The short answer: a refillable leather journal is a leather cover you keep and paper you replace. There are two main kinds. In the first, often called a traveler's notebook, thin paper booklets are held inside the cover by elastic bands, and you slip in a new one when one is full. In the second, a ring binder, punched pages clip onto metal rings, so you can add, remove and reorder single pages. Choose elastic inserts for a slim journal you carry every day, and rings for a planner or notes you like to rearrange. Then choose the size by where the journal will live, and check that refills in that size are easy to get.
We are Sealed & Shelved, a small shop for readers and letter writers. We sell two refillable leather journals, one of each kind, compared near the end. Most of this guide applies wherever you buy.
The main kinds of refillable journal
| Kind | How you refill it | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Elastic-insert cover | Slide out a full booklet and slip in a new one | Carrying every day, travel notes, several notebooks in one cover |
| Ring binder | Open the rings and add, remove or move single pages | Planners, class notes, recipes, long projects |
| Notebook cover | Tuck a notebook's front and back covers into the sleeves | Anyone who already has a favorite notebook |
Elastic-insert covers
The cover is a single piece of leather with elastic bands running down the inside of the spine. Each insert is a thin booklet, usually stitched through the fold, that sits under one of the bands. With more than one insert in the cover, you can keep lined pages for writing, grid pages for lists and a pocket for tickets in the same journal.
- Good: slim and light, and each insert is cheap to replace or to make yourself.
- Watch out for: each insert holds fewer pages than a bound notebook, and insert sizes differ from maker to maker (more on that below).
Ring binders
Metal rings are fixed to the spine, and each page is punched with holes that fit them. Open the rings and you can add, remove or move a single page, file finished pages away so the binder stays thin, and use dividers to keep sections apart.
- Good: the easiest kind to reorganize, and you can mix lined, grid and blank paper in any order.
- Watch out for: the rings sit under your hand when you write near the inner edge of a page, the binder is bulkier than a stitched notebook, and refill holes have to line up with the rings.
Notebook covers
A leather cover with a sleeve at the front and back. You slide a notebook's covers into the sleeves, and when it is full you put in a new one. It suits anyone who already has a notebook they like, as long as that notebook's size matches the sleeves. We don't sell this kind.
How to choose a refillable leather journal
1. Choose the kind by how you write
If you write in order, day by day, an elastic-insert cover keeps things simple. If you move pages around, keep separate sections such as notes, lists and projects, or want to take finished pages out, choose a ring binder.
2. Choose the size by where it will live
- Passport size: roughly the size of a passport. It fits a jacket pocket or a small bag and suits lists, travel notes and quick thoughts.
- Tall, narrow sizes: often called regular or medium. They fit most bags and give you more room per page than a passport size.
- A5: paper of 8.3 × 5.8 in (210 × 148 mm). There's room for planners, tables and long entries, but it is more of a desk and tote bag journal than a pocket one.
Size names are not standard. One maker's passport or regular size can be a few millimeters different from another's, and an insert that is slightly too tall won't fit. Compare sizes in millimeters, not by name.
3. Check the refills before you buy the cover
A refillable journal is only as useful as the refills you can get for it.
- Ask what the maker sells. Some makers sell refills in several rulings; others sell the cover only.
- For ring binders: punched A5 paper is easy to find, but hole positions are not the same on every product. Before buying a pack, compare the hole spacing given for the refill with the rings in your binder, or hold a page up to the open rings.
- For elastic-insert covers: if the right size is hard to find, you can make your own inserts. Fold a few sheets in half, trim them to the size of the insert you have, and stitch or staple through the fold.
4. Check the paper
- Ruling: lined for writing, grid for lists and tables, blank for sketches. A journal that comes with a mix lets you try each one.
- Weight: paper weight is given in gsm (grams per square meter). Everyday copy paper is usually about 75 to 80 gsm, so 100 gsm is noticeably heavier.
- Fountain pens: weight alone doesn't tell you how paper handles ink; the paper's surface matters too. If you write with a fountain pen, test it on a back page first.
5. Check the leather
- Genuine leather means real leather. It doesn't tell you which layer of the hide was used or how it was finished.
- Full grain and top grain describe the outer layer of the hide. Full-grain leather keeps its natural surface; top-grain leather has the surface sanded and finished.
- Crazy horse is a finish: leather treated with oil and wax, so the color lightens where it bends or gets scratched. It gives a worn-in look that develops with use.
- PU leather, often sold as vegan leather, is synthetic. It is often lighter and cheaper, but it doesn't age the way leather does and can peel or crack over time.
Leather is a natural material, so color, grain and small surface marks vary from one piece to the next.
6. Check the closure
An elastic band is quick and copes with a stuffed journal, but it slowly loosens with use. A leather strap or wrap looks classic and takes a few seconds longer. A clasp or snap closes neatly but limits how thick the journal can get.
Refillable or bound?
A bound journal keeps everything in one book in the order you wrote it, which many people want for a diary or a keepsake. A refillable journal keeps the cover and lets the paper change. To get a bit of both, keep your finished inserts or pages in a box, labeled by date.
Our other two journals are not sold as refillable, and we don't sell paper for them: the Embossed Leather Journal with Metal Clasp ($36.99) has 100 sheets (200 pages) of plain kraft paper, and the Wooden Cover Journal ($22.99) has an engraved wooden cover with a heart-shaped clasp. For ideas on what to write, see How to Start a Reading Journal.
Our refillable leather journals
| Insert journal | A5 binder | |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Elastic inserts | Six metal rings |
| Size | Passport or medium | A5 paper |
| Paper | 3 inserts, 100 gsm | 100 lined sheets |
| Leather (as the supplier describes it) | Genuine (cowhide) | Crazy horse finish |
- Refillable Leather Journal with 3 Inserts: $26.99 in passport size, $29.99 in medium. A leather cover (genuine cowhide, according to the supplier) with an elastic band closure. It comes with three saddle-stitched inserts, blank, grid and lined, on 100 gsm paper, plus a clear zip pouch insert and a small charm (the design may differ). The passport size is about 5.3 × 4.1 in (135 × 105 mm) and the medium about 6.9 × 4.3 in (175 × 110 mm). It comes in eight colors in passport size and seven in medium.
- A5 Leather Ring Binder Journal: $36.99. A leather cover with a crazy horse finish, according to the supplier, and six metal rings. It comes with 100 sheets of lined A5 paper and a clear divider. The cover is about 9.3 × 6.7 in (235 × 170 mm). It comes in seven colors.
About refills: we don't sell refills separately.
- Insert journal: we list the journal's size as the supplier gives it and don't have separate measurements for the inserts, so measure one of yours before you buy inserts from another maker. Inserts sold as regular size are often about 8.3 in (210 mm) tall, which is too tall for our medium size.
- A5 binder: the paper is standard A5. Before you buy punched A5 refills, compare their hole positions with the rings.
Neither journal comes with a pen. The supplier doesn't give the paper weight for the binder's sheets.
Looking after a leather journal
- Keep it dry. If it gets wet, blot it with a soft cloth and let it dry at room temperature, away from heaters.
- Wipe off dust and fingerprints with a dry, soft cloth.
- On crazy horse leather, light scratches often fade if you rub them with a fingertip.
- If you use a leather conditioner, use a little and test it inside the cover first, because it can darken the color.
- Long hours in direct sun can fade leather, so don't leave the journal on a sunny windowsill.
- Don't overfill it. Too many inserts stretch the elastic bands, and pages in a packed binder are harder to turn.
Giving a refillable leather journal as a gift
A refillable journal suits someone who writes every day, travels, or plans their week on paper, because the cover keeps going after the first notebook is full.
- Choose the size by how they'll use it. If you're not sure, a passport size is the easiest to carry; an A5 binder suits a planner or a student.
- Make it personal. Write a note on the first page, or set up the first insert with a list they'll use, such as books to read or places to go.
- For a writer, add our Leather Pen Roll with 4 Slots ($29.99) for their favorite pens. Our guide Gifts for Writers has more ideas.
- Send it straight to them: enter their address as the shipping address at checkout. We ship to US addresses only.
- For Christmas, order by November 24; Christmas Gifts for Book Lovers explains the timing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a refillable leather journal?
A leather cover that holds replaceable paper: either thin booklets held in by elastic bands, punched pages on metal rings, or a notebook slipped into sleeves. When the paper is full, you replace it and keep the cover.
What are traveler's notebook inserts?
Thin booklets, usually stitched through the fold, that fit inside an elastic-band cover. They come in sizes such as passport and regular, with lined, grid, dot or blank pages, and some are folders or zip pockets rather than paper. Sizes vary between makers, so check the measurements against your cover.
Can I use refills from another brand?
Yes, if they fit. For an elastic-insert cover, the insert's height and width have to suit your cover. For a ring binder, both the paper size and the hole positions have to match the rings. Compare measurements in millimeters before you buy.
Is a ring binder or an elastic-insert cover better?
Neither is better for everything. Elastic inserts make a slimmer, lighter journal that's easy to carry. A ring binder is better for planners and notes you want to rearrange, but it is bulkier and the rings get in the way near the inner edge of the page.
Is genuine leather real leather?
Yes. "Genuine leather" means the cover is real leather, not synthetic, but it doesn't say which layer of the hide was used or how the surface was finished.
Is shipping free?
Yes. Standard shipping is free on every US order. Orders are dispatched in 2–4 business days, and most arrive within 7–15 business days of purchase.