Bullet Journaling Notebooks | A Review of 10 Journals

I get asked all the time about my opinion of various bullet journal notebooks and their ghosting or bleeding. For this reason, I decided to collect various popular as well as cheaper notebooks to do a comparison. Below you will find 9 different bullet journal notebooks, their specs, images of their ghosting and bleeding, pros, and cons.

Leuchtturm1917

Notebook Specs

249 Numbered pages
Blank table of contents
8 Perforated and detachable sheets
Expandable pocket
2 Page markers
Elastic closure band
Thread bound book opens flat
Sticker for labeling and archiving
Dimensions: 145 x 210 mm (#x# inches)
Ink proof paper
Acid-free paper

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Hardcover is durable
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
2 ribbons make page marking more convenient
Pages are numbered, and the notebook comes with a built-in index
There are so many color options, it’s impossible to be bored
Pages respond well to watercolor paint (still a little wrinkle, but really not bad)
The dots are in the same place on every page

Cons

Pages aren’t a crisp white (while I do not mind, this can be a turn off for some)
The built-in index is a con for those who wish to design their own or does not want an index
There is some ghosting and bleeding, but this depends on the pen or ink that is used

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Northbooks Dot Notebook

Notebook Specs

5 x 8 inch
Vegan leather cover is textured and durable
192 pages/96 sheets
60-lb/90 gsm paper
Dots spaced 5mm apart
Small us-based company
1 ribbon page marker

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Mild ghosting and bleeding
Ribbon marker
US-based company for customers who prefer to buy US only, this doesn’t matter much to me.
White pages
Hard cover can be a pro for those who like really hard covers

Cons

Paper rips fairly easy
Cover is rough to the touch
No page numbers
No pouch
Only comes in black
Some bleeding

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Rhodia Goalbook

Notebook Specs

8 x 8.3 inches
90gsm ivory brushed vellum paper made in Étival-Clairefontaine, France
6-page index or table of contents
4-pages for annual planning
4-pages for monthly planning
240 pages (224 dot grit numbered sheets)
Pocket inside the back cover
Elastic closure band
2 ribbon markers
Flexible binding
Softcover (16 available colors!)

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

The flexible soft faux leather cover is excellent. Make using the notebook pleasant
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
Beautiful colors to choose from
Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
Pages are numbered

Cons

There is a Logo on the cover. This one isn’t a big deal, I just like sleek plan covers.
Off-white pages make it difficult to fix mistakes. I generally use white-out to cover my mistakes, but the whiteout makes an error look worse on the off-white pages
Orange inside cover and ribbons (but I fixed this DIY style)
Some bleeding

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Lemome Eco-Friendly Natural Cork Dot Notebook

Notebook Specs

8.4 x 5.7
cork fabric as the cover
100% cruelty-free
Thread-bound lay-flat design
micro-perforated
180 Pages
120g high-quality acid-free writing paper
Sturdy Sewn Elastic Pen Holder
Expandable Pocket
Elastic Closure Strap
1 Ribbon Bookmark
Satisfaction Guaranteed

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Perforation is a pro for those who wish to remove their pages easily.
Almost no ghosting and bleeding.
Includes ribbon, pouch, and pen loop
Cruelty-free
Renewable resources create the cover
Comes in various colors
Little bleeding/ghosting

Cons

Perforation may make pages rip more for those who do not remove pages.
No page numbers

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Graphic Arts Books Dot Grid Journal

Notebook Specs

Hardcover notebook that lies flat, with rounded corners
Colorfully patterned endpapers
249 numbered pages (100gsm Wood-free)
dot grid pattern
Customizable key and contents pages
Two contrasting color ribbon markers
Elastic closure to keep the book closed
Gusseted pocket for loose mementos and supplies
Designed in the USA

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Amazing pages
Assorted colors
The cover feels really nice
Pages are numbered
Key and contents page for those who prefer it
Includes two ribbons and pocket
Elastic closure
Hardcover

Cons

Key and contents pages may be unwanted
Fewer pages than most other notebooks

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Minimalism Art Classic Dotted Notebook

Notebook Specs

Size: 5″X8.3″; A5
192 Pages (96 Sheets)
Dotted Grid
100 gsm
PU leather Hard Cover
elastic closure
bookmark ribbon;
Internal Accordion Pocket
DESIGNED in San Francisco

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Leather soft to touch cover
Comes in many colors
Includes ribbon, elastic closure, and pouch

Cons

Some ghosting and bleeding
Pages are not numbered

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Tacuin Large Plain Notebook

Notebook Specs

A5 | 14.8 x 21 cm | 5.8″ x 8.3″
FSC® certified
Manufactured in Germany
Hardcover
100% biodegradable
192 plain pages, made from eco-friendly paper
Thread bound
Marker ribbon

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Hardcover is soft to touch
Comes in various colors
Includes ribbon marker
Pages are smooth to write on

Cons

Soft to touch cover gets dirty easy
Comes in only blank and lined pages
No page numbers
No elastic band or pouch
A lot of ghosting and some bleeding

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Essentials Dot Matrix Notebook

Notebook Specs

100-gsm acid-free/archival paper preserves your work
Inside back cover, pocket holds notes, business cards, etc
Elastic band attached to back cover keeps journal closed
Ribbon bookmark keeps your place
Durable hardcover binding
Classic A5 size (5-3/4 inches by 8-1/4 inches)
192 dot-grid pages

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Hardcover is durable
Elastic band keeps the notebook from getting damaged and bent
Pocket in the back is a great place to store loose notes
Thick, smooth pages make ink look vibrant and write smooth
White pages (this could be a con if you prefer off-white)
Great price for the quality (generally around $9-$12)

Cons

Only one color choice – black
Pages are not numbered (this can be a pain if you like to have an index)
Only one ribbon, some people prefer two (you can easily add a second ribbon DIY style)

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DwellStudio Leatherette Journal

Notebook Specs

Embossed rose gold
104 Sheets
6 x 8.5 in
Lined Ruled
Includes a black ribbon

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

Ribbon marker
Very cute stylish cover
Almost no bleeding or ghosting
Flexible cover
Pages are a nice quality

Cons

Comes in only lined pages
No page numbers
No elastic closure or pouch
Corners are not rounded

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Wordsworth Planner 2019

Notebook Specs

Six free ebooks
Hardcover
5.25 x 8.25 inches
256 pages
62 note pages
100g of paper weight
Expandable inner pocket
3 ribbons
echo-friendly resource

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

Pros

3 ribbon markers make the notebook easy to maneuver
Beautiful hardcover, durable
Focuses on goal-making and goal-achieving, very helpful in goal organization
Very detailed
Includes black and dot pages in the back
Pouch includes stickers

Cons

Organized in a way that separates monthly and weekly layouts into different parts of the notebook (ribbons help make this easier to use)
Not a blank notebook, has pre-created layouts
Monthly and Weekly layouts start on different days of the week
Pages are not numbered

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