It’s hard to find a comparison to style and durability of real leather. No wonder most popular planners are by the rule covered with high quality leather. After all a planner is heavily used on daily basis and we don’t only want to use it for a full year, but want to look it at least decent, if not classy even at the end of its usage.
A leather planner is not just a set of papers, where you try to write down your obligations and balance work, family, school and other activities. It is also a reliable personal assistant where your life is represented in easiest and most manageable form, where you can plan and organize your time, the most universal and precious currency in the world. Good planner is used all the time and we want it to be resistant to every day’s hazards.
We took time to check hundreds of popular planners binded in genuine leather and you are looking at the selection of best ones. They are all rated by their customers way above the average and considering the fact most buyers don’t bother to write a review if they are satisfied with a product (while unsatisfied seem to be more ready to share their negative experience), we are definitely dealing with high quality leather planners. They differ by each other only at details, sometimes truly small details, so it’s up to you to find out which will suit your taste best.
When Leather Is In Question, A Filofax Is Still At The Top Of The Line
When the name of the company becomes a synonym of the product, we instantly know we are dealing with certified quality. Filofax offers exactly that. With almost one hundred years of tradition, many major business ups and downs, including several major changes in ownership, they always remained committed to their own standards, continously surpassing mainstream suppliers. Filofax also tested hundreds of new products, always trying to meet demands of the market before it even realized its needs.
Filofax of so called personal size belongs to the basic core of the company. It is typical example of flexible approach – everybody can personalize it to her or his needs. It includes two-pages per week yearly calendar, additional sheets in different colors, to-do lists, place for contacts, colored index tabs, page marker, pockets for cards, two bigger pockets for loose paper and an elastic holders.
You can see how practical can be this compact Filofax, binded in high quality patent leather, known by its gloss and softness. Beware – on such leather fingertips are always shown, although easily wiped out, so if this is a problem, it’s probably better to check other leather planners. Another important feature to many is the fact it lies flat when open, so there is no need to wrestle it while writing. With 4,75 x 3.25 inches it fits perfectly in the bag and offers enough space to plan your year in every detail.
Did you know Filofax for some time offered almost one thousand different types of paper for their products, but had to cut this number to around one hundred for economic reasons? You can still choose from huge assortiment. If you don’t like red color above, there are classic black and many other joyful colors below, all radiating the luxurious feel of Englishness.
Not big enough? Well, there is another popular model of different size available. With this original A5 Organizer you got almost the same stuff as at compact model, with calendar / diary, ruler / marker, index, pockets and elastics, just everything in bigger dimensions. It is made of natural leather, crafted by traditional techniques, without cardboard outside, what makes it flexible, with snap closure. Available in nine (including the fanciful rose gold!) colors.
Reviewers reported about gorgeous colors (for the presentation we opted for raspberry purple), quality of binder and fast delivery. Only reported issue was an example of scratched cover, where buyer opened the package only several months after a purchase, what means he lost the right for replacement. So check your Filo right after you got it, if you decide to get one.
Well, you’ll probably get one, at least one, right? Because, as one of reviewers nailed it: you deserve the best and this leather organizer in A5 format offers just that.
Customization is very important factor when personal planners are in question. All presented planners are known for this ability, but we have to start with a right base and good quality in the first place. For this reason we have chosen this gourgeaus planner which comes with an undated yearly planner, undated week on two-page planner, additional note paper, several indexes, a to do list, contact pages, ruler/page marker and can be uniquely personalized with unique accessories and refills. Five stars reviews obviously speak for themselves.
Gallery Leather is another well-known manufacturer of calendar, planners, journals and other little helpers. Weekly planner is covered with soft leather and with 9,75 x 7,5 inches primarily meant as a desktop organizer, but many users take them wherever they go. It has two pages for every week, special pages for months (including half of the last and half of the next year), and many useful extras, like maps, area codes and a handy bookmark. This item is crafted in Maine and comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Leather planner by Day Timer features a bit different concept. Its organizing part is arranged by months, all pages are connected with seven one inch rings, there is a section for addresses and phones, a credit card holder, page locator and about a dozen inside pockets (including large one, which can be closed by a zipper), made of leather and covered with vinyl, to make it durable as much as possible.
You also get a lot of tabs, undated calendar pages and a section dedicated to personal info. It’s pretty large calendar (thirteen and eleven inches), so you will have great overview of the month, when open on the table. Apart from great looking brown leather covers we can add a large zipper, by which complete planner can be closed, is definitely one of major attractions of this planner with irreplaceable vintage feel.
Being robust and becoming softer with use, it’s made to last, being resistant to pretty heavy wear and even tear. In our opinion this planner deserves a position on the list of gift for people who have everything!
What About Refillable Leather Planners
While owners of leather planners by definition don’t put the price tag in the first place when choosing their planning companions, they still have ability to be refilled in mind. Here are several reasons:
- A really good planner is highly personalized (hey, with creative usage some even transform them into true art pieces), most manufacturers offer additional sets for notes, addresses, calendars, to-do lists etc., so each user can add what he or she needs to use planner’s superpowers to its full potential.
- Refilling is always eco friendly. What’s the point to buy a highly durable, weather and even child resistant product, if we throw it away at the end of the year?
- With refills we instantly improve portability. With time such organizers easily become pretty heavy, but we can always tear unnecessary parts out and insert additional ones. It’s actually a vital part of planning!
If we presented a brown leather planner with a zipper as kind of luxury product, a compact planner above, made by the same company, represents something more of an entry or economy class among leather organizers. This also has a zipper closer, but we can much more: several pockets, full year of monthly tabs, phone directory, a ruler, a note pad, reference pages and three samplings of popular refills.
Please note: there are only samplings (for about one month supply) of the most popular refills, but it’s up to you to decide which do you need and if you want to order additional ones. Those can be ordered separately when you decide on the format best suiting your needs. And yes, it has a zipper, so loose paper, as receipts or memos won’t fall out. If you want a classy, elegant, quality, compact planner, suitable for men and women, without paying too much, this one should be near the very top of your wish list.
For even more freedom with planning, don’t miss next one:
This large planner starter also comes with samplings (for about three months altogether), but there is also a zip pouch, note pad, set of tabs, a business card holder, two pen loops (on the inside and the outside) and some other little extras. Sampling pages are undated, but to use it to its best, you’ll need proper inserts of right dimensions.
It’s made of real leather, very classy, and it can hold an iPad mini in the front flap jacket.
And here is another cutie in economy class:
As the name Lady Luxurious already suggests next planner is made especially for ladies. It’s available in six lovely colors in different combinations, all binded in soft leather with golden metallic borders. It is made in book format, what means it doesn’t have rings, so you’ll get less possibility for customization. But if you are looking for beautiful planner with monthly, weekly and daily sheets, balance sheet, budget expenses chart, world and USA atlas, list of holidays, inspirational quotes and useful tips on health, this is the one.
Some reviewers didn’t like the used font, some wanted it in bigger format, while for some it felt too heavy, but the main concern is probably the quality of paper – it’s a bit thinner than at standard planners. If you want to use sharpies, markers and other ‘heavy’ writing equipment, this is not a good choice. On the other hand, many buyers, especially busy moms, loved it so much, they bought several pieces, so they could plan different areas of their lives in different colors!
Another very important fact to consider are dimensions of the planner – it’s pretty small, so think carefully before you order, or look for something more spacious, if you need more space. Decision is yours.
We are slowly approaching the end of list here is the most popular leather planner on Amazon and one of :
It is a portable format, yet loaded with all goodies you can imagine and some more. If you want to see them all, just read the reviews, available by clickink on the photo, . You’ll probably end up amazed by all the possibilities this planner offers without costing leg and arm. With Amazon Prime you can get one of them in just few days!
Planner Wallet
We decided to end this article with a really special planner – a so called wallet planner. It is small, compact, with a dozen pockets for cards or papers of different sizes (none for coins) and of course with a planner divided in four sections. With a planner wallet you get small and highly effective system for keeping track of everything important without sacrificing your portability.
It is made of high quality Italian leather by softness and flexibility. The manufacturer claims they offer superior quality product, more than worth of the price tag, so if you are looking for a great gift, portable planner and a bit of luxury at the same time, here you have it.
Yep, all these can be yours. Thanks for checking out our list of leather planners, where just about everything can be found in one place, just like we expect from good old leather reliable planner.