• HOME
  • Planning
    • Planner Newbie
      • New to planning? Start here
    • Planning Tips & Inspiration
    • 52 Planning Systems in 52 Weeks
      • My weekly spreads
    • Planner Index
    • Planner Reviews
      • Horizontal Weekly
      • Horizontal 1 Page Weekly + Notes
      • Vertical Weekly
      • Hourly Planners
      • Categories Weekly
      • Daily Planners
      • Discbound Planners
      • Teacher Planners
      • Planner Roundups
      • Happy Planner (MAMBI)
      • Budget Planners
    • Planner Comparisons
    • Bullet Journal
      • Bullet Journal Reviews
      • Bullet Journal Spreads
      • Bullet Journal Tips
    • Planner pens
    • Highlighters
    • Planner Stickers
    • Digital Planning
    • Household Binder
    • Stationery Shopping
    • Rachael’s Favorites
    • Blogging & Online Business
  • Graphic Design
    • Photoshop Tutorials
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Canva
    • Silhouette Studio
    • PicMonkey
  • SHOP
    • Shop at Etsy
    • Online Store
    • Graphic Design Resources
    • ECOURSES
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
        • 1200 Blog Post Ideas (Exclusive Download Content)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
        • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (Exclusive Download Content)
    • Feedback & Testimonials
    • Planner Supplies (my sister’s shop!)
    • Shop my favorite planner supplies on Amazon
  • Learn
    • ECOURSES
      • Free Graphic Design Video Tutorials Library
      • How to Make Planner Stickers
      • How to Make Printables in Photoshop
      • How to Make Printables in Microsoft Word
      • How to Make Printables in Microsoft Excel
      • How to make digital planners and notebooks in Microsoft PowerPoint
      • How to Make Labels in Photoshop
      • How to Make Patterns in Photoshop
      • How to Make Party Printables
      • How to Write Product Descriptions
    • Ebooks
      • 54 Mistakes Etsy Sellers Make (And How to Fix Them)
      • 200 Blog Post Title Prompts (For Any Type of Blog)
      • 1200 Blog Post Ideas
  • FREE
    • FREE Printables
    • Free Printables Library – Subscribers Login
  • Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Europe
    • Australia & New Zealand
  • About
    • Browse All Posts
    • FAQ
      • What is a Printable? What happens when I purchase a printable from you?
      • Printing Tips
      • Printable Planner Stickers
      • Downloading Files
      • How to Open Zipped File Folders
      • What does EDITABLE mean?
      • Monogram Etiquette

All About Planners

Printable planners to organize your home, business and life!

November 12, 2017

Lisa Maj Dot Grid Notebooks Review & Pen Test

There aren’t many Australian dot grid notebooks available but one that is, is the Lisa Maj bullet journal notebooks.

Disclaimer: I received these notebooks for free in exchange for this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Lisa Maj Dot Grid Notebooks

I’m not sure if she always gift wraps it this nicely but this is how the notebooks arrived:

lisa maj bullet journal notebooks australia review

There are 2 binding types: wire bound and cotton (stitched) binding.

list maj bullet journal notebook dot grid floral cover wire bound travellers notebook sewn bound 5mm dot grid aussie bujo bright white paper

lisa maj bullet journal notebooks review pros and cons video flipthrough bright white paper pen testing

Let’s take a closer look!

To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more planner videos!

Starting with my favorite of the 2: the wire bound

  • Size: Approx 6″ wide x 8.25″ high (around A5 page size)
  • Lay flat binding
  • No page numbers
  • 100 double sided pages
  • Bright white paper (100 GSM)
  • Cardstock cover (300 GSM)

Price: $39 AUD

list maj bullet journal notebook dot grid floral cover wire bound travellers notebook 5mm dot grid aussie bujo bright white paper

The inside front and back covers are a different, but similar floral design to the front

lisa maj bullet journal dot grid notebook review pen testing paper quality bright white handmade in australia wire bound

Love this bright white paper!

wire bound dot grid notebook bullet journal australia aussie bright white paper pros and cons video flipthrough

The notebooks are handmade – I did notice some inconsistent dot placement at the edges of some of the pages.

lisa maj dot grid notebook review bright white paper

Sewn Bound Notebook

  • Size: Approx 6″ wide x 8.25″ high (around A5 page size)
  • Lay flat cotton stitched binding
  • No page numbers
  • Choose between 60 and 100 double sided pages
  • Bright white paper (100 GSM)
  • Cardstock cover (300 GSM)

Price: $20 – $24 AUD (depends on the number of pages)

If you’re a fan of traveller’s notebooks, but prefer a wider page size, this could be a good option.

list maj bullet journal notebook dot grid floral cover travellers notebook sewn bound 5mm dot grid aussie bujo bright white paper

I’m not normally a fan of sewn bound notebooks but this one actually lays flat.

lisa maj dot grid notebook for bujo review handmade australia

lisa maj dot grid notebook review

I do wish the covers were either laminated or a thicker cardstock / chipboard, the corners were a bit scuffed on arrival:

lisa maj dot grid notebook cheap affordable handmade in australia

Pen Test

The creator of these notebooks included a helpful pen test list with recommendations for which pens to use and which to avoid.

list maj bullet journal notebook dot grid floral cover wire bound travellers notebook sewn bound 5mm dot grid aussie bujo bright white paper pen test

lisa maj bujo notebook review pen testing paper quality handmade in australia bright white paper

Despite the product description stating pens won’t bleed through the paper (one of the reasons I was keen to try these notebooks), the paper is only 100 GSM so almost all of the pens and highlighters had some ghosting. If you use this notebook, stick to the Frixion erasable, ballpoint or gel pens.

lisa maj bujo notebook review pen testing paper quality handmade in australia bright white paper ghosting bleed through

Pros of the Notebooks

  • Portable size
  • Bright white paper that’s really smooth to write on
  • Each notebook includes lots of pages (the wire bound is 100 double sided pages)

Cons of the Planner

  • No page numbers
  • Limited cover options (and all are floral patterns)
  • Irregular dot placement on some of the pages
  • Cardstock covers are thin and easily damaged
  • Expensive
  • No built in ribbon bookmarks
  • Paper is prone to ghosting and bleed through

Would I use these notebooks?

I normally avoid sewn notebooks like Traveller’s Notebooks but I do like the wider page size of this one. However the wire bound version is still my favorite as it lays completely flat. The notebooks are nice but more cover options (I’m not a fan of floral patterns) and / or cover personalisation would be good, as well as thicker paper.

More bullet journal notebook reviews:

  • My Favorite Dot Grid Notebooks for Bullet Journaling
  • Scribbles That Matter Notebook
  • Little More Notebook
  • Practical Paper Co. Custom Dot Grid Notebook

comparison of 30 dot grid notebooks pros and cons page size paper quality price binding index page numbers review video

Planning Tips:

  • Color coding and planner decorating: 10 Pen brands that are available in a pack of 20 or more colors
  • Pens & Highlighters Smear Testing: Which ones don’t smear 
  • Microsoft Word versus Photoshop: Which is Better for Making Printables?

Browse all posts

Found this post helpful? Pin it!

lisa maj dot grid notebook review bullet journal australia bright white paper pros and cons pen testing aussie

You may also be interested in...

  • 10 Australian Dot Grid Notebooks for Bullet Journaling10 Australian Dot Grid Notebooks for Bullet Journaling
  • Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Notebook A5 Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal Notebook A5 Review (Pros, Cons & Video Walkthrough)
  • Ghost Grid wire bound lay flat dot grid notebook review (Including pen test)Ghost Grid wire bound lay flat dot grid notebook review (Including pen test)
  • Otto Dot Grid Bullet Journal Notebook Review (Pros, Cons and Pen Test)Otto Dot Grid Bullet Journal Notebook Review (Pros, Cons and Pen Test)
  • Artist’s Loft Dot Grid Journal Review (Pros, Cons and Pen Test)Artist’s Loft Dot Grid Journal Review (Pros, Cons and Pen Test)
  • Modena Stationery Dot Grid Notebook Review (Including Pen Testing)Modena Stationery Dot Grid Notebook Review (Including Pen Testing)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Posted In: Bullet Journal, Bullet Journal Reviews · Tagged: australian bujo, australian bujo notebook, australian bullet journal, australian dot grid notebook, bullet journal notebook australia, bullet journal notebook with bright white paper, buy australian bujo, buy australian bullet journal, dot grid notebook white paper, handmade dot grid notebook, handmade notebook, handmade sewn bound notebook, lisa maj dot grid notebook, lisa maj notebook review, wire bound bujo, wire bound bujo notebook, wire bound bullet journal

Welcome

Welcome to All About Planners! I’m Rachael, a 20-something Aussie addicted to graphic design and all things planning. On the blog you’ll find more than 1,000 posts about all things planning including planner reviews, tips, favorite supplies and some of my past weekly spreads.

Subscribe and join 60,000+ others on the quest to find planner peace!

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Search

Subscribe

free printables library sign up all about planners blog image graphic subscribe

Shop At Etsy

The photos and content on this site are the property of All About Planners. They are not allowed to be used without permission from All About Planners.

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Peter Pauper Press Essentials Dot Matrix Notebook Review (Including Pen Test)
  • ARC Punch versus Happy Planner versus the Levenger 1-2-3 Punch: Which is better?
  • Clever Fox Planner Pro Weekly Review
  • Simple Christmas themed weekly spread with washi tape and stencils
  • 10 Useful printables to add to your planner or bullet journal

Disclaimer

All About Planners is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Popular Posts

  • 130+ functional ideas to use blank notes pages of your planner or an empty notebook
  • Setting up a new planner: 70 Tasks to add
  • Planner Organization: How to color-code your planner so you’ll actually use it effectively
  • Bullet Journal Ideas: 26 Weekly Spread Layouts to Try
  • 100 things to put in your habit tracker of your planner or bullet journal (plus free printable habit tracker)

Printables

  • Learn How to Make Printables
  • How to Make Planner Stickers
  • Resources & Tools I Recommend

Subscribe to access the free Printables library

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
Privacy

Copyright © 2021 All About Planners · Theme by 17th Avenue