5 Factors To Consider When Buying A Leather Journal

So you’ve settled on buying a leather journal. That’s great, as leather journals offer several advantages over journals made from other materials!

04:29 27 May 2023

So you’ve settled on buying a leather journal. That’s great, as leather journals offer several advantages over journals made from other materials!

Leather journals are more durable, they have a sophisticated look and feel, and they’re full of character - especially as they age and look more vintage over time.

But there are still various factors to consider before buying a leather journal - no matter whether you plan on writing random thoughts, full diary entries, or daily tasks and reminders.

This guide is here to help. Here are some great top leather journals for women, but wait - read our short list of 5 factors to consider when buying a leather journal first!

Genuine Or Artificial Leather

When it comes to leather, there are ultimately two main options to consider: genuine or artificial. Although both have their benefits, the choice really comes down to personal preference. 

Genuine leather is more authentic, needless to say, and usually more expensive. 

Artificial leather (faux leather), on the other hand, is more affordable and the obvious choice if you want the look and feel of real leather without the use of animal products.

Above all, assess the quality of the material. Whether you’re after full-grain cowhide leather for top quality and durability or a kind of vegan leather made from polyurethane, cork, or pinatex, how it looks and feels quality-wise is the key to finding a journal that will last longer.

Size And Number Of Pages

The size of the journal is important for two main reasons: how much you’ll be able to write in it and how portable the journal is.

So consider the size of the paper, the thickness of the journal, and how many pages the journal includes.

Other things worth considering are how much you’ll write in it, as well as the size of your handwriting!

A smaller, thinner leather journal will be great for writing on the go. It will fit in most handbags and can also be more discrete.

A thicker leather journal, on the other hand, will allow you to write much more in it. And if you plan on writing regularly, or writing long entries, thicker with more pages is generally better.

All in all, finding the perfect balance between thickness and number of pages is key. 

Paper Quality And Style

If possible, it’s always a good idea to have a look inside the journal before buying it. This will allow you to check the quality of the paper, as well as the style of the paper.

Cheap leather journals, for example, may have thin, almost opaque paper that can easily rip and cause ink to appear on pages underneath. The quality can also determine whether the paper feels smooth or rough to write on.

As for style, this includes whether the pages have lines or are blank. Line spacing is important to consider against the size of your handwriting and how much you’ll write, but you may prefer blank pages for a more vintage look.

On that note, off-white paper is also a great choice over plain white paper for a vintage coffee-stained look that will make your journal look more unique.

Binding Quality

It can be frustrating to invest time and effort into filling up a journal, only to have odd pages fall out - or for the whole thing to fall apart completely.

This is why the quality of the binding is important. Investing more money into your leather journal can easily help you to avoid this, but it’s also worth considering the type of binding.

Perfect bound is the most common type of binding for leather journals. But one problem here is that the journal might not lay flat! 

So if you want your journal to lay flat without trying to close as you write, try to look for a leather journal that has lay-flat binding.

Design

Last but not least: design. Leather journals can come in a variety of colors, with plain or decorated covers, and various closure styles.

Choosing a color for your leather journal and a cover that fits your personality will largely come down to personal taste. 

As for closure style, however, this can be both a matter of personal preference and functionality. The closure style might be a button, buckle, or even feature a locking mechanism, which is worth considering if you want to keep the contents of your leather journal private.

Conclusion

With these factors to consider, choosing a leather journal is not the small decision you might have thought it was! But now that you have a better idea of what to look for, you can start searching for your perfect leather journal today.