It’s the end of the year, which means it’s a great time to start looking for the best planners for 2023. There are a lot of things to consider when picking out a planner, so I’m outlining those here! There are so many beautiful, functional options out there for different tastes and lifestyles. I tried to provide a variety of options for different price ranges as well.
What to Look for in a Planner
It’s important to pick a planner that you like the look of. But there are other things to consider as well. These are good things to look for, especially when you are buying one online and can’t flip through it in person.
1. Weekly/Monthly Many planners will tell you in the description if the planner only shows the months, or if there are planning pages for individual weeks as well. If the weekly planning is included, you will often see it written as “W/M” for Weekly/Monthly. If it is only a Monthly planner, it might just say “M.” So make sure to check that and get exactly what you’re looking for!
2. Tabs Many planners will have a tab for each month of the year, and sometimes additional sections like Contacts, Notes, etc. Tabs are a must for me because it makes it so much easier to get to the exact page you need. Some planners also come with a little ribbon book mark for the same purpose. So decide whether tabs/a book mark is important to you and if you need to look for a planner with that feature!
3. Size Online pictures can be deceiving. Often times online photos alone make it difficult to determine how big a planner is, so make sure to check descriptions for sizing info. It’s no fun to order one thinking it’s standard size and it turns out to be travel size.
4. Cover Material If you want a hardback planner, you will likely spend a little bit more. Hardback covers do tend to be more durable and higher quality. Plastic covers are really common and also work great in my opinion. They also tend to cost less than hard back covers.
5. Months Covered I would say most journals cover January – December, but some are 18 month planners, and some have open dates for you to fill in. Make sure to check this in the description and get the planner for the exact dates you’re looking for!
10 of the Best Planners for 2023
There are so many cute planners out there, it’s a shame you only need one a year 🙂 Here’s a list with a variety of styles, sizes, and prices. Hopefully there’s something here checks off everything on your list!
Hardback Options
1. This Papier planner is hardback and book bound instead of spiral bound. It has a beautiful and simple cover design that also comes in shades of green, pink, and blue. It is a W/M planner, and it has a ribbon bookmark. There are 2 different sizes to choose from. Papier paper is sourced from certified forests, so it’s very sustainable. Here you can look through every page of the journal so you know exactly what you are getting!
2. This would be a fun planner design option for anyone outdoorsy. This one is hard back, spiral bound, and it does have tabs. It’s 6.75 x 9.5 and is customizable. Just click the “Personalize” button and you can make changes. You can change the text on the front and back (so you can put your name on it if you want!) and you can also change the font, alignment, and text colors.
3. Here is an option for a horizontal weekly planner, if you prefer that! This one is hardback, spiral bound, and it does have tabs. It also includes some bullet journal pages at the end. It’s 23 x 8.75, so it’s a great option if you’re looking for something bigger. This one is a bit more pricey at $55, but it’s great quality and you can read all the 5 star reviews to see why people love it so much!
4. This Sugar Paper brand planner is hardback and spiral bound, and the dimensions are 7.5 x 9.25. I think this stripe design is so cute, and it comes in a polka dot design and some solid colors as well. It includes tabs, and has pockets in the front and back.
5. This is a more affordable option for a hardback planner. It’s a W/M planner that’s book bound, has a pen loop, and inner pockets. It’s an 8 x 10 for under $15.
6. This is the most expensive option on the list, but for good reason — it is fully customizable! With a Golden Coil planner you can choose everything. This includes the layout, the start/end dates of the planner, what holidays you want included, and some add on pages. Some of the add ons include meal planning pages, fitness tracking pages, baby charts, social media planning pages, budget trackers, bucket lists, and more. If you have very specific needs you want your planner to meet and you’re willing to pay to get exactly what you want, this is the planner for you. Definitely one of the best planners for 2023 in my opinion!
Soft Cover Options
1. Rifle Paper Co. is known for really pretty floral designs. This floral planner comes in white or black. It’s softcover and spiral bound. The dimensions are 8.5 x 6.25. This one is also a W/M planner, but there are no tabs or bookmarks included.
2. This planner is under $10! It has plastic covers and is spiral bound. I used this last year and it was great. I really like the size (8.5 x 11) because there’s plenty of room to write and I don’t feel like I have to write really small to make things fit. It’s a W/M planner and it has tabs. Great functional planner, not the highest quality option but it meets the basic needs!
3. This 8.5 x 11 planner is under $20 on Amazon. It has plastic covers and is spiral bound. I think the blue flowers with the gold coil is a really pretty combo. It has tabs and it’s a W/M. It also comes in a 5 x 8 size!
4. This one is pretty different than the other options, but I can see why people like it. It’s very small and simple — each page opens out into a month calendar. So if you just want a monthly view of a calendar to plan on that folds up into a book instead of hanging on a wall or sitting on a desk, this is the one for you! It’s a paperback and comes in 2 sizes.
I hope this list helped you find the right planner for you, and provided some inspiration if you don’t know what you’re looking for yet!
More Guides
If you want to check out the book lover’s gift guide, click here.
If you want to check out the affordable Amazon gift guides, click here for the women’s guide and here for the men’s guide.
