I am a planner ADDICT! Since my college days, I have loved finding the perfect planner and trying all different kinds to find just the right layout. I have tried dozens of different styles of planners, from daily, to weekly, to hourly, with and without to do lists. You name a brand, I bet I’ve tried at least one.
Planners are very personal though and are also life stage dependent so what you find works now may change a few months in the future as you have more activities fill your time or you start a new job or become a student again. Thankfully, these days there are nearly limitless options out there.
Unfortunately, this can make finding just the right planner for you a challenge. Don’t be afraid to try one out for a few weeks and if it isn’t working for you, try something else. There’s no use in going months with a planner you hate just to finish it. Life is too short for that!
Below are some of my favorite planners and brands to explore if you are looking for a new planner/calendar. Each brand has several options (daily, weekly, monthly, ect) as well as multiple gorgeous covers to choose from so be sure to check out their website if you are looking for different layouts.
Papier
Papier is a paper brand that also makes fabulous planners. I am currently using their Daily Planner and Gratitude Journal every day. The layouts are very functional, including hourly time blocks as well as a daily to do list. They have a weekly overview section as well as a meal planning page for each week so if you are new to meal planning (check out my article on why you should be meal planning here), this is a great way to stay organized.
In addition to planners, they have a multitude of other notebooks including gratitude journals, wellness journals, blank journals, and my new favorite, recipe journals. Being a paper company, the quality of the products is superb. One of my favorite aspects of these planners are that they are not spiral bound so you won’t have the metal rings getting caught on anything. They are more like hard bound books and come in dozens of different styles. They run about $32 each so not a big investment if they end up not working for you. For the price, though, the quality is amazing. If you are new to the planner world, Papier is a great place to start.
Golden Coil
Golden coil is the most customizable planner I have ever seen. Each planner is uniquely put together with exactly the pages and layouts you want, including birthday reminder pages, address book pages, meal planners, and the ability to have your planner pre-printed with calendar events like vacation days or trips.
There are daily and weekly pages with multiple layout options for both so you are sure to find one that will work for you. The additional pages you can customize turn this planner into a meal planner, wellness journal, budgeting book, and content planner all in once place. It really can be whatever you want it to be, from a simple planner, to a one stop shop for all your record keeping.
I have used Golden Coil planners in the past and loved them. You don’t always know what pages you want to include or will use at first so you may add a few pages just to try if it is your first planner with them. The only downside to these planners is they are fairly large so they are not as purse friendly as some of the other brands, but they do make several sizes so the smaller ones may be a little more manageable.
Golden Coil is a great planner for anyone who want to be in full control of what goes into their planner or is looking for a planner that has all their information in once place. They are a little on the pricier side (starting at $68 for the smallest) and the length can vary depending on the size of planner and how many additional pages you add, but for how customizable this planner is, it is well worth it.
Simplified by Emily Ley
I was recently introduced to Simplified planners through the brand’s journal collection (which I also love!) and really have grown to love them. They are incredibly useful and practical and come in so many cute colors and patterns. The daily editions are spiral bound and the weekly/monthly are hard bound. Each day comes with time slots and a to do list to keep your day flowing smoothly. I love that they have planners for teaday chers as well as wedding planners. Their whole line of products is amazing and I’d definitely recommend checking them out if you are looking for a straightforward, easy to use planner.
Day Designer
My current planner is by Day Designer and I absolutely love it! I have the daily edition in Monet and it includes several planning and goal setting pages in the front to help guide the year’s goals and plans. They have larger and mini sizes of planners depending on what size you prefer. I have the mini size because it fits more easily in my work tote and is a little more manageable. I love the spaces on each day for keeping track of what’s for dinner (hopefully you’re doing your meal planning!), daily gratitude, and money spent that day. This is another great planner to start with if you are just getting into the planner world since it is a fairly basic layout and is very versatile and easy to use.
