Northbooks A5 Blue Notebooks Dotted Grid (Pack of 3), Sustainably Sourced Premium Papers Made with Pride in USA, Minimal, Natural, Portable, Flexible Design, Bullet Journaling, Office, School, WFH

a vvv soft book
OK I really want to love these journals, because I love supporting smaller companies, especially ones that are convenient and let my impatient self order through Prime. I ordered a two pack because I plan on using one as an organized sketchbook and the other as a bullet journal. I’m gonna throw my negativity up here first to get it out of the way, then I’ll go more in depth the the books.Upon first opening the package I was really thrilled with the texture of these notebooks, they’re nice and smooth and the perfect surface for some really nice stickers. However, I was not super excited to open one up and find it full of giant inky finger prints across the first page (you can see in my picture) I am a lady with smaller hands so I know they’re definitely not magically from me. This may be the stupidest complaint ever and I know there are tons of people who can just get past something like this, but I’m unfortunately not that person. Journals/Sketchbooks are a very important piece of my life/function as an artist, so if at all possible I don’t want uninvited guests mucking up my pages.That being said I contacted the seller on 3/31 so hopefully I hear back from them soon and I can update this review to a much more deserved rating.For the journals themselves, hopefully they can live up to some serious wear and tear because I bring journals/sketchbooks everywhere with me. I’ve yet to find a company that makes one that my picky self can stick with, so maybe this is the one. I’m not usually sold on soft covers, but decided I’d mix it up as I need something that can handle a little abuse. I really like the dotted pages for both my journal and my sketchbook as I really like to be able to add technical notes to sketches for the final product. The paper is just a liiiiiitttle thinner than I generally like, but it still stands up to some light water color decently well, which was kind of surprising. For the most part I use light watercolor and erasable colored pencils in my sketch books so I think the paper will hold up for my needs. When using water color there was some paper wrinkling, but there was absolutely no color bleed through which is definitely important imo. I generally keep a piece of card stock or something in my journals to sit behind the current page so that I don’t gouge into the pages behind it, a good trick and I think necessary for this paper in particular.Surprisingly these dudes flatten out fairly well! This is awesome for both journaling and drawing. They don’t close flush again after flattening, but that doesn’t bother me in the slightest as I can clip it shut with something if I feel the need to do so, so far I have not. I’ve of course only had these for a few days, so if I’m a return customer I’ll definitely update this review to let you know how they hold up to my use. For the sketchbook in particular I can go through a new one once a month or even twice a month when I’m particularly productive so I’m hoping that these live up to my hype.The journal is being used as a bullet journal, with 144 pages I’ve measured out to last me about four months, so that’s where the real test will lie, if it can last being shoved in and out of a back pack for four months.Edit: I’m not sure why Amazon chose not to update my review! BUT, I received not one but TWO replacement notebooks for the one that hand finger prints in it! Customer service was extremely quick with fixing the situation. I can also say that these books have held up incredibly well to be hauled around for a few weeks so far. Although I’d 100% recommend using a clip like the one you can see in my second image, it keeps the book closed once you’ve broken the spine to get it to lay flat. Super super handy. So far I’m loving these books, my literal only wish is that they made a version with slightly heavier paper.

Perfect journal!
I love these journals. I use the dot grid pages which are perfect for organizing bullet journal pages. The dots are faint enough as to not interfere with the look of a non-lined, freestyle layout, yet just clear enough to assist me with using a ruler to draw lines. I love that these journals are reasonably priced and come in a two-pack. I’m not sure how to describe the cover texture, it’s sturdy, yet almost soft in the feel of it. These journals are the perfect size. Not too small, yet small enough that I carry one in my purse at all times. I’m on my second pack and will buy them again. Using them as a daily calendar, including pages for lists, etc., really keeps me organized. My teen son requested these journals for Christmas, and I was very happy to buy them for him. He uses them for sketches and song lyrics. The pages are good quality, though as is true for most journals, play around with types of pens you prefer that don’t leak through.

Best writing experience in a notebook
I’ve been looking for the perfect size and feel of notebook and I finally found it in this Northbook softcover. It is versatile enough I can use the same style of notebook for work and home. The paper is great quality. Writing experience is smooth plus there is no bleed when using micron pens. Your can see the ink through the page but it is slight and not distracting. Love the cream color of the page as it is easy on the eyes and the dots are subtle, enough to guide my writing in a straight line but fade into the background once I write on the page. The soft cover has a nice feel and is not slippery. You can open this notebook flat if you desire and will stay flat if you press crease the pages. For me it is the perfect notebook

It always seemed like only line or dot paper could be made in to a high quality standard since I’ve noticed that graph/squares don’t seem very popular with the more mainstream brands (and if they exist, they’re unnecessarily expensive for subpar paper quality or very little pages or both). So I was already very happy when I came across Northbooks collection (and they have a good amount of pages too!). And when the books arrived… wow – It went above and beyond my expectations! The paper is so smooth and comfortable to write on. But it was the paper thickness and it’s performance that completely won me over – it takes highlighter inks better than one of my notebooks that has 120gsm paper. The highlighters don’t bleed at any point and the ghosting is almost non-existent. These books are absolutely worth every penny. I’m very happy I bought the 2-pack. If it’s high quality square/graph notebooks you’re looking for at a good price – this book is the answer. I didn’t think it existed – I’m very grateful it does. Keep up the great work!!

Sie bleiben absolut nicht offen liegen und wenn Mann sie dann so zurecht biegt schließt das Heft natürlich nicht mehr vernünftig. Nicht überzeugen. Papierqualitöt ist ganz gut, aber das nervt dennoch sehr.