2024 Monthly Planner: Complete Buying Guide & Reviews

Okay so I literally just spent three weeks testing like eight different 2024 monthly planners and here’s what actually matters

The Blue Sky one everyone keeps recommending? I spilled my morning coffee on it during week one which honestly became the best accidental paper quality test. The pages didn’t bleed through at all, which was shocking because it’s only like $15 at Target. But we’ll get to that.

First thing you gotta know is that 2024 is gonna be a leap year so make sure whatever planner you’re looking at actually has February 29th included. I know that sounds obvious but my friend bought this gorgeous planner from TJ Maxx and it just…skipped that day entirely. She had to write it in the margins which defeated the whole purpose of her color-coding system.

Size actually matters way more than I thought

So I’ve been testing planners for my clients for years now and I always told them “just get whatever fits in your bag” but that’s honestly terrible advice. Here’s what I learned this time:

• The 8.5 x 11 ones (like At-A-Glance) give you actual space to write but they’re annoying to carry and I kept leaving mine places
• The 5 x 8 ones fit in most purses but then you’re abbreviating everything and your handwriting gets cramped
• The desk pad style ones are perfect if you have a dedicated workspace but useless if you’re like me and work from coffee shops half the time

I ended up using different sizes for different purposes which I know sounds extra but hear me out. The big At-A-Glance one stays on my desk for client appointments and content planning. The smaller Moleskine monthly goes in my bag for when I’m out. They don’t need to match or coordinate or whatever those Instagram planner people tell you.

The paper quality thing nobody talks about honestly enough

Okay so this is gonna sound weird but I did this whole test where I used the same set of pens across all eight planners. Flair felt tips, Pilot G2s, Stabilo fineliners, and one Sharpie because sometimes you just need to write something angry and permanent, you know?

The Blue Sky planner I mentioned? Handled everything except the Sharpie bled a tiny bit. The cheap Simplified planner from Target – which I really wanted to hate because the branding is so aggressively cheerful – actually had better paper than planners twice the price. No ghosting with any pen. The Erin Condren one everyone raves about had this weird thing where gel pens took forever to dry and I kept smudging entries with the side of my hand.

Oh and another thing about paper – check if it’s perforated. Some monthly planners have perforated pages which seems convenient until you realize you can’t press hard when writing or the pages start separating on their own. Learned that the hard way with the Lemome planner.

What you actually need in a 2024 monthly planner

This is where I got kinda obsessive, sorry. I made a spreadsheet. My cat knocked over my water bottle onto it so now it’s wrinkled but here’s what mattered:

The month view layout variations

Not all monthly spreads are created equal and this drove me nuts to figure out. Some planners start the week on Sunday, some on Monday. The Sunday start ones usually have Saturday and Sunday in smaller boxes which is annoying if you actually do stuff on weekends. The Monday start ones give equal space to all days but then if you’re American it feels slightly off because we’re trained to see Sunday first.

I tested the Passion Planner which does this interesting thing where each month has a separate page facing a notes page. Sounds great in theory but I never used the notes pages and it made the planner bulkier than necessary. The Panda Planner does two months per spread which I thought would feel cramped but actually it’s useful for seeing how things connect across months.

The holidays and special dates situation

This matters more for 2024 specifically because Easter is early (March 31st) and that affects a bunch of other dates. Good planners have all the major holidays pre-marked. Great planners leave space for you to add your own. The best ones I tested had small text noting holidays without taking up the whole box.

The Day Designer one had this problem where they marked SO many holidays including ones I’d never heard of that the boxes felt cluttered before I even wrote anything. Meanwhile the basic Staples brand one had literally just New Year’s, July 4th, Thanksgiving and Christmas marked. Nothing else. Not even Memorial Day.

The extras that sound nice but might annoy you

Okay so funny story – I’ve recommended planners with all these bonus features for years. Goal-setting pages, habit trackers, inspirational quotes, pocket folders, stickers, the works. Then I actually tracked what I used during my three-week test period and it was embarrassing how much I ignored.

Things I thought I’d use but didn’t:

• The habit tracker grids – I have an app for that and switching between formats felt redundant
• The goal-setting worksheet pages at the front – I set goals in January not whenever I buy a planner
• The pocket folders – everything I put in them fell out or I forgot they were there
• Stickers – I’m 40, I thought I’d feel silly, and I did
• Ribbon bookmarks – my cat destroyed two of them thinking they were toys

Things I actually used constantly:

• A notes section in the back for random lists
• Page numbers so I could reference back to things
• A yearly overview at the start to see the whole year at once
• Thick enough covers that the planner didn’t bend in my bag

The actual planners I tested with real opinions

Wait I forgot to mention I did this whole test while rewatching The Office which is only relevant because I started associating certain planners with certain episodes and now I can’t unsee it.

Blue Sky 2024 Monthly Planner

The one I spilled coffee on. It’s around $12-15 depending where you buy it. Comes in a bunch of patterns – I had the navy one with gold flowers. The paper quality is shockingly good for the price. Wire-bound so it lays flat which I appreciate. The boxes are a decent size, not huge but workable. Tabs for each month which seems unnecessary until you’re flipping through looking for August.

Downsides: The cover isn’t super durable. Mine got scratched in my bag within days. The wire binding caught on things. Only goes from January to December with no extra months on either end for planning ahead or catching up.

Moleskine Monthly Notebook 2024

I’ve used Moleskine for years so I’m biased but also that means I notice when they change things. This year they made the elastic closure slightly tighter which sounds minor but it actually leaves an impression on the pages if you close it right after writing. The paper is that cream color they always use which I love because it’s easier on my eyes than bright white.

It’s pricey though, like $25-30 for a monthly planner. The boxes are smaller than I’d like. There’s a notes section in the back that uses the same cream paper. Hard cover feels professional. Fits in most bags easily. The 2024 version actually includes a page about leap year which is a nice touch.

At-A-Glance Monthly Desk Pad Calendar

This is the giant one that lives on your desk. I got the 22 x 17 inch size which is absurd but also incredibly functional. Each day box is legitimately huge – you can write full sentences. My client canceled last Tuesday so I spent an hour comparing this to the regular At-A-Glance monthly planner and the desk pad is just…better if you have the space.

The paper tears off each month which I thought would feel wasteful but it’s actually satisfying? Like a very organized way to leave the past behind. Costs around $20. You can’t take it anywhere obviously. It’s spiral bound at the top. The 2024 version has all federal holidays marked clearly.

Erin Condren Monthly LifePlanner

Okay so everyone on Instagram has this one and I wanted to hate it because I’m contrary like that but it’s actually well-designed. The coil binding has a plastic cover so it doesn’t catch on stuff. The pages are thick. Each month has a motivational quote which I usually find cheesy but these weren’t terrible.

The problem is it costs like $45-55 depending on sales and customization options. For a monthly planner. That feels excessive to me. Also the boxes have these pre-printed sections for different categories and I don’t need my planner telling me how to organize my days. The paper took forever to dry with certain pens which I mentioned earlier. It’s pretty though, I’ll give it that.

Simplified Monthly Planner by Emily Ley

I really wanted to dislike this because the whole brand aesthetic is very “boss babe” which isn’t my vibe. But the planner itself is solid. Around $20-25. Good paper quality. Clean layout without too much clutter. Wire-bound. Comes with stickers I didn’t use but someone might.

The 2024 version has a year-at-a-glance that actually makes sense, unlike some planners where they make it so tiny you can’t read it. Each month starts with a reflection page which I skipped but didn’t find annoying because it was just one page. The boxes are a good size. It handled all my pens well.

Passion Planner Monthly Layout

This one does the thing where each month faces a blank notes page. The paper is really thick – like you could use markers if you wanted. It’s around $30. The binding is sewn which means it’ll last longer than wire-bound ones. Lays completely flat.

I found the notes pages wasteful since I never used them. The planner is chunky because of the thick paper. Each month has these road map graphics at the top which are meant to be inspirational but just took up space in my opinion. The boxes themselves are a nice size though. Good pen performance across the board.

Panda Planner Monthly

This was the weird one where they fit two months per spread. I thought I’d hate it but it grew on me. Around $25. The boxes are smaller obviously but seeing two months at once helped me plan better. The paper is cream-colored which I prefer. It has these productivity prompts scattered throughout which sound annoying but they’re subtle enough.

The downside is you can’t really customize or decorate it much because everything is compact. Good for minimalists. Not good if you need space to write detailed notes. Wire-bound. Comes with a plastic cover that got scratched immediately.

Basic Staples Brand 2024 Monthly Planner

Sometimes the cheap option is fine and this is one of those times. It’s like $8. The paper is decent – not amazing but functional. Wire-bound. Basic layout with nothing fancy. Minimal holidays marked. No extras, no goal pages, no quotes, nothing.

Honestly for someone who just needs to track appointments and deadlines this works perfectly fine. The cover feels flimsy. Mine got bent corners within a week. But functionally it does everything a monthly planner needs to do.

What to actually consider for your specific situation

Okay so after testing all these here’s what I tell my clients now because the “best” planner depends entirely on how you actually use it.

If you’re mostly digital but want a backup

Get something cheap like the Staples one or Blue Sky. You don’t need fancy features if you’re just using it occasionally. Make sure it has a yearly overview so you can reference dates quickly.

If you’re trying to fully switch from digital to paper

Invest in something nicer like the Moleskine or Passion Planner. The better paper quality makes writing more pleasant which helps build the habit. Get one that lays flat so you’re not fighting it while writing.

If you manage multiple people’s schedules

The At-A-Glance desk pad or another large format one. You need the space. Color-code with different pens for different people. Get one that tears off each month so you can file or discard old months.

If you travel constantly or work remotely

Smaller format like the 5×8 Moleskine or compact Simplified planner. Hard covers protect it in bags. Make sure it’s thin enough that you’ll actually carry it. The fancy ones with tons of extra pages get heavy.

If you need it for work and personal stuff combined

Get one with decent-sized boxes so you can fit multiple entries per day. The Passion Planner or Blue Sky work well. Consider two-month spreads like the Panda Planner so you can see how work projects overlap with personal commitments.

The pen situation nobody warns you about

This is gonna sound weird but your planner choice should partially depend on what pens you like using. I know that’s backwards but I’ve seen so many people buy gorgeous planners and then hate using them because their favorite pens don’t work well on the paper.

If you use gel pens, you need thicker paper or you’ll get ghosting. The Passion Planner and Erin Condren handle gel pens well. If you use felt tips or fineliners, most planners work fine but check dry time – the Erin Condren was slow. If you use fountain pens (fancy), you need really good paper – only the Moleskine and