Behold: my notebook pile of shame.
I have ADHD, and I have bought no less than 49 journals and notebooks over the past few years, and it always goes like this:
(insert wistful music, sepia tone image of me sipping coffee while writing thoughtfully in a notebook during the sunrise)
"I'll just do something analog, that'll help me focus."
"This one feels so nice—for sure this is the one."
"I'll put all my hopes and dreams in here and write it by hand and all those things will come true."
"This will be the perfect start to a nice peaceful morning with my cup of coffee."
Then, back in reality, I always just use them for a few days.
There's just something that happens… after day 2 or 3 they just don't give the dopamine they used to, and they end up in the notebook pile of shame.
So we put our team to the task of finding the best notebooks and journals for people with ADHD. We researched well over 100 notebooks, and then purchased and tested 11 of those thoroughly side by side for over a week. We have picks at a few price points, sizes, and styles, ranging from about $12 all the way up to just under $55. Any of these notebooks will provide an appreciably better writing experience more suited to ADHD brains like ours than the generic off-the-shelf Walmart or Walgreens notebooks.
We will mention price per page when it's notable, but our average here was 14 cents per page (slightly higher than non-ADHD specific journals which generally come in at 11 cents per page).
We also will mention paper weight or thickness and especially paper feel—paper feel ended up being the key determining factor in many of these notebooks and journals, as people with ADHD have significantly greater tactile sensitivity both self-reported and through brain activity measurements—and multiple of the notebooks we tested had aggressive textures that were highly bothersome to many of our testers.
Most of the high quality notebooks and journals used 80 to 90 grams per square meter (gsm) thickness paper; and thicker wasn't always better. Every notebook and journal we tested felt substantial and satisfying to write on, outside of the texture issues outlined below.
What we looked for
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Feathering
Ink bleeds from the edges of letters rather than creating crisp lines.
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Bleeding
Ink actually comes through to the other side of the paper, or even the next sheet.
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Ghosting
Pen ink is visible on the other side of the paper.
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Tooth or Toothiness
Toothiness refers to the paper's texture. This weighted highly as important in our tests, and we tested heavily for adverse reactions to the texture of both the paper and the bindings.
Everything we recommend
Why you should trust us
For this guide:
- We considered 106 possible contenders and tested thoroughly 11 of the most promising notebooks.
- We used a variety of writing instruments—ballpoint, gel, rollerball, and fountain pens, and different types of pencils and even permanent markers.
- We tested with both right and left handed writers.
- We carefully evaluated each notebook's design and construction, as well as the feel of its binding, paper, cover, and every other aspect of it. We kept an eye out for common issues like bleeding, ghosting, feathering, and odd textural issues that would become distractions for the ADHD users.
- Like everything at The Curated Brain, we review and test products with editorial independence. Our testing staff is never made aware of any business implications of our recommendations.
- In accordance with The Curated Brain standards, all products are returned or donated once testing is complete. (Sometimes we have to hold on to products a bit longer for long-term testing to evaluate which products hold up with repeated use over time)
- All our testers have ADHD.
Passion Planner Undated Weekly - The Best Overall Notebook for People with ADHD
This notebook was a pleasure to use, kept our testing team engaged for weeks at a time, did not cause that overwhelming feeling that comes with dated planners, and had an excellent overall paper feel.
Size: Multiple. Small: A5 (5.8" x 8.3") | Medium: Right between A5 and A4 (6.9" x 9.8") | Large: A5 (7.8" x 11")
We reviewed the medium, which seemed to be the best fit for portability and usability.
Get this if: You want a softcover notebook that is the size of a normal paperback book and has the smoothest paper that your pen or pencil will glide over. The notebook's paper ability to show off the colors of ink from rollerball and even fountain pens matched with the included stickers really gave this notebook a fun feeling, with some designs and covers ending up a bit uncomfortable to utilize in all professional settings. There were plenty of cover options to choose from.
Why it's great for people with ADHD: Has just enough of a place to start in the journal to get you going on planning, and enough visual feedback and blank space to not feel like you need to spend too much time thinking about how to fit all your thoughts onto the one page. The vegan leather provides a beautiful texture (although some of the designs for the cover were too distracting for our team—we recommend the "ginkgo green" color for maximum textural compatibility.
Our team also really liked the paper's slightly off-white, almost eggshell paper color. Of note was the 120 GSM paper printed on bamboo grass paper—this led to the very smooth feeling noted above. Our team unanimously voted for smoother paper over the scratchy texture of some of the other paper types across all notebooks.
The included vision boards, habit trackers, two tracker ribbons, and monthly check-ins throughout the journal provided useful structure and focus for life, without feeling pushy. We could pick this up for a few days and not feel bad about not using it for a few days after—journal-guilt did not enter the equation.
Flaws, but not dealbreakers
The paper is incredibly smooth, not pulpy at all. We've mentioned texture multiple times throughout these reviews, and that's because the overall texture ended up being the make-or-break for most of these journals from an ADHD perspective. It feels like magazine-page level smoothness due to the heavy weight of the paper and the bamboo material.
The ribbons fell out frequently during use due to the smoothness of the paper, and we had trouble keeping track of how far in the journal we were.
Left-handed writers had a problem with smearing due to the smoothness of the paper.
The stickers were not a positive for many on our team.
Panda Planner Pro - Another great pick, better for business use with a lighter price tag
At roughly half the price of our top pick, this daily planner felt great to use, had some very nice ADHD-friendly features, but was missing out on that perfect texture of the paper and cover that came with the Passion Planner.
Size: Multiple. Medium: Right between A5 and A4 (6.9" x 9.8") | Large: A5 (7.8" x 11")
Get this if: You want a planner that has many of the great features of our top pick, with much more of a guiding principle behind its use. Boasting a vegan leather cover, 3 ribbons, an elastic closure, 100 GSM paper, and a much more professional-use-friendly look, this one is a great bargain, with a few key missing pieces.
Why it's great for people with ADHD: This is very obviously a business-first planner, and has a wide variety of features for keeping the user on track throughout use. Almost every page has some sort of planner, monthly overview...
It has a much more professional design, which will help with not standing out as much in professional settings, which is useful for avoiding those problematic RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) issues that come with products that are too "loud" for the setting that they're used in. If you're an office worker, this one is a great under-the-radar pick at a much lower price. This journal is very much utilitarian, and some of our team absolutely adored that part, while others were missing a bit of the whimsy of our top pick's layout and features.
The focus of having a very guided journaling experience was tangible with the Panda Planner PRO. One member of our team wrote "I always feel like I know what I need to do next, and that's new for me." The texture of this planner was overall great, with the 100GSM non-bamboo paper being a real standout for some.
The downsides of a "pushier" journal
There is very little white space in this journal— the pages are chock full of morning routine boxes, schedule sections, priority partitions, and task templates. There's almost no room on any of the pages for freeform thoughts, which was an annoyance for some of our ADHD testers.
The 100GSM paper had a similar smooth feel to our top pick, but not quite as magazine-smooth as the other paper. For some this was a plus, especially our left-handed writers who had a problem with smearing on the 120GSM super-smooth paper. The binding was also more comfortable for our left-handed testers.
Clever Fox Planner PRO - The surprise pick for freeform journalers
Coming right in between our top pick and runner-up, this was the hands down favorite for those who wanted more of a freeform, and less of a guided experience with journaling.
Size: Large: 8.5" x 11"
Get this if: You want a premium planner with some great features, are excited about a bit of eccentricity in your journaling experience, and appreciate having more size and space to work with, without many of the guiding features of the other ADHD-friendly planners.
Why it's great for people with ADHD: This planner had the least bleed of any of our journals, and the best lay-flat binding which was a blessing for the left handed testers on our team. The included pockets for additional notes and photos was a big win for many, and this one seemed to strike just the right balance between being overly guided and having enough space to freeform jot down ideas.
One member of our testing team said "This was the most fun planner to use by far—I kept finding reasons to pick it up and brought it with me everywhere."
The more freeform experience had a very positive effect on some of our team, but was also very offputting for others—many had remarks that they didn't know what they supposed to do with the journal, so they ended up using it less and less.
The paper, binding, and cover texture were all great, but not quite as premium feeling as the other two picks. The paper was noticeably lighter, which meant pencils had an easier time on this journal than the others, but pens seemed to not perform as well. Notably; this was the best journal by far for gel pen users—the colors really seemed to pop on this one, without any of the characteristic bleeding that gel pens usually cause with journals.
The flaw of having the freedom to get lost
The freeform nature of this journal was divisive to say the least amongst our team of testers, some thinking that this was actually a journal more aimed at college students instead of adults. Containing whimsical features like a vision board, a life vision goal page, a multipage calendar and over 6 pages of stickers included, it's easy to see how some might find it juvenile.
However, once past that the journal actually looks and feels like a solid, mostly-professional journal at a glance, but not quite as "serious business" as our runner-up.
The pages were noticeably thinner than the other two journals, which for some was a real benefit, and others noted that the journal had a bit of a cheaper feel with its faux leather cover.
References
- Altered somatosensory processing in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - Linköping University (Sweden), published in BMC Psychiatry, August 2024. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06002-9
- Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Case Series - William W. Dodson, Edward J. Modestino, et al., Curry College Brain & Behavior Laboratory, published in Acta Scientific Neurology, July 2024. https://actascientific.com/ASNE/pdf/ASNE-07-0762.pdf
