Notebook Review: Leuchtturm vs Rhodia
A Bullet Journal & Planner Dictionary
July 7, 2016
How to Use Rolling Weeks
July 14, 2016
Today I have a notebook review I hope will help many bullet journalists (and journal enthusiasts) everywhere – the comparison between Leuchtturm and Rhodia. Undoubtedly, Leuchtturm has a huge following in the bullet journal world, but many have pushed for Rhodia as another great notebook (I mean, I might have said that a few times myself). So here we go, a comparison of the two.
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LEUCHTTURM VS RHODIA NOTEBOOKS
At a glance:
- Roughly the same size, with the Leuchtturm a titch wider
- Rhodia has 90 gsm paper which holds ink better than Leuchtturm’s 80 gsm.
- Rhodia has creamier colored paper than Leuchtturm’s off-white
- Leuchtturm has a vast array of beautiful colors
- Leuchtturm has many more pages – 250 compared to Rhodia’s 160
- Leuchtturm has page numbers and index
- Rhodia is about $18 on Amazon whereas Leuchtturm has fluctuated quite a bit due to a huge demand lately (hmm I wonder why! LOL), for now it is about $21.
I have both, and I enjoy them both. Since I mainly bullet journal in a traveler’s notebook, I realized I’d have to migrate lists much more often than I cared to, so I got my Rhodia. I use it for long-term collections to reference in a more permanent way than other, more temporary, lists I make. I don’t need it to last eons. I just started a Leuchtturm for work and I think I’ll really enjoy it because it will late me a while, I don’t need to use calligraphy ink in it so the ghosting matters less, and there are 2 bookmarks to make way-finding easier. I’ll do a post about that soon!
As I say in the video, I can’t make the decision for you – notebooks are very personal and it depends how you want to use yours. If you’re just starting out or are on a budget, I would even recommend many OTHER notebooks to try the method out instead. These are certainly nice but they are in no way required to bullet journal – you can bullet journal on any kind of notebook. At the end of the day, it’s about the method, not the stuff.
What are the kinds of considerations you make in buying a notebook? Did I answer your questions? Let me know in the comments!
Yours,
Jessica
28 Comments
Great post! I’ve just bought a Leuchtturm notebook to start my August Bullet Journaling in! It’s my first one so hopefully I get on well using it 🙂 xx
Try some practice sheets get an idea of what you want to do with it! So excited for you!
I will do! Thank you!
I was less than thrilled when I downgraded from the Leuchtturm Master to the A5… I hadn’t realized the difference in the paper quality in their descriptions but it made a difference to me now that I’ve found gel pens I love but that are wetter than ballpoints and felt tip. And forget Moleskines! I don’t know how I ever loved those! Lol. I only have small Rhodias I’ve received in a sample pack from Goulet Pens and I think I got a couple in my ScribeDelivered boxes, but I do like the paper in them.
My husband uses the pocket Rhodia notebooks which he loves, because again hat paper! I haven’t tried the master slim but I would be interested in comparing the paper, I’ve heard that before! Such a Bummer 😔
I love them both. Here’s something new. I bought a TWSBI notebook with grids and I am surprised by how much I love it. I don’t know how many pages it has but the paper is great. I color in it with fountain pen ink. The pages a creamy white. The pages are not numbered and it only comes in black I think, and it’s soft cover. It has an elastic band like the Leuchtturm and a book marker (but mine came out). The pages are sewn in and it lays very flat. It is a bit smaller than the L1917 and fits so nicely in both my A5 and cahier size leather covers. Maybe you could do a post about it. It’s a gray notebook by my standards.
I have never heard of the TWSBI – but just spent too much time 🙂 researching and you’re right, it is very comparable — fyi there are 240 pages which is great, but couldn’t find out specifics re: the paper weight. Anyway – I really appreciate you posting this, I just bought another Peter Pauper Press a few weeks ago med grid which I love mainly because the paper rocks and it’s only $11, but I wish it had more pages (190) b/c I can’t quite get a whole year in #firstworldproblems :). May breakdown and order the TWSBI and try it out! Love this community and appreciate the sharing of ideas, etc.
I apparently need to try the Peter Pauper Press notebook! It only makes sense… PPP 😁
I didn’t realize they made notebooks! I’m intrigued. I’m not someone who needs notebooks to have a ton of pages, it’s too heavy, so I will have to add it to my list (aka after my July no-spend!)
Fair comparasion. Just received my Leuchtturm to start my August BUJO–moving from a Moleskine**I likeds Moleskins….but already love the Leuchtturm 😊📚📖
I’m enjoying mine as well!
I LOVED this tutorial and appreciate your honestly regarding products — I feel exactly the same way about Moleskins :). Great info, as always!
I never used Rhodia products since they aren’t available in italian stores, so I didn’t even know they existed (there isn’t a big variety on Amazon.it). The dotted Leuchtturm notebooks seem to be little unicorns, since they are absent in local stores and rare on Amazon.it, I was lucky enough to catch mine for just 13 Euros but only because I stalked them on a daily basis for like two months! That said, I always used Moleskines, because they are very popular here and despite the thin paper, they hold well my fountain pen and the gel pens I use, not so well with the Stabilo point 88. However I hope my Leuchtturm will last me some time 🙂
Ohh that’s interesting! Yes the fineliners do take up more ink than the others, so maybe that’s why… I agree though, the LT’s are pretty rare now!
Terrific comparison – agree about the Moleskines – such a pity about the paper. The Rhodia paper is brilliant isn’t it? Now all I have left to try is the Leuchturm – so helpful to see what you found about the ghosting though & to see it properly compared like for like.
Thank you, Evy! Yes, I started off with the Rhodia because LT’s seemed to congest the market, so when I switched to trying the LT’s I was shocked at the ghosting.
I just bought my first LT1917 A5 grid in yellow. decided to see what the hype is all about. I use Essentials A5 by Peter Pauper Press.
Well now I’m sorry I succumbed to the hype. Yes, the LT has 2 bookmarks and numbered pages. Bo way too much ghosting for my journaling style..
I’ll stick with the Essentials – now if only it had a ribbon bookmark and numbered pages – Essentials would be perfect!
I got a LT for Christmas, it’s so pretty, but I too use the Essentials, can’t beat the paper, so now I’m a little nervous about my new LT! Thanks for your comments, another PPP Essentials fan! I’m on my 2nd, sounds like I might need to order a 3rd 🙂
ooh I should try the Essentials! the LT does ghost a LOT for my liking as well.. now once Rhodia makes their hardcovers available in more colors, I’ll be in trouble!
P.S. I also use cheap composition notebooks. I do BUJO for Collections only. For my calendar, appointments, projects, etc. Didn’t want to draw my 2 years of monthly calendars – I use 2 and 3 year calendars. I use the Seasons planner by Planner Pad as my planner..
I have the A5 Leuchturm, purchased from Goulet Pens and I really, really like it. The dot grids were new to me. Before I’ve only had lined or graph paper pages. The dot grids are just enough to keep my handwriting from ‘wandering’. I’m not much of a doodler artist, but the dots are so light, I can draw right over them.
One thing I love about the Bullet Journal style is that you can use whatever notebook you have. I started out in an old composition notebook that was laying around. It worked just fine and hooked me on the technique.
Sounds like a familiar story for me 🙂 I love the slight structure of the dots but freedom to do what I want around it!
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@emmveeohh
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