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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

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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)

DwellStudio Leatherette Journal

Notebook Specs

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

Bleeding & Ghosting Test

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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

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

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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

>>Want more about bullet journaling tools? CLICK HERE!

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