Best Yearly Planners, According to CR Staffers
Love a good analog planner? So do we. These are the ones that motivate, inspire, and keep us organized.
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There’s just something about making a to-do list with paper and pen that organizes and calms my brain in a way that digital methods fail to do. My colleague Angela and I recently had a friendly debate about digital versus analog calendars, and while I can appreciate how Google Calendar or a sophisticated wall calendar like Skylight (which CR tested) are superior for sharing plans and tasks with family and friends, I can’t quit old-fashioned journaling and scheduling.
Why? Simple: writing something by hand, methodically and neatly (and, ideally, with a beautiful pen), forces me to slow down, consider my intentions and tasks, and remember them with greater ease. Science is on my side here—one 2014 study published in the Association for Psychological Science found that taking notes by hand is more effective for learning than taking notes on a laptop.
I am in good company at CR, because I recently discovered that several of my colleagues are super fans of analog planners, and they’re incredibly excited to share the details about their favorites. If you’re committed to getting back to basics this year, it doesn’t get better than with one of these planners.
Blue Sky Weekly and Monthly Planner Calendar
Number of pages: 138
Dimensions: 11x8.5 inches (HxW) and 8x5 inches (HxW)
Features: spiral-bound with a soft flexible cover and storage pocket
Blue Sky is my favorite planner and the one I repurchase every year. I value a planner that provides tons of space to write down tasks and thoughts, and because I’m not someone who wants to fill in months and dates myself, I adore how this planner has thought of everything for you. It features full monthly calendar pages (with helpful laminated tabs so that you can skip ahead to a month and space to write in each date’s box).
However, I also need (and this journal provides) a spacious section for each day of the month, where I can write my to-do lists for that day and cross them off as I complete them. There are a few additional pages where you can keep notes and write down contacts and important dates, but these sections aren’t extensive.
Since I use the Blue Sky as my primary work and daily tasks calendar and journal, I always purchase the larger of the two sizes offered, and it sits on my desk at home for the majority of the time. Even though it has a spiral binding and is easier to carry around than most books of this size, it’s not my first choice to take on the go (and this might weigh into your decision of whether it’s the best option for your needs).
A smaller version of the journal is available, and it seems like a great option if you prefer to take your planner with you.
Hobonichi Techo Planner Book
Number of pages: 448
Dimensions: 5.8x4.1x0.6 inches (HxWxD)
Features: faux leather with gold foil details
This Japanese yearly planner features a clean, minimalist layout with monthly calendars, a yearly index, and one full page per day, offering ample space for jotting down notes, tasks, and thoughts. “I just got this planner after reading good reviews of it,” CR’s Aileen McCluskey says. “What I really like is that it’s very small and can be carried in my bag, so I can keep everything, personal and work info, in one planner and always have it with me.”
This planner earns bonus points for its thoughtful “bonus” pages, which include sections on Japanese travel, food, and enough space to record your memories for the year.
Leuchtturm1917 A5 size
Number of pages: 203
Dimensions: 8.25x5.75x0.8 inches (HxWxD)
Features: faux leather hardcover
This is a classic faux leather hardcover journal and planner, ideal for anyone who values creative freedom. You aren’t bound by much of anything, other than a dotted grid to help make writing neater, and it comes in elegant colors like sage, lilac, navy, and port red. This journal is a favorite for Nahrae Tinney, CR’s product marketing manager:
“Every year or two, depending on how many pages I use up, I get a Leuchtturm1917 A5 size, dotted-grid ruling notebook to use as a bullet journal. I’ve tried using many planners since college and have found them to be too restrictive—I need to be able to customize for my own idiosyncrasies. I do not get the actual bullet journal from them as it is more expensive and comes with fewer pages. I switched over from Moleskine 10 years ago and never looked back—it’s both better quality and cheaper.
"In addition to full customization, it has a few pages to use as a table of contents to easily track your plans and notes, two ribbon bookmarks to quickly find your place (for me, that’s a weekly view and a monthly view), and a pocket in the back where I store a lightweight, flat metallic ruler for making straight lines.
"The cover is sturdy, the binding is very secure (spiral spines are the worst for me—I take my planner everywhere and am always having important pages get accidentally torn out and never have the need to do that intentionally), and it has an elastic strap to keep the cover closed.
"I greatly prefer a hardcover to a softcover. The softcovers get beat up, bent, and curled.
"I also carry along a little soft pencil pouch with micron pens, gel pens in a few different colors, whiteout tape, a lead pencil with extra lead, and an eraser. It’s necessary but makes me feel like a child, and I wish there was a more grown-up solution—it’s kind of hard to find one for adults.
"Most of the options I’ve seen are either bulky, cutesy, or weirdly look like an insulated lunch bag. My dream is to find something flat and elegant that easily slides into the pocket of a laptop case.”
Levenger 2026 Circa smartPlanner Weekly Agenda Discbound Notebook
Number of pages: maximum of 150 pages
Dimensions: 11.25x9.25x1 inches (HxWxD)
Features: spiral-bound with a sturdy translucent cover and monthly dividers
CR’s Peter Wolly, who works in digital analytics, says he has been using various analog planners since 1996 and has found his favorite: the Levenger planner, which he has used for the last 15 years. This calendar and planner features monthly dividers, ruled pages that provide plenty of space for jotting down notes and tasks, and a beautiful, sturdy cover. If the “letter” version of this journal is too large for you to deem portable, it also comes in a “junior” model that measures 8.75x6.25 inches (HxW).
“For me, a day timer is a thinking tool,” Wolly says. “Writing things down by hand slows my brain just enough to help me prioritize, reflect, and actually remember what matters. It’s also a history that I can go back to months (even years) later, although I rarely have to go back. I find that when I’ve had to write things down in a phone app, I forget to go back and look at it.
"Everything—work (right side) and personal (left side)—is in my day planner. I don’t use the part of the planner that is designed for calendaring, although I used to before smartphones came around.”
Wolly adds that he loves the flexibility this planner gives him, as it allows him to sketch, underline, draw arrows, cross things out, and emphasize much faster than on his phone—and it has no templates, restrictions, etc. "Lastly, it’s deeply satisfying to close a day out by physically checking things off,” Wolly says. “It makes progress feel real to me. It’s kind of like leaving dishes in the sink before going to bed—I can’t do that, and it’s just as hard to go to bed without completing my planning for today and looking ahead to tomorrow.”
Midori MD Diary A5
Number of pages: 175
Dimensions: 8.3x5.8x0.4 inches (HxWxD)
Features: annual calendar, blank notes, and index stickers
Minimalists at heart will swoon at this unassuming diary that forgoes bright colors and busy pages for a simpler design that consists of monthly calendars, ruled note pages, and an unruled note page. CR’s program manager of operations, Houman Saberi, had this to share about it:
“I’m so excited to share my fave planner. For the past four years in a row, I’ve been using the Midori MD Diary A5. In general, Japanese stationery products are elegant, simple, and thoughtfully designed. This one is no exception! It consists of three parts: a monthly calendar with ample space for note-taking, a lined section that doubles as a diary, and blank pages at the end for drawing or sketching. I love the fact that the planner is flexible enough to cover the gamut from unstructured creativity to ordered planning.”
Paper Republic Daily Planner
Number of pages: 328
Dimensions: XL is 7.9x5.3x1 inches (HxWxD); Pocket is 5.5x3.7x1 inches (HxWxD)
Features: full dotted pages for every weekday and a shared page for weekends
The problem with many analog calendars and planners is that they only offer smallish boxes for each day of the year, which limits your freedom of expression. The Paper Republic Daily Planner is as minimalist as they come, featuring lay-flat binding, thread stitching, and no busy colors or designs to be found anywhere. But it offers the maximum amount of space—a full dotted page for every weekday and a shared page for weekends—so you can fill up your book with tasks, appointments, ideas, and more.
The planner comes in two sizes: XL and Pocket, which can fit in the palm of your hand and, presumably, in your pocket. You can pair the planner with Paper Republic’s handsome handmade leather covers, too.
This planner is a favorite for CR’s Lacey Browne, who says it is “customizable, the leather gets nicer with age, and you can get your initials stamped on it.” For an additional cost, you can emboss the leather cover with up to 10 characters in a choice of different colors.
Passion Planner Daily Undated Planners
Number of pages: 93 daily layouts
Dimensions: small is 8.3x5.8 inches (HxW); medium is 9.8x6.9 inches (HxW)
Features: a three-month planner with a faux-leather cover
When faced with a blank page of paper, some of us become anxious and aren’t sure where to start. Passion Planner eliminates that stress by providing a clear layout for each day of the week that includes a timeline for scheduling, space to write your top priorities, personal and work to-do lists, and even a section for self-reflection.
This planner, which was recommended by CR’s Yael Grauer, includes 93 daily layouts that are designed to be used for three months (Passion Planner also offers annual planners). It features 14 additional dotted pages, ribbon bookmarks, and a back pocket—plus it comes in cute colors and designs.
“I love that there are two pages for each day,” Grauer says. “The first page has room to list the day’s focus and both personal and work-related to-dos, as well as space to jot in my meetings and appointments, and block off time for the day’s tasks. There’s also some room for reflection, so every night I write down what I learned that day, what I did for self-maintenance, and the best thing that happened that day.”
Grauer adds that features like a mood tracker, blank pages for journaling and taking notes, and pages where you can create measurable goals and habits and then reflect on them at a later date are also what keep her coming back to order this planner.
“The quarterly prompts are about what’s brought challenge, what’s brought joy, and what I want to spend more time doing,” Grauer says. “The mix of guidance and open space to jot out whatever I want works really well for me.”
Ruff House Spiral Multipurpose Planner
Number of pages: 60
Dimensions: 8x5.25 inches (HxW)
Features: spiral-bound with a letterpress-printed cover
Cute and compact, this planner has a spiral-bound design that makes it easier to toss into your bag and take anywhere. It features weekly planning pages and a section for notes. Mary Beth Quirk, CR’s managing editor of shopping and deals, called this one her favorite.
"My mom gave this to me one year, and it’s perfect for folks looking ahead to the New Year,” she says. “I like that it has the days of the week set up, but without specific dates filled in. For me, it’s less pressure than a calendar with the dates set, just waiting for you to fill them in (or make you feel guilty when you don’t). I use it when I’m in a planning mood, and don’t feel like I have homework when I don’t."
