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No matter how many note-taking applications our mobile phones have, there is no substitute for putting a pen on paper.

But finding the best laptop is often a matter of personal preference. Handmade paper may look beautiful, but it absorbs ink at an amazing speed. For left-handed writers, spiral-bound notebooks may be uncomfortably pressed against their hands, and shiny paper means that the ink will stain for a long time after writing. Then the page itself: underlines, blanks, dashes, or graphics? As for the cover, do you like to flip through the spiral notebook like a reporter or do you prefer the hardcover?

Whether you like writing between the lines or pour your thoughts on a blank page, we have found the best notebook for anyone who wants to be a writer. Just scroll to find your next perfect notebook.

When choosing a notebook, size is important. If it is only used at home and you like a lot of writing space, choose an A4 notebook. Shrinking to A5 and smaller sizes means lighter weight and less page size, but there is still room for complete sentences. A6 feels like the perfect pocket size, and is a great choice for taking notes and keeping track of a growing to-do list on the go.

Hardcover notebooks are durable and drop resistant. They can be easily slid into the bag without bending the corners or damaging the page, and they can be used as their own backing for writing when there is no table nearby. Hardcover books are usually the best choice for the type of writing you want to keep.

The paperback notebook is very light, takes up little space on the bag and bookshelf, and is flexible enough to fit in a small pocket. They are also generally cheaper and richer in design.

The simplest ordinary notebook will provide blank pages, but there are countless options. Grid lines are generally favored by writers, while chart pages are very suitable for people with artistic or design awareness. The dotted page provides a middle ground between the two: the flexibility of blank paper and the unobtrusive options for drawing lines and boxes. Those who create a planner or bullet journal in a notebook like it. If you can’t decide what you like, some notebooks also have alternating horizontal lines and blank pages.

Other useful notebook features include card envelopes on the back to store receipts and various paper strips, ribbon bookmarks for placement, pen holders, perforated pages, and magnetic flap closures or thin elastic bands attached to the cover to securely close the notebook .

Next: The most worth buying pen

Price: £4 | Buy now from Paperchase

This Kraft A5 exercise book from Paperchase is the ideal notebook for your shopping list, daily errands and casual doodles. With a neutral cardboard cover (this is a good choice if you don't like cheesy slogans), it is beautiful and thin, but it also allows for personalization with graffiti or stickers. Inside are 96 pages of grid paper bound together with black stitches. The notebook is made of recycled materials and uses soy ink, so you can feel better when you fill it and then box it-hope to put it in the recycling bin!

Main features-size: 147 x 210 mm (A5); paper: 192 grid paper (96 pages); cover: cardboard; binding: stitched fabric

Price: £19 | Buy now from Amazon

A special occasion requires a special notebook, Paperblanks is a perfect place. The brand collaborates with museums and art collections around the world to create stunning notebook covers. This gorgeous Grolier Ornamentali notebook is inspired by the library of French book collector Jean Grolier in the 1500s.

The cover has a soft faded leather finish, inlaid with intricate floral patterns and decorative closures to secure it. Inside, you will find 120 pages of matte matte ruled paper with colored edges that create a beautiful retro look when the notebook is closed. Like all Paperblanks series, this notebook is perfect as a gift, a commemorative occasion or just to look beautiful on a bookshelf.

Main features-size: 184 x 133 mm; paper: 240 grids (120 pages); features: metal button closure, ribbon bookmarks, inner pocket, color side pages; cover: hard; binding: stitching

Price: £9 | Buy now from Lehman

When it comes to laptops, it is impossible not to mention Moleskine. Despite the higher price, this iconic Italian brand is known for high-quality compact and elegant laptops suitable for all types of writers.

We like the classic pocket laptop because it has a full range of features: the durable hardcover book cover means you don’t have to worry about finding a surface to put it on, and the bed sheet sewn directly on the spine of the book means the laptop can always lie completely flat. The elastic seal can firmly hold the pen and any other strips of paper you have inserted into it. The matte ivory paper fits your eyes easily and it feels very smooth to write. In our opinion, they strike a good balance between price and performance.

Main features-size: 140 x 90 mm; paper: 96 grids (192 pages); features: elastic sealing, ribbon bookmarks, inner pocket; cover: hard; binding: stitching

Price: £10 | Buy now from Amazon 

If your various project categories are far away from you, use Paperchase's ten themed notebooks to take back control. Spiral binding means that the notebook can be laid flat or folded. There are 150 sheets of A4 paper inside, separated by ten theme dividers made of flexible translucent plastic in various colors. You cannot move the dividers, but they are divided into 30-page (15-sheet) paper groups, which should be enough to keep you organized. 

Main features-size: 225 x 300 mm (A4); paper: 150 grids (300 pages); features: 10 plastic partitions; cover: plastic cover; binding: spiral binding 

Price: £10 | Buy now from Lehman

Filofax Refillable Notebook is ideal for those who like a notebook that is reliable and familiar but browses the page at super fast speed. Just pick up the replacement page and swap it in when your first set is full. The soft leather cover extends farther than the paper to protect the edges of the page, and is bound with spiral threads-although unlike most spiral notebooks, this notebook will not click to open. Instead, the supplied paper has tiny gaps where it intersects the binding, so you can move the page around without tearing. This refillable notebook also has a thick elastic closure and satisfactory snaps, a detachable regular partition made of flexible plastic and a four-page-sized labeled partition for easy organization .

Main features-size: 214 x 163 mm (A5); paper: 56 sheets of grid and graph paper (112 pages); features: elastic sealing, 4 plastic dividers, rulers; cover: soft leather appearance; binding: spiral

Price: £30 | Buy now from Amazon

If you are keen to save paper and still write by hand, then Rocketbook is your future notebook. It is known as the world's first infinitely reusable journal, and it uses a dazzling series of techniques to send your handwritten notes online. Use the Frixion erasable pen to write on the synthetic hybrid waterproof page, and then take a photo with your phone. The Rocketbook app backs up scans of your work to the cloud-based service of your choice, allowing you to freely wipe the page with a damp cloth and start over.

Although there are many pocket scanner applications available, the advantage of Rocketbook is that it is environmentally friendly, because you only need to buy a notebook to meet all your digital note-taking needs. Satisfied customers say that every time you erase a page and start from a blank sheet of paper, there is a sense of liberation-although it is also mentioned that Frixion ink takes a while to dry, so be careful of smudges and pressing the pages together .

Main features-size: 224 x 153 mm (A5); paper: 16 grid waterproof dot paper (32 pages); features: Pilot Frixion pen, microfiber cloth; cover: synthetic waterproof; binding: spiral

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