> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.unknowndivide.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Best Notebooks: 5 Worth Buying, From Leuchtturm1917 to Field Notes - URL: https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-notebooks-worth-buying/ - Published: 2025-11-02T20:21:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-15T06:02:07.000Z - Description: Paper weight, ruling, binding and size decide whether a notebook becomes a habit. What to look for, and five worth buying from Leuchtturm1917, Moleskine, Field Notes, Rhodia and Traveler's Company. - Author: unknowndivide staff - Tags: Design, Gear Phones are good at a lot of things, but a paper notebook is still the fastest way to get an idea out of your head. There is no battery, no notification and no app to open, and the act of writing by hand tends to make you think a little harder about what you put down. The catch is that notebooks vary far more than they look. Paper weight, binding, ruling and size decide whether one becomes a daily habit or ends up half empty on a shelf. Here is what to look for and five notebooks worth buying, from a pocket memo book to a refillable leather cover. *Unknowndivide may earn a commission from purchases made through links in this post.* ## How to choose a notebook - **Size.** Pocket notebooks around 3.5 by 5.5 inches go everywhere with you. A5, roughly 5.8 by 8.3 inches, is the most popular desk and bag size because it gives you a full page without taking over the table. - **Paper weight.** Paper is measured in grams per square meter. Most good notebooks sit between 70 and 100\. Heavier paper usually means less show-through, which matters if you write on both sides or use a fountain pen. - **Ruling.** Lined pages suit writing, blank pages suit drawing, and squared or dotted grids work for both. A dot grid gives you structure for lists and sketches without the lines getting in the way. - **Binding.** Thread-sewn notebooks lie flat and hold up to heavy use. Staple-bound memo books are thinner and lighter but are built to be filled and replaced. - **Extras.** Page numbers, a table of contents, ribbon markers, a back pocket and an elastic closure all sound minor until you have used a notebook without them. ## 1\. Best overall: Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Medium [Leuchtturm1917](https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/pages/about?ref=unknowndivide.com) is a North German family company founded in 1917 and now run by the fourth generation, Axel and Max Stürken, who have led it since the 1990s. Its [Hardcover Notebook](https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/products/hardcover-notebook?ref=unknowndivide.com) is the one most people end up recommending once they have tried a few, because it comes with the organizing details other brands skip. Every page is numbered, and there is a blank table of contents at the front so you can actually find things later. You also get two ribbon page markers, a gusseted pocket in the back, an elastic band, eight perforated sheets you can tear out cleanly and a set of stickers for labeling the spine and cover. The pages are thread-bound so the book opens flat, and the chamois-colored paper is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The Medium size is A5, with 251 pages of 80 gram paper, and it comes in blank, ruled, dotted and squared versions. Buy this if you want one notebook to plan, journal and sketch in, and you care about finding your notes again. ## 2\. The classic: Moleskine Classic Notebook The black notebook with the rounded corners is the one everyone recognizes. [Moleskine](https://www.moleskine.com/about-us.html?ref=unknowndivide.com) describes it as the heir to the notebook used by artists and thinkers over the past two centuries, among them Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Chatwin. The modern company began as Modo&Modo, a small publisher in Milan that brought the notebook back and registered the Moleskine trademark in 1997. The [Classic Notebook](https://www.moleskine.com/shop/notebooks/the-original-notebook/classic-notebook-black-8051272892727.html?ref=unknowndivide.com) keeps everything that made it famous: a hard cover, an elastic closure, a matching ribbon bookmark, an expandable pocket in the back and an "In case of loss" note on the flyleaf. It lies flat and opens to 180 degrees. The Large size is 5 by 8.25 inches with 240 pages of ivory, acid-free paper, and the paper comes from FSC-certified forests and other controlled sources. The paper is on the lighter side at 70 grams, so it works best with ballpoints, gel pens and pencils. Buy it for the look, the feel in the hand and the fact that it is easy to find almost anywhere. ## 3\. Best pocket notebook: Field Notes Original Kraft [Field Notes](https://fieldnotesbrand.com/products/original-kraft?ref=unknowndivide.com) started small. Designer Aaron Draplin made the first ones by hand as a holiday gift, and the company launched with one product, a three-pack of Kraft memo books with graph paper. That three-pack is still the core of the line. Each book has 48 pages, measures 3.5 by 5.5 inches and is held together with three staples, so it slips into a back pocket and bends with you instead of fighting you. The covers are plain brown Kraft stock and everything is set in the Futura typeface. You can pick graph, ruled or plain pages, or a mixed pack with one of each, and there is even a version made for left-handed writers. They are printed in the United States by a printer in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, and the company is based in Chicago. Buy these if you want a notebook you will actually carry. They are made to be filled, dated and stacked on a shelf. ## 4\. Best paper: Rhodia Webnotebook [Rhodia](https://www.rhodiapads.com/?ref=unknowndivide.com) was founded in Lyon in 1932 by the brothers Henri and Robert Verilhac, who took the name from the Rhône river and chose the two fir trees still on the logo. Production started in 1934 near Grenoble, and since 1997 the brand has been part of Clairefontaine, the French paper maker, with production in Mulhouse. Its orange and black pads are a fixture on studio desks. The [Webnotebook](https://www.rhodiapads.com/collections%5Fboutique%5Fwebnotebook.php?ref=unknowndivide.com), which fans call the Webbie, is Rhodia's answer to the hardcover journal. It has 96 sheets of smooth, ivory, acid-free 90 gram paper, plus a ribbon bookmark and an elastic closure, and it comes lined, blank or with a dot grid. The paper is the reason to buy it. It is smooth enough that pens glide across it, which makes it a favorite for fountain pens and wet gel ink. Buy it if you write with a fountain pen, or if you have ever been annoyed by ink bleeding through to the next page. Our [best fountain pens guide](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-fountain-pens/) has a few pens that pair well with it. ## 5\. Best for travel: Traveler's Notebook The [Traveler's Notebook](https://www.travelers-company.com/products/trnote/about?ref=unknowndivide.com) is less a notebook than a system. It went on sale in Japan in March 2006 with five refills, and a smaller Passport Size followed in 2009\. The brand, first released under the Midori name, became [Traveler's Company](https://www.travelers-company.com/travelers-company?ref=unknowndivide.com) in 2015. The Regular Size is a long, slim leather cover, handmade in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and closed with a rubber band and a small tin clasp. Inside sits a simple notebook made in Japan on paper Designphil developed for writing comfort, and you swap in new refills as you fill them. The cover is roughly cut on purpose and kept plain so you can customize it with charms on the band or stickers on the front. The leather deepens in color and texture the more you use it, and Traveler's Company says the scratches it picks up are meant to become memories. Buy it if you want a cover you can keep for years and a notebook you can rearrange for a trip, a project or a whole year. ## Which one should you buy If you only buy one, make it the Leuchtturm1917 Medium in dotted or squared. It is the most complete package for everyday use. Pick the Moleskine if you like the classic look and use regular pens, the Field Notes if you want something small enough to carry all day, the Rhodia if you write with fountain pens, and the Traveler's Notebook if you want something that ages with you. If you plan by the day, the [Hobonichi Techo](https://www.unknowndivide.com/hobonichi-techo/) is worth a look alongside these. A pocket notebook also belongs in any kit built from our [everyday carry essentials guide](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-everyday-carry-essentials/), and if you sketch, our [design books every designer should own](https://www.unknowndivide.com/best-design-books-every-designer-should-own/) is a good place to find ideas to fill the pages. ## Where to buy Each maker sells through its own store. You can also pick up the [Leuchtturm1917 Hardcover Medium A5, squared](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002CV5H4Y?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com), the [Moleskine Classic Notebook, Large, ruled](https://www.amazon.com/dp/8883701127?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com), the [Field Notes Original Kraft three-pack, mixed](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052T44ZG?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com), the [Rhodia Webnotebook A5, dot grid](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006CQSRDS?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com) and the [Traveler's Notebook Regular Size in brown](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZYF22M?tag=unknowndivi02-20&ref=unknowndivide.com). Check current pricing before you order. More pens, notebooks and pocket gear in our [desk and everyday carry hub](https://www.unknowndivide.com/desk-and-edc/).