I am so excited to finally be sharing this post with you all! It’s been a long time in the works, and as a result of how many people were a part of it, it ended up going live a little bit late. But, nevertheless, it is up and I can’t wait to hear what all of your thoughts are!
I have always been a lover of notebooks and paper, but I was never satisfied with just a single notebook. I had no idea why, other than it just wasn’t enough.. And then I heard about traveler’s notebooks. I had no idea what they were, nor did I honestly care until awhile back.
I realized one day that they were exactly what I wanted to learn more about, so I dove in head first and started researching different brands. I looked at blog posts, YouTube videos, and everything I could come across. But it just wasn’t enough. There were so many brands, how could I know which to choose? So I came up with the idea to write a post to meet not only my needs, but also every other new member to the TN community.
Want to see all of these notebooks in a vlog (video review)? Scroll to the bottom of this post for the video!
A quick disclaimer: I have been provided with products in exchange for my honest opinions. All thoughts are my own.
Lined Teal Bifold Fillion – Little Mountain Bindery – ($68)
This beautiful traveler’s notebook starts off our collection today. It’s a deep teal color, with a unique inside lining. There are several different rich colored, patterned linings, but this particular one is the Teal Batik. This is the Large Moleskine size, so it’s $68. But, you can get several different sizes, including a small Moleskine, large and extra large Moleskine, A5, and a couple of different Midori sizes. The leather this TN is made from is absolutely perfect. It’s not floppy by any means, but still very pliable and soft to touch. You can see in the second picture how much it bends.
Walnut Brown Trifold Fillion – Little Mountain Bindery – ($71)
Our second TN is another beautiful creation from Little Mountain Bindery. It’s a Walnut colored, trifold with cobalt elastics. You can see that the elastics are attached to the back cover of the Fillion, rather than the side like on the other Fillion. This leather is also pretty firm, but a little bit thicker than the lined Fillion, as it’s made from 5-6 ounce Dry Oil Tan Leather. It’s smooth/soft to the touch and a pleasure to open and write in. Both of these TN’s came with book connectors, which are from the system that allows your Fillion to hold up to 8 or 10 notebooks! (Check out the YouTube video, here, to see how to load your Fillion with as many as 10 inserts.)
As you can see in the top right picture, you can get up to three words on the front of your Fillion, and I chose “Breathe, Dream, Achieve”. Be sure to check out the two different kinds of fonts offered!
A couple more accessories that can be found on the Little Mountain Bindery website are:
Fillion Notebooks – ($3.50) (that are pictured in the TN’s above!)
Large Ocean Blue/Brown Kraft Magnetic Pocket – ($17)
Small Magnetic Pocket – ($14)
Leather Quill Traveler Notebooks – The Leather Quill Shoppe
All three of these beautiful TN’s are from the Leather Quill Shoppe. The left one is a Turquoise Trail A5 with a natural edge wrap and brown elastics. The middle TN is a Limited Leather Quill Charoite Gem Standard with a natural edge and black elastics. The right TN is another Limited Leather Quill Gem, but this time is a Turquoise Gem Narrow with purple elastics.
The bottom two Leather Quills aren’t going to be reviewed here, but I wanted to include them so that you could see a comparison between the different kinds of natural edges and sizes. While the Leather Quill Gems are limited and only offered occasionally, a little bird told me that they’re working on a new batch right now. So be sure to join their Facebook group, here, to get all of the updates!
Turquoise Trail A5 Wrap Leather Quill – Leather Quill Shoppe – ($49.99)
This beautiful Leather Quill is one of many great products offered from the Leather Quill Shoppe. It’s an A5 wrap, with a word charm and pen loop. One of the great things about the Leather Quill Shoppe is that they’re a no-waste business. They use the leather all the way to the very edges of the hide, which is why they offer a “natural edge” and “straight edge” for the wraps. This particular one has a natural edge that’s not too extreme on the curvature (something I requested!). It’s in the Turquoise Trail color with brown elastics.
As for the leather, the Turquoise Trails are made with a pretty firm, 9 – 10 ounce leather hide. They have four interior elastics and one outer wrap-around elastic.
LQS offers over 20 different options for word charms, with different (colored) metal rivets. Besides just traveler notebooks, they also make leather binders and do custom orders. So be sure to check the website out!
Old Soul Wide Leather Traveler Notebook – Altguild – $99.47
This TN is from a shop on Etsy that I have long admired. The “Old Soul” TN’s are made to order and have an amazing amount of time and effort put into each one. These covers are made to have an “Old World” feel to them and look like something you wouldn’t be surprised to find in Indiana’s bag.
The leather used for these beautiful pieces is Full Grain vegetable tanned leather. This means that the leather comes from the surface of the hide and is bound to have some scratches or “imperfections” on it!
By now you’re probably wondering if I’ve completely forgotten about the most striking feature of these notebooks! No, I haven’t forgotten the stamped corners. Not only can you get a TN that looks just like the one in the pictures, but there are also many, many more stamps that you can find located on the Etsy listing.
This particular notebook is an Old Soul Wide with quad elastics. This means that there are four black elastics inside it and one wrap-around elastic.
Lastly, if you want to see more about all of the work that goes into the process of making one of these, check out Altguild’s Youtube channel!
Turquoise and Brown Leather Pan (B6) – Ateles Designs – $65
The next TN in our line-up is this vibrant Turquoise and Brown Leather Pan from Ateles Designs. Now let me just pause here and say – I had a terrible time picking out what leather to make this out of!! There were so many options (and I’m talking rainbows, sequins, all different textures, leathers, etc.) that it was quite a chore just to decide on the leather.
Besides the leather, this beauty has turquoise elastics and the two-pocket option on the inside. As you can see in the top right corner picture, it also has a little piece of leather on the wrap-around elastic that protects the edge of your TN and inserts inside. The elastics are a bit on the smaller size, but still feel strong and like they will be able to support the ton of inserts I will be using in this for years to come!
Back to the leather, now! It’s probably the most floppy TN that I have in the review, but still very sturdy feeling. I love the flexibility of it and I cannot wait to fill it up. As for the size, the Pan size is an equivalent to a 5 x 7 inch or B6. If you’re looking for anything unique in the way of traveler notebooks, you simply have to check out Julie’s Facebook group!
Purple B6 Leather Traveler’s Notebook – Red Pen Travelers – $59
We’re drawing close to about halfway in the review, and here I want to tell you a bit about this deep purple TN I received from Red Pen Travelers. Their products are handcrafted right here in the good ol’ USA, a couple states away from me in Texas.
This lil’ gal is made from 6-ounce vegetable tanned European leather and is very firm, almost a little stiff feeling at first. With a smooth interior, rounded corners and burnished edges, it’s a vibrant piece that is sure to last you for many, many years to come. This particular notebook doesn’t have any pockets or pen loops on it, but comes with four (light purple) elastics that compliment the deep purple of the cover. This cover is a B6 size, but RPT offers a multitude of different sizes and customization options to help you find the perfect notebook!
Cadeneta Vegan Fauxdori Traveler Notebooks – Cadeneta Notebooks
These next two TNs both come from Cadeneta Notebooks and are made from vegan leather (faux leather), and have a very “cushy” feel to them. I love to hold them when they’re full of inserts!
Cadeneta Vegan Fauxdori Moss Green Traveler Notebook – Cadeneta Notebooks – $34
So our first TN from Cadeneta Notebooks is this stunning Moss Green Fauxdori with white stitching. As I already mentioned above, these are made from vegan leather and come with five pockets on the inside, including three card holders. There’s also a matching pen loop sewn into the TN.
These TNs can both hold up to 4 or 5 inserts, but if you’re looking for something to hold more than that, send them a message and they will make something custom for you!
Cadeneta Vegan Fauxdori Camel Traveler Notebook – Cadeneta Notebooks – $34
This fauxdori is the same as the one above, but in the new Camel color (also with white stitching)! It’s a beautiful reddish brown, with a matching textured interior. It too has a pen loop, two black elastics, and the five pockets I mentioned above on the inside.
Also in the pictures, you can see a daily planner that is offered by Cadeneta Notebooks. I have to say, this is one of the best daily planners that I’ve seen offered for TNs so far! It has about everything you’d want to keep track of throughout the day and more. Be sure to take a glance at it, here.
Deluxe Pemberley A6 in Tenerife Sea – Chic Sparrow – $79.99
If you’ve done any reading at all about the world of traveler notebooks, I’m sure you’ve heard about the popular Chic Sparrow brand!
This particular notebook is the A6 size Deluxe Pemberley in Tenerife Sea color and retails for almost $80. One of the main differences between the Deluxe Pemberly and the Classic Pemberley is that the Deluxe has the pockets on the inside. If you’re wanting to buy a Chic Sparrow with a certain number of pockets, pay attention to what size you get as that will determine the number of pockets on the inside. As you can see here, the Deluxe A6 has two pockets and two card holders in it, along with four black elastics, black stitching, and a pen loop.
The vegetable-tanned leather for this TN makes it wonderfully soft to hold in your hands (and smells amazing!). It’s been through a process that has already gently “tumbled” it, so that it will never need rolled. It has a beautiful texture to it and is amazing to hold. As you can see in the top left picture, it bends quite easily, but is not by any means thin leather. It ranges from approx. 2.4 to 2.8 mm thick.
Purple B6 Traveler Notebook – TwoEighteen Leatherworks – $65
These last two TNs are from TwoEighteen Leatherworks. This first one is a purple, B6 with the four-pocket option and pen loop. It has black stitching and four black elastics.
One of the amazing things about this business is that they do everything by hand for their traveler notebooks. There are no cutting machines or laser cutters. Everything is hand cut, stitched, and dyed!
The leather for both of these TN’s is quite stiff feeling, but I haven’t tried rolling them yet as I wanted you to see them without any “personalization” first! These are made from locally sourced vegetable-tanned 6-7 ounce premium leather and each TN is unique thanks to the marks and “scars” on them.
Teal A6 Wide Traveler Notebook – TwoEighteen Leatherworks – $55
This second traveler’s notebook is also from TwoEighteen Leatherworks and is a teal, A6 Wide. It also has black elastics and stitching, with a pen loop and the two-pocket option. The leather here is fairly stiff and locally sourced 6-7 ounce leather. For more details about it, check out the TN right above!
Traveler Notebook Inserts and Accessories:
Moving on from all of the traveler notebooks, we have several charms and inserts to show you!
Fresh Milk Bucket Planner Charm – OregonAttitude
Our first charm up for review is this adorable little Fresh Milk bucket charm. It’s so cute and looks amazing on all of the traveler’s notebooks. It’s very strong and will last you for years. It’s approx. an inch long and perfect to give your notebook that little bit of country charm you were looking for!
Charms from Lily Lion Labyrinth
These three charms all came from this amazing little shop I ran across on Etsy, and I felt like she had been peeking through my wish list!! All three of these are beautiful, high-quality, and very sturdy feeling. I think the Native American Chief charm has found his new permanent place on my TN and I just love the rustic touch it adds to it!
You can find all three of these linked below:
Native American Indian Chief – $4.99
Horse Head and Horseshoe Charm – $4.99
Multiple Inserts – 1407 Planners – Price Varies
Pictured here are several different inserts from 1407 Planners. You can see each insert in a traveler notebook in the pictures above and below, and I just wanted to point out that these are very, very nice inserts!
Now I can’t begin to try to describe all of the different options and sizes for inserts from 1407 Planners, but I can say that they are my number one place to get inserts now!!
On a side note, the paper quality is great and I would highly recommend their business.
A few of the ones shown include:
To-Do List
Undated Monthly Layout
Dated Monthly Layout
Undated Horizontal Week on One side and Graph
Undated Cubed Week on One Side and Graph
Undated Week on One Side and Tracker
Undated Grid with Fold Out Week
Custom Lister
Handmade Traveler Notebook Inserts – Embroidori Journals – $15
These handmade notebook inserts are beautiful and very unique! Each one is crafted from 65-pound kraft paper with a design embroidered onto the front cover. The detail in each of these is amazing. They’re also very customizable and can either be made with white or ivory paper, and lined, unlined, or dot grid paper inside.
The ones that are featured here are sized to fit the standard Midori TN and are 8.25 by 4.33 inches. Be sure to check out the entire shop as there are several new ones listed!
City Girl Planners
Only if you’re new to traveler notebooks could you possibly not have heard about City Girl Planner’s inserts! They have a huge variety of sizes and different inserts; everything from dated planners to shopping lists, bill trackers, and password keepers.
To-Do List
Shopping List
Bill Tracker
Password Keeper
Overall, I have to say that I’m in love with the simplicity of some of these inserts. They’re perfect for gals like me that like to keep things easy and simple, as well get the job done. Very well made and I love them!
Now, my favorite insert from City Girl Planners? The Unicorn Tears Dot Grid insert! It has a black cover, with white, purple, turquoise and pink dot grid pages inside. How cute is this to brighten up your notebook?!
Geekydori Inserts
This next group of inserts is a truly fun one, indeed! I love the bright colors and patterns, as well as the whimsical cover options they have.
A5 Pineapple Print Blank Insert – $4.66
This notebook is so stinking cute. I love the colorful pineapples and the sturdy, blank notebook is perfect for watercolor art or sketching. These are bound by hand with double the string and can be made with either dot grid, grid, plain, pink lined, or gray lined paper.
Floral Insert
This pretty little insert is in a bright watercolor floral pattern with a pink lined inside. It’s perfect to be put in the front of a standard traveler’s notebook or just used as a journal to sit on your nightstand.
Whimsical Elephant Print Planner Set
This set of elephant print notebooks actually is a two-part yearly planner. The first insert goes from January to June and the second, July to December. It has a great little section that’s an at-a-glance monthly planner, another monthly view, and then a horizontal weekly layout. It really is one of my favorites and would be such a great way to keep track of your activities!
Handmade A5 Slim Willow Herb Notebook – AmpersandByKikiB – Price Varies
This notebook insert is simple and beautiful, thanks to the pastel colored flowers that decorate its cover. In the listing, you will find that there are several other flowered cover options to choose from. Its slim size makes it the perfect little journal to tuck into your traveler’s notebook and carry anywhere with you. While this particular one has a dot grid inside, you can choose from four other layout options for it.
Made by hand and designed to stand out, this notebook is one that you will want to have on hand at all times!
Upcycled Postage Stamp A6 Dot Grid Notebooks – TangleCrafts – $11.37
These are some of my most favorite notebooks I’ve ever seen! Besides the fact that I love rainbows and lots of color, I used to collect stamps. So it just makes these even more special. Each notebook is handmade with a collection of vintage postage stamps collected from around the world. These are well made little books and look absolutely fabulous in a traveler’s notebook.
You can choose from dot grid, plan, ruled, or squared pages. Also, you can choose the color theme and size of each notebook. Almost 50 pages of recycled paper make these little books a great way to keep track of your busy schedule, write little daily entries in, or just have on hand for doodles.
(Check out the right picture below to see the inside pages for both of these notebooks.)
Alice in Wonderland Quote Notebook – Whirling World – $5.35
This adorable little notebook is made from sturdy kraft cardstock and 80 gsm recycled paper. The inside is a simple ruled page, but you can choose from several other options as well. You’ll also find a handy any-year calendar printed on the inside cover and plenty of room to write any of your daily musings or little thoughts.
Be sure to check out the rest of the items in the shop for more quotes and notebook options, as well as consider sending them a custom order if you don’t see what you’re looking for!
These beautiful TN inserts were all created and could be found in the Etsy shop, Lavender Bally Designs, but it doesn’t look like the shop can be found anywhere on Etsy anymore. However, I’d still like to include them in the review!
I was sent several different styles and sizes of these folder-style inserts, as well as a library card-like pocket. Leah had said that she was working on getting some different designs, as well as some cardstock paper that could be used for these. All of these would be a great addition to any traveler’s notebook, but I’d have to say my favorite was the top left corner one. The butterflies got me every time!
If at some point I can get in contact with Leah or find her shop again, I will be sure to link it back here!
Eco Pocket-Sized Notebook – Cast Iron Design – $10 for a 3-pack
These little notebooks are eco-friendly and made from recycled paper. They’re not only functional, but also educational thanks to all of the information packed into both of the inside covers. I would say they fit best in my A6 Chic Sparrow, but they could also fit in a Pocket size too, probably. You’ll find them surprisingly cheap, with a dot grid 3-pack only being $10.
One more comment! If I’m being honest, I have to admit that it was the name of the brand that first drew me in!! If you’ve read my blog for very long, I’m sure you’ve heard how much I love my cast iron cookware. As soon as I saw that logo, I knew these needed to be a part of the review.
So that pretty much wraps up the review! I have a few more products that I’ll still be adding into this within the next few days (yes, at least one of them is a beautiful leather traveler’s notebook!), but stay tuned as we’ll be doing a small giveaway soon with a few of these products as well as some from the notebook and journal review too.
Ashleigh
Want to see all of these notebooks in a vlog? Check out my review here on the PGC YouTube channel:
Just a couple of the posts from the Your Awesome Planner Series:
Katherine says
I’m addicted to journals and this list made it 1000x worse. I love the forth one especially.
Kim says
On wow this blog post was very helpful. I often wonder why people would have so many TN’s, but they are all so beautiful. I just started in bujo in March. So I’m searching for the right TN for me. This was very helpful.
Elizabeth O says
I love beautiful notebooks and many of these made me smile. Moleskin covered notebooks are stunning.
Missy says
These are absolutely stunning. I have a notebook obsession, and I definitely need to add a few of these to my collection. I love the rich hues.
rod salm says
Wow. Unbelievably detailed coverage of the state of custom tn’s. Glad to see altguild.com on that list. He also has one that replicates river song journal for all the Dr. Who fans out there. That’s my fave.
There’s also a companion to the old soul….
Lisa Rios says
WOW!!!! What beautiful journals… I love this brand. Their no-waste policy is incredible, and if I were considering buying leather products, this would be my to-go source! Thank you for sharing such an amazing gift!
Shannon Gurnee says
That looks like an awesome notebook. I love the colors!
Courtney Andrews says
I am kind of obsessed with collecting notebooks and notepads! I love your detailed review of these. I see several that I would love to add to my collection 🙂
Candy Rachelle says
I’ve always loved traveling to other countries and purchase hand-made journals/binders like these. These are absolutely beautiful.
http://www.keepingupwithcandy.com
Jia Shin says
These are just so pretty, it’ll make a lovely and I know just the person who’ll like once of these.
Michelle Leslie says
How beautiful. I would take notes all the time, especially that turquoise and brown leather one from Ateles Designs’s. OMW that’s just gorgeous
ricci says
These notebooks are all gorgeous!! I would love to have one for when I travel!! Great reviews!!
Cameron - Diary of a Southern Millennial says
All of these are gorgeous! I love your in-depth reviews of each too – very helpful!
Victoria heckstall says
Wow! That’s so fantastic and incredible! I love these notebooks. So many colors that would choose.
jennifer says
I can imagine how fun it would be to have one of these! I love to write, so I could really use one of these!
adriana says
This is such a great idea! I have never heard of something like this – it definitely seems like it’d be soo fun to try!
Marielle Altenor says
I’m having major planner girl envy here! I have like 8 planners but o traveler’s notebook! I need to get a nice lavender one!
Natalie says
That is planner heaven right there! Love that they come in so many fun colours.
Oyinkan Ogunleye says
Traveling is such a priviledge that it is important to jot it down to look back at your experiences.
uprunforlife says
It has been a very long time since I have used a handwritten notebook. Writing with a pen makes my hands cramp now so I tend to stick to electronic notes.
Angie says
These are gorgeous! I’m such a stationery geek, so I love it.
Amanda says
I absolutely love the idea of a travel notebook…it is such a great way to really keep your travel memories alive. You have picked out some beautiful notebooks…I love the shades of blue!
Dogvills says
These are nice. My daughter would love the purple one. It’s her favorite color.
Carmi Joice says
The crafty girl inside me is giggling with excitement! These are gorgeous! I most especially love the Old Soul!
Joely Smith says
Goodness I want them all ! I LOVE them all! I am a journal keeper and list maker and these would so come in handy and look gorgeous and stylish!
Cassie says
Love these! I love journalling and these look so precious!
Jeni says
These notebooks are so beautiful. I don’t write things down as often as I should, but these planners are amazing. I love the ones with the brown covers, they make me think of Harry Potter and writing down cool secrets.
Jennifer Van Huss says
I have never heard of this brand before, but they offer beautiful stuff! I love the metallic embellishments added to them!
Kelly Hutchinson says
Sigh~ These are just beautiful! And the charms are so unique. I know what I am getting my daughter for her birthday!
Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says
That is awesome! I love the rustic look of these. I’d love something like this.
Emily says
These are all so beautiful! I especially loved the dream catcher design. I had never considered traveler notebooks until now!
Benita says
These were very nice, I love the colors and designs.
Dawn McAlexander says
These are really nice! I am always in need of a travel notebook when I am on the road. I need to take notes at some of the places that I travel. One of these would be awesome!
candy says
I have just gotten back into journaling and find I am really enjoying it. We went to England, Ireland and Iceland and I took a small journal for each country. So much fun writing down all of our adventures.
Valerie Hansen says
I have never seen these before, so many pretty colors and options to choose from, thanksf or sharing!
valerie