Best Bullet Journal Notebooks: 7 Dot Grids

Seven closed dot grid journals in a to-scale lineup with their sizes — The seven picks side by side at 1 mm = 0.75 px, each labelled with the use it is picked for.

Products compared

No. 1Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2, Medium (A5), hard cover, 206 numbered pages, dotted$$$Read the guide →
No. 2Archer & Olive A5 Dot Grid Notebook$$$Read the guide →
No. 3Scribbles That Matter Pro A5 Dotted Journal, 160 gsm$$$Read the guide →
No. 4PAPERAGE Dotted Journal Notebook, Hardcover, Medium 5.6 × 8 in, 160 pages$$Read the guide →
No. 5Rhodia Goalbook, A5 hardcover, dot grid, 240 pages$$$Read the guide →
No. 6Nanami Paper Seven Seas Crossfield A5 Journal, 8th edition$$$Read the guide →
No. 7Moleskine Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Large$$$Read the guide →

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2, Medium (A5), hard cover, 206 numbered pages, dottedLeuchtturm1917	Germany	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Archer & Olive A5 Dot Grid Notebook (192 pages, 160 gsm)Archer & Olive	United States	China^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Scribbles That Matter Pro A5 Dotted Journal, 160 gsmScribbles That Matter	United Kingdom	China^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
PAPERAGE Dotted Journal Notebook, Hardcover, Medium 5.6 × 8 in, 160 pagesPAPERAGE	United States	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Rhodia Goalbook, A5 hardcover, dot grid, 240 pages (ivory or white paper)Rhodia	France	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Nanami Paper Seven Seas Crossfield A5 Journal, 8th edition (Sanzen Tomoe River paper)Nanami Paper	United States	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Large (guide covers ruled QP060; also sold dotted)Moleskine	Italy	China^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook

Notes on these facts

Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2, Medium (A5), hard cover, 206 numbered pages, dotted: Made by Leuchtturm Gruppe (Geesthacht, Germany). Country of manufacture not stated: Retailer listings have conflicted: one gave Taiwan as the country of origin and another the United Kingdom (Digitec, which now blocks automated reading). Leuchtturm1917's German product page names only the maker, LEUCHTTURM1917 GmbH in Geesthacht, not a country of manufacture. Check the label on your copy. Price: example listing.
Archer & Olive A5 Dot Grid Notebook (192 pages, 160 gsm): Made in China: Swedish retailer Tidformera's Swedish listing for the A5 dotted notebook (Apothecary Shelf edition) says "Tillverkad i Kina" (made in China) and notes the books are hand-bound. Archer & Olive's own product and FAQ pages call it a small business in the USA but don't name a country of manufacture. Source. Price: example listing.
Scribbles That Matter Pro A5 Dotted Journal, 160 gsm: Made by Scribbles That Matter Ltd. Made in China: Scribbles That Matter's FAQ says its products are designed and prototyped in the UK and mass-manufactured in China. The company, Scribbles That Matter Ltd, gives an office address on Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London. Source. Price: example listing.
PAPERAGE Dotted Journal Notebook, Hardcover, Medium 5.6 × 8 in, 160 pages: Made by Zeal Concept (Charlotte, North Carolina). Country of manufacture not stated: PAPERAGE's product page and the Amazon listing (ASIN B07L4GSGWD) don't give a country of origin, and Zeal Concept says only that it works with "vendor partners across the globe" to manufacture its products. We didn't find a reliable statement, so we don't guess. Source. Price: example listing.
Rhodia Goalbook, A5 hardcover, dot grid, 240 pages (ivory or white paper): Made by Clairefontaine Rhodia (Exacompta Clairefontaine group); sold in the US by Exaclair. Country of manufacture not stated: Cult Pens says the paper is made in Étival-Clairefontaine, France. Rhodia's 2024 French press kit says the brand has always produced in France, at Illzach near Mulhouse, and that its notebooks are assembled by hand, but neither Rhodia's product page nor any retailer we could read names the Goalbook's country. Galaxus has listed Morocco for a checked A5 Goalbook (117764C), a different ruling; its page now blocks automated reading, so check the label on your copy. Source. Price: example listing.
Nanami Paper Seven Seas Crossfield A5 Journal, 8th edition (Sanzen Tomoe River paper): Made by Nanami Paper (Irvine, California); bound in Tokyo. Made in Japan: Nanami's Crossfield product page lists "Made in Japan", and its Seven Seas fact page says the journals are made in Tokyo by a third-generation binding factory. The kraft slip case in Nanami's photo is also printed "Made in Japan". Source. Price: example listing.
Moleskine Classic Notebook, Hard Cover, Large (guide covers ruled QP060; also sold dotted): Made by Moleskine S.r.l. (D'Ieteren Group). Made in China: per retailer spec sheets: Galaxus/Digitec list China for the Large and Pocket hard covers, and the Australian promotional supplier Good Things lists China for the XL hard cover. Moleskine's Italian product page doesn't state the country, and Galaxus blocked our reader when we rechecked on October 20, 2026. Source. Released: Per Wikipedia, Milan publisher Modo & Modo launched the Moleskine notebook in 1997, reviving a French notebook design.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Paper weight spans 52 gsm Tomoe River in the Nanami Crossfield to 160 gsm in Archer & Olive and Scribbles That Matter; the Leuchtturm1917 Edition 2 uses 120 g/m².
Page counts run from about 150 in the 160 gsm Scribbles That Matter Pro to 240 in the Rhodia Goalbook and Moleskine Large, and 480 in the Nanami Crossfield.
All seven are about A5: the Leuchtturm1917 is 145 × 210 mm (5.75 × 8.25 in) and the PAPERAGE slightly smaller at 142 × 203 mm (5.6 × 8 in).
Every pick uses a 5 mm dot grid except the Nanami, which prints small gray crosses on a 5 mm pitch.
Six are in our $$$ band ($20–75 per notebook); the PAPERAGE is $$ ($5–20).

What is the best notebook for bullet journaling?

The Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2 is the best bullet journal notebook for most people, but the best pick for markers, a ready-made setup, a budget, fountain pens, the most pages or easy availability is a different book. It’s #1 because it pairs numbered pages, an index and a future log with 120 g/m² paper, 50% heavier than a standard Leuchtturm1917 sheet.

Best overall: Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Edition 2. Why it’s here: 206 numbered pages of 120 g/m² dot grid paper, heavier than the standard Leuchtturm1917, with an index, future log, three ribbons and a pocket guide.
Best for markers and paint: Archer & Olive A5. Why it’s here: the heaviest paper here (160 gsm, tied with Scribbles), twice a standard Leuchtturm1917, which Archer & Olive calls no-bleed.
Best ready-made setup: Scribbles That Matter Pro. Why it’s here: the most set up out of the box: 160 gsm pages with a key, index and pen test pages, two ribbons, a pen loop and a 0.7 mm fineliner.
Best budget: PAPERAGE Dotted Journal. Why it’s here: the only pick in our $$ band, with 100 gsm paper heavier than the Moleskine’s 70 g/m² and 20,684 Amazon ratings at 4.7 stars on October 21, 2026.
Best for fountain pens and planning: Rhodia Goalbook. Why it’s here: 224 numbered dot pages of 90 g/m² Clairefontaine paper for fountain pens, plus index pages and two perpetual calendars for planning.
Most pages: Nanami Seven Seas Crossfield. Why it’s here: the most pages here, 480 of 52 gsm Tomoe River paper in a 16 mm book, bound in Tokyo.
Easiest to find: Moleskine Classic Large, dotted. Why it’s here: sold almost everywhere, with 240 pages in a 13 × 21 cm hardcover, though its 70 g/m² paper is lighter than every other pick but the Nanami.

How did we choose these picks?

We compiled these picks from published sources, not hands-on testing: makers’ paper weights and page features, retailer listings and Amazon ratings, US availability and price band. We sorted by paper weight first, because it decides whether markers bleed, then by the Bullet Journal features each book prints.

How do the seven dot grid notebooks compare?

Paper weight is the big difference: from 52 gsm for fountain pens to 160 gsm for markers.

Notebook	Size	Pages	Paper	Numbered	Made in	Band
Leuchtturm1917 Edition 2	145 × 210 mm (5.75 × 8.25 in)	206	120 g/m²	Yes	Not stated	$$$
Archer & Olive A5	146 × 210 mm (5.75 × 8.25 in)	192	160 gsm, white	No	China	$$$
Scribbles That Matter Pro	145 × 210 mm (5.75 × 8.5 in)	About 150	160 gsm, white	Yes	China	$$$
PAPERAGE	142 × 203 mm (5.6 × 8 in)	160	100 gsm, ivory	No	Not stated	$$
Rhodia Goalbook	151 × 218 mm cover (5.9 × 8.6 in)	240	90 g/m², ivory or white	Yes (224)	Not stated	$$$
Nanami Crossfield	148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in)	480	52 gsm Tomoe River	Not listed	Japan	$$$
Moleskine Classic Large	130 × 210 mm (5.1 × 8.25 in)	240	70 g/m², ivory	No	China	$$$

Figures are from each maker; the Goalbook cover size is Goulet Pens’ listing, and the Scribbles page count is from Amazon titles and reviewers. Leuchtturm1917’s German shop lists the Edition 2 at €29.95 (about US$34).

Which bullet journal paper won’t bleed through?

The 160 gsm books, Archer & Olive and Scribbles That Matter, are the safest on paper specs for markers and brush pens. The Leuchtturm1917’s 120 g/m² is 50% heavier than its standard 80 g/m² sheet, so it sits in between.

Thin papers still suit fine pens. The Nanami and Goalbook take fountain pen ink, but writing shows through the 52 gsm Tomoe River pages. For pen picks, see our best pens for journaling.

Do you need page numbers and an index?

For the Bullet Journal method, yes, because the index lists topics by page number. The Leuchtturm1917, Scribbles That Matter and Goalbook come numbered with index pages. The Archer & Olive, PAPERAGE, Moleskine and Notebook Therapy’s Tsuki bullet journal, a 160 gsm alternative, aren’t numbered.

Dot grid, grid or crosses?

All picks use a 5 mm dot grid except the Nanami, which prints tiny gray crosses every 5 mm. Our dot grid vs lined vs grid guide explains why dots fade into the background behind drawings and tables.

Which bullet journal is best on a budget?

The PAPERAGE, which on October 21, 2026 had 20,684 Amazon ratings at 4.7 stars. Its 100 gsm paper is heavier than the 70 g/m² of the Moleskine, the other mass-market pick.

Where are bullet journal notebooks made?

Nanami says Japan for the Crossfield; Scribbles That Matter and a retailer say China for theirs and Archer & Olive’s; retailers say China for Moleskine. Leuchtturm1917, PAPERAGE and Rhodia don’t state where these books are made, so check the label.

Frequently asked questions

What size notebook is best for a bullet journal?

A5, about 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in). Every pick here is A5 or close to it, which gives room for a monthly spread while still fitting in a bag.

What paper weight do you need for a bullet journal?

About 100–120 g/m² for gel pens and highlighters, and 160 g/m² if you use brush pens, markers or watercolor. Lighter 52–90 g/m² papers suit fountain pens if you accept some show-through.

Is Leuchtturm1917 or Archer & Olive better for bullet journaling?

The Leuchtturm1917 Edition 2 has numbered pages, an index and 120 g/m² paper; Archer & Olive has heavier 160 gsm paper for markers but fewer extras. Choose by the pens you use.

What is the official Bullet Journal notebook?

Leuchtturm1917 sells the Bullet Journal Edition 2 as its notebook for the Bullet Journal method. It adds a dot-grid index, a future log, an intentions page, a grid guide and a removable pocket guide.

What is a cheap bullet journal that doesn't bleed?

The PAPERAGE Dotted Journal is the cheapest pick here, in our $$ band, with 160 pages of 100 gsm paper. That is heavier than the 80 g/m² of a standard Leuchtturm1917, though not marker-proof.

Do bullet journal notebooks need page numbers?

They help, because the method's index points to page numbers. The Leuchtturm1917, Scribbles That Matter and Rhodia Goalbook are numbered; the Archer & Olive, PAPERAGE, Moleskine and Notebook Therapy Tsuki aren't numbered, so you number them by hand.

Is dot grid better than lined for bullet journaling?

Usually, because dots guide headings, tables and boxes but fade into the background. Our dot grid vs lined guide compares the spacings.

Sources (9)

Plain-text version for AI agents: best-notebooks-for-bullet-journaling.md · Spotted an error? See how we check facts.