If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, we may receive an affiliate commission. Learn more about our policies and reviews.
With smartphones and tablets digitizing everything from calculators to calendars and alarms to sticky notes, many use a planner app to help organize weekly and monthly events. While that may sound convenient to some, one of the best ways to jump-start your productivity and organize your lifestyle more efficiently is to get a paper planner to do the job.
The key to sticking to writing down and scheduling your days, weeks, and months ahead is to explore our list of the most attractive and useful planners of 2024 to keep you engaged. But with so many options available on the market, finding the right planner can be tricky. That’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ll share our top favorite planners and review them in detail to help you compare your options better. We’ve also included a detailed buying section to help you make an informed decision. Let’s dive right in!
Comparing the Top Planners of 2024
Anecdote Daily Planner — Best Overall
Having a daily planner can help you organize your daily tasks, making them easier to deal with. The Anecdote Daily Planner has a sleek hardcover exterior with an elastic band to keep your journal closed when not in use. You can find this planner in many colors, including pink and blue. This handy planner has a blank calendar for each month of the year so that you can list important dates as needed. There are also blank spaces included for you to make notes.
This planner is a great way to practice mindfulness, allowing you to write down your yearly goals. Whether you want to go further in your career or you want to grow as a person, this planner can help you track your progress. It also includes an additional pocket for you to store important notes. We chose this planner as our best overall pick because of its simple design and practical layout.
Pros
- Includes 250 A5 size pages
- Great for increasing productivity
- Keeps your schedule sorted
- Portable and lightweight
Cons
- Days on the calendar aren't numbered
Blue Sky Planner — Best Quality
The Blue Sky Planner is a great way to help you prepare for your exams and track your learning progress. This simple planner is perfect for students and has a minimalistic design on the front. Featuring a wire-bound structure, the front cover of this planner is a sleek black with the academic year written on it. Since the front cover is blank, you can easily customize it any way you want. Not only does this planner have monthly calendars, but it has weekly ones as well to help you stick to your schedule.
There are also blank pages for extra notes, or you can use them for journaling. In this planner, you’ll also find a list of the major holidays to remind you to celebrate precious moments and make memories.
Pros
- Available in different sizes
- Includes a contact page
- Suitable for different needs
- Lightweight and portable
Cons
- The paper is on the thinner side
Freedom Mastery Planner — Most Versatile
The Freedom Mastery Planner can help bring your goals and manifestations to life. This gorgeous planner is just what you need to write down your goals and schedule all your important life events. This planner is available in a variety of gorgeous colors, so you can easily pick your favorite one. The front of this planner features an aesthetically pleasing design. Unlike regular planners that have space to write to-do lists, this planner has so much more to offer.
You can write down your small victories and practice gratitude by jotting them down in this planner. It will also help you feel proud of the small things you accomplish and the lessons you learn. The front cover of this planner is made with faux leather, so it is not only vegan but also eco-friendly.
Pros
- Folds out into a vision board
- Lets you set weekly goals
- A great way to practice mindfulness
- Comes with stickers for customization
Cons
- The planner is on the smaller side
BK Planner — Most Classic Design
If you’re someone who prefers a simple planner, the BK Planner is a great pick for you. Despite its classic design, you can find this monthly planner in many vibrant colors, including blue and yellow. The calendars in this planner are undated so you can fill them in on your own, putting down important dates as you like. This planner also includes 68 blank pages that can be used for journaling or writing down important notes. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this planner!
This planner has two bookmarks so you can mark important pages, making it easy to return to where you left off. It also has a back pocket for placing important notes. As an added bonus, this planner comes with monthly stickers.
Pros
- Has a durable elastic band closure
- Cover is made of vegan leather
- Includes a loop holder for your pen
Cons
- Might be too basic for some
Lemome Planner — Best Value
A simple planner for those who like to stay organized, the Lemome Planner features a classic design in a variety of colors, including brown and rose gold. This planner is a great choice if you like using cruelty-free products. Featuring a faux leather cover and a textured design, with this planner you’ll get a 12-month marked calendar to remember all the important dates in your life. There are also weekly pages to help you remember tasks and track your academic or personal progress.
This handy planner also includes stickers for the monthly pages. The last pages of this planner have awesome features like a yearly overview and a list of holidays.
Pros
- Includes a pen holder
- Has 244 off-white pages
- Ideal planner for increasing productivity
- Inner pocket for notes and stickers
Cons
- Elastic band could be more durable
Buying Guide: Planner
There’s lots of research on the benefits of writing things down, especially when you’re establishing a new routine or incorporating significant changes into your lifestyle. Instead of typing it out on a smart gadget, when you have things written down you feel more engaged and accountable. And unlike an app, you can keep your paper planner as a memory of your entire year. In the future, you’ll be able to revisit everything you accomplished, including your successes, failures, and tons of amazing experiences. Your planner becomes a time capsule that you can hold on to for years to come.
This section of our guide will help you pick the right planner according to your needs. Below, we’ll cover the most important factors you should consider before buying a planner. Read on to learn more!
What Are the Types of Planners?
Here are the different types of planners to help you choose the right one:
General scheduling
If you need a basic planner to help you keep track of your deadlines and appointments, choose a planner that allows for general scheduling instead of one that helps you write down detailed goals and thoughts. Planners with this minimalistic design often come in daily, weekly, monthly, and hourly formats to make things easier.
Goal planning
Goal planning planners are more detailed, allowing you to write down your goals and the steps required for accomplishing them. This planner will have everything, including a basic to-do list to map out your detailed yearly goals and plans.
Creative planning
If you’re more on the creative side, a regular planner may not be enough for you. Look for an option that has a planner, a journal, and a sketchbook all in one. This creative artistic planner will help you express yourself more liberally as you put down your thoughts or write down your goals. Don’t let your creative self suffer — get a planner that helps you achieve your creative goals!
Bullet journaling
Another interesting way of using a planner is to use it as a bullet journal. This style works for both creative planning and goal planning. The technique calls for utilizing the shorthand logging method to track your tasks and schedule. With bullet journaling, you can employ short bulleted lists, put them in a grid or daily format, and take notes as you go. You can also use it to write down to-do lists and track appointments. If that sounds like your style, make sure you invest in a planner that allows you to express yourself accordingly.
What Factors Should You Consider?
Before you’re ready to buy one of the top planners we’ve reviewed in our list above, read through the following factors to pick the right one for your needs.
Layout
First, you should choose a planner based on its format. See if it is broken down daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly. If you have lots of daily tasks to jot down, look for a planner with one page devoted to each day to help you with your day-to-day organization. A weekly planner is best suited for those who are trying to organize a weekly schedule, meetings, deadlines, and events. As far as monthly or quarterly planners are concerned, these are better for people who focus on the big picture and set long term goals. If you have large projects to deal with, these planners will suit you best.
Size
Planners are available in a variety of different sizes. This impacts their convenience of use, portability, and available writing space. You can find pocket-sized planners if you wish to carry your planner with you. A larger planner is best suited if you prefer roomier layouts, allowing you to write everything down without getting short of space. Check out the planner’s dimensions, number of pages, and weight before buying.
Customization
Do you wish to customize your planner? If you’re into creative planning or journaling, you may want a little leeway in how you put things down. A spread out or detailed planner may restrict creativity or force you to stick to the pattern or graph. Look for an option that allows more customization, whether on the cover or on the inside. This will enable you to express yourself better, just the way you like.
