There’s nothing worse than spending a ton of money on products that you never end up using! We’re ditching that in 2025: I decided to poll over 100 people to ask them which stationery supplies they think are actually worth the money. What did I find out? Read on!
Journaling Supplies That Live Up To The Hype
To some extent a lot of this is subjective: what works best for some won’t work for others. For that reason, I decided to split this blog post into categories based on the type of tool. For each item I’ll provide the reasoning that people gave on why they enjoy that particular item so you can get a better idea of whether or not it’s a good fit for you!
Notebooks & Planners
This category was neck-in-neck! It turns out that planners & notebooks are a very personal choice that depends heavily on preference.
1. Leuchtturm1917
At the top of the pack, this brand’s journals are well-known for their quality and smooth 80gsm paper. While the most popular choice out of the individuals I polled was their grid notebook, this brand also creates monthly/weekly planners as well as bullet journals.
2. Traveler’s
If you’re looking for a journal that can do it all then you’re definitely a Traveler’s fan! You can customize this notebook inside and outside with charms or inserts. Whether you’re an artist who wants to watercolor while traveling or a professional trying to stay organized this is a great choice.
3. Kokuyo Campus
This budget choice is a great option for students and anyone getting started with journaling. The design is very appealing with high-quality 70gsm paper at a reasonable price point and many color and cute design options.
4. Hobonichi
An excellent choice for anyone who could use a little bit of direction when planning! Each Hobonichi design lends itself well to getting started with checkboxes, intuitive layouts, and plenty of cover options. You can pick individual planners for your interest or a design that combines daily, weekly, and monthly journals.
5. Rhodia
This choice seemed to be particularly popular for those interested in calligraphy and fine writing–and it’s no surprise why! These notebooks feature premium 90gsm ivory vellum paper and eye-catching covers that are great for starting a conversation.
Highlighters, Markers, Brush Pens & Fineliners
Although this is a large category, one stood out in terms of numbers higher than everything else and that’s Mildliners! The other options on this list weren’t even close but depending on the type of journaling you do there may or may not be a need for them.
1. Mildliners
These toned-down highlighters were leagues ahead of the other options on this list! Funny enough, they are a must-have for all of my journaling spreads. No particular color stood ahead of the others but do know that if you love these you’re in good company.
2. Tombow Markers
This brand appears to be a clear fan favorite when it comes to brush pens and markers. They work well on thin paper, offer a wide selection of colors, and are a great budget choice because they last a long time. The most popular designs mentioned are the Twintones, Dual Brush, and Fudenosuke.
3. Sakura Fineliners
Regardless of how you use your journal, Fineliners seem to be a widely-available tool for everything from adding outlines to drawing a sketch for watercolor. Many people enjoy them because they are waterproof and come in a variety of line sizes making them a great companion for your bullet journal.
4. Kuretake Zig
These markers are awesome for learning calligraphy, scrapbooking, and even bullet journaling! They are long-lasting and offer some beautiful colors that look lovely when mixed. The most mentioned Kuretake products were the Cocoiro Lettering Pen, Clean Color Dot, Fudegokochi Brush Pen, and the Clean Color Real Brush.
5. Pentel
Last, but not least, Pentel’s line of refillable brush pens! These are an affordable water resistant option for drawing, outlining text, as well as decorating your spreads. The most popular choices are the Fude Touch Sign Pen & Pocket Brush Pen.
Ballpoint, Roller & Gel Pens
Everyone and their mother has a favorite pen but there was absolutely a clear winner in this category! By volume, most people seemed to prefer Muji’s line of pens for their affordability and consistently smooth writing.
1. Muji
If you’re not familiar with Muji, they are a Japanese chain store with a focus on simplicity and functionality–and their line of pens and pencils absolutely fit their vision. They carry a ton of affordable and refillable pens in various point sizes so you are bound to find one that you prefer. Despite the design being very simple, people really seem to love these!
2. Sarasa
While the vintage pen colors seemed to be the most popular, this particular brand seems to be successful because of their unique designs, fast-drying ink, and anti-smear formula. It is a very popular choice for those who are left-handed or building a retro-themed collection.
3. Pilot
This company has been in the game for a long time, and it’s clear to see why. Their formulations are consistent, long-lasting, affordable, and can be found at most stores in the United States. I was shocked to see them in the #3 spot because I’m a big fan of their most popular designs: the Pilot G2 and FriXion gel pens.
4. Uniball
Likely one of the most aesthetically pleasing on the list, Uniball creates a wide variety of pens targeted at different consumers. Their most popular models are the Signo UM-151 and their Uniball One line, both of which are perfect for a variety of uses from taking notes to diary entries.
5. Pentel
Although this brand’s pens take longer to dry and can sometimes smear, they’re a popular choice because of how cleanly they write as well as how durable they are. Most people polled preferred the Hybrid Technica and Energel Liquid Gel pens.
Colored & Mechanical Pencils
When you’re looking for office supplies to buy it’s likely you’ll need a pencil at some point in time. They’re used for everything from art to note-taking but it wasn’t the first thing that came to mind for many stationery addicts, making this list shorter than others in this blog post.
1. Faber Castell Polychromos
Colored pencils are great for decorating spreads and filling in illustrations. It seems that people are fond of Faber Castell’s Polychromos line of colored pencils over brands like Prismacolor because they are more affordable while still offering an impressive range of shades.
2. Tombow Mono-graph Shaker
A mechanical pencil with an interesting gimmick, this pen conveniently advances the lead inside whenever you give it a little shake. It also has a “lead lock” in case you’re worried about shaking too much out of the pencil. The designs are extremely cute and come in adorable pastel colors. I can definitely see the appeal!
3. Pentel Orenz
This particular mechanical pencil is a popular choice because you can use an extremely fine point lead without dealing with the annoying breakage. They’re able to do this consistently using a sliding sleeve that covers the lead while you write. You can even replace the erasers and lead to fit your preference–it’s really neat.
Fine Writing Tools
Fountain and dip pens provide an extremely unique writing experience that once you get started with it’s hard to stop! Out of the people I polled, this category seemed to be relatively popular.
1. TWSBI
This brand creates some absolutely amazing fountain pens, but the most mentioned were their Eco and Diamond 58 designs. They’re particularly inviting for newcomers because they are affordable and you don’t need to buy a converter for them. Plus, they come in so many eye-catching colors so they are fun to collect.
2. LAMY
Another affordable option, these fountain pens have a very nice feel without breaking the bank. I’m a huge fan of the design, but above all else, respondents thought it had a wonderful writing experience. The most mentioned options here were the LAMY Safari, and AL-Star.
3. Platinum
When it comes to low-maintenance pens, fountain pens are not generally on the list–but you can definitely make an argument that Platinum’s Preppy fountain pen deserves to be included. This affordable option doesn’t require a converter and can easily get up-and-running by quickly popping in a Platinum cartridge. It’s great for beginners!
4. Sailor
This pen is something special so it’s no surprise that it made the top five. Unlike other Fude-nib pens which are generally expensive, you can add Sailor’s Hocoro to your collection at a very reasonable price. Outside of being a lot of fun, this pen is a great choice for ink testing and calligraphy.
5. Pilot
If you’re looking for a great budget pen, you’ll definitely be interested in this brand’s most popular picks: the Perra and Varsity. The Varsity in particular is perfect for anyone interested in learning how to write with a fountain pen because they are extremely affordable and designed to be disposable. Take a look and see if they’re a good fit for you!
Inks & Stamp Pads
Both of these are a crucial part of any stationery collection! If you own a fountain pen or love to decorate your planner with stamps then this category is for you.
1. Shachihata Stamp Pads
These stamp pads are a great combination of comfort and convenience. As someone who uses these daily, I can attest to how awesome they are. They have a lovely color selection and the design is great because they can be stacked on top of each other to take up less space.
2. Pilot Iroshizuku Ink
This luxurious ink is favored because of its wetness and gorgeous color options. It writes beautifully on a range of papers because of its high-quality formulation making it a favorite among fountain pen enthusiasts.
3. Tsukineko VersaMagic Dew Drops
Convenient, small, and perfect for planner stamps. These miniature stamp pads will not bleed through thin pages, plus it dries very quickly! There are plenty of colors to choose from and they are compact which is great for storage purposes.
Miscellaneous Standouts
For this last section, here are any items that did not have enough additional items in their given category or just don’t fit in with a different group.
1. MT Washi Tapes
Actually, out of everything in this blog post, these popular decorative tapes took the cake. The most popular brand mentioned was MT–rightfully so, as they are the original creators of washi tape. It is hard to regret collecting these because they’re affordable, fun, and have a wide variety of uses from wrapping gifts to covering up mistakes.
2. Tombow MONO Zero Eraser
Who knew an eraser could capture the hearts of so many people? This is a standalone eraser with a pen-style body that excels at precision erasing. It is refillable, easy to store, and lasts a very long time because of its efficient design.
3. Rubber & Clear Stamps
Another must-have for decoration and organization! Although no particular brand was mentioned, it seems that a majority of the people I surveyed recommended picking up number and letter stamps. These are great for everything from habit tracking to adding interesting motifs in your journal.
4. Kokuyo Dotliner
Convenient and clean, these unique adhesive tapes are great for scrapbooking or gluing down decorations for your journal. The adhesive inside can be refilled and it’s definitely a step up from your average glue stick.
5. Midori Chiratto Index Clips
A truly “miscellaneous” item, index clips are niche enough that they’re easily forgotten when starting to build a stationery collection. Index clips are great for marking important pages or clipping a few pages together without adding bulk to your planner.
Final Notes
We hope that this comprehensive guide helped introduce you to something new. While many of these products are well-known, it’s been eye-opening to get a comprehensive look at which items the journaling community thinks are the best bang for your buck.
If you’re interested in supporting a small business so we can make more blog posts like this, please consider taking a look at what we currently have in stock! While we obviously don’t carry all of the items recommended (nor are we sponsored by any of these brands), there is a great selection to choose from.
