If you haven't heard of bullet journaling yet, you may have been living under a rock. The organisational trend has taken the internet by storm in recent years, with avid bujo-ers snapping their artistic creations and posting online.
But if this is the first you've heard of it, don't stress! We've hand-picked 5 of the best bullet journal brands on the market today and put them through vigorous testing in our bid to find the best bullet journal.
With 5 years of bullet journaling experience under my belt, I've made all the mistakes, so you don't have to! From the wrong paper, to the wrong pens, clumsy layouts and Tip-ex nightmares, I've fluffed everything possible and learnt from all my mistakes.
I'm pooling my experience together with this testing process to bring you a trust-worthy review of the best bullet journals. So keep reading to find out if Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic is one of them!
Jump straight to:
- Summary
- How we tested
- Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic review
- Where to buy Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic
- Our verdict: should you buy the SLeuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic
- Looking for more bullet journals?
Summary
Although this journal received a lower rating in terms of value for money because of its lighter gsm paper and fewer pages, it compensates with good performance with paint and satisfying 'flop factor'. I've enjoyed using these journals for several years, thanks to their high-quality covers, flexible binding, and portability.
- Buy now from Amazon (£16.44 | $22.95), Ryman (£19.99)
How we tested
I distributed five points across five crucial categories: construction, writing tools, art tools, features, and value for money. Each bullet journal underwent extensive testing with a diverse range of writing tools, including fine liners, gel pens, and fountain pens, as well as various art mediums such as watercolour and acrylic.
I scrutinised factors like binding style, available sizes, cover material, number of pages, and included features. I also considered the internal elements, like a 'belongs to' page, key, index, pen test page, page numbers, and additional features. Finally, I assessed the price and overall value for money of each journal to determine the final score.
Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic review
Key features
- Paper gsm: 80
- Number of pages: 123
- Size: A5 (B5, B6, B6+ available)
- RRP: £19.50
Construction - 4/5
The Leuchtterm1917 soft cover journals are constructed from 123 pages of 80gsm paper, in a thread-bound book that opens flat. While the other journals in the test also remain open, none of them have what I like to call the 'flop factor'. Their hardback nature means they aren't quite as easily persuaded to lay flat as the Leuchtturm1917 softcover.
The journal has fewer pages of lighter gsm paper than the others on test, making it slimmer and lighter to carry around, but also meaning there's less room for notes.
I love the leather-feel cover, which is satisfyingly flexible and soft, and available in a huge range of colours. It has two satin ribbon page markers, an elastic closure, and a pocket, which comes filled with a sticker set for labelling and archiving.
Writing tools - 3/5
This journal is a great example of 'normal' weight notepaper (which typically ranges from 60-100gsm). The other journals on test have 120-160gsm paper, which is higher than usual, and holds up well against all types of pen.
The Leuchtterm1917 softcover suffered with ghosting across the board, on all pens tested. This means the shadow of the ink was visible on the other side of the paper with all the pens I used. For more information on terms like feathering, ghosting, and bleeding, take a look at our buyers' guide.
The felt tips and Pentel water-based brush pens also had slight bleeding, and the Sharpie and Promarker alcohol-based pens fully bled to the other side of the paper (although they did this on even the thickest 160gsm paper).
As the paper has a slight sheen to it, it made writing with brush pens very easy, and there was no feathering at all.
Its worth noting that Leuchtterm1917 have a whole range of notebooks, including hardbacks with more pages, and an officially-named Bullet Journal, which includes a grid guide and sticker set.
Art tools - 4/5
Interestingly, despite the paper being half the weight of other journals on test, the Leuchtterm1917 stood up to all the art mediums I used.
In fact, there was less paper degradation with the paints heavily diluted with water, due to the smoothness of the paper. However, the page buckled more and there was slight ghosting to the other side.
Features - 4/5
This journal has a belongs to page and an index, but no key or pen test page. There's page numbers, which is handy, but no centre marks for finding the middle of the page easily, and I would have appreciated a grid guide for measuring up spreads quickly.
However, this is one of the few journals on test that's available in multiple sizes - you can get it in A5, B5, B6, B6+.
Value for money - 4/5
This notebook has fewer pages and a lower gsm than others, yet it's still relatively expensive. However, it features a high-quality cover and feel, with perforated pages for easy removal. There is a huge array of colours to choose from, and it's often found on offer on Amazon.
All the pens I tested caused ghosting, which is less than ideal, but watercolours and gouache work well. I used this notebook as a bullet journal for four years before switching to thicker paper, as I liked how it's light, slim, and has a soft cover, so it can work depending on your preference. Leuchtterm1917 now offer a bullet journal with 120gsm paper and more features, too.
Where to buy Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic
- Buy now from Amazon (£16.44 | $22.95), Ryman (£19.99)
Our verdict: should you buy Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook Classic
If you're looking for a lightweight journal that's flexible, colourful, and has a high quality feel, without the heavy paper, the Leuchtterm1917 Dotted Notebook is a good choice.
It's got the satisfying flop factor but is relatively expensive considering the number of pages and gsm of the paper, but still works well for some pens and watercolour or gouache paint.
Looking for more bullet journals?
If you're still browsing for bullet journals, check out our comprehensive guide to the best bullet journals for a full list of the journals on test.
