--- title: "Best Index Cards: Oxford, Exacompta Bristol & LIFE" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-index-cards/" description: "Best index cards on published specs: Oxford 3 × 5 in ruled cards, Exacompta 205 g/m² bristol cards in six sizes, and LIFE 5 × 3 in cards for fountain pens." category: "Paper" type: "Index cards" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Oxford Ruled Index Cards, 3 × 5 in, white, 100 pack (31EE)" brand: "Oxford" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Card stock with 10% post-consumer recycled content" price_band: "$ (under $5 per ream or pad, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "TOPS Products (Oxford brand)" model: "31EE" mpn: "31EE" url: "https://www.webstaurantstore.com/oxford-oxf-31ee-3-x-5-white-ruled-index-card-pack/55931.html" - name: "Exacompta bristol record cards, 125 × 200 mm, lined, white, 100 (13803X)" brand: "Exacompta" brand_origin: "France" made_in: "France" material: "205 g/m² bristol board, PEFC 100% certified" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per ream or pad, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Exacompta (Exacompta Clairefontaine group)" model: "13803X" mpn: "13803X" url: "https://www.exacompta.com/en/product/13813X/a6-record-cards-blue-blank" - name: "LIFE index cards, 5 × 3 in, blank, 100 cards" brand: "LIFE" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "LIFE paper, punched hole at the top" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per ream or pad, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "LIFE Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)" model: "LIFE index cards 5 × 3 in" url: "https://yosekastationery.com/products/life-index-cards" --- # Best Index Cards: Oxford, Exacompta Bristol & LIFE > On published specs, the best index cards are the Oxford 31EE for the standard 3 × 5 in ruled card at about five cents each, Exacompta's bristol record cards for heavy 205 g/m² stock made in France in sizes from A7 to A3, and LIFE's 5 × 3 in cards for a smooth Japanese paper that takes fountain pen ink. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-index-cards/ - Category: Paper - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 ![Five index card sizes drawn to scale: Oxford 3 × 5 in, LIFE 5 × 3 in, Exacompta 125 × 200 mm, A6 and A7 bristol cards](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/best-index-cards-16x9.png) *Drawn to scale · 1 mm = 0.85 px* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Oxford Ruled Index Cards, 3 × 5 in, white, 100 pack (31EE) | Oxford (by TOPS Products (Oxford brand)) | United States | United States | Card stock with 10% post-consumer recycled content | – | $: under $5 per ream or pad | | Exacompta bristol record cards, 125 × 200 mm, lined, white, 100 (13803X) | Exacompta (by Exacompta (Exacompta Clairefontaine group)) | France | France | 205 g/m² bristol board, PEFC 100% certified | – | $$: $5–20 per ream or pad | | LIFE index cards, 5 × 3 in, blank, 100 cards | LIFE (by LIFE Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | LIFE paper, punched hole at the top | – | $$: $5–20 per ream or pad | - Made in (Oxford Ruled Index Cards, 3 × 5 in, white, 100 pack (31EE)): United States. WebstaurantStore's listing for the 31EE says the item was made in the United States of America. Source: https://www.webstaurantstore.com/oxford-oxf-31ee-3-x-5-white-ruled-index-card-pack/55931.html - Made in (Exacompta bristol record cards, 125 × 200 mm, lined, white, 100 (13803X)): France. Exacompta's product page for the sky-blue 13813X carries a Made in France label, and Bruneau's listing for the white 13803X says Made in France: Yes. Source: https://www.exacompta.com/en/product/13813X/a6-record-cards-blue-blank - Made in (LIFE index cards, 5 × 3 in, blank, 100 cards): Not stated. Yoseka Stationery's listing describes the cards as made with LIFE's own paper but doesn't state a country of manufacture; LIFE is a Tokyo paper maker. ## Key takeaways - Oxford 31EE cards are 3 × 5 in, ruled, 100 to a pack, made in the USA with 10% post-consumer recycled content; WebstaurantStore lists the pack at about five cents a card. - Exacompta's bristol record cards are 205 g/m², PEFC-certified and made in France, 100 to a box, lined, squared or plain, in sizes from 74 × 105 mm (A7) up to 297 × 420 mm. - The 125 × 200 mm Exacompta card (white lined 13803X) is the classic French fiche bristol, a little larger than a US 4 × 6 in card. - LIFE's 5 × 3 in cards come 100 blank to a pack with a punched hole at the top; Yoseka Stationery says LIFE's own paper formula takes fountain pen ink. - A standard US index card is 3 × 5 in (76 × 127 mm), the same footprint as a Post-it 655 note; 4 × 6 in and 5 × 8 in are the larger sizes. ## What are the best index cards? **On published specs, the best index cards are the Oxford 31EE for the standard 3 × 5 in ruled card, Exacompta's bristol record cards for heavy stock in metric sizes, and LIFE's 5 × 3 in cards for paper that takes a fountain pen.** The Oxford is #1 because it's the standard size at the lowest cost per card. An index card is a stiff card you write on one side and file, sort or flip: flashcards, recipes, a Zettelkasten, a speech. - **Best overall:** Oxford 31EE. *Why it's here:* the standard 3 × 5 in ruled card at about five cents each, the cheapest per card here; 100 to a pack, made in the USA. - **Best heavy card:** Exacompta bristol record cards. *Why it's here:* the heaviest card here, 205 g/m², about twice copy paper, so it stays flat and takes ink on both sides; made in France in six sizes. - **Best for fountain pens:** LIFE index cards. *Why it's here:* the smoothest of the three, so it takes fountain pen ink; 5 × 3 in, blank, punched for a ring. ## How did we choose these picks? **We compiled these picks from published sources, not hands-on testing: makers' and retailers' specs (size, weight, ruling, origin), US availability, price per card and price band.** We chose one card for each common need: cheap standard cards, heavy stock and paper for fountain pens. ## How do the index cards compare? **Oxford is the cheapest per card, Exacompta the heaviest, LIFE the smoothest, by their makers' and retailers' figures.** | Card | Size | Paper | Ruling | Count | Made in | Band (per pack) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Oxford 31EE | 3 × 5 in (76 × 127 mm) | Not published; 10% post-consumer recycled | Ruled, one side | 100 | USA | $ (under $5) | | Exacompta bristol 13803X | 125 × 200 mm | 205 g/m² bristol, PEFC | Lined; also squared, plain, perforated | 100 | France | $$ ($5–20) | | Exacompta bristol, other sizes | 74 × 105, 75 × 125, 100 × 150, 105 × 148, 148 × 210, 210 × 297, 297 × 420 mm | 205 g/m² | Lined, squared or plain | 100 | France | $ to $$ | | LIFE index cards | 5 × 3 in (127 × 76 mm) | LIFE paper | Blank, punched hole | 100 | Not stated | $$ | Exacompta's cards come in white, sky blue, pink, green, yellow and assorted packs, per its product page. Oxford's 31EE is white; the same card in canary is the 7321 CAN at Staples. ## Which index card size do you need? **3 × 5 in for flashcards and a pocket, 4 × 6 in or A6 for notes with a few lines each, and 125 × 200 mm or 5 × 8 in for a recipe or a full paragraph.** The 3 × 5 in card takes about five ruled lines, which is a question on one side and an answer on the other. A6 at 105 × 148 mm is a little taller and fits an A6 card box. Exacompta's range runs from A7 at 74 × 105 mm, which is business-card height, to A3 at 297 × 420 mm for a poster-size sheet of bristol. The 125 × 200 mm fiche is the size French students learn on. ## Why does card weight matter? **A heavier card stays flat after a hundred shuffles and takes ink on both sides without showing through.** Exacompta's 205 g/m² is about twice the weight of 80 g/m² copy paper and in the range of a business card. Oxford doesn't publish a weight for the 31EE; a retailer lists 8 point thickness, roughly 0.2 mm, which we couldn't confirm with the maker. For a fountain pen, smoothness and sizing matter more than weight. Yoseka Stationery says LIFE developed its own paper formula and that it works with fountain pen ink; The Pen Addict's 2016 review called the cards smooth and sturdy. LIFE's notebooks on the same paper are in our [LIFE Noble Note](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/life-noble-note-a5/) guide. ## What do you file index cards in? **A card box, a ring or a rubber band.** LIFE punches its cards for a book ring, and Yoseka sells a leather ring holder for them. Exacompta's perforated cards are made for a two-ring card binder. For a card you stick rather than file, the Post-it 655 is the same 3 × 5 in footprint; see our [sticky notes roundup](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-sticky-notes/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What size is a standard index card? 3 × 5 in (76 × 127 mm) in the US, with 4 × 6 in and 5 × 8 in as the larger sizes. France's classic fiche bristol is 125 × 200 mm; Exacompta also cuts A7 (74 × 105 mm), A6 and A5 cards. ### Which index cards are best for flashcards? Oxford's 3 × 5 in ruled cards: 100 to a pack at about five cents each, ruled on one side so the answer side stays blank. For cards that get handled daily, Exacompta's 205 g/m² bristol is stiffer. ### Which index cards work with fountain pens? LIFE's 5 × 3 in cards, which Yoseka Stationery says use LIFE's own fountain-pen-friendly paper, and Exacompta's bristol, a smooth coated board. Oxford doesn't publish a paper weight for the 31EE. ### What is bristol board? A smooth, stiff uncoated board made by pasting or pressing sheets together, named after Bristol in England. Exacompta's record cards are 205 g/m² bristol, about twice the weight of copy paper. ### What are index cards called in the UK and France? Record cards in the UK, fiches bristol in France. Exacompta's English site uses record cards; the French packs say fiches bristol. ### How thick is an index card? Exacompta publishes 205 g/m² for its bristol cards. Oxford doesn't publish a weight for the 31EE on the pages we read; one retailer gives 8 point thickness and an 85 lb basis weight, which we couldn't confirm with the maker. ### Are index cards made in the USA? Oxford's 31EE is, per WebstaurantStore, with 10% post-consumer recycled content. Exacompta's cards are made in France, and LIFE's retailer page doesn't state a country. ## Sources - [WebstaurantStore: Oxford OXF 31EE 3 × 5 in White Ruled Index Card, 100/Pack (ruled, made in the United States, 10% post-consumer recycled content; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/oxford-oxf-31ee-3-x-5-white-ruled-index-card-pack/55931.html) - [CompSource: Oxford 31EE ruled index cards (8 point, 85 lb basis weight, ruled one side, rotary cut)](https://www.compsource.com/pn/31EE/Oxford-4748/Top-Quality-Ruled-Index-Cards/) - [Exacompta: Étui de 100 fiches bristol ligné non perforé 125 × 200 mm, bleu ciel (13813X; 205 g/m², PEFC 100%, Made in France; sizes 74 × 105 to 297 × 420 mm; lined, squared, plain, perforated)](https://www.exacompta.com/en/product/13813X/a6-record-cards-blue-blank) - [Bruneau Luxembourg: Exacompta pack 100 record cards 12.5 × 20 cm lined white (13803X; 205 g/m²; Made in France)](https://www.bruneau.lu/en/product/pk100-exa-rec-card-12-5x20cm-lined-white-white/445407) - [Bruneau Belgium: Exacompta bristol 125 × 200 mm white lined, box of 100 (13803X, 205 g/m², €5.20 ex VAT per pack of 12 units)](https://www.bruneau.be/en/product/8067268) - [Yoseka Stationery: LIFE Index Cards (100 blank 5 × 3 in cards, punched hole, LIFE paper formula, US$6.00; read October 23, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/life-index-cards) - [The Pen Addict: Life Index Cards on a Ring with Leather Cover, a review (2016)](https://www.penaddict.com/blog/2016/2/26/life-index-cards-on-a-ring-with-leather-cover-a-review) - [3M US: Post-it Notes 655, 3 × 5 in (76 × 127 mm)](https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/?Ntt=post-it%20notes%20655)