Inside: Check out this simple guide to planner sizes to understand the different options when it comes to choosing the perfect planner and getting organized!
So you’ve decided you want to use a planner – good for you! They are a brilliant way to get organised and can be fun to use. Then you start looking at them and instantly you are stuck on the first big question. What size planner do you buy?
Planner sizes are varied and have a big impact on the type of planner you get. You probably don’t want to carry an A4 planner around with you (unless you are a student) but a pocket size may not give you the space you need.
To help you decide on what size planner you need, let’s dive into the world of planner sizes, names, and what kind of thing you can use them for.
What are the different planner sizes?
A word of warning – there’s no set-size system for planners. While there are some basic paper sizes, companies often have their own sizes, dimensions, and names for planners. Yes, it does make things a little complicated!
Filofax planner sizes
Let’s use Filofax as an example. They’ve been around a long time and were usually called ‘organizers’ before planners became a thing. But they are really the same idea.
They currently have five main sizes:
- A4 – paper sizes 8.3 x 11.7 inches
- A5 – paper size 5.8 x 8.3 inches
- Personal – paper size 3.7 x 6.7 inches
- Compact – paper size 3.7 x 6.7 inches
- Pocket – paper size 3.2 x 4.7 inches
You’ll notice that the Personal and Compact use the same size of paper – so what’s the difference? The difference is the size of the planner around them. The Personal is put in a wider planner than the Compact so if you want to have things that stick off the edge of the page such as tabs, there’s a little more room for them. The Filofax Pocket is smaller in both dimensions, ideally to fit in your pocket!
Happy Planner sizes
My current favourite planner is the Happy Planner from MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas). I have the Classic size which stays on my desk and also a mini that is more of a notebook style to jot down all those random things that come into my head. Their planner sizes are more straightforward and there are three:
- Mini – planner 5.1 x 7.5 inches, paper size 4.5 x 7 inches
- Classic –planner 7.75 x 9.75 inches, paper size 7 x 9.25 inches
- Big – planner 9 x 11.25 inches, paper size 8.5 x 11 inches (US letter size)
The handy thing with their disc-bound system is you can use smaller sheets in the bigger planners. So you can have half-size mini pages that are the same length as the Classic but not as wide. They fit in as well and let you do that easy overlap idea.
What size is an A4 planner?
Common paper sizes are a great way to start narrowing down the planner you want. Among the biggest planners out there are the ones termed A4. In the UK, this is a standard size of a sheet of paper, but it is a little different from US sizes:
- UK A4 – 8.27 x 11.7 inches
- US letter size – 8.5 x 11 inches
In most cases, you can use either in an A4 planner because the difference is only small. But it never hurts to check as if your paper size is UK A4 and the planner doesn’t have much spare space around the paper room, it might not work as well if the planner is US letter size.
An example here is the Big Happy Planner which can hold US letter size and almost A4 size. But the Filofax A4 size is slightly smaller than both of these so custom paper is needed (which is a little sneaky!!)
You can also find some planner systems that work in a three-ring binder (mostly in the US so it will be letter size rather than A4). Martha Stewart has one in her range and so does the Franklin Covey range.
What size is an A5 planner?
Next up is A5 which is a sheet of A4 that has been cut in half or folded in half like a book. It is very similar to a half letter size that is used in the US and both are popular planner sizes. The difference again is small:
- UK A5 – 5.83 x 8.27 inches
- US Half letter – 5.5 x 8.5 inches
This means that the A5 planner is an ideal desk size but also not too big to carry around if you have a larger bag, rucksack, or briefcase. It is my favourite size because there’s enough room for my slightly messy handwriting while still being portable.
The Classic Happy Planner is basically an A5 size although the pages are a little wider and shorter than standard. You could use normal A5 paper if you needed and had one of the punches for disc-bound planners. It might just look a little off compared to the specific paper for it.
The Filofax A5 size is almost the same as the UK A5 size so you could punch holes in normal A5 paper and use this as well as US half letter as it is slightly smaller.
What size is a personal wide planner?
One of the other sizes you might see is a ‘personal wide planner’ but how does this compare? This is basically between an A5 and an A6 planner. The common size for this type of planner is 6.75 x 4.75 inches. So it is a little smaller than A5, about the same height as an A6 planner but is wider. This just means you have a bit more room on the page.
What size is an A6 planner?
Just as A5 is half of A4, A6 is half of A5. It is also known as ‘personal’ size in the planner world. A6 paper is usually 3.74 x 6.73 inches and was made famous by Filofax with their Personal range.
Smaller planner sizes
While you can keep going on the system of paper such as A4, A5, with planners, you tend to find people switch to names once you get past A5 because people are less familiar with them. This is the case with the babies of the family. A couple of examples include:
- Pocket – 3.19 x 4.72 inches – seen in brands like Filofax and Kikki K
- Mini – 2.64 x 4.14 inches – seen in brands like Filofax
Planner size comparison
Here’s a quick at-a-glance comparison of the main sizes and how they compare to each other:
How to choose the best planner size
Choosing a planner size is completely a personal thing. But there are a few things to help you choose:
- Do you want to have fun stickers and elements to use in the planner? Then a bigger size might be best
- Do you want something very small to pop into even a small purse? Then a personal or pocket will work
- Do you like to write lots of information in the planner, have lots going on, or enjoy doodling? Then go for an A4 or A5 size
By getting the right planner size for your needs and also the way you use the planner, you can make the most of your purchase and get more organised in life!
Not sure about the formality of a planner? Then a bullet journal might be what you need!
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