I hate ring bound planners and never use them. If you also have a strong dislike for them but still want the flexibility to add and remove planner inserts to create your own custom planner then I recommend discbound planner systems.

Why I don’t use ring bound planners

I find it very awkward to write in a ring bound planner, the rings always seem to be in the way – regardless of whether you’re left or right handed. 

There’s not enough room, Ring bound planners require wider page margins compared to other planner binding options, I don’t like that the rings take away so much valuable planning space.

Ring bound planners have different number of rings and sometimes different ring spacing, you need to be really careful if you’re buying pre punched inserts. Some inserts come pre-punched but they will only be compatible with certain planners that use the same number of holes (and have the same spacing between the holes). It can be very limiting if the brand who’s ring binder you purchased only offers a few refills. It’s harder to find inserts in retail stores (that’s the case here in Australia anyway) so you have to buy online (and then pay for shipping as well).

I prefer to use 7 x 9″ which I consider to be a medium page size. It’s hard to find ring bound planners in this size but there’s plenty of coil bound or discbound planners in this page size.

I’ve never really understood why, but ring bound planners can actually be really expensive.

It’s far more frustrating to punch your own inserts with ring bound planners. Punches are not as accurate as discbound planner punches. Your planner can end up being ‘messy’ with the holes not in exactly the right place on every page. With discbound punches they’re the entire length of a page and have a hard edge to line the page up against. They also tend to have a guide (my Arc punch does) for common page sizes like A4, half US letter etc. so it’s very quick and easy to punch. I can also punch more pages at a time with discbound punches than a 2 hole punch, discbound punches are much more sturdy.

Related: Ultimate planner page size guide (with printable reference cheat sheet) 

The pages show in the image above are from the Direct Sales Planner

It’s easier to just change the size of the discs rather than buy a fatter binder (and much cheaper). For larger size binders (e.g. 8.5 x 11″), unless you get one with 3 rings, stuff will be prone to falling out – especially if you’re storing a lot of pages in them. They can get quite heavy if you max out the rings.

There are many things to check when buying a ring bound planner – different page size inserts, holes, hole diameter etc. I find ring bound planners too overwhelming and confusing to shop for.

So what do I use instead? 

Discbound planners! See this post for everything you need to know: Guide to Discbound Planners & Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few options to choose from, I share some of my favorites later in this post.

Why I prefer to use discbound planners

The discs don’t get in the way when writing like binders can and you can fold the notebook back on itself. You can punch pages smaller than the size of the notebook i.e. if you purchase the letter size version, you could punch half size pages (on the shorter side) or small lists. The discs are less bulky and more portable than binders. Plus you can pull the pages out, write on them, then pop them back in.

I can easily remove pages (without damaging them) from one notebook and transfer them to another notebook. I can also transfer pages within the same notebook

I use the ARC discbound planner from Staples which comes in A5 and A4 size (full page and half page size). The ARC brand also has accessories such as plastic sleeves, pocket folders and zip-lock pocket. MAMBI also have an overwhelming number of adorable inserts and accessories!

Learn how to resize printables for any page size in this post.

If you don’t want to make your own cover, The Arc brand has super sturdy leather covers (you can also get a less expensive poly cover as well but it’s not as strong). Or you can learn how to DIY your own cover in this post. Then whenever you get bored of your cover, you can swap and change easily and don’t have to wait until next year’s planner to get a new cover. 

I like to experiment with different weekly spreads. I can add refill pages offered by the various discbound brands (see which ones are compatible in this post), use a free printable offered by well known brands (I did a list in this post), or use my own printable. I’ve been using discbound planners for nearly 10 years and have never had a disc break so it’s a very affordable option if you’ll be using it long term.

If you’ll be adding your own pages, see this post where I did a comparison between the Levenger, ARC and Happy Planner punches.

I can easily add more pages throughout the year. I usually keep about 6 months’ worth of planner pages in my notebook at once time to avoid it becoming too bulky. You can buy larger discs if you need to store more paper (and the rings aren’t too expensive) – just make sure you change the discs before you add the pages to your notebook (it’s much easier).

I hate small planners like personal size. Most ring bound planners come in these smaller non / standard page sizes.

The only reason I still use binders is for filing (important documents such as copies of insurance, stuff for my rental property) and for storing recipes. The plastic sleeves prevent damage and stains from kitchen spills, and means I don’t have the hassle of hole punching any pages. They are cheaper and easier to locate than plastic sleeves for discbound systems. 

Apart from that I use discbound systems for everything else!

If you’re still not sure what type of binding is right for you, see this post: How to choose a binding system for your planner (comparison and which one I like the most) 

Favorite discbound planners

Need help deciding? See this post: 10 Discbound notebooks for planning or bullet journaling

1. Arc by Staples

Related:  Free printable planner insert (for to do lists, grocery lists, weekly routine tasks etc.)

This the brand I use. I purchased it way back in 2015 when they were half the cost they are now. I highly recommend it and still have the original covers, discs and punch in perfect condition even after a couple of years of use.

Related: Week 14: Using a simple, 1 page weekly planner with only 3 sections

Related: ARC by Staples versus MAMBI – Which discbound system is better?

2. The MAMBI Happy Planner

The MAMBI Happy Planner has become more readily available in Australia over the past couple of years – it’s punch and discs are much cheaper than the cost of the Arc system (which has gotten quite expensive!) so if you want to try a discbound system I’d go with MAMBI.

My sister stocks a ton of MAMBI products in her planner supplies shop.

Related: Honest review of the Happy Planner by Me and my Big Ideas (MAMBI)

3. Plum Paper

Plum Paper has always been one of my all time favorite planner brands. So it was a shame I had already bought basically all of their planner layouts when they finally offered disc binding. Nevermind, it was easy to create my own discbound planner using the inserts (I shared a tutorial in this post),

Related posts:

• • Planning 101: Need versus want versus wish list planner supplies
  • Buying a planner versus DIYing and making your own (pros and cons) 
  • Overwhelmed by the planner community? Read this post 

 

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