Large Weekly Planner: Best Big Calendar Options

Okay so I’ve been testing large weekly planners for like three months now and honestly the size thing is way more complicated than I thought it would be. Like I initially bought the Passion Planner in the large size thinking bigger is always better right? But then my cat knocked it off my desk and I realized I’d created a monster.

The Blue Sky Day Designer Weekly/Monthly planner is probably where you should start if you’re new to big planners. It’s 8.5 x 11 which sounds huge but it’s actually the goldilocks size? I tested this one first because my client Sarah kept showing up to sessions with hers and I got jealous of all her space. The weekly spread gives you these chunky columns for each day and there’s actually room to write full sentences instead of weird abbreviations you forget later. The paper quality is decent, like 20lb or something, so gel pens don’t bleed through but my Tombow dual brush markers did. Don’t use those.

Wait I forgot to mention the binding situation. The Day Designer is a coil binding which I thought I’d hate because I’m usually a disc binding person but it lays completely flat. Like I can fold it back on itself and write on a plane tray table which… okay that’s specific but it matters when you travel.

Now the Erin Condren LifePlanner in the 8.5 x 11 size is the one everyone talks about and yeah it’s pretty but here’s the thing. It’s expensive. Like $65 expensive. I justified it by telling myself I’d use it every day but then I left it at a coffee shop for three hours and almost had a panic attack. The customization options are cool though, you can pick your cover and add your name and choose between different layout styles. I went with the vertical weekly layout which gives you three sections per day: morning, afternoon, evening. This is gonna sound weird but I actually found that limiting? Because my tasks don’t fit into time blocks like that, they’re more like “whenever I can squeeze this in” tasks.

The paper in the Erin Condren is thicker than Day Designer, definitely fountain pen friendly. I tested it with my LAMY Safari and zero bleedthrough. But the coil binding has those plastic covers on the coils and mine cracked after two months of throwing it in my bag. Just something to know.

Oh and another thing about large planners, you gotta think about portability. The Plum Paper planner comes in a 8.5 x 11 size and I ordered one with the hardcover upgrade thinking it would protect the pages but it just made the whole thing heavier. Like I weighed it on my kitchen scale because I’m apparently that person now, and it was almost 2 pounds. My shoulder bag situation couldn’t handle it. I ended up leaving it on my desk permanently which defeated the purpose of having a planner I could take to meetings.

Plum Paper does let you customize literally everything though. Like you can add extra pages, choose your layout, pick monthly tabs, add folders. I went overboard and added too much stuff and that’s probably why it became a brick. But if you’re a homebody or you have a dedicated office space, the customization is actually worth it. Their customer service replaced a planner that arrived with smudged printing no questions asked.

The Clever Fox planner in A4 size is the one I’m using right now and okay so funny story. I ordered this thinking A4 was like slightly bigger than regular size but it’s basically 8.3 x 11.7 inches which is taller than standard US letter size. This matters for exactly one annoying reason: it doesn’t fit in most planner covers or bags designed for 8.5 x 11 planners. I had to buy a separate A4 cover from Amazon and even then it’s a tight squeeze.

But the layout is really good for weekly planning. Each week gets a two-page spread with the week on the left page and a notes/priorities section on the right. The hourly time slots go from 6am to 9pm which is more realistic than planners that end at 6pm like we all stop existing after dinner. The paper is thick, like 120gsm I think? I’ve used literally every pen I own in this thing including Sharpies and nothing bleeds.

Wait I should talk about spiral versus disc versus sewn binding because this actually matters more than I thought. The Happy Planner comes in a Big size which is 8.5 x 11 and uses their disc binding system. You know those little plastic discs that snap open? I was skeptical but my friend convinced me to try it and honestly the ability to remove pages and rearrange stuff is pretty great. I took out all the inspirational quote pages immediately because they were just taking up space.

The disc system means you can add pages from other Happy Planner products or print your own and punch them with their hole punch. I added some project planning pages I found on Etsy and they integrated perfectly. But here’s the annoying part: the discs themselves are kinda chunky so the planner doesn’t stack well with other books and it’s awkward to write on the left page near the binding. Your hand has to hover over the discs.

The Lemome weekly planner comes in a large size and it’s sewn binding with a lie-flat design. This one surprised me because I grabbed it on a whim during a Target run and it ended up being really solid. The cover is like faux leather that actually feels nice, not cheap and plasticky. Each weekly spread has time slots from 7am to 8pm with a notes section at the bottom. The paper is cream colored which I normally hate because I’m a white paper snob but it’s easier on the eyes during long planning sessions.

It came with a pen loop, bookmark ribbons, and an inner pocket which sounds basic but half the planners I tested didn’t include that stuff. The size is 8.4 x 11 inches so basically A4 territory and again, annoying for accessories but great for actual writing space.

This is probably obvious but I’m gonna say it anyway: think about whether you want hourly time slots or just open space for each day. The AT-A-GLANCE Weekly Appointment Book is pure time slots, like 30-minute increments from 8am to 5pm. It’s 8.5 x 11 and super straightforward. No decorative stuff, no washi tape nonsense, just columns and times. I recommended this to a client who’s a therapist and she loves it because she books appointments in those exact time blocks.

But if your schedule is more fluid like mine, all those time slots just mock you with their emptiness. I’d rather have blank space I can divide up however I need that day.

The Panda Planner Pro comes in a large size and I tested this one specifically because it has that whole productivity methodology built in. Each weekly spread includes sections for priorities, daily schedules, and evening reviews. My dog ate the corner of mine which… anyway the structure is really helpful if you need accountability but it felt like homework after a while. Like do I really need to rate my day’s productivity every single night? Some days I just wanna close the planner and watch TV.

The paper quality is good though, takes highlighters without ghosting. The binding is sewn and durable, mine survived the dog incident mostly intact.

Gonna mention the Moleskine weekly planner in XL size because it’s 7.5 x 9.75 inches which isn’t technically as big as the others but the page layout uses space efficiently. It’s more portable than true large planners and the hard cover protects it well. I keep this one in my car for quick notes. The elastic closure band is actually strong unlike cheaper imitations that stretch out. Moleskine paper is hit or miss with different pens though, my Pilot G2 pens feathered a bit.

The Inkwell Press planner comes in a large 8.5 x 11 size with really thick pages, like you can tell quality immediately. They have different layout options but I tried the weekly vertical which has three columns per day. The thing that sets this apart is the monthly section has actual space to write unlike those tiny calendar squares in most planners. I can fit full event names instead of cryptic abbreviations.

Price-wise it’s up there with Erin Condren but the paper quality justifies it if you’re a pen person. Fountain pens, brush pens, markers, everything works. The binding is coil with those clear plastic covers that seem more durable than Erin Condren’s but I’ve only had it two months so we’ll see.

Oh wait, the Rifle Paper Co. planners come in a large size and they’re gorgeous but honestly too pretty for me to actually use? Like the covers are so nice I get anxious about messing them up. The weekly layout is functional with good space but I found myself treating it more like a decorative object than a tool. If you want something that looks amazing on your desk and you’re not gonna throw it in a bag daily, these are worth looking at.

The Simplified Planner by Emily Ley is 8.5 x 11 with a focus on actually being simple which is refreshing. Weekly spreads with space for each day plus a meal planning section and notes. No overwhelming extras, just what you need. The cover is flexible which makes it lighter than hardcover options. I use this one specifically for work stuff and keep my Clever Fox for personal planning because apparently I need two large planners like some kind of planning hoarder.

Paper is decent, not amazing but works fine with regular pens. Binding is sewn and it opens flat enough. Nothing fancy but reliable.

One thing I learned testing all these is that bigger isn’t always better if you don’t have the lifestyle to support it. Like if you’re constantly mobile or work from different locations, even an 8.5 x 11 planner gets annoying. But if you have a home office or dedicated desk space, go as big as you want. I’ve seen people use 11 x 17 planners that are basically posters and they love them.

The key is matching the size to your actual usage not your aspirational planning self. I wanted to be someone who fills every inch of a massive planner with color-coded perfection but I’m actually someone who needs quick task lists and appointment tracking. Took me like six planners to figure that out.

Also consider whether you want monthly views in the same planner. Some large weekly planners skip monthly calendars entirely which is fine if you keep a separate wall calendar but annoying if you want everything in one place. The Day Designer and Erin Condren both include monthly sections before each month’s weekly pages which I actually use for big picture planning.

The paper weight thing matters more in large planners because you’re probably writing more per page. Anything under 80gsm will show ghosting with most pens. 100gsm or higher is ideal if you use markers or want zero showthrough.