Erin Condren has used coil binding for years, but recently has offered a sewn bound version too!

Quick facts

• Size: Approx. 6″ wide x 8.25″ high (15cm wide x 21.2cm high)
• Softcover
• Sewn binding
• Optional Cover personalisation
• Dates at a glance page
• Annual planning page
• 2 page Monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
• Monthly notes page
• Monthly goals page
• 2 page weekly spread (starts on Monday)
• 4 Lined notes pages at the back
• Colorful inside pages

Let’s take a closer look!

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The Cover

The cover is that usual somewhat bendy but somehow still sturdy material that most sewn bound planners have. Only unlike other notebooks this one’s cover is super colorful! 🙂

Approx 0.75″ thick

The pattern wraps around the spine so it’s looks pretty on a bookshelf!

Loving the gold foil edges

This version of the Life Planner is laid out like the coil bound with the dates at a glance / annual planning pages at the front of the planner, followed by the months with the weeks for that month dispersed in between.

These pages are open-ended so while you could use them for each month, you could also use these pages for cleaning schedule, reminder, projects, birthdays etc.

Monthly Planning page

At the start of each month is a lined notes page with the same pattern on the front to signify the start of a new month.

Followed by a dashboard style page with blank writing space and monthly planning.

The birthdays text could easily be covered up with a sticker to turn it into a bucket list, to do list, projects, journaling etc.

I really like these monthly overview / planning pages and 3 is more than most planners include too.

After the monthly planner is a 2 page monthly calendar.

Monthly Calendar

Starts Sunday (not consistent with the weekly spread).

Each month has 6 rows so there are no split boxes, but it does mean the boxes are a bit smaller than most planners.

These ones are about 1.25″ wide x just under 1.25″ high.

USA holidays are pre-printed on the monthly calendar.

Weekly Planning

The weekly spread starts on a Monday which isn’t consistent with the monthly calendar.

There’s a different color for each month, I took a photo of most of them:

I’m not a fan of these mini monthly calendars – they take up a lot of space on the weekly spread.

I’d have preferred to see the holidays printed in that white space between each box rather than in the box. But apart from those minor things, this is a very simple, functional weekly spread with nice colors used for each month.

When a month ends mid-week they include the colors of both months like this:

There are 4 lined notes pages at the back of the planner (wish there was more!)

The page lay flat on their own.

Pen Testing

I didn’t do a pen test of this planner, however I’ve done a pen test of the Erin Condren softbound dot grid notebook, here are the results:

For all the hype Erin Condren created about the improved Mohawk paper… it’s not that great:

Everything had light ghosting – more for the highlighters than the pens.

Pros of the Planner

• Portable size
• Gold foil edges
• Pretty colors throughout
• Colorful Cover
• Coordinated colors throughout
• Functional monthly planning page
• Lined weekly spread
• Pages lay flat on their own
• No split boxes on the monthly calendar

Cons of the Planner

• No tabs
• No pocket folder
• The mini calendars on every weekly spread take up a lot of space
• Only 1 ribbon bookmark
• Only 4 lined notes pages at the back of the planner
• Paper is prone to ghosting

Would I use this planner?

Maybe. It’s very pretty (love the colors) and I do like the lined horizontal layout… but I’ve seen this layout for at least a decade and I’m a bit over it now. I’d really like to see Erin Condren do a new weekly spread with days of the week on 1 page and a notes or checklist on the other page of the spread (i.e. my favorite layout!)

More planner reviews:

• Erin Condren Softbound Dot Grid Notebook
• Erin Condren Budget Book (Petite Planner)
• Erin Condren Horizontal Life Planner versus Horizontal Happy Planner: which planner is better? 

Planning Tips:

• How to print printables at Erin Condren planner size from your home printer (step by step tutorial) 
• FREE Printable To Do Checklist Planner Insert (For Erin Condren or Any Planner)
• How to make a DIY Erin Condren Planner Cover for less than $2 (plus free printable cover) 

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