2024-01-23
(For When You’re Sick of Apps and Just Want to Feel Human Again)
There’s a specific kind of calm that comes from writing things down by hand. The scratch of the pen. The slight resistance of the paper. The feeling of a page filling up—not because you're tracking productivity or checking boxes, but because your thoughts needed somewhere to land.
Analog notebooks don’t crash. They don’t ping. They don’t log your data or remind you to upgrade to Pro. They’re just there—quiet, ready, yours.
And in a world of cloud-based second brains, sometimes all you need is a first brain on paper.
This is a guide to the best analog notebooks out there right now. Notebooks that make you want to write. Notebooks that make space for real thinking—not just list-making or hustle-planning. Notebooks that feel like they were designed by people who care about texture, tools, and the strange and beautiful act of putting pen to page.
Whether you're journaling, sketching, planning your week, or dumping your brain into a grid, there's a notebook here for you.
There’s no single best notebook. It’s about finding the one that fits how you think, how you write, and how you live.
That said, great notebooks tend to share a few key traits:
What matters most is that it feels good in your hands and makes you want to use it.
Leuchtturm is the closest thing to a “default” premium notebook for a reason. It’s durable, well-designed, and packed with thoughtful features that don’t get in your way.
It strikes a perfect balance between functional and beautiful. It’s just as at home as a daily journal as it is as a project notebook or bullet journal base.
Best for: People who want a versatile, durable, well-structured notebook that won’t flinch at heavy use.
Muji’s notebooks are radically simple, incredibly affordable, and way better than they have any right to be at this price.
They’re not fancy. But they’re honest. And they work. You can stockpile them without guilt, use them for one topic or ten, and they’ll never feel too precious to write in.
Best for: People who write constantly and want a frictionless, disposable-feeling (in a good way) notebook.
https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/md/en/
This is where things get soft around the edges—in the best possible way. The Midori MD notebook is warm, tactile, and minimalist in a way that feels deeply intentional.
Writing in a Midori MD feels like putting on a record player. You slow down. You enjoy the act itself.
Best for: Journalers, letter writers, and anyone who wants a notebook that feels like a meditation object.
Rhodia is the paper nerd’s favorite, and for good reason. The Webnotebook’s paper is almost offensively smooth.
The only downside? The super-smooth paper can be a little too slippery for some pens. But if you love a smooth-writing fountain pen, this thing is your soulmate.
Best for: People who care deeply about paper feel and want their writing to glide.
Field Notes are small, rugged, and designed to be used. They’re not for long-form writing or beautiful spreads—they’re for ideas caught in motion.
They’re the kind of notebooks you keep in your jacket pocket, fill up without ceremony, and flip through later with a grin.
Best for: Writers on the move, sketchers, and people who think best while walking or working with their hands.
If Leuchtturm is German precision and Midori is Japanese Zen, Apica is somewhere between elegant and slightly nostalgic. These notebooks feel like what your favorite professor might carry.
They’re affordable, stylish, and satisfying in the hand. Kind of like writing in a well-worn hardcover novel.
Best for: People who want their notebook to feel like an object with some literary weight.
This one straddles the line between notebook and planner. With light datelines on every page and a whopping 368 pages, it’s perfect for journaling, daily planning, or long-haul idea capture.
You can write a lot in one of these, which makes it ideal for daily writers who don’t want to switch notebooks every month.
Best for: Daily journaling, life tracking, or building a paper-based second brain.
| Purpose | Notebook | Why It’s Great |
|---|---|---|
| Best all-purpose daily notebook | Leuchtturm1917 | Great features, quality paper, durable as hell |
| Best cheap + honest workhorse | Muji | Minimal, functional, affordable |
| Most meditative writing experience | Midori MD | Gorgeous paper and sensory joy |
| Best for fountain pens | Rhodia Webnotebook | Super smooth paper, built for ink lovers |
| Best pocket companion | Field Notes | Rugged, compact, charmingly analog |
| Best elegant vintage style | Apica | Classic design, academic vibe |
| Best for daily journaling/planning | Stalogy 365 | Massive page count, perfect for life tracking |
There’s something radical about writing things down by hand in 2024. No sync. No updates. No analytics. Just a pen, a page, and you.
Analog notebooks don’t scale. That’s the point. They slow you down. Force you to choose your words. Let your thoughts breathe. And when you come back to them later—days or years down the line—they hold something no app ever will: presence.
Pick the one that makes you want to write. Don’t overthink it.
Start with the first sentence, and let the rest follow.