Dear Pocket Planner, Sorry...

I’m breaking up with you…

Have you ever thought of trying a pocket-sized planner for your on-the-go planning needs? I did, and I'm here to share my experience. It may look cute and handy, but it wasn’t quite the match made in heaven as I’d hoped!

So in this article I’m sharing the pros and cons of adding a pocket planner to my line-up, as someone who currently uses (and LOVES) an A5 size planner.

Things Started Off Well

Having my little pocket planner to hand was literally a dream come true. However, one downside was the time it took to get it fully set-up (nearly four weeks!). The issue I had was I didn't own any pocket-sized inserts, although I did have a rather smart LV small agenda, which I now believe to be a very good replica, but that's a story for another day.

After looking on the Filofax website for pocket-size inserts I could get my hands on fairly quickly, I left feeling dissatisfied with the available options - that experience noted in this video “HELP! The big planner vs small bag problem 🥴”.

The upshot was, I ended up designing my own inserts to road-test, documented here “On-The-Go Pocket Planner Setup”

Now here’s the thing, I was (and still am) very happy with my final set-up, which I share in this article “The Edit: Pocket-Sized Planner Accessories”, but for me, a functional planner needs to be more than just visually pleasing, it needs to be usable, as well as slotting seamlessly into my life.

Always the Professional

This little planner was so good to me during meetings, particularly during follow-ups when I was able to refer back to my notes to confirm what we had previously agreed.

It’s worth noting that my use-case scenarios were non-professional meetings, so they were more on the causal side but were still important enough to warrant taking notes - such as meetings with my kids’ school teachers.

Let Me Check My Diary

Another thing I absolutely loved was having my important dates and appointments to hand so I could book things in while on-the-go. Having to wait until I got home to check my diary or worrying “what if I’ve double-booked myself” had been a real pain in the butt, which was the thing that pushed me over the edge to add a pocket planner.

It’s Good, But my First Love is BETTER!

My hang-up is, that although the pros far out-weigh the cons, I still feel my A5 planner is my ride and die because she's luxuriously spacious, and has everything I need.

Can an A5 planner be chunky as?
Of course!

Is an A5 as heavy as a lead brick?
You bet ya!

Does having everything to hand equal overkill?
Sure does, sometimes!

But… I'm feeling like I wouldn't have it any other way.

Any ways, here are the quick ‘n’ dirty take-aways as a handy pros / cons list, I hope it helps you if you're thinking of adding a pocket planner to your line-up.

Pro et Contra ('For and Against') the Pocket Planner

The Pros List

✅ Small enough to fit in my handbag making it easily portable when I’m on-the-go

✅ Handy for jotting down notes, checking dates and generally keeping me organised - especially when in meetings

✅ Looks super cute and way more put together than a scrappy little notebook that’s seen better days

✅ I’ve always got a pen and notepaper to hand when I need it

✅ A gorgeous excuse to accessorise with deco such as planner clips and charms

The Cons List

❌ The small size means the page size is super small, which can be awkward to write on

❌ Maintaining two agendas is tricky and time consuming - I have a constant worry that I’ll miss transposing something across to the other planner

❌ Having to research, test and buy extra planning supplies and inserts specifically for a smaller planner took time and money

And there you have it, both pocket and A5 planners have their merits and drawbacks. It's all about finding what suits your needs and lifestyle best.

For me, I'm going back to my trusty A5 planner. But who knows? Maybe a pocket planner is the perfect fit for you.

Until next time Planner Friend, keep planning a life you love!
Chloe x