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How to Choose a Planner: Layout, Size and Binding

By · Published · 6 min read

Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research

Quick answer

Choose a planner in this order: layout first (a page a day, a weekly spread or hourly blocks), then size (A6 to carry, A5 or 7 × 9 in for a desk), then binding (sewn, coil or discs), then dated or undated, then paper. Hobonichi, Erin Condren, Happy Planner, Passion Planner and Clever Fox each fit a different answer.

On this page10 sections
Six planners drawn to scale and labeled by planner type: daily, weekly coil, disc-bound, goal-setting, undated and budget
One planner per type, drawn to scale from the sizes in their guides.

Products compared

  1. Hobonichi Techo Original A6, closed and opened flat on two daily pages with a 3.7 mm gridNo. 1Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027$$$Read the guide →
  2. Erin Condren Coiled LifePlanner with a confetti cover, closed and opened on a vertical weekly layoutNo. 2Erin Condren Coiled LifePlanner, 7 × 9 in$$$Read the guide →
  3. Happy Planner Classic in a charcoal cover, closed and opened flat on its discs at a weekly spreadNo. 3The Happy Planner Classic Disc-Bound 12-Month Planner, 2027$$$Read the guide →
  4. Passion Planner in Large and Small sizes, with the Small opened on a vertical weekly spreadNo. 4Passion Planner Weekly$$$Read the guide →
  5. Forest Green Clever Fox Planner PRO, closed and opened on a weekly spread, drawn to scaleNo. 5Clever Fox Planner PRO, undated weekly & monthly planner, 8.5 × 11 in$$$Read the guide →
  6. Blue Sky 2027 Weekly & Monthly Planner, closed and open on a weekly spread, drawn to scaleNo. 6Blue Sky 2027 Weekly & Monthly Planner, 5 × 8 in, Black$$Read the guide →
ProductBrand originMade inPrice range
Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start)HobonichiJapanNot stated*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Erin Condren Coiled LifePlanner, 7 × 9 in (vertical, horizontal or hourly)Erin CondrenUnited StatesUnited States*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
The Happy Planner Classic Disc-Bound 12-Month Planner, 2027 (Dashboard layout)The Happy PlannerUnited StatesNot stated*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Passion Planner Weekly (Small, Medium or Large; dated or undated)Passion PlannerUnited StatesChina*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Clever Fox Planner PRO, undated weekly & monthly planner, 8.5 × 11 inClever FoxLatviaNot stated*Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Blue Sky 2027 Weekly & Monthly Planner, 5 × 8 in, Black (160973)Blue SkyUnited StatesNot stated*Price range: $$$5–20 per notebook
Notes on these facts
  • Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Hobonichi's Japanese store listing for the 2027 English Original gives size, weight, pages and paper but no country of manufacture (it names one only for a free charm, made in China), and we found no retailer spec sheet that states it for the Original Book. Hunter Paper Co. says its Original Avec book is made in Japan by Hobonichi, but that is a different product. Check the back of the book. Released: Hobonichi's history page gives October 5, 2001 as the release date of the first edition, the 2002 Techo.
  • Erin Condren Coiled LifePlanner, 7 × 9 in (vertical, horizontal or hourly): Made by Erin Condren Design. Made in United States: Erin Condren's Collage LifePlanner product page says "Made in The USA: our planners are made right here at home". Its LifePlanner landing page says "Designed in the USA" instead, and some Amazon and retailer listings don't state an origin; note that Erin Condren's sticker books are labelled "Imported". Source. Released: Northern Virginia Magazine (June 12, 2019) says Erin Condren launched the first LifePlanner in 2007. Erin Condren's own story page dates the company to 2005 and doesn't give the LifePlanner's year.
  • The Happy Planner Classic Disc-Bound 12-Month Planner, 2027 (Dashboard layout): Made by me & my BIG ideas (Fountain Valley, California). Country of manufacture not stated: Neither The Happy Planner's product pages nor the Amazon US listings we read for 2027 Classic planners state a country of origin. Retailers list China for Happy Planner sticker books (see our Value Pack guide), but we found no statement for the planners themselves.
  • Passion Planner Weekly (Small, Medium or Large; dated or undated): Made in China: Passion Planner's own store data tags every weekly and daily planner it sells (2026, 2027, mid-year and undated) with the country-of-origin code coo_china. The product pages don't print a 'made in' line, so check the label on the planner. Brand origin: founder Angelia Trinidad started the company in California. Source. Released: Passion Planner's own story page says the first Passion Planner launched on Kickstarter in October 2013. The current undated weekly design is listed as released in 2025.
  • Clever Fox Planner PRO, undated weekly & monthly planner, 8.5 × 11 in: Made by SV Digital, LLC (Clever Fox), Riga, Latvia. Country of manufacture not stated: Clever Fox's own store and the Amazon, Walmart and eBay listings we found give no country of manufacture; Clever Fox says only that every print run is checked. Check the label on the back of the planner. Brand origin: Clever Fox's store terms name SV Digital, LLC, registered at Gustava Zemgala gatve 74, Riga, Latvia, under Latvian law and with a Latvian VAT number; its Faire wholesale profile lists Stockton, California, and its US orders ship from Amazon fulfillment centers. Source.
  • Blue Sky 2027 Weekly & Monthly Planner, 5 × 8 in, Black (160973): Made by Blue Sky The Color of Imagination, LLC. Country of manufacture not stated: Staples' listing for item 160973 doesn't state a country of manufacture, and Blue Sky's own store page for the matching Enterprise 5 × 8 weekly doesn't either. Reseller listings for older Blue Sky planners give China, but that doesn't confirm this 2027 model, so check the label.
  • Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.

Key takeaways

  • Daily planners give each day a page: the Hobonichi Techo Original has 377 daily pages in an A6 book of 148 × 105 mm.
  • Weekly planners come in vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts; Erin Condren sells its 7 × 9 in LifePlanner in all three, plus a dashboard layout.
  • Disc-bound planners such as the Happy Planner Classic (7 × 9.25 in, 9 discs) let you add, remove and move pages.
  • Undated planners such as the Clever Fox Planner PRO (8.5 × 11 in, 52 weeks) can start any week of the year.
  • Prices span our bands: the Blue Sky 160973 is in $$ ($5–20); the Hobonichi, Erin Condren, Happy Planner, Passion Planner and Clever Fox are in $$$ ($20–75).

How do you choose a planner?

Decide five things in order: layout, size, binding, dated or undated, and paper. Layout matters most, because it decides how you plan; the rest decides whether you’ll keep carrying it. We name one example of each type from our planner guides; we haven’t used all six through a year.

  1. Layout: a page a day, a weekly spread (vertical, horizontal or hourly) or a monthly view.
  2. Size: A6 to carry, A5 or 7 × 9 in for most desks, letter size for a home office.
  3. Binding: sewn to lie flat, coil to fold back, or discs to rearrange pages.
  4. Dated or undated: dated saves time; undated forgives skipped weeks.
  5. Paper: heavier paper for markers, thin paper for a light page-a-day book.

Which planner layout should you choose?

Pick a daily page if you write a lot each day, a vertical week for appointments, and a horizontal week for to-do lists. Hourly layouts suit people whose days are mostly meetings.

Five planner layouts as simple spreads: one page a day, vertical week with seven columns, horizontal week with seven rows, hourly week with time lines, and a monthly grid
The five common planner layouts, drawn as two-page spreads.
Layout Best for Example Size Band
One page a day Journaling, detailed days Hobonichi Techo Original A6, 148 × 105 mm $$$
Weekly, vertical or hourly Appointments, shifts Erin Condren LifePlanner 7 × 9 in (178 × 229 mm) $$$
Weekly, half-hour blocks + goals Goal-setting Passion Planner Small A5 to Large 7.8 × 11 in $$$
Weekly, disc-bound Rearranging, inserts Happy Planner Classic 7 × 9.25 in (178 × 235 mm) $$$
Weekly, undated Starting any time Clever Fox Planner PRO 8.5 × 11 in (216 × 279 mm) $$$
Weekly, horizontal A simple budget planner Blue Sky 160973 5 × 8 in (127 × 203 mm) $$

What size planner should you get?

The largest size you will actually carry. An A6 Hobonichi weighs about 195 g; a letter-size Clever Fox gives a full page per week of writing room but stays on a desk.

A5 and 7 × 9 in are the middle ground most people settle on. For Japanese planners, our Hobonichi vs Jibun Techo comparison shows A6, A5 and A5 Slim side by side.

Coil, disc or sewn binding?

Coil folds back on itself, discs let you move pages, and a sewn book lies flat and stays slim. Erin Condren uses a plated aluminum coil; the Happy Planner Classic sits on 9 plastic discs; the Hobonichi Techo is thread-sewn.

Coils and discs add width at the spine, so a coiled 7 × 9 in planner takes more bag space than a sewn A5 book. A sewn book can’t take extra pages, though: when a Hobonichi fills up, you add a separate notebook.

Disc-bound pages need the right punch to add your own sheets, while The Happy Planner sells filler paper in 40-sheet packs. If you like printables, discs or a ring binder are the flexible choice.

Dated or undated?

Dated if you plan every week, undated if you don’t. The Clever Fox PRO has 12 months up front and 52 separate weeks you date yourself, per Walmart’s listing, and Passion Planner sells both dated and undated versions.

Dated planners also set the start month. Erin Condren sells 12- and 18-month LifePlanners, and the 2027 Blue Sky adds three bonus months from October 2026.

Does planner paper matter?

Yes, if you use markers or fountain pens. Passion Planner lists 120 gsm paper and Erin Condren 80 lb paper; Hobonichi instead uses very thin Tomoe River S so a year of daily pages stays light.

Thin paper isn’t worse; it just favors fine gel pens and pencils over wet markers. Test your usual pen on the back pages first.

Which planner should you start with?

If you’ve never kept one, start with a cheap dated weekly planner and see which boxes you actually fill. The Blue Sky 160973 is in our $$ band and has both weekly and monthly spreads.

After a month, you’ll know whether you need more room per day (a daily or hourly layout) or less (a monthly view and a notebook). Our best planners for 2027 roundup picks a winner in each type.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a vertical and a horizontal weekly planner?

A vertical layout gives each day a column, which suits appointments by time. A horizontal layout gives each day a row of lines, which suits to-do lists; the Blue Sky 160973 is horizontal, and Erin Condren sells both.

Should I get a dated or undated planner?

Dated if you'll use it every week, because the dates are done for you. Undated if you might skip weeks or start mid-year: the Clever Fox PRO's 52 weeks start whenever you do.

What size planner is best?

The one you'll carry. A6 (105 × 148 mm) fits a bag, A5 (148 × 210 mm) is the common desk size, and 8.5 × 11 in suits a home office. Our A5 vs B5 comparison shows the in-between sizes.

When should I start a planner?

January for most dated planners; 18-month editions often start the July before. Erin Condren sells 12- and 18-month LifePlanners, and the 2027 Blue Sky 160973 adds October to December 2026.

Is a disc-bound planner worth it?

If you like to rearrange pages or add inserts, yes. Pages on the Happy Planner's 9 discs can be removed and moved, and filler paper comes in packs of 40 sheets.

What paper weight is best for a planner?

Heavier paper shows less through. Passion Planner lists 120 gsm, Day Designer 100 gsm and Erin Condren 80 lb; Hobonichi uses thin Tomoe River S to keep a page-a-day book light.

Is a planner the same as a journal?

Not quite. A planner is organized by dates for plans ahead; a journal records what happened. A page-a-day planner such as the Hobonichi Techo can do both.

Sources (6)

  1. Hobonichi Japanese store: 2027 English Original (148 × 105 × 15 mm, 464 pages, 377 daily pages)
  2. Erin Condren: Collage LifePlanner (7 × 9 in, 12–18 months dated, 80 lb paper, coil, made in the USA)
  3. The Happy Planner: Happy Planning 101, Pick Your Planner Size (Classic 7 × 9.25 in, 9 discs)
  4. Passion Planner: Specs (sizes, 221 pages, 120 gsm, contents)
  5. Clever Fox: PRO Weekly (8.5 × 11 in, faux leather soft cover, ribbons, stickers)
  6. Staples: 2027 Blue Sky 5 × 8 in Weekly & Monthly Planner, Black (160973)

Plain-text version for AI agents: how-to-choose-a-planner.md · Spotted an error? See how we check facts.