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Finding a new planner can be overwhelming. There are thousands of options. Here are my 5 favorite planner companies. None can make the list without having both a great planner, and a great company.
I’ve tried a lot of planners over the years. Some I love and others just didn’t work for me. But because we are all different, there is value in each planner. And I actually want to take some time to highlight the planner companies more than just the best planners. Because something I’ve learned over the years is that the company behind the product does affect how I feel about and use the planner.
So let’s look at the criteria:
1. They need to have something that leads me to believe they are good people, backed by a desire to help rather than greed.
2. I won’t mention any company that I haven’t actually owned the product. The company can be great, but if the planner is useless than why bother?
3. If I have had contact with anyone at the company personally, it had to have been a positive experience. This includes customer service, affiliate managers (see next paragraph), or even the owner/founder themselves.
Affiliate Information
Although my basic affiliate disclaimer is at the top of this page, I wanted to note something here. I am an affiliate for some of these companies. Being an affiliate means that if you click on a link for their website or products from my blog content and/or social media, I make a small commission from anything you buy from them. Some companies I don’t make commissions from, but I do have referral links which give me store credit if you click on that link and make a qualified purchase.
I became an affiliate and promote the products of these companies because I love them, not the other way around. Also, some of the companies I’m not an affiliate for and I don’t make any money or credits from. I just love their planners.
My Favorite Planner Companies
Erin Condren
The first thing that drew me into Erin Condren planners was that they are coiled. That may seem like a simple thing, but I’m so picky about my binding and coiled is by far my favorite.
Related Post: 2022-2023 Erin Condren LifePlanner Review
I also love that there is a simple design that they offer for the year. This makes it simple to get the layout (vertical, horizontal, hourly, or daily) that you need, without worrying if the design you like is available in that style too. I realize that this is pretty standard among most planner companies, although only a few offer multiple layout options.
And in case you are like me and have a tendency to get bored easily, then you will love the interchangable covers that Erin Condren offers. There are so many designs, all customizable with your name or other text that you would like to put on it. So any time you are longing for a new planner, just grab a new cover and save yourself from having to set it up all over again. This feature alone makes it worthy of being one of my favorite planner companies.
And lastly, my contact with people at the company has been nothing but helpful and pleasant. I’ve had to contact customer service a couple times about mistakes with my orders and they have always promptly gotten me the correct products without hassle.
In addition, with the issues that have recently happened, I have gotten information both publicly and also privately, that has shown how they are working to improve and making necessary changes to how they operate.
Clever Fox
Clever Fox was a company that surprised me. It’s not a style of planner that I tend to gravitate towards, but I was really impressed by their products and the kindness of the contact that I’ve had with the company.
I cannot say enough good things about their paper. It is so thick and smooth and I’ve never had it bleed or shadow.
I love the variety of the colors the planners come in, as well as the feel of them. In the 6 months or so that I’ve been using their products, I’ve never had any issues with the sturdyness (might not be a real word). I am rough on my planners. They get thrown around and stacked high. These books are in it for the long haul. Even the cover looks brand new still.
Related Posts:
Clever Fox Weekly Planner Review
Clever Fox Budget Book
I have a lot of respect for Clever Fox Planners and that’s why they are one of my favorite planner companies. They create great quality planners and focus on goal setting and taking action. I also love that their planners always come with plenty of notes pages!
inkWELL Press
When talking about inkWELL Press, I want to start with the people. Mainly because I have had a lot of contact with the creator, owner, and CEO, Tonya Dalton.
She is amazing and one of the kindest people I’ve talked to online. It’s obvious that loves what she does, always follows her mission statement (which she will tell to anyone who asks), and practices what she preaches.
Tonya released her first book last October, affectionately known as JOMO Book (official title: The Joy of Missing Out). It is easy to read and full of real and raw stories, and practical productivity lessons. Tonya does live videos all the time on her Facebook page, and she treats everyone there as if she has known them for a lifetime.
Related Posts:
The Joy of Missing Out Book Review
inkWELL Press Daily Planner Setup
I first tried inkWELL Press when they offered A5 inserts. I was sold on the beautiful design and the best paper I have ever seen in a planner. Seriously. No planner made by a company on this page has bad paper. I don’t use planners with bad paper for more than, well, one page. But none of them have ever been the quality of inkWELL Press paper. There is NO skimping here. I could include them as a favorite planner company just for their paper, but I also love Tonya’s emphasis on productivity and making smart decisions about our time.
Want your own inkWELL Press Daily or Weekly Planner?
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(This will also give me a $10 credit to use.)
Since the days of the A5 inserts (and bound books, which she also no longer offers), she has changed her planners into a discbound system. Although I miss the A5 version, I appreciate that she choose a system that can still be customized and adjusted to fit what each person needs. And since my years of using ARC products from Staples, and then Happy Planners, I was familiar enough with the discbound system that it was an easy transition. Plus I love that allllll my Happy Planner accessories fit with the inkWELL Press Planner pages.
Purple Trail Planners
This is another smaller planner (and invitation/greeting card) company, and I love the planners they make!
Similar to Erin Condren planners, Purple Trail Planners are also coiled, and their covers are also very customizable. In fact, they are even more customizable than the EC covers because you can even use their library of patterns, graphics, and text to create your very own cover design. Or take one of their pre-made ones and change any part of it.
I have the coiled planner, but they also have other styles. Really, this company offers something that would fit every need and style.
Related Post: Purple Trail Planner & Stickers Review
And of course, the people I have talked to at Purple Trail have been awesome to work with! My planner was fully customized, it was shipped fast, and it was perfect.
Cultivate What Matters (Powersheets)
I love my Powersheets! It has been such a great tool for holding me accountable to even just make goals for each month. Even if I don’t do so well during a month (because, well, 2020.), I know I have a chance to start over the next month and plan some steps to make progress on what I really want to accomplish.
But it’s really not a traditional planner. They did add in a monthly calendar this year. So if that is all you need, then it might just be perfect for your main planner too. But really, it’s purpose is to set, track, and accomplish your goals.
I haven’t had much personal contact with the ladies behind Cultivate What Matters, but I love the energy they have, and I love their mission. Founder, Lara Casey, has intense energy and great passion. She tells how she always hated setting goals until she looked at it in a different way. Now she wants others who also have been unsuccessful with goal setting in the past to find a better way to make progress.
Related Post: Powersheets Review
This is my first year using Powersheets, and honestly, I can’t think of a better time to have tried it. This year has thrown everyone for a loop. And while some priorities have shifted, my Powersheets has shown me how the things I really care about and want are still the same as they were before. Just how I get there may be different than I intended. But I love knowing what my real priorities are.
Whether you are new to planning or just looking to try out something a little different, you can’t go wrong with these companies. All of them have awesome planners and awesome people. A company should be more than the product. The people matter too.
What are your favorite planner companies? What makes you like them?