Tech News
← Back to articles

The Best Paper Notebooks and Journals, Tested and Reviewed (2026): Leuchttherm, Midori, Field Notes

read original related products more articles

The Traveler's Notebook has been my primary notebook for over five years now. Aside from testing things for this guide, it is the only notebook I carry. It was originally released by the Japanese stationary company Midori but proved so popular it has become a separate company. This leather-bound Traveller's Notebook is really just that—a leather binding which you can fill with whatever notebook (or notebooks) you want. For example I use the process described here to keep three notebooks within the covers on my traveler's notebook. I have one dot-grid notebook for planning, one plain notebook as my journal, and one heavier paper notebook for sketching and Copic markers. There are other specialized notebooks available (here's a monthly diary and daily planner), as well as inserts to hold business cards and more. Plenty of third-party sellers on Amazon and Etsy offer all sorts of inserts, which may or may not fit.

As you would expect from a company spun out of Midori, all the paper is fantastic, though not great for fountain pens. I also like that there are replacement bands and closure loops, since closure loops always stretch out. At least with the Traveler's Notebook, you can replace the worn-out loops.

If there's a drawback here, it's the slightly odd size. The full-size Traveler's Notebook is 8.7 by 4.9 inches, which is slightly narrower than A5. It's a little different, but I've grown to love it. There's also a “passport” size at 5.3 by 3.9 inches. Note that there are many imitators. I would avoid the cheap Amazon knockoffs, but there are plenty of people on Etsy and elsewhere making very nice notebooks, often in different sizes. I love my A5 Falcon Traveler's Notebook (€64), which wasn't cheap, took ages to ship (it's handmade), but is a work of art.