Tested: The 8 Best Pocket Notebooks For Everyday Carry

There’s no denying that our lives are increasingly and exponentially dependent upon and integrated with technology. However, having access to high-tech options does not necessarily mean they’re better for you than more traditional, analog alternatives. In fact, trying to shoehorn tech into every facet of your life could potentially be a detriment. After all, battery-powered devices require regular power renewal and many of them also require a good connection to either a WiFi network or cell towers in order to properly and fully function.

In order to ground yourself, try adding a pocket notebook to your EDC loadout. Whether you need to quickly add to a shopping list or write down your next big idea, these small notepads are still an essential element to everyday life for a reason. To help you better understand the landscape, here are the best pocket notebooks for everyday carry.

How We Tested

There are virtually countless pocket notebooks available from even some of the biggest brands out there. However, to get to the best of the best of pocket notebooks, you truly need to get hands-on with them. We started looking at brands we know and love in the EDC space and a few others that are well respected, creating a shortlist of names based on construction techniques, aesthetic, paper and cover quality, color and ruling options, size, and price.

From there, we sourced our units for testing and got hands-on with each and every notebook, writing inside, carrying it in our pockets, and generally putting them through a daily grind along with us. We looked at construction even further, along with the experience of using them, typically with a ballpoint pen. We saw how easy (or difficult) it was to rip the paper covers, and attempted to rip out a page or two from each notebook to see how it affected the page itself as well as the rest of the notebook. All of our findings are detailed below.

What to Look For

Page Count: Simply put, the more pages that can be packed into one notebook, the fewer you’ll go through. However, if you have too many pages, the books will be much thicker and perhaps less practical as pocket gear.

Cover/Page Quality: If you’re looking to carry around this pad in your pocket, just know that it’s going to go through some things. And if the pages and cover are not made well, chances are they will rip out easily.

Size: The size of your notebook is important since it will determine how well it fits into your pockets and how easily it is to right on for extensive periods. If you’re looking to just jot down one or two sentences, or words, at a time, then a smaller pad will be just fine. However, if you are working on something bigger, you may want a larger writing area so you won’t have as many pages to keep track of. We found that 3.5″ x 5.5″ is the perfect dimension

Durability: While not every pocket notebook has to be indestructible or waterproof, there should be some level of durability to something that remains in your pockets at all times, sharing space with knives, multi-tools, pens, and especially jagged keys. The last thing you want is pages getting inadvertently ripped out.

Binding: You may not realize how important binding is to your notebook but it’s important that your pages aren’t falling out throughout your day. It may take you several months to get through one book, and if your binding doesn’t hold up, you might run into some issues. Look for double or triple stapling or classic threaded binding.

Rite in the Rain Notebooks

Best for Hiking: For outdoorsmen and anyone else who spends a lot of time outside, Rite in the Rain’s catalog of pocket notebook offerings is one of the toughest to beat. This is because, as the brand’s name suggests, RitR has focused its business on developing and producing some of the most durable notebooks in the world. Yes, even the pages between their covers are waterproof — to the point that you could still write in them even in a deluge. And that weatherproofing technology extends to the brand’s entire lineup, so you can’t go wrong in that regard with any of their products.

The Good

Despite having the lowest price on this list, the Rite in the Rain Notebooks are easily the most durable in terms of paper-covered pads for the outdoors. It was the only one with a cover that I couldn’t rip. There are several different size and color options to choose from but we went with the yellow pocket-sized version, which is 3.25″ x 4.625″. The yellow color helps this stick out in a backpack or bag, and if you happen to lose it on the trail, you’ll spot it easily.

I also went with the lined page option (there’s a dotted page option as well) but I loved that, along with the horizontal lines, there are lightly perforated vertical lines all the way across, which give you a nice option if you’re planning on doing something other than simple list making or note taking. Likewise, this and the LEUCHTTURM1917 below were the only notebooks I tested that had numbered pages. I love referencing my past notes and these were really helpful. Plus, the pages tore out really easily during our rip test.

The Not So Good

While these are the smallest notebooks on this list, that also means that most pens will stick out the bottom if you choose to clip them on your most current page. This won’t be an issue if the pens are capped but if you’re like me, you like to have your writing utensils at the ready. This means that ink will inadvertently get on things inside of your pocket, unlike other notebooks which are long enough to cover the tip.

Also, because of the thickness of the pages, you won’t get a ton of them. As such, this one only has 24 pages –– not a lot. Also, the stapled binding might be an issue for some.

Verdict: Rite in the Rain’s pocket notebooks are not only the most affordable but they’re one of the most unique on this list. Water-resistant and tear-proof, the pads might be the smallest on the list –– an issue for people who stick their pens inside –– but they also have numbered pages, rulers on the back, and vertical lines. But also keep in mind, you’ll only get 24 pages.

Field Notes Pocket Notebooks

Best Overall EDC Notebook: Field Notes is so significant to the pocket notebook space that you could feasibly put together a “best of” list with only this brand’s offerings (and you wouldn’t be totally wrong in doing so). Created and helmed by design genius Aaron Draplin, this USA-made brand has carved out a niche the size of the Grand Canyon in this space, marked by an intimidating number of exceptional year-round offerings and peppered with regular limited-edition releases that help to push the limits of what pocket notebooks (and other notebook-adjacent products) can be. If you only consider one brand on this list, it should absolutely be Field Notes. We cannot sing their praises enough.

The Good

From the dimensions of the book to its weight to its number of cover options, Field Notes’ Pocket Notebook is truly the sum of its parts. Not to mention, the brand uses local companies to help with everything from printing to binding, all of which are detailed on the brand’s website as well as inside the back cover of the notebook. They have blank, lined, and graph options to give you some variety (we went with graph paper just to see what it was like). I liked the brown lining, which helped the black ink stand out better on my pen.

These are also one of two options we tested that used triple-staple binding, which helps with durability. I also enjoyed the information capability offered on the inside cover. There are places to put your name, the dates of use, auxiliary information, and your contact information in case the notebook gets lost (you can even check a box if there’s a reward waiting for the finder).

The Not So Good

Perhaps the only major detraction you could make about the Field Notes books is the flimsiness of its covers. While this surely helps cut costs, it also decreases durability and makes it more challenging to write without a harder surface underneath. I should also mention that the cover was the easiest to rip. Also, I happened to notice that the book splayed open much higher when sitting on my desk than the others I was testing, which may be a slight annoyance for some.

Verdict: The best all-around option, the Field Notes Pocket Notebook balances construction quality, customization, and price well. Despite the flimsier-than-average cover, the books excel in the simple things like the lining color or the extra binding staple. These are just really fun to use and you feel like you’re handling something of higher quality.

Public Supply Notebooks

Best for School: Sometimes, even when a brand’s offerings are truly exceptional, it’s the company mission that really helps it stand apart from the crowded gallery. That’s exactly the case with Public Supply. Yes, everything this brand offers — from its minimalist standard pocket notebooks to its gorgeous American-made leather covers — is stupendous and worth your hard-earned dollars. But it’s the mission of helping to “support creative work in our country’s public schools” that really sets Public Supply apart. In fact, the brand allocates a whopping 25% of all net profits to supporting high-need, creativity-focused classrooms. That alone would be enough to earn them a spot here, but it helps that their products are also outstanding.

The Good

It’s easy to forget how durability plays a part in what you take with you to school. Not only does your gear often get put into action each and every day but it’s often sharing the same real estate as large, heavy textbooks and pencil boxes. When you’re looking for a pocket notebook for school, you’ll enjoy Public Supply’s USA-made booklets. The cover has an area for writing your subject and the lining is light enough that you can easily draw diagrams or math equations if need be. There’s also a dotted option if that’s your style.

The covers don’t have a ton of graphic options but are simple yet classy –– perhaps my favorite of the bunch, sporting a mature, handsome aesthetic that fits so well on your desktop. Also, the cover is incredibly sturdy for a soft-bound book, which helps when writing on the go (i.e., not on top of a hard surface).

The Not So Good

My biggest complaint is the sheer thickness of the covers, which might not be as practical in non-school settings. These books are quite hefty and the pages fall in line with that too, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. However, they also might be overkill for your standard everyday pocket notebook and the pages do tend to stick together because of their construction. Also, after the rip test, the pages tore out fairly cleanly but less so than some of the others here.

Verdict: Purpose-built for school settings, the Public Supply Pocket Notebooks are sturdy enough to endure your everyday classroom travails and also give you some versatility with their light ruling (in dot or line options). We loved the handsome aesthetic of the books even if they might be a little too thick for some users. Also, the brand ensures that 25% of profits go towards public schools.

Doane Paper Utility Notebooks

Best for Doodling: Proof positive that a simple, pared-down selection of minimalist options can be just what the doctor ordered, there’s Doane Paper. The company was built on a simple concept: combining grid paper and legal lined notebooks into a single, seamless offering. And that concept has helped solidify Doane amongst the best options out there. Perfect for everything from simple doodling to complex bookkeeping, these pocket notebooks are a solid do-it-all option. And if you really want to keep your notebooks safe (and handsome-looking), the brand also offers a premium stitched leather cover.

The Good

Arguably the most similar to the Field Notes books in terms of sizing and overall appearance (and staple count), Doane’s Utility Notebooks are also more affordable. While the overall price is a bit higher, you get six books in total instead of the standard three. Likewise, they each come in a different color so you can better delineate between different subjects, date periods, or uses (e.g., yellow for shopping, green for ideas, etc.).

I liked the balance of rigidity and softness on the cover. I could easily write without having a hard surface underneath but these didn’t feel bulky in my pockets. These were also bound with a trio of staples (like Field Notes) which made the books feel a bit more durable. Regarding the pages, the combination of ruled lines and graphing grids will appeal to the doodler and give you options for usage (e.g., math, drawing, note-taking).

The Not So Good

Combining gridding and lining, the Doane Paper books we tested were useful to a point. Drawing on the hybrid ruling was a fun experience but note-taking wasn’t as enjoyable. I wasn’t a fan of the darker, beefier horizontal lines which made it more difficult for the pen ink to stand out. I tend to write sloppier in my pocket notebooks (typically I’m trying to be quick or I’m not looking down when I’m writing) so when I spilled over the lines, the ink was harder to read. This was twofold when it came to the dashes I use when making lists, many of which blended in with the lines.

Also, as sturdy as the cover was, I noticed some slight fraying around the edges after just one day of carrying it in my pants pocket.

Verdict: The graph-lines hybrid ruling won’t be for everyone but the Doane Paper Utility Notebooks offer great versatility for those wanting one book for different things. Highly affordable with six books in each purchase instead of the standard three, these also come in different colors within your 6-pack, which is great for covering an array of uses. Despite slight fraying after just one day of pocket carry, the cover balanced softness and rigidity well. If you’re a doodler or simply want the best bang for your buck, check these out.

Word. Notebooks

Best Graphic Cover Notebooks: Everything Word. offers is made in the USA — but that’s just one of the many things that makes this pocket notebook brand one worth keeping in mind. Other factors include a wide variety of stylish, handsome, artful covers — including everything from a basic (albeit smart) black-on-black to more complex designs like the aptly-named Intergalactic option — as well as a handy, integrated organizational system built into every single standard-format notebook the brand offers. Of course, if you want something a bit different and more purpose-driven, Word. also offers notebooks to suit — like the brand’s Fishing Log, Adventure Log, and a day-planning Memorandum notebook.

The Good

We got hands-on with the space-themed Word. Notebook you see above but the company has an array of cover options from tie-dye to a simple retro checker pattern. As a serial list-maker, I also loved the built-in bullet points on the left margins. This is supplemented with an inside cover that leaves room for your name, date range, and brief info, but also a key to how to utilize these bullet points for lists and task management. Meanwhile, the inside back cover has some shorthand note-taking tips.

In terms of writing on the pages, my ballpoint pen felt really satisfying. The pages are thick but also feel soft against my writing utensil. Like the Public Supply book above, the cover was pretty thick too. However, this notebook had a slightly less rigid paper which helped with the overall thickness and writing experience.

The Not So Good

Considering the price of the Word. Notebooks, you can’t really go wrong. However, there will always be people who want something a bit less flashy, like the other options above, or may be turned off by the proprietary bullet point system on the margins. Also similar to the Public Supply book above, the pages didn’t rip out super cleanly. However, it still got all of the bullet points intact without a lot of effort. As a minor quibble, the pair of staples on the binding showcases less quality control as, say, Field Notes and Public Supply, with their positioning not being as perfectly aligned with the notebook’s crease.

Verdict: Much more affordable than some other options we tested, the Word. Notebooks come in a handful of cool, non-limited cover graphics that may help inspire you in your creativity. Perhaps the most satisfying when it came to physically writing on the pages, the booklets also sport a built-in bullet point system in the margins, which might not be for everybody but adds a nice flair to the production.

Moleskine Classic Notebooks

Best Hard-Cover Notebook: If there’s a “household” name in the pocket notebook space, it’s almost definitely Moleskine. This brand has been a staple of both the notetaking and art industries for decades now, and they’re certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. That bodes very well for people who want classic, iconic options when it comes to picking up a pocket notebook, or a notebook of any size, really. Especially if you’re an artist, Moleskine is a tough brand to beat — and they have a deep catalog of offerings to match.

The Good

High page counts don’t have to be exclusive to large-sized notebooks. Moleskine’s pocket option has nearly 200 pages, and you can get the pocket version in currently eight different color options and four ruling options, including lined, dotted, graph, and plain. And like the Public Supply ruling, the lines stand out but aren’t aggressively dark or thick here. At $20, this will be slightly more expensive than the above options, especially since you’re just getting a single notebook. However, the page count is at least quadruple the above, plus you’ll get durability and a nice ribbon bookmark.

I also thought the secret back pocket was a nice touch, especially if you’re trying to find a place for business cards, ticket stubs, or receipts. However, keep in mind that it will be easy to forget these are in there, and if you throw away the notebook after it’s used up, you run the risk of throwing away these ephemera as well.

The Not So Good

At first, I wasn’t a fan of the lack of a top margin on each page but then realized it allowed me to optimize space on each page much better. After all, we don’t need top margins on small pocket notebooks, do we? And if they’re available, we’re so programmed not to write in them that we end up wasting that space anyway.

Like other saddle stitch binding options we tested, the process of ripping out paper was a struggle. And the Moleskine was no different, so keep that in mind if you’re the type of person who likes to write-and-rip.

Verdict: A superb hard-cover option, Moleskine has become synonymous with the category and has a plethora of color, ruling, and even size options to choose from. There’s also the ribbon bookmark, the elastic band around the outside, and a useful pocket in the back cover (but don’t forget to empty it out). Not to mention, the price isn’t too bad either. The pages themselves don’t rip out easily but you don’t mind a larger bulk in your pocket, this one will actually save you some money.

LEUCHTTURM1917 Pocket A6 Notebook

Best for Customizing: For anyone seeking out a softcover notebook that still has some upscale styling to it, you can’t go wrong with LEUCHTTURM1917’s Pocket A6 Notebook. Available in four paper formats — dotted, ruled, squared, and plain — and a multitude of colorways, these 123-page pocket notebooks are great for students, professionals, and everyone in between. They even come with integrated bookmarks, so you can keep your place without having to dog-ear the pages or thumb through them every time you open the covers.

The Good

Virtually similar in construction and physical appearance to the Moleskine above, the LEUCHTTURM1917 A6 Pocket Notebook is slightly taller and wider –– the biggest of any we tested. And it also has nearly quadrupled the page count, which should more than cancel out the higher price tag. However, this book has nearly triple the color options, a softcover option, and the same four ruling options as the former. I also loved the page numbers here. As an aside, it’s strange that only two notebooks I tested had these (the other being Rite in the Rain).

Moreover, this book features a table of contents at the beginning which is great for those hyper organizers. I’m partial to books like this. I’ve had my fair share of notebooks with built-in organization but too often are these features integrated with each page individually, limiting my own ability to write freely (with segmentation and the inability to go beyond a single page). However, with the A6 Pocket Notebook, I was able to write freely and then retroactively put the page numbers for each topic I had written about.

The Not So Good

Just like the slightly more expensive Moleskine, the LEUCHTTURM1917 found flaws when it came to ripping out pages. However, I was able to get a few clean rips depending on where in the book I ripped from. On the other hand, the failed rips affected more than just the page being ripped and put holes in adjacent pages as well.

Also, there are some that might not want the extra height and width of this book, or the few pages taking up the table of contents in the front. If you’re looking to optimize space with size, the Moleskine might be better for you. But you’ll be splitting hairs.

Verdict: Slightly cheaper than the similar Moleskine, the LEUCHTTURM1917 A6 Pocket Notebook is superb when it comes to customization options and built-in organization tools –– and without limiting your freedom of writing. We loved the table of contents at the beginning, which works in association with the page numbers. You’ll get nearly 200 pages here, plus slightly larger-sized pages. However, don’t try to tear out any pages in the process because it could ruin your book.

Ezra Arthur Small Notebook

Best Leather-Bound Notebook: Disposable, all-paper pocket notebooks are not necessarily the best option for every single everyday carry enthusiast. If you like to take handwritten notes but you want something a little more upscale and heritage-quality, you might be the target market for Ezra Arthur’s Small Notebook you see here. Each of these handsome books comes loaded with a packet of high-quality Tomoe River paper between Horween premium leather covers — which can be monogrammed for an upcharge and are available in several colors. Better still, once you run out of space, you can easily send in your pocket notebook to have its pages replaced (for $20), giving you a clean slate once more.

The Good

Ezra Arthur’s Small Notebook may be the epitome of hand-crafted EDC gear but it’s also quite the conversation starter. Looking like an old journal you’ve found with your ancestor’s life story inside (and with no branding), the leather-bound booklet is more than just a good idea. To up the purity of it all, the pages don’t feature any lines but there is a bookmark card that doubles as a guide for those who want to write/draw on lines or graphing squares. You can see through the ultra-thin paper easily so this wasn’t an issue at all.

I’m a sucker for the rugged leather scent, and this Ezra Arthur notebook hits the spot. The exterior cover and binding feel durable, protecting the pages inside and building up some character along the way. You don’t have to worry about the soft cover ripping at all. I was also able to tear out the pages fairly easily and without affecting the rest of the pages.

The Not So Good

Aside from the higher price tag of these notebooks, there’s not much to nitpick about here; those wanting an heirloom-quality leather option will likely be willing to pay the extra amount. I do wish, however, that there were more paper thickness options. The thin style is great for seeing the line guide on the back side but might not be preferable for certain people. I’m a firm writer and the indent of my pen was going through to the next pages every time.

Verdict: Durable and rugged despite the ultra-thin paper stock, this handsome premium Horween leather-bound Ezra Arthur Small Notebook is admittedly pricey but can also be rebound for $20 when it’s full. Some might not love the thin paper but this is still the perfect choice for those looking for an heirloom notebook to pass down through the generations.

Pocket Notebooks Comparison Chart

Why Get a Pocket Notebook?

In this age of smartphones, it may seem unnecessary to tow around an additional writing device, but there are many reasons why a tactile way of writing is better than a virtual notepad. If you’re the type who frequently finds yourself with good ideas you wish to remember, to-do lists (or other, similar types of task-based organization), or you just like to doodle, using your smartphone or tablet might not always be in your best interests — especially if you’re frequently on the go.

Instead of fumbling about with often imprecise and overly complicated apps, you may be better off adding a pocket notebook to your everyday carry loadout. These simple, tried-and-true bits of EDC won’t ever run out of battery, they’re easy to reference in the future, and they’re typically far cheaper than even the most basic tech alternatives — even over time and with multiple purchases. Likewise, if you’re in a situation where phones might be taboo (i.e., movie theaters, classrooms, churches), a notepad is a more acceptable way to jot things down.

Honorable Mentions

A solid budget option, Rhodia’s A7 Notebooks are undoubtedly a familiar option but honestly, the Rite in the Rain Notebooks are cheaper per book, more durable, and more fun to use.

For fans of the minimalist EDC firm, The James Brand’s Daily EDC Notebook has an expectedly attractive aesthetic but didn’t offer anything incredibly unique over the other offerings here.

Another fairly standard pocket notebook but with fewer pages than other options out there, Muji’s Passport Memo was simply less exciting than the other notebooks we tested.

Bellroy’s Work Folio A5 isn’t an actual notebook, per se, but more of a notebook cover and holder. It deserves a mention just for how conveniently it allows you to keep your notebook, along with other gear like stationary and tech cables.

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