Large Monthly Planner: Best Big Calendar Options

Okay so I just got done testing like six different large monthly planners because honestly my wall calendar situation was getting ridiculous and I figured I should actually review this stuff properly.

The Amazon Basics Large Monthly Planner

Starting with the cheapest option because that’s what everyone asks about first. Amazon’s got this 18×24 inch monthly planner that’s like fourteen bucks and honestly? It’s fine. Not amazing, but fine. The paper quality is whatever, kinda thin, but if you’re using regular pens it works. I tested it with my usual Pilot G2s and there was zero bleed-through which surprised me.

The binding is where it gets annoying though. It’s spiral bound which sounds great until you realize the spiral is at the top and it makes writing on the bottom half of each month super awkward. Like your hand is constantly hitting the spiral wire. My dog knocked it off my desk twice while I was testing it and the pages stayed intact so I guess that’s something.

Each month gets one full page which is the whole point of going large, right? The boxes are about 2.5 inches square which is decent space. I could fit like 4-5 tasks per day before it looked cluttered. There’s no weekly view or anything fancy, just straight monthly grids.

Who Should Get This One

If you just need something cheap to hang on your wall and you’re not gonna be writing novels in each day box, this works. I recommended it to a client who just wanted to track her kids’ activities and she’s been happy with it for like eight months now.

AT-A-GLANCE Jumbo Wall Calendar

Wait I forgot to mention, when I say large I’m talking about planners that are at least 15 inches in one direction because anything smaller isn’t really “large” in my opinion, that’s just regular desk planner territory.

So the AT-A-GLANCE jumbo is 24×36 inches which is HUGE. Like legitimately takes up half my wall huge. I tested the erasable version and the non-erasable version because I’m apparently that person now.

The erasable one uses this weird laminated surface that’s supposed to work with dry erase markers. Tested it with Expo markers, Staedtler Lumocolor, and some cheap dollar store ones. Here’s the thing, it works but the ink doesn’t erase cleanly after like three days. You get this ghost shadow of whatever you wrote. I had “dentist 2pm” haunting my March 15th box for weeks. Kinda defeats the purpose of erasable honestly.

The non-erasable version is better if you’re actually planning to write with regular pens. The paper is thicker, takes ink well, and the boxes are huge, like 3×4 inches each. I could fit my entire weekly meal plan in a single day box which is either impressive or means I need to work on my handwriting size.

Installation Nightmare

Both versions come with these adhesive strips to hang them and oh my god, they’re terrible. Stuck one up in my office and it fell down at 3am, scared me half to death. Thought someone broke in but no, just my calendar committing suicide. Get command strips instead, the heavy duty ones.

Blue Sky Large Monthly Wall Calendar

This is gonna sound weird but this is the one I actually kept using after testing ended. It’s 15×12 inches so it’s the smallest of the “large” options but something about it just works better for daily use.

Blue Sky does this thing where they add little details that actually matter. The paper is this thick premium stock that doesn’t tear when you’re erasing, the binding is twin-wire which lays completely flat, and they put the year tabs on the side so you can flip months easily.

The design is clean, not too much going on. Some planners have like motivational quotes and decorative borders and honestly when I’m trying to figure out if I have a meeting on Thursday I don’t need “Live Laugh Love” staring at me. Blue Sky keeps it simple, just clean grids with enough space for notes.

Each month has a notes section at the bottom which I thought I’d never use but turns out it’s perfect for tracking monthly goals or whatever. I’ve been using it to note which blog posts I published that month and it’s actually helpful for my end-of-month reviews.

The Color Situation

They make like twenty different designs. I tested the “bakery” one because the photos looked nice and it showed up covered in illustrated cupcakes and pastries. Looked cute for about a week then started feeling childish? Ended up getting the simple black and white geometric one instead and it’s much better. Less distracting.

Cavallini Wall Calendar

Okay so funny story, I bought this one by accident thinking it was a planner but it’s actually more of a decorative calendar. Still gonna include it because if you want something large that looks nice it’s worth knowing about.

It’s 20×27 inches, printed on this gorgeous thick Italian paper, and comes wrapped in kraft paper tied with string like some fancy gift. The designs are vintage maps, botanical prints, celestial charts, that kind of aesthetic. I got the vintage maps one and it’s honestly beautiful.

But here’s the catch, the day boxes are TINY. Like maybe 0.5 inches square. You can write a single word per day max. I’ve been using it more as wall art that happens to tell me what day it is rather than an actual planning tool.

The paper quality though, it’s incredible. Takes any pen or marker without bleeding. I tested it with my Tombow brush pens just to see and even those didn’t bleed through. Total overkill but good to know.

Hanging Method

It comes with a wooden hanger rod and string which actually works really well. Looks intentional and designery instead of like you stuck a calendar up with tape. The rod is magnetic too so you can clip stuff to it with magnets.

Rifle Paper Co. Appointment Calendar

This one’s pricey, like thirty-something dollars, but if you care about design it might be worth it. It’s 11×17 inches spiral-bound, so smaller than the wall calendars but bigger than standard desk planners.

The illustrations are really detailed and pretty, each month has a different theme. January was winter florals, February had hearts and flowers, you get the idea. My issue with it is the illustrations take up like a third of each page so the actual usable calendar space is limited.

The paper is good quality, nice and thick. I tested it with fountain pens (my client canceled so I spent an hour comparing the bleed-through on different papers because apparently that’s my life now) and there was minimal ghosting. Fineliners and gel pens were perfect.

Layout Quirks

Each month starts on the actual first of the month which sounds obvious but some planners start on Monday regardless of what day the first falls on. This one respects the actual calendar which I appreciate. The boxes are about 1.5×2 inches, decent space for appointments and tasks.

There’s a notes column on the right side of each month that I keep forgetting exists. Probably useful if you remember to use it.

Simplified Large Monthly Desk Pad

Wait I should mention desk pads too because they’re technically large monthly planners even though they sit on your desk instead of hanging.

The Simplified one is 17×22 inches and sits flat on your desk. Each month is one sheet and you tear it off when the month ends. I tested this while watching that new Netflix show, the one about the chef, and kept getting distracted so these notes might be scattered.

The paper is substantial, like almost cardstock weight. It doesn’t slide around on your desk which is nice. The layout has the monthly grid taking up most of the space with a to-do list section and notes area on the side.

I liked using this one while planning because I could spread it out, put my laptop on one side, planner on the other, and actually see my whole month while scheduling. Can’t really do that with a wall calendar unless you wanna stand the whole time.

The Tear-Off Thing

Some people love the tear-off style because you’re not carrying around all twelve months. I’m mixed on it. It feels wasteful? Like I just threw away January and now it’s gone forever. But also it keeps your desk less cluttered. Depends on whether you need to reference past months I guess.

What Actually Matters When Choosing

Okay so after testing all these here’s what I figured out actually matters:

Box size is everything. Measure how much you typically write per day and make sure the boxes can handle it. I write like 3-5 things per day minimum so I need at least 2-inch boxes.

Paper quality matters more than you think. Cheap thin paper gets gross looking after a month of erasing and rewriting. If you’re spending money on a planner you’re gonna use for a year, get decent paper.

Binding affects usability. Top spiral binding is annoying for writing, side spiral is better, twin-wire is best because it lays flat. Wire-o binding also works great.

Hanging method is crucial for wall calendars. Don’t trust the included adhesive anything. Get your own command strips or picture hanging supplies.

Design matters less than you think. That cute floral calendar is gonna get old by March. Simple and clean ages better.

My Actual Recommendations

If you just need functional and cheap, get the Amazon Basics one and supplement it with command strips.

If you want something nice looking that actually works well for daily planning, Blue Sky is the sweet spot of quality and price.

If you’ve got wall space and need to see everything at once, AT-A-GLANCE jumbo works but skip the erasable version.

If you care about design and don’t write a ton per day, Rifle Paper Co. is pretty enough to justify the price.

If you want a desk pad situation, Simplified is solid and the paper quality is great.

The Cavallini one is really just if you want pretty wall art that happens to be a calendar. Which is valid but know what you’re getting.

Testing Method Real Quick

I used each planner for at least two weeks as my primary planning system. Tested different pen types, erasing, how they held up to daily use, whether the pages stayed attached, if the hanging methods worked, all that stuff.

Also paid attention to whether I actually used them consistently because sometimes planners look great but don’t work with how your brain works, you know?

The Blue Sky one I’m still using now which probably tells you something. The AT-A-GLANCE jumbo is in my kitchen for family scheduling. The Cavallini one is hanging in my living room being decorative. The rest I passed along to clients or friends who needed planners.

Oh and another thing, most of these come in both academic year and calendar year versions. If you’re buying now in the middle of the year, check which version you’re getting. Nothing worse than getting excited about a new planner and realizing it started in January and you’ve missed four months.