After seeing the Recollections Planner all over the internet I decided it was high time I saw the Recollections Planner for myself!

Quick facts

• Cover Size: 7.5″ wide x 9.25″ high
• Inside pages” 7″ wide x 8.75″ high
• Coil binding
• Laminated cardstock cover (no personalisation option)
• This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
• Dates at a glance
• Colorful inside pages
• 2 page weekly spread (starts on Monday)
• 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
• Monthly notes page
• Notes pages at the back
• Double sided pocket folder
• Clear plastic pencil case
• Tabs

Price: $30 USD

Let’s take a closer look!

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Related: Ultimate Comparison: Erin Condren Life Planner versus Plum Paper Planners – Which planner is better? 

The Cover

There are plenty of cute covers to choose from – this donut one was my favorite!

The cover is cardstock with thick laminate. This planner held up well but I purchased another one (the horizontal version – see this post) which didn’t hold up as well in transit. The laminate in the corner was bent and split and so were some of the tabs inside, even though the cover extends beyond the tabs.

Overall, the laminate doesn’t feel as thick as some other planners such as Erin Condren.

The planner is quite thick, bulky and heavy. The coil is large for the size of the planner, however it does mean there’s room for the planner to expand if you like to use planner stickers.

Note that this is an 18 month planner.

This belongs to page

Important Dates

Lined writing space open ended so you can use for whatever you like!

Important Contacts Page

I’m not sure why some planner companies still include these pages since most people just record this on their phone but the page is there if you need it. You could also re-purpose it into a password tracker by whiting out the existing text.

Monthly Calendar

Week starts on a Sunday (not consistent with the weekly spread that starts on Monday)

I’m not normally someone that likes pastel colors but I actually like them in this planner. Simple, clean design and the colors aren’t as ‘in your face’ as the Erin Condren (going to be making a lot of comparisons in this post because they are quite similar planners).

One thing I don’t like about the monthly calendar though, is that they’ve split the boxes in 2 rather than re-starting numbering on the top row. When I use this calendar I’ll be whiting out the diagonal lines and dates and writing the dates on the top row (or using a date dot sticker).

Weekly Planner

The title sections are blank so you can use them for whatever you like. If you get tired of writing out your subjects (or other headings), see this post for a tutorial on how to make header planner stickers.

The week starts on a Monday (not consistent with the weekly spread that starts on Sunday)

The colors used throughout this planner are pink, green, yellow and blue.

I actually don’t even mind the yellow!

Continuing with the comparisons to the Erin Condren, I much prefer the Recollections layout where the lines underneath the daily boxes extend the full width. This way you have the option to continue daily planning or do general weekly planning (or draw some lines and turn this into a habit tracker).

Dates at a glance

Extras pages

Lined notes pages

And grid dot pages too!

These pages would be ideal for graphing spending, habit tracking, mood tracker, savings tracker etc.

Tabs & Dividers

The tabs are large, easy to grip and laminated. The laminate cover extends beyond the tabs i.e. they’re protected from tab. I will note however, that I purchased the horizontal version of the planner as well, which got a bit knocked around in transit including some damage to the tabs.

Different covers for each month – this one is my favorite:

Planner Stickers

Colors match the colors of the pages in the planner

Pen Testing

I tried various ballpoint, gel, fine tip and marker tip pens. The 3 marker pens (Uni Pis, Pure Color-F and Muji Hexa Pen) had some light ghosting but there was no ghosting for any of the other pens. And no bleed through for any! 🙂

I also did some highlighter and stamp swatches – no ghosting either.

However, as always, the MAMBI stamps bled through the page ?

Overall, one of the best pen test results of the 50+ planners I’ve reviewed! 🙂

Pros of the Recollections Planner

• Affordable
• Nice color scheme
• Variety of patterns on the tabs

Cons of the Recollections Planner

• Could be more durable e.g. tabs and the laminate (the other recollections planner in the same size was damaged in transit)
• Can only buy it from Michael’s in the USA

Would I use this planner?

I like the overall style of the planner but I’m not someone that tends to gravitate towards vertical planners – I prefer planners that have wider columns that are ideal for list making. I also purchased the horizontal Recollections Planner – the review is in this post.

Comparison with Erin Condren

As to whether I think the Recollections Planner is better than the Erin Condren? My answer would be yes!  It’s much cheaper, has nicer colors (that aren’t as ‘in your face’ as the Erin Condren) and the paper quality is great.

More planner reviews:

• Kikki K Academic Year Weekly Planner Review 
• Erin Condren Hardbound Life Planner Review 
• Weekly Planner from Unique Planners by Pirongs Review (including video walkthrough)

Planning Tips:

• Color coding your planner: how to choose which colors to use 
• How to store planner pens (5 ways – and my favorite method!)
• How to make a DIY Erin Condren Planner Cover for less than $2 (plus free printable cover) 

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