Review of the DotCross Planner by Scribbles That Matter (B5 page size)
There are very few planners that offer dot grid pages throughout the entire planner. One planner that does is the Scribbles that Matter DotCross planner.
Quick facts
- Available in A5 or B5 page size
- Sewn bound
- Choose between dated and undated
- Undated version has 5 weekly pages per month so you won’t run out of space
- Plenty of cover colors to choose from – teal, purple, dark green, black, dark blue, grey, yellow, pink, burgundy, pear
- 120GSM paper
- Life goals
- Yearly overview
- 20 dot grid notes pages
- 2 page monthly calendar
- No split boxes on the monthly calendar page
- 5mm dot grid spacing
- The dots are feint grey
- Pen loop
- Comes with a fineliner pen
- Numbered pages
- 2 Ribbon bookmarks (different colors)
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. If you purchase this notebook using my affiliate link I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Price of the Dot Cross Planner
- A5 Dated or Undated = $35 USD + shipping
- B5 Dated or Undated = $40 USD + shipping
- There is free shipping to USA addresses with no minimum spend if you purchase the planner directly through the Scribbles That Matter website. If you are located outside the USA, you’ll need to purchase via Amazon
I purchased this planner on Amazon over a year ago (I know it’s taken me a long time to get around to doing a review!). At that time I could only purchase a dated version, however there is now also an undated version. Some of the inside layouts have also changed in the updated 2024 version.
My dated version is for 12 months starting in January through to December (2023). The Scribbles that Matter website’s product description is vague. I assume they are still offering a 12 month calendar year version only – I cannot see any reference to a version starting mid-year.
Since B5 is a page size that’s hard to find, I purchased the B5 version (7″ wide x 10″ high). The planner also comes in A5.
Lets take a closer look!
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Related post: Scribbles That Matter: Iconic versus the Pro Version with 160 GSM paper (Which is better?)
The Cover
The planner has the usual sturdy vegan leather hardcover that comes with most bullet journal notebooks. I chose purple and the color really pops with the pretty indented pattern I’ve never come across before.
Sadly the newer versions of the planner have a more simplified cover with only the ox letters in the middle of the plain cover (and no pattern). There are, however, plenty of colors to choose from! Purple, pink, yellow, green, teal, red, navy and black
Yearly Overview Section
At the start of the planner is a 2 page yearly overview with mini calendars for each of the 12 months and dot grid writing space underneath.
The numbers for each calendar are really small and I’m not sure why – there is ample space to increase the font size. At least the font style chosen is easy to read.
There is another 2 page yearly overview for the following year so you can plan ahead.
The dot grid throughout this planner is 5mm.
In the updated 2024 release, this is what the yearly overview pages look like:
Life Goals Section
There are 4 goal planning pages and these are in a different layout to most of the generic layouts you find in a planner.
- Life planner (starting from 1997 through to 2035)
- Vision for the current year – happier, healthier, wealthier, wiser (in a similar layout to an Eisenhower matrix)
- 2 page actions – which you could use for recurring tasks / habits / routines
- 3 double sided plus 2 single sided dot grid pages
I love this 2 page actions log and wish there were more copies of this layout included!
Monthly calendar
This planner has a different take on a monthly calendar. Instead of a fixed grid, it only adds the days you actually need for that month. Which means… no split boxes! Each day gets an equal space to plan. However it does mean that some months have 6 rows instead of just restarting the dates on the top row.
The week starts Monday on the monthly calendars (consistent with the weekly spread).
Each box is 3.5cm wide x 3cm high.
I found it a bit odd that the boxes have dot grid writing space but then it’s just blank around the boxes. I thought the creators of the planner would take the opportunity to add some dot grid notes space, as there’s a lot of under-utilised space on the page. If you like drawing doodles in your bullet journal – this monthly calendar would be ideal for you.
Update: The 2024 version has a much better monthly calendar layout with larger boxes and a lined sidebar.
Weekly pages
The version I purchased had a horizontal weekly spread – but this version is a little different from the mainstream horizontal layout we’ve all seen many times before. There are columns on either side of the spread with a horizontal days of the week format in between. A great layout if you like making lists! There are no pre-printed headings so you can customise as you please:
- Use washi tape or a ruler to divide the columns into smaller sections
- Use 1 sidebar column for a work to do list and the other for a personal to do list
- Add a habit tracker (the dot grid writing space makes it easy to do this!)
The sidebar columns are 5.5cm wide.
The boxes for each day are 7.5cm wide x 4.5cm high.
The weekly layout is also a bit different in how they address the first and last weeks of the month when it may not be a full week. If say, the week ends on a Tuesday, you’ll get an entire 2 page spread for just the Monday and Tuesday.
And then the first weekly spread of the following month, where the week starts on the Wednesday, you’ll get an entire 2 page spread for Wednesday to Sunday.
Some people are either going to love it or hate it. I personally prefer to see my entire week on one 2 page spread instead of flicking back and forth, but the layout does give you some bonus pages if you want more room for notes, project planning etc.
Each weekly spread also includes a mini monthly calendar.
The newer version has a 1 page horizontal weekly with 1 page notes. I also like the newer layout. Maybe I should purchase the A5 version and do a comparison…
Dot grid pages
There are 3 double sided plus 2 single sided dot grid pages at the front of the planner.
At the back of the planner are an additional 16 double sides pages and 1 single sided dot grid page that you can use for whatever you like. Some of their suggestions:
- Budget planner
- Chores tracker
- Wish list
- Recipes
- Weight tracker
- Gift ideas
- Reading list
- Etc.!
Related post: Using blank pages: 50 useful lists to add to your planner
The pages in this planner lay flat on their own.
Also worth noting – there is approx. 1cm on each side of the dot grid so no dots are printed too close to the edge of the page.
Something else this planner does differently, it gives you a guide for ruling up the pages. If you look closely there is a tiny cross in the middle of the page as well as small lines in the middle at the top, left, right and bottom of the page. Very handy!
Pen Test
The planner comes with 2 pages with a pen test heading already printed.
The Scribbles that Matter website shows a comparison of their 120GSM paper versus ‘other’ (doesn’t say what the ‘other’ notebook is). The comparison shows that the Scribbles that Matter has perfect paper with no bleed through. I’m always skeptical when I see a perfect pen test so here is a ‘true’ pen test:
Not bad! Some indenting of ballpoint pens, ghosting for marker pens and bleed through of the Happy Planner stamps. No ghosting or bleed through for fine tip and gel pens.
Pocket folder
There is one roomy pocket folder at the back of the planner.
Pros of the planner
- No split boxes on the monthly calendar page
- Large page size that is uncommon for sewn bound planners and bullet journals
- Unique cover design
- Multiple cover colors to choose from
- Bright white paper
- Numbered pages
- Clean minimalist design that is gender neutral
- Pen loop (and pen)
- Pages lay flat on their own
- 2 Ribbon bookmarks (different colors)
- Unique weekly spread
- Dot grid throughout which is rare to find in a planner
- The full dot grid pages have markers to help you rule up spreads faster
- Good quality paper
Cons of the planner
- Monthly calendar boxes are small and do not maximise the usable writing space on the page
- The B5 version is probably too large and heavy for most people to take with them on the go
At the start / end of the month, the weekly spreads are split – this may be a pro or a con depending on your personal preference.
Would I use this planner?
Yes, this is one of the best hybrid bullet journal notebook / planners I’ve come across.
The weekly layout is very functional and the larger page size provides plenty of room to write. The cover is pretty and the paper quality is good.
Who is this planner for?
I feel like this planner would suit anyone, except perhaps those that like an hour by hour pre-printed schedule on their weekly spread.
You could customise the left and right columns however you like with stickers, highlighters, section it off into mini lists, add some quotes etc.
If you’d like a planner with dot grid pages, the Cloudberry Journal is another option to consider.
More planner reviews
More bullet journal reviews
- Cloudberry Journal (hybrid bullet journal / planner)
- Amanda Rach Lee (160 GSM paper)
- Dingbats* Notebook for Bullet Journaling Review (super smooth paper!)
Planning tips
- 7 Ways to use dot markers in your planner or bullet journal
- 5 Ways to get ideas for your planner spreads
- 150 Dinner Ideas Printable Quick Reference List
- The best tools for habit tracking in your planner or bullet journal (my top 10)
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