6 Best Graph Notebooks
We all want something different from our notebooks. Graph notebooks with grid paper are the best notebooks for many purposes. Whether you are an engineer, surveyor, designer or architect, or you just like to use graph paper to take notes and for your sketches, make sure you get the right notebook or journal for your needs with our highly recommended top 6.
There is a surprising variety among graph notebooks; from leather journals, to wire-bound notebooks, with options of paper thickness and number of pages as well as a variety of designs and sizes. These fantastic favorites make jotting on the go easy and fun. There are mini-pads, stylish journals and even waterproof notepads. Read on to find out more.
Field Notebook
This popular, highly rated graph memo-book from Elan really is a winner in our book. These funky, pocket-sized notebooks come in a pack of 5 for a great price; the price of one notebook from some other sellers. Despite being good value, they are of a decent quality and their look is simple and modern. Aesthetically, they could be compared to Moleskine and they are gaining a bit of a following in the same way too.
They come in 6 contemporary colours and the option of graph, lined or dotted paper. Their mini size is handy if you want to pop your notebook in your shirt pocket or back pocket on site or in the office. This flexibility is great as you can mix and match according to your needs. The field notebook is a perfect, no-frills option for a memo-pad on the go.
- 5 notebooks
- Colour options
- Graph, dot and line options
- Pages don’t easily tear out
- Limited amount of space
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240 | 80gsm | Softcover | 3.5" x 5.5" |
Northbooks Graph Paper Journal
The Northbooks graph paper journal is minimalist and stylish. The focus here is very much on quality. The thick yet smooth paper with the option of graph, ruled, plain or dot design is a pleasure to write on. The journal is soft-cover but it isn’t flimsy and is pretty durable for a softcover notebook.
An extra touch in terms of quality is the binding. This feature is one of their main selling points as the fine binding is sewn as well as glued so that it holds up really well if you are frequently taking it in and out of pockets and bags for work. Northbooks are an environmentally friendly, small US based company who use recycled materials and support local business, so as well as getting a quality product, you’ll be doing your bit ethically too!
- Smooth paper
- Ethical company
- Quality binding
- Only one design option
- Not pocket-sized
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 144 | 90gsm | Softcover | 5.81" x 8.25" |
Lemome Graph Paper Notebook
Lemome’s graph notebook option is marketed to engineers and designers. An A5 size notebook with 5mm graph squares, it is are perfect for either on the go or at your desk. The paper is great for sketching out designs as it is top-quality, thicker than most and does not allow much ghosting or bleed. You would find this helpful if you like to design in a mixture of mediums as some graph notebooks are only suited to pencil. In this way, this option could double as a bullet-journal, giving you more flexibility in how you use your notebook.
The suede covers are elegant and the binding strong, allowing you to lay the notebook flat, which is so important when using a journal for design.
An added bonus is their money back guarantee, so you can find out for yourself if the Lemome is for you.
- Satisfaction guarantee
- High quality paper
- Strong cover and binding
- Not pocket-sized
- Only one design option
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | 120gsm | Hardcover | 5" x 8" |
Exaclair Rhodia Graph Notebook
This graph notebook from Rhodia has some fantastic features while maintaining simplicity. The paper is the star of the show; at 81 g, it is superior quality, so it can easily take pen as well as pencil with minimal bleed or ghosting. Aside from this, the paper is very pleasing to write on in any medium as it is particularly smooth. The pages are perforated, allowing you to tear them out if you need to transfer your ideas and sketches from your notepad elsewhere. They come out easily and neatly but only when you want them to due to the high-quality paper!
There’s also a plain margin on pages which can be useful for brief markers and notes. A choice of orange or black, waterproof card covers, which could be described as between hard and softcover, and strong spiral binding make this one of the best graph notebooks on the market.
- High-quality paper
- Strong spiral binding
- Waterproof card covers
- Design only in two colors
- Relatively high price
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 81gsm | Softcover | 9" X 11" |
Minimalism Art Notebook
This beautiful journal is certainly worth the price. If you are an artist or designer, the minimalist art notebook won’t disappoint, both in terms of style and quality. As the name suggests, the design is minimal; an A5 softcover notebook coming in a variety of carefully chosen contemporary colors with 192 pages in the square grid design.
The paper is super thick at 100gsm which makes it ideal for art and design work as a variety of pens can be used with no bleed. It even stands up to the fountain pen test! Another nice touch that makes sketching out designs a pleasure is the binding which is rounded case, ensuring the pages stay just where you want them so that you can achieve the accuracy that you need in your work.
They also offer a great deal on a 3-pack if you like to have a few graph notebooks available for different projects. Without a doubt, the artist’s favorite.
- Selection of contemporary colors
- Thick paper
- Rounded case binding
- No elastic closure
- Not hard-cover
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 192 | 100gsm | Softcover | 5.8" X 8.3" |
Rite in the Rain Weatherproof Top-Spiral Notebook
Calling all outdoor notebook users out there! The concept of a weatherproof notebook is so fabulous that we can’t believe no-one has already thought of it. Not only is the cover waterproof, but the pages are as well. The weatherproofing stands up to its claims and if you get caught in a shower when on site or on a field trip, or your bag gets soaked through on the way home from work, the pages will still be intact. You can even write on the pages when they are wet if you are using a pencil or a ball-point pen.
Spiral bound at the top and available in different colors and pack options, these ingenuous notebooks form part of a range of weatherproof office supplies that won’t disappoint when you come face to face with the elements!
- Waterproof cover
- Waterproof pages
- Top spiral notebook
- Pencil not easy to erase
- Not suited for gel pens or fountain pens
Product details
| Number of pages | Paper weight | Cover type | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 20# | Softcover | 3" x 5" |
Conclusion
As you can see from our selection, graph notebooks have come along way since the simple exercise books of the past. They need not be dull and basic and there are plenty of cool and quirky notebook options out there in grid paper format. Having the squared structure is helpful for so many professions and studies and it’s great to be able to have some flexibility with design and features.
Sometimes you want a simple pocket-sized memo-pad, other times, a high-quality bullet journal style notepad. Whatever you are looking for from a graph notepad, we hope you’ve found it in our reviews of 6 of the very best.
