re kind of busy but need a place to sort your thoughts, a simple blank notebook might do. If you’re new to journaling, then a journal with prompts might be perfect for you.
4. Journal Paper
All journal papers are the same, right? At least I used to think so, until I noticed a couple of things that bothered me about journal paper. The thickness and the line distance.
First, I noticed that some pages were so thin that even if you wrote with a pencil, you could still clearly see the words on the other side, and it bothered me. This is why I choose paper that is 100 gsm, which is on the thicker side, so I won’t have this problem.
GSM is grams per square meter. The higher it is, the thicker the paper. I’ve tried paper between 70 – 120 gsm. 70 is too thin, 120 is too thick, I can get away with 80, but my sweet spot is 100.
Second, I noticed that the distance between the lines made a difference in how much and how long you could write. The greater the distance, the bigger you could write, and the quicker you can fill up a page.
I like my lines at a 5 mm distance because I don’t have large handwriting and prefer to have as much writing space as I can get without feeling too cramped. This is why choose lines with 5 mm in between or college ruled paper.
5. Journal Size
When it comes to journaling, size matters. I prefer the A5, which is 5.83 x 8.27 inches. It’s versatile in that I can slip it easily in my purse or desk drawer. If I’m “brisk writing”, I can fill up a morning page in just 5 minutes.
Here’s a table of journal sizes I’ve purchased in the past, in inches, centimeters, & use, for easy reference:
| Type | Size (inches) | Size (cm) | Typical Use & Brands |
| ~3.5 × 5.5 | 9 × 14 | Everyday carry notes, lists. Field Notes. | |
| B6 | 4.9 × 6.9 | 12.5 × 17.6 | Portable journaling, task planners. Travel journals |
| A5 | 5.8 × 8.3 | 14.8 × 21.0 | Daily journaling, bullet journals—most popular size. |
| Regular | 4.3 × 8.3 | 11.0 × 21.0 | Traveler’s notebooks, portable journaling. |
| B5 (ISO) | 7.5 × 9.8 | 19.0 × 25.0 | Desk notebooks, composition books. |
| Letter | 8.5 × 11.0 | 21.6 × 27.9 | Standard U.S. size—journals, general writing pads. |
| Legal | 8.5 × 14.0 | 21.6 × 35.6 | Top-bound notepads, long-form writing, legal documents. |
| A4 | 8.3 × 11.7 | 21.0 × 29.7 | Desk writing pads, reports, large-format journals. |
6. Journal Layout
You wouldn’t think that journal layout matters, but it does in subtle ways. If you’re a newbie to journaling, you might want to get a journal that has a template, like the Leuchtterm1917 or The Five Minute Journal. Though I have yet to try them, they’re easier to get started and stay organized because the journals are already laid out for you.
If you want something more minimal in design or would like to personalize your journal, then a plain bullet or lined journal is the way to go.
7. Journal Features
Journaling with a plain notebook is really all you need, but that’s like saying a pot and a spatula are all you need for cooking. Having the right features makes journaling much more easy and fun.
FYI, my favorite journal features are: an attached ribbon bookmark, a pocket in the back or front, an outer elastic clasp, and a pen loop.
Other journal features I’ve seen are:
- Journal systems ( e.g. Kikki K)
- Multiple bookmark ribbons
- Pen loops inside binders
- Hard cover spiral with clasps
Last Thoughts On Choosing Your Journal.
If you take anything away from this blog post, it’s this: keep the process fun and light. I’ve collected so many journals over the years and I can honestly say that I love them all, cheap or fancy. The choices I made reflected what I was going through at the time, and I can just look at each one and know what kind of memories they contain. This was simply a guide I made so you don’t have to stand in front of a store shelf full of journals feeling confused or overwhelmed the next time you choose a journal for your season of life.
Helpful Articles For Journal Newbies.
If you’re new to journaling, read this guide on how to start journaling and actually enjoy it! If you’re feeling lost & stuck, read my guide on morning pages to help you overcome creative blocks in just 5 minutes a day.
Did you find this helpful? I’d love to hear from you!
