The Best Paper Planners for Organizing Your Life in 2024
Buying a new planner is a powerful experience. Whether it’s for a new school semester, a fresh start, or just to reign in your chaotic schedule, choosing the right planner can bring a sense of calm and control. While the digital world offers a plethora of options, many find the tangible act of writing things down to be more engaging and effective for memory retention.
This guide features some of the best paper planners available, carefully curated by the WIRED team, based on extensive testing and reviewer experience. We’ve categorized them by their primary purpose, from weekly planning to daily organization and even notebooks for those who prefer a more open-ended approach.
Ready to declutter your life and embrace the satisfying ritual of putting pen to paper? Let’s dive in!
Weekly Planners: Conquer the Chaos of Every Day
Weekly planners offer the perfect balance – daily structure within a weekly overview – making them ideal for students, professionals, and parents who juggle a multitude of tasks.
1. The Happy Planner: The Customizable King (and Queen)
Since 2017, reviewers keep returning to the Happy Planner. The endless customization options are the biggest draw. Choose from a variety of layouts: vertical, horizontal, or dashboard and sizes including Classic, Skinny Classic, Mini, and Big. You can even opt for dated or undated sections for ultimate flexibility.
Happy Planners aren’t just about practicality, they come with adorable dividers featuring quotes, phrases, and themes – never too cheesy! The extensive collection of extension packs lets you track budgets, fitness goals, and practically anything else you can dream up. If you need it, the Happy Planner likely has it.
2. Erin Condren LifePlanner: The Rolex of Paper Planners
The Erin Condren LifePlanner (ECLP) is a weekly-spread enthusiast’s dream – described as the "Rolex of paper planners". Its gorgeous layouts boast ample space for notes, doodles, and even sticker-mania. The customizability is phenomenal, with options like hourly, horizontal, or vertical layouts, coil color selection, and the ability to add your name or quote to the cover.
While the ECLP is more on the expensive side, it’s a durable and beloved system that many find worth the investment. A great gift idea for the organized individual in your life!
3. Class Tracker: Designed for Students, But Useful for Everyone
School is a constant whirlwind of deadlines, projects, and assignments. If you’re a student, the Class Tracker will be your best friend. Its dedicated pages for your class schedule help you stay on top of every lecture, meeting, and lab.
The weekly pages are particularly helpful, breaking down each day into sections for reminders, deadlines, and even a "Self-Care Corner". The countdown box for exciting milestones (think upcoming holidays or trips) adds a welcome touch of optimism.
4. The Personal Assistant (PA) Planner: For Those Running a Business
The PA planner is a heavyweight contender – and no wonder! This comprehensive system is designed specifically for business owners who need to manage their goals, finances, marketing, and daily tasks all in one place.
From outlining your business mission to creating marketing plans and tracking social media content, this planner is your ultimate business-building companion. Weekly layouts offer hourly breakdowns for each day, with dedicated sections for goals, notes, and expenses.
5. Ban.do: The Cool Aunt of the Planner World
This vibrant and quirky planner is an absolute joy to use. Its whimsical art and stickers are guaranteed to cheer you up. Each week features important dates: not just holidays, but also birthdays of pop culture icons – because Dolly Parton’s birthday should be celebrated!
Ban.do offers dated and undated versions, plus fun extras like note pages and a paper fortune teller template.
6. Moleskine Pro Weekly Vertical: The Notebook-Planner Hybrid
This unique planner offers the best of both worlds. Blank lined pages on the left provide space for brainstorming and free-flowing thoughts, while the right page is divided into sections for projects, tasks, and a classic to-do list.
With hourly breakdowns for each day, blank check box pages for elaborate to-do lists, and extensive note-taking space, the Moleskine Pro Weekly Vertical is a powerful tool for those seeking both structure and flexibility.
7. Blue Sky: Affordable and Uncluttered
Blue Sky offers a wide range of affordable and practical planners that are easy to tote around. You can choose from different sizes, layouts, and formats to find the perfect fit for your needs.
The minimalistic style allows you to focus on the task at hand without feeling overwhelmed by clutter. The collaboration with Day Designer offers an even more refined, organized, and visually appealing planner experience.
8. Brass Monkey: Quirky and Fun (With a Touch of Snark)
Brass Monkey is known for its witty and unique products, and its planners are no exception. Each week includes dates, requiring you to fill in the year and day of the week, which some find more appealing than pre-filled calendars.
The planner’s fun facts (like pop culture birthdays and national days) add a lighthearted touch. Although the page layout is compact and text could be darker, the quirky extras make up for it.
Daily Planners: Taming the Chaos of Each Day
If your schedule is particularly busy and requires you to plan every day in detail, a daily planner is the way to go.
1. Day Designer: The Ultimate Checklist for Daily Organization
Day Designer is perfect for those seeking extensive to-do lists and detailed hour-by-hour schedules. Each page is dedicated to a single day, with a schedule from 5 am to 9 pm and a dedicated to-do list area.
The planner also includes space to plan meals and track bills due, along with a section for your top three tasks of the day. You’ll also find a generous notes area at the bottom of each page.
2. Hot Minute Planner: Cheeky and Pink, for Those Who Need a Moment
The Hot Minute Planner is a cheery daily planner perfect for those who need a little visual reminder to take things one step at a time. Cheeky quotes and heart-shaped to-do list dots offer a playful touch.
3. Daily Checklist: For Kids Who Need a Routine (or Just Love Checklists)
Even young kids benefit from visual reminders and structured routines. The Daily Checklist is sturdy, affordable, and perfect for kids, with included activities like brushing teeth and making the bed. The extra lines allow kids to write in their own specific tasks and add a personal touch.
4. Plum Paper’s Customizable Planners: For Parents With Multiple Schedules
Plum Paper stands out with its highly customizable planners. The Vertical Priorities layout is especially great for parents, allowing you to create two priority sections at the top of each day. Use one for your own to-dos and the other for your child’s school activities, playdates, or even daycare pick-up schedules.
Plum Paper also offers parenting-themed add-ons like baby tracking pages and sticker sets, adding a touch of personalization to this already versatile planner.
5. Hobonichi Techo: The Compact and Thought-Provoking Daily Companion
The Hobonichi Techo is a favorite among many WIRED staffers, thanks to its perfect size and distinctive design. Small enough to fit comfortably in a bag, but large enough to comfortably lay flat on a desk, it offers a daily page with a monthly overview.
The inclusion of a thought-provoking daily quote adds a touch of inspiration to your day. The black cover with gold foil stamping adds to the planner’s unique aesthetic.
6. Papier Daily Productivity Planner: Undated and Abundant
Papier offers a vast selection of beautiful and custom cover designs. The undated Daily Productivity planner is particularly well-designed, offering a box for each day with space for notes, three top priorities, a lengthy to-do list, and even a habit tracker.
Notebooks: For Those Who Embrace Open-Ended Organization
Not everyone thrives on structured layouts and pre-determined sections. Some prefer the freedom of a blank page to create their own organizational systems.
1. Dotted Notebook: The Versatile Choice for Every Need
"Planners should transform according to the shape of your life," says former WIRED reviewer Pia Ceres. For her, a dotted notebook is the perfect solution – a single notebook that can be used for schedules, daily plans, to-do lists, and even journaling.
Dots provide just enough structure to draw your own calendars and lists without feeling restricted. Muji’s durable dotted notebooks are a popular choice due to their affordable price and sturdy covers.
2. Midori MD Notebook: For Writing, Drawing, and Meditative Moments
For many, there’s a certain satisfaction in choosing a blank page at the beginning of the week and writing down your plans with care and intention. The Midori MD Notebook, made with cotton pulp paper (similar to banknotes!), provides just that experience.
The subtle off-white pages, smooth texture, and soft cotton paper make this notebook a pleasure to write on, draw in, and simply gaze upon.
3. Miquelrius: The Velvet-Smooth Paper Winner
Miquelrius notebooks are renowned for their luxurious and incredibly smooth paper. It feels like velvet! The seamless writing experience and division of pages with different colored strips make this notebook a delight for any organizer.
Honorable Mentions: Alternative Options for a Diverse Range of Needs
Here are a few additional planners that haven’t made the main list but deserve recognition for their unique features and appeal:
- Laurel Denise Horizontal Weekly Edition: A unique and wider-than-usual planner where the left side outlines the month and the right has space for to-dos and open notes, while the middle features five half-pages for week-specific planning.
- Levenger Circa SmartPlanner Weekly Agenda: For those who love simplicity, the Levenger Circa SmartPlanner offers clean lines, days dedicated to weekly planning, and a professional leather folio option for an added touch of sophistication.
- Artful Agenda: Not a paper planner, but a fantastic digital tool that transforms your Google Calendar into a visually appealing paper planner experience. Offers both monthly, weekly views, tons of stickers, and the option to buy additional sticker packs.
- Happy Planner Undated Wedding Planner: A dedicated wedding planner with the beloved Happy Planner style rings and a combination of planning space, checklists, and guidance.
- Blue Sky Monthly Planner: For those who prefer monthly overviews, Blue Sky offers an affordable monthly planner with minimalistic design, allowing you to track tasks and appointments in a broad, accessible format.
As you can see, the perfect planner is often a matter of personal preference and lifestyle. Consider what features are most important to you: weekly or daily planning, customization, aesthetic appeal, price point, and paper quality.
No matter which planner you choose, remember the ultimate goal: to create a sense of calm and control in your life – and perhaps even enjoy the simple pleasure of putting pen to paper and bringing your ideas to life.
