As a natural night owl I love that the cousin goes until 4 am. Usually I can't plan the end of my day and have useless empty space at the beginning of the day or I just ignore the timeline because it doesn't work for me at all. Plus the full day timeline works for all types of schedules imo. For me any daily that stops before 2 am is just not worth it.
Not sure why people are complaining about the cousin getting too big and heavy… like, Hobonichi does make an A6 planner. Sure it doesn’t have the weeklies but you can buy the weekly booklet if you REALLY need them and it’s still half the size and weight of the cousin… and the Avec is a nice option too! I wouldn’t say the common planner “fixed” the cousin. I think it fixed the cousin FOR HER. A lot of people enjoy the aspects of the cousin that Rachelle didn’t like
I think the common planner looks beautiful but personally I don't think they are comparable and I fell is a bit unfair to say one fix the other. For me they just serve different purposes. The cousin is perfect for me to plan my projects, I love the size, the way the pages structure everything, etc. The common planner is beautiful and I love how kind of fancy it looks. But it gives me the impression of just a notebook with lots of totally blank pages and just a few actual planning pages at the beginning. I would use the common planner for Journaling or non-work related stuff, because I like to have my pages already structured for real daily work planning and the cousin does that perfectly. I'm not into bullet Journaling or making my own planning pages etc so for me the cousin is perfect. So overall for me they are just for different purposes (I guess that's also why the common planner is called like that right?) 😅 And both are beautiful!
I totally hear you! For me, it "fixed" a lot of the ways that the Cousin has been rubbing me the wrong way lately. But I do love the Cousin and I think its such a good planner. 😌
Don’t get me wrong Sterling Ink made a lovely minimalist planner, but I see it as the Hobonichi Day Free with the weekly section added and more note pages.
I really appreciated this comparison. For me, I simply cannot visualise things unless they are side-by-side so this video was a big help! Even though I'll be staying in a Cousin next year, I am keen to see how you use the Common planner.
I love the common planner but for me the fact it wasn't A5 was a deal breaker. I hope in future it'll come in A5, as all the other changes made were definitely pros for me. How are you planning to use both the Common Planner and a Cousin? That's a lot of space to use!
I will actually not be using my cousin while using the common planner! For me the A5 was a dealbreaker too but in the opposite way lol. I need the smaller planner with no dated dailies. It will be a catch all and goal planner for me :) The same way lots of people use the cousin!
I am going to find it hard to choose between the cousin and the common planner next year. I am assuming next year she will do a common planner in a5 and next year the cousin won’t have quotes at the bottom of the page…. This year I’m gonna try the common planner so that I can make an educated choice in 2024.
@@JunieOutdoors A cousin without the Quotes would for sure make the decision more difficult. I would be very torn about whether I want my dailies dated which works out well for encouraging me to journal every day or being able to spread out a bit more on some days with undated pages but then worrying about lack of space at the end of the year. I've not even started my 2023 planner yet and I'm already overanalysing the decision for 2024! Which did you choose for this year?
@@CorrBlimey729 I am going to try and order the common planner for 2023 if it doesn’t sell out immediately tonight. I ignored the dates in my 2022 cousin this year. I always overanalyze too 😂! I’ve never used b6 so this year will be the test.
@@JunieOutdoors why would the cousin not have the quotes for 2024?? That is one of the main things they are known for and the inclusion of quotes is part of their history. They even included "fake quotes" in the 2024 paper sampler
I love the yearly/quarterly layout in the Common planner, but I’m specifically trying to journal daily…and I love A5, so I’m going to go with the cousin this year (first time ever!)
I'm new to the world of Hobonichis and similar planners and started using the 2nd half of this year's Avec as a trial run - loved it so much i had to have the full A5 Cousin for 2023 and I'm dyyyying to get into it haha! For me, a lot of the pros you listed for the Common Planner are major cons, specifically when it comes to legibility and vision: - the font size is way too small for me, the A5 Cousin is about as small font wise as I can comfortably go and it's taken me several weeks of daily use to feel comfortable in it - the light colored grid is too light and would give me pause trying to line things up - and the numbers for the hours? oof. reminds me of the headers in the 365 Stalogy that are 1000% useless for someone with vision like mine haha - the colors! i love them! they aren't necessarily the colors i would choose for each month but i love having them to differentiate at a glance where you are in the planner, and i think it adds a lot of fun and whimsy to the daily pages. i would honestly prefer if the rest of the planner followed those same color rules! I will give you that the dark gray blue and red combo is something i wish i could change - mainly the red accents, they're so in your face! I would be interested to see this planner in an A5 because the clean slate of it all is nice, but I would need to be able to have it in my hands to really judge if sizing up would solve some of the visual issues. My concern is that its inherently part of the aesthetic and just wouldn't work for me, even in a larger book. I see this a lot in the minimalist spheres so I'm used to things like this "not being for me" but I do wish design didn't trump accessibility (specifically visual impairments) so often.
Agreed on all accounts. I would love to support a smaller maker but the A5 is about as small as I can go font-wise. I think there will be a lot of people trying the English version next year, you'll be in good company!
I ordered the cousin for the 3 layouts in a small package. I also prefer the A5 size. It fits perfectly in a notebook cover I purchased from the Coach outlet
I thunk this will definitely work for those people that complained about the colors, calendars and all, which these planner is made for honestly. Originality, not there diefinitely but i guess it all comes down to preferences. I will still be using hobo even with the paper shift coz honestly, i like the color red, and the colors each page, it just give a little life to the book, also i just love the brand and papershift wasn't that big for me. But do understand people who wouldn't.
Thank you for a thoughtful, thorough video. I just received my Common Planner (2 books, 1/2 year each, different colors) and I’m thrilled with it. There are hundreds of A5 planners to choose from, but relatively few in my favorite size, B6, at least in the US. I probably won’t do much with the goal pages, but the rest is so much better suited to me than the Cousin. I wouldn’t have thought to gild the page edges, but it really does look nice with the cover colors and helps the planner stand out from the other notebooks on my desk. You have a new subscriber. 🧡
I just received my Common Planner and I‘m setting it up right now (while watching some planning videos). I love that it‘s B6 (if it was A5, it would be way too heavy for me tbh) and I love most of the design choices. The fact that the B6 doesn‘t cover all 24 hours of the day actually is a minus, in my opinion, because I used to use the extra space in the Cousin to have a section for daily tasks and a section for the weather. With the left column only, I have less space for tasks in my weeklies - but I‘m going to find a workaround with sticky notes. Thankfully, Muji offers some that are an almost exact fit for one column in the Common Planner. What I also don‘t like is the fact that it doesn‘t use what you Americans call “military time” which is just how most of the rest of the world times their days. I understand why Catherine did that (she explained how it‘s easy to swap the schedule and just have it start at 6 p.m. if you work night shifts, and I‘m also assuming it‘s more accommodating to the US market). To me, it‘s irritating and I always need to think a few extra seconds before I realise where I need to put an evening appointment. Again, I understand where she‘s coming from and maybe I will get used to it over time, but it‘s definitely not my preference. Apart from these two minor things, however, there‘s nothing about this planner that I don‘t love. And that‘s a lot more than I can say about the Cousin. - Thanks for sharing your comparison! 💙
Thanks for sharing Jess! I have the reverse problem with the military time thing - it takes me SO much mental effort to subtract 12 from every number in the second half of the day 😅 Since this is an American made planner, I assume that's also part of why she did it - more "normal" for us over here lol. Since this is her first launch I bet she will have other variations in the future! Thank you for watching 💙
@@RachelleinTheory I agree it's more common for most Americans, but as an Army brat, and Air Force Veteran and having lived in both Asia and Europe, I strongly prefer the military time. That's almost a deal breaker for me. The real deal breaker though is that they sold out so fast tonight...I'll try it again tomorrow, but he style of time may be a moot point if I can't get one anyway. 😄
I bought the Common Planner and am excited to use it. I have not use the Cousin because it’s too big for me. I love the sophistication of the CP, the gold edges and neutral print inside. I think Catherine did an amazing job!!
THANK YOU for this video. I don’t have the cousin, but have used a plain notebook to create own planner. The Sterling planner looks like exactly what I need, I use monthly and weekly (no daily) but need the extra pages for tracking, journaling, etc. I will definitely check out the common planner for my next one
I am LOVING the commonplace planner by Catherine! I’m so so glad I got it and I never fully used my cousin for the exact same reasons you listed. Catherine created the perfect planner for me lol!
I’m going to use the Common Planner for a work planner. I like the free form “dailies”. I might only need 1/2 of a page one day, but two the next, and I never need any on the weekend. I just hope I don’t find it TOO small. I like those big squares on the Cousin monthly layout. If I find the Common Planner too small, I’m not above grabbing a Cousin and switching.
I am totally in love with both. The Cousin is still going to be my daily use memory keeper/planner because I work mid shift from 3pm to 11pm so my hours are odd. I also do occasional overnights. The Common Planner is absolutely perfect for my financial overhaul that I'll be doing in 2023. I am moving to days soon so it may become my planner for 2024, but I'll see how I like it for the money stuff. My EDC is actually going to be a Traveler's Notebook in the Passport size and I'm really enjoying the customizability. The K9s are getting their own passport too for their records, so when we travel I can just take out an insert and have everything in hand. 2023 is going to be a badass year I know it!!
Thanks for the review. It's so helpful when trying to decide what to buy. I bought my first Hobonichi Techo a few weeks back and like it. However, the size is good, but I think the b size may work better ( a5 too much room). I also like the common book style. I struggle with switching planners so much ($, etc.) that's why I like videos like this. Thanks again.
I purchased the cousin for 2023, first time hobo user over here! I specifically wanted it for the size. Instead of having 2-3 places to write everything down, I wanted one notebook that could do it all. I can write big things in the months, use stickers and decorate in the weeks, and then journal / take notes / draw or paint in the dailies. I am not a fan of the colors like you said. That is unfortunate but everything else is a pro for me. That common planner is freaking cute though. 😊
@@RachelleinTheory I have been a planner girl most of my life but apparently was living under a ROCK because I just learned about hobonichi over the summer 😅😵💫 whaaaat!
I picked up the common planner, 6 months version. Haven't tried yet the hobonichi cousin. I wanted something that can be easy to travel with and simple. just received mine, excited to try them.
Thank you for this video. You did a great job. I used the cousin for the first time this year and was pretty good with it. Skipped a few days here and there but I'm ok with that. I just use them for other things. I was torn for 2023...but I went with the cousin again. I know the common planner is a smaller planner and that's normally what I like .... but I feel like everything is too crammed in there together. And I dont like some of the fonts...it seems too big or too small and just not balanced well. I've gotten used to the A5 size and I enjoy it now that I have my own planning style.
I am going to go with the Cousin for 2023 since I bought it already. I do love it... for the most part. The biggest drawback I see to the cousin is that it really doesn't have a spot for me to just have a wide open space to brainstorm projects. I am a student (way, way untraditional, haha) and really appreciate the ability to have a spot to write everything down that I need for a class. What tests do I need to take? What tasks do I need to complete? What is the material? I am such a paper and pen girl that it helps my brain to be able to lay it out and see it. I find the Cousin very limited in that realm. I do use the daily pages for my to-do's and for my journaling so I suppose I could do it in there, but I came to the Cousin from utilizing the bullet journal system for over 5 years and having a wide open blank page is so satisfying, ha! I will be very curious to hear how you like this planner after using it for the year. It has some definite appeals, I might have to give it a go next year, we'll see :) Thanks for your review!
Thanks so much for watching!! I also found that wide open space was helpful for that when I was in grad school. I always used my dailies for it though. Maybe try snagging one of the thin notebook bundles that hobonichi sells in the A5 size! They are 3 per pack, about 40 pages per book and I think they’d be super helpful for this.
im newish to the hobonichi cousin. I got the common planner and Im BLOWN AWAY. I think it really did fix most of my minor annoyances with the cousin. It is so beautiful, and I can not wait to start using it! in fact, im not. ive already set up december and will be using tomorrow!
Great review. Thank you. I'm only 9 min into your video but posting. I haven't used an A5 Hobonichi but started using a 2023 Hobo weeks just recently. What I like about Hobo and I've read is a desirable feature, is that it lays flat. I just received a Sterling Ink Common Planner and I notice it doesn't lay 'flat'. When I look at your video of the Hobo cousin and common planner, I notice they 'lay' differently. Do you notice that? I'm tempted to get a Hobo A5 cousin to compare but don't want to have extra planners I won't use. Maybe I'll try a Hobo A5 for 2024. For those that have both, what do you notice about how they lay? I would like one that lays as flat as possible as it'll be easier to decorate and write on.
Thanks for the comment!! The sterling ink does lay flat for me. It doesn’t lay perfectly flat on the beginning pages or last few pages, but neither did the hobos for me when I first got them. The binding is the same kind of binding, so it should be easy enough to break in and manipulate once you get it. I haven’t tried much yet!
I really like the common planner. I feel like it does fix some of the issues I personally had with the cousin, the one thing that I personally would've liked to see (and I'm sure I'm part of the minority here for saying this but) is a B6 with a horizontal view... I really love the layout of the hobonichi weeks but I find that the space isn't enough for me so I've been contemplating getting the cousin for 2024 but I can't get behind the vertical weekly layout sadly...
I hate the B6 size unless your using rings, and I use the cousin for my family planner which stays open on my kitchen counter, and a weeks as my EDC. I white out the dates on my dailies anyway, and there is no gold!
There are three main issues I have with the Common Planner: 1) It doesn't come in A5, which is the standard size I have and use for everything, 2) the daily pages aren't dated - although I understand this is a positive for a lot of people, and 3) the lines just aren't dark enough! I'm not talking about the grid, I'm talking about the lines on the monthly calendar and the weekly sections that separate the days. I never knew the line darkness was a problem for me until I ordered the Wonderland222 and started filling out the monthly and weekly sections. My ink (Lamy Benitoite which is a medium/dark blue) completely overwhelmed the pale separating lines and everything just looked scattered and unconfined. It immediately became clear to me that this was a dealbreaker, so I sold my Wonderland222 and I bought a Hobonichi cousin at the last moment. I really hope Sterling Ink fixes at least the line darkness, and if they do that and offer it in A5 I'll consider it for next year. In the meantime I'm sticking with Hobonichi, even though I dislike the red they use for their weekends.
I totally feel you about the line lightness. I loved it at first and now I'm like, hmm. Can I just get some definition 😂 but all the others are Pros for me. I doubt she'll do a dated daily version bc the whole purpose of her planner is to be part commonplace notebook (which is just a blank notebook). But she may do different sizes someday!
Good question, I did a vid on the new vs old tomoe river paper a while back. The common planner has the new and the cousin (at least right now) has the old. Cousin next year will have the new stuff though. I don't use fountain pens and don't really notice a meaningful difference.
The cousin that I have has the old TRP and the Common Planner has the new TRP. I have a video comparing the old and new on my channel, although it's not specifically in the common planner or cousin.
It does look interesting - however, with having to import it from the US, the shipping and taxes would be just way too expensive (if it was still available, lol). Buying a cousin is already expensive but not that expensive.
Although I will say it looks a bit like a notebook with a planning section rather than a planner. From what you say in this vidoe, it sounds like a bullet journal would be more your thing than an actual planner!
This is a good observation! But I need something preprinted for me. I like drawing layouts, but I know from experience that that little bit of added friction will stop me from actually using my planner. In that way I think this is actually going to really work for me! I totally understand about cost concerns of course, but for me it was worth it!
Finally a comment about the gold pages!! I find them so tacky and over the top, such a huge con for me. But I’ve not seen anyone comment about or point it out as a con.
Agreed. I know so many people love them, but I think they’re so gaudy. Totally in conflict with the (beautiful) simplicity of the rest of the planner. The only thing (other than the lack of A5) that would keep me from buying it.
Do you have a planner recommendation for a planner that does not include weeklys? I love a large daily page and I love my monthly overview in my planner but I never use the weekly portion.
Yep! Usually you can just search or look on your favorite planner sites for “monthly planner” or “daily planner.” Those searches will usually yield good results, and typically will have monthly views and either blank pages or daily pages. I like Hobonichi’s day free for a monthly planner and Leuchtturm’s daily planner for a page per day + tiny monthlies.
As a natural night owl I love that the cousin goes until 4 am. Usually I can't plan the end of my day and have useless empty space at the beginning of the day or I just ignore the timeline because it doesn't work for me at all. Plus the full day timeline works for all types of schedules imo. For me any daily that stops before 2 am is just not worth it.
That makes total sense!
Not sure why people are complaining about the cousin getting too big and heavy… like, Hobonichi does make an A6 planner. Sure it doesn’t have the weeklies but you can buy the weekly booklet if you REALLY need them and it’s still half the size and weight of the cousin… and the Avec is a nice option too!
I wouldn’t say the common planner “fixed” the cousin. I think it fixed the cousin FOR HER. A lot of people enjoy the aspects of the cousin that Rachelle didn’t like
I think the common planner looks beautiful but personally I don't think they are comparable and I fell is a bit unfair to say one fix the other. For me they just serve different purposes. The cousin is perfect for me to plan my projects, I love the size, the way the pages structure everything, etc. The common planner is beautiful and I love how kind of fancy it looks. But it gives me the impression of just a notebook with lots of totally blank pages and just a few actual planning pages at the beginning. I would use the common planner for Journaling or non-work related stuff, because I like to have my pages already structured for real daily work planning and the cousin does that perfectly. I'm not into bullet Journaling or making my own planning pages etc so for me the cousin is perfect. So overall for me they are just for different purposes (I guess that's also why the common planner is called like that right?) 😅 And both are beautiful!
I totally hear you! For me, it "fixed" a lot of the ways that the Cousin has been rubbing me the wrong way lately. But I do love the Cousin and I think its such a good planner. 😌
Don’t get me wrong Sterling Ink made a lovely minimalist planner, but I see it as the Hobonichi Day Free with the weekly section added and more note pages.
Yeah you could definitely say that's what it is.... which, personally, is perfect for me 😂
I really appreciated this comparison. For me, I simply cannot visualise things unless they are side-by-side so this video was a big help! Even though I'll be staying in a Cousin next year, I am keen to see how you use the Common planner.
Thank you Luc! I'm sure there will be a lot of overlap because of how similar the layouts are.
every time you said the common planner took out or fixed something i kept saying in my head “ but i liked that “ 😭
Oh no! We appear to have slightly different planning preferences but I'm willing to look past it if you are 😂
I love the common planner but for me the fact it wasn't A5 was a deal breaker. I hope in future it'll come in A5, as all the other changes made were definitely pros for me. How are you planning to use both the Common Planner and a Cousin? That's a lot of space to use!
I will actually not be using my cousin while using the common planner! For me the A5 was a dealbreaker too but in the opposite way lol. I need the smaller planner with no dated dailies. It will be a catch all and goal planner for me :) The same way lots of people use the cousin!
I am going to find it hard to choose between the cousin and the common planner next year. I am assuming next year she will do a common planner in a5 and next year the cousin won’t have quotes at the bottom of the page…. This year I’m gonna try the common planner so that I can make an educated choice in 2024.
@@JunieOutdoors A cousin without the Quotes would for sure make the decision more difficult. I would be very torn about whether I want my dailies dated which works out well for encouraging me to journal every day or being able to spread out a bit more on some days with undated pages but then worrying about lack of space at the end of the year.
I've not even started my 2023 planner yet and I'm already overanalysing the decision for 2024!
Which did you choose for this year?
@@CorrBlimey729 I am going to try and order the common planner for 2023 if it doesn’t sell out immediately tonight. I ignored the dates in my 2022 cousin this year. I always overanalyze too 😂! I’ve never used b6 so this year will be the test.
@@JunieOutdoors why would the cousin not have the quotes for 2024?? That is one of the main things they are known for and the inclusion of quotes is part of their history. They even included "fake quotes" in the 2024 paper sampler
I love the yearly/quarterly layout in the Common planner, but I’m specifically trying to journal daily…and I love A5, so I’m going to go with the cousin this year (first time ever!)
Its such a good one! I wish you the best Tara!
I'm new to the world of Hobonichis and similar planners and started using the 2nd half of this year's Avec as a trial run - loved it so much i had to have the full A5 Cousin for 2023 and I'm dyyyying to get into it haha! For me, a lot of the pros you listed for the Common Planner are major cons, specifically when it comes to legibility and vision:
- the font size is way too small for me, the A5 Cousin is about as small font wise as I can comfortably go and it's taken me several weeks of daily use to feel comfortable in it
- the light colored grid is too light and would give me pause trying to line things up - and the numbers for the hours? oof. reminds me of the headers in the 365 Stalogy that are 1000% useless for someone with vision like mine haha
- the colors! i love them! they aren't necessarily the colors i would choose for each month but i love having them to differentiate at a glance where you are in the planner, and i think it adds a lot of fun and whimsy to the daily pages. i would honestly prefer if the rest of the planner followed those same color rules!
I will give you that the dark gray blue and red combo is something i wish i could change - mainly the red accents, they're so in your face!
I would be interested to see this planner in an A5 because the clean slate of it all is nice, but I would need to be able to have it in my hands to really judge if sizing up would solve some of the visual issues. My concern is that its inherently part of the aesthetic and just wouldn't work for me, even in a larger book. I see this a lot in the minimalist spheres so I'm used to things like this "not being for me" but I do wish design didn't trump accessibility (specifically visual impairments) so often.
Agreed on all accounts. I would love to support a smaller maker but the A5 is about as small as I can go font-wise. I think there will be a lot of people trying the English version next year, you'll be in good company!
This is such a valuable point, thank you for sharing! I hope she does something with this feedback in next year's printing.
She’s done a nice job, but i need A5 and the gold definitely isn’t something i would like.
100% agree. If an A5 without the gold is available next year, I’m in (although I do wish the daily pages were dated, too).
I do hear that a lot of people don't like the gold. Personally to me it feels so snazzy an I bet it will rough up nicely over the course of the year.
Yeep the gold edges and the cover gives me bible vibes...not my style at all
I ordered the cousin for the 3 layouts in a small package. I also prefer the A5 size. It fits perfectly in a notebook cover I purchased from the Coach outlet
I thunk this will definitely work for those people that complained about the colors, calendars and all, which these planner is made for honestly. Originality, not there diefinitely but i guess it all comes down to preferences. I will still be using hobo even with the paper shift coz honestly, i like the color red, and the colors each page, it just give a little life to the book, also i just love the brand and papershift wasn't that big for me. But do understand people who wouldn't.
Thank you for a thoughtful, thorough video. I just received my Common Planner (2 books, 1/2 year each, different colors) and I’m thrilled with it. There are hundreds of A5 planners to choose from, but relatively few in my favorite size, B6, at least in the US. I probably won’t do much with the goal pages, but the rest is so much better suited to me than the Cousin. I wouldn’t have thought to gild the page edges, but it really does look nice with the cover colors and helps the planner stand out from the other notebooks on my desk. You have a new subscriber. 🧡
Kris!!! Welcome to the fam. So glad you are liking your new planner!!
I just received my Common Planner and I‘m setting it up right now (while watching some planning videos). I love that it‘s B6 (if it was A5, it would be way too heavy for me tbh) and I love most of the design choices. The fact that the B6 doesn‘t cover all 24 hours of the day actually is a minus, in my opinion, because I used to use the extra space in the Cousin to have a section for daily tasks and a section for the weather. With the left column only, I have less space for tasks in my weeklies - but I‘m going to find a workaround with sticky notes. Thankfully, Muji offers some that are an almost exact fit for one column in the Common Planner. What I also don‘t like is the fact that it doesn‘t use what you Americans call “military time” which is just how most of the rest of the world times their days. I understand why Catherine did that (she explained how it‘s easy to swap the schedule and just have it start at 6 p.m. if you work night shifts, and I‘m also assuming it‘s more accommodating to the US market). To me, it‘s irritating and I always need to think a few extra seconds before I realise where I need to put an evening appointment. Again, I understand where she‘s coming from and maybe I will get used to it over time, but it‘s definitely not my preference. Apart from these two minor things, however, there‘s nothing about this planner that I don‘t love. And that‘s a lot more than I can say about the Cousin. - Thanks for sharing your comparison! 💙
Thanks for sharing Jess! I have the reverse problem with the military time thing - it takes me SO much mental effort to subtract 12 from every number in the second half of the day 😅 Since this is an American made planner, I assume that's also part of why she did it - more "normal" for us over here lol. Since this is her first launch I bet she will have other variations in the future! Thank you for watching 💙
@@RachelleinTheory I agree it's more common for most Americans, but as an Army brat, and Air Force Veteran and having lived in both Asia and Europe, I strongly prefer the military time. That's almost a deal breaker for me. The real deal breaker though is that they sold out so fast tonight...I'll try it again tomorrow, but he style of time may be a moot point if I can't get one anyway. 😄
@@tammygant4216 I hope you’re able to get one!
I'm using cousin for 2023. Point of using cousin is I want Japanese planner.
I need an A5 option. I like the Sterling Ink planner and I’ll be purchasing it as soon as the A5 option becomes available.
While the Sterling Ink is interesting, I love the Hobonichi Cousin. For me, it works so well. I love the size.
I bought the Common Planner and am excited to use it. I have not use the Cousin because it’s too big for me.
I love the sophistication of the CP, the gold edges and neutral print inside. I think Catherine did an amazing job!!
Me too!! Lots of hate for the gold edges but I think they’re so 🤩
THANK YOU for this video. I don’t have the cousin, but have used a plain notebook to create own planner. The Sterling planner looks like exactly what I need, I use monthly and weekly (no daily) but need the extra pages for tracking, journaling, etc.
I will definitely check out the common planner for my next one
You're so welcome! I'm glad that it helped you!!
I am LOVING the commonplace planner by Catherine! I’m so so glad I got it and I never fully used my cousin for the exact same reasons you listed. Catherine created the perfect planner for me lol!
RIGHT?!? I’m so excited I moved in early lol
I’m going to use the Common Planner for a work planner. I like the free form “dailies”. I might only need 1/2 of a page one day, but two the next, and I never need any on the weekend. I just hope I don’t find it TOO small. I like those big squares on the Cousin monthly layout. If I find the Common Planner too small, I’m not above grabbing a Cousin and switching.
Love that ease with which you approach planner hopping. Sometimes it just needs to happen!
I love both and ended up getting both. Cousin for everyday use as I prefer the size and the common for my writing projects which is the perfect size.
Both!!! Thats amazing
This is the best comparison and review of the new sterling ink planner I’ve seen so far. Thank you for making this video! ✨
Thank you so much!!
I was heavily debating between the hobonichi, midori, and common planner and you totally sold me on the common planner.
💝best review that I’ve seen for both planners! 👏🏽
Reena! This is such a compliment thank you
I am totally in love with both. The Cousin is still going to be my daily use memory keeper/planner because I work mid shift from 3pm to 11pm so my hours are odd. I also do occasional overnights. The Common Planner is absolutely perfect for my financial overhaul that I'll be doing in 2023. I am moving to days soon so it may become my planner for 2024, but I'll see how I like it for the money stuff. My EDC is actually going to be a Traveler's Notebook in the Passport size and I'm really enjoying the customizability. The K9s are getting their own passport too for their records, so when we travel I can just take out an insert and have everything in hand. 2023 is going to be a badass year I know it!!
This does sound badass!!
Looking to see which planner will work best for me, and looking through the comments for people’s opinions AND I HOPE YOU DID HAVE A KICK ASS 2023!!!
Thanks for the review. It's so helpful when trying to decide what to buy. I bought my first Hobonichi Techo a few weeks back and like it. However, the size is good, but I think the b size may work better ( a5 too much room). I also like the common book style. I struggle with switching planners so much ($, etc.) that's why I like videos like this. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for commenting, im so glad it was helpful!
I purchased the cousin for 2023, first time hobo user over here! I specifically wanted it for the size. Instead of having 2-3 places to write everything down, I wanted one notebook that could do it all. I can write big things in the months, use stickers and decorate in the weeks, and then journal / take notes / draw or paint in the dailies.
I am not a fan of the colors like you said. That is unfortunate but everything else is a pro for me. That common planner is freaking cute though. 😊
The cousin is still SUCH a solid planner Caitlyn, I know you'll love it! Thanks for sharing and watching
@@RachelleinTheory I have been a planner girl most of my life but apparently was living under a ROCK because I just learned about hobonichi over the summer 😅😵💫 whaaaat!
Thats also how I felt when I found out about the cousin lol. It was like my planner world had OPENED UP!
I picked up the common planner, 6 months version. Haven't tried yet the hobonichi cousin. I wanted something that can be easy to travel with and simple. just received mine, excited to try them.
I plan in the months…..never have a use for weekly layout…. But covering the whole day as in the Cousin works for people like myself who work shifts
just got the half year common planner. i’m really excited for quarterly planning in it!
The purpose of the video: this other planner is better than the hobonichi
People in the comments: actually, you convinced me to get the hobonichi
Thank you for this video. You did a great job. I used the cousin for the first time this year and was pretty good with it. Skipped a few days here and there but I'm ok with that. I just use them for other things. I was torn for 2023...but I went with the cousin again. I know the common planner is a smaller planner and that's normally what I like .... but I feel like everything is too crammed in there together. And I dont like some of the fonts...it seems too big or too small and just not balanced well. I've gotten used to the A5 size and I enjoy it now that I have my own planning style.
Thank you!! I can totally understand wanting the cousin again. Wishing you the best with your 2nd go around ☺️
I am going to go with the Cousin for 2023 since I bought it already. I do love it... for the most part. The biggest drawback I see to the cousin is that it really doesn't have a spot for me to just have a wide open space to brainstorm projects. I am a student (way, way untraditional, haha) and really appreciate the ability to have a spot to write everything down that I need for a class. What tests do I need to take? What tasks do I need to complete? What is the material? I am such a paper and pen girl that it helps my brain to be able to lay it out and see it. I find the Cousin very limited in that realm. I do use the daily pages for my to-do's and for my journaling so I suppose I could do it in there, but I came to the Cousin from utilizing the bullet journal system for over 5 years and having a wide open blank page is so satisfying, ha! I will be very curious to hear how you like this planner after using it for the year. It has some definite appeals, I might have to give it a go next year, we'll see :) Thanks for your review!
Thanks so much for watching!! I also found that wide open space was helpful for that when I was in grad school. I always used my dailies for it though. Maybe try snagging one of the thin notebook bundles that hobonichi sells in the A5 size! They are 3 per pack, about 40 pages per book and I think they’d be super helpful for this.
im newish to the hobonichi cousin. I got the common planner and Im BLOWN AWAY. I think it really did fix most of my minor annoyances with the cousin. It is so beautiful, and I can not wait to start using it! in fact, im not. ive already set up december and will be using tomorrow!
Haha I have also set up December!!! it was sooo hard to resist
Great review. Thank you. I'm only 9 min into your video but posting. I haven't used an A5 Hobonichi but started using a 2023 Hobo weeks just recently. What I like about Hobo and I've read is a desirable feature, is that it lays flat. I just received a Sterling Ink Common Planner and I notice it doesn't lay 'flat'. When I look at your video of the Hobo cousin and common planner, I notice they 'lay' differently. Do you notice that? I'm tempted to get a Hobo A5 cousin to compare but don't want to have extra planners I won't use. Maybe I'll try a Hobo A5 for 2024. For those that have both, what do you notice about how they lay? I would like one that lays as flat as possible as it'll be easier to decorate and write on.
Thanks for the comment!! The sterling ink does lay flat for me. It doesn’t lay perfectly flat on the beginning pages or last few pages, but neither did the hobos for me when I first got them. The binding is the same kind of binding, so it should be easy enough to break in and manipulate once you get it. I haven’t tried much yet!
Thank you. I need to get comfortable pressing down on the spine when it’s open to flatten it. I’ll try :)
@@violetrosegold It's definitely nerve wracking but if you are going to be in the planner all year... gotta start somewhere :)
I really like the common planner. I feel like it does fix some of the issues I personally had with the cousin, the one thing that I personally would've liked to see (and I'm sure I'm part of the minority here for saying this but) is a B6 with a horizontal view... I really love the layout of the hobonichi weeks but I find that the space isn't enough for me so I've been contemplating getting the cousin for 2024 but I can't get behind the vertical weekly layout sadly...
Excellent video. Thanks for sharing the info.
Good, but I prefer Hobonichi as a planner. 😊
I hate the B6 size unless your using rings, and I use the cousin for my family planner which stays open on my kitchen counter, and a weeks as my EDC. I white out the dates on my dailies anyway, and there is no gold!
It sounds like that really works for you!! I love the idea of like a kitchen counter planner that just captures it all throughout the day 😌
Great video! Got one of the common planners from today’s release. Super excited to get it and set it up. 🧡
Omg lucky you!! I heard it sold out so fast
@@RachelleinTheory Yes, really lucky. I think it sold out in three minutes. I love the size and “day free”-like layout.
I wish we could get rid of the blank pages and make the planner lighter
O my god it was sooo hard to concentrate because of ur nails😅🙈... 🤩😍🥰 love love love ❤️
Ughhh this is so hard.
But thank you for a great video
There are three main issues I have with the Common Planner: 1) It doesn't come in A5, which is the standard size I have and use for everything, 2) the daily pages aren't dated - although I understand this is a positive for a lot of people, and 3) the lines just aren't dark enough! I'm not talking about the grid, I'm talking about the lines on the monthly calendar and the weekly sections that separate the days. I never knew the line darkness was a problem for me until I ordered the Wonderland222 and started filling out the monthly and weekly sections. My ink (Lamy Benitoite which is a medium/dark blue) completely overwhelmed the pale separating lines and everything just looked scattered and unconfined. It immediately became clear to me that this was a dealbreaker, so I sold my Wonderland222 and I bought a Hobonichi cousin at the last moment.
I really hope Sterling Ink fixes at least the line darkness, and if they do that and offer it in A5 I'll consider it for next year. In the meantime I'm sticking with Hobonichi, even though I dislike the red they use for their weekends.
I totally feel you about the line lightness. I loved it at first and now I'm like, hmm. Can I just get some definition 😂 but all the others are Pros for me. I doubt she'll do a dated daily version bc the whole purpose of her planner is to be part commonplace notebook (which is just a blank notebook). But she may do different sizes someday!
What about the paper quality 🤔? I really love using my fountain pens.
Good question, I did a vid on the new vs old tomoe river paper a while back. The common planner has the new and the cousin (at least right now) has the old. Cousin next year will have the new stuff though. I don't use fountain pens and don't really notice a meaningful difference.
If she makes an 9:03 A5 size I’m in but B6 is too small for me 😢
I might be wrong but I thiiiiiiink she has plans to do this?
Still like the Hobo better. Thanks for a great comparison though!
How are each planner's TRP in comparison to each other?
The cousin that I have has the old TRP and the Common Planner has the new TRP. I have a video comparing the old and new on my channel, although it's not specifically in the common planner or cousin.
It does look interesting - however, with having to import it from the US, the shipping and taxes would be just way too expensive (if it was still available, lol). Buying a cousin is already expensive but not that expensive.
Although I will say it looks a bit like a notebook with a planning section rather than a planner. From what you say in this vidoe, it sounds like a bullet journal would be more your thing than an actual planner!
This is a good observation! But I need something preprinted for me. I like drawing layouts, but I know from experience that that little bit of added friction will stop me from actually using my planner. In that way I think this is actually going to really work for me! I totally understand about cost concerns of course, but for me it was worth it!
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love ur videos!
Thank you so much Jas!
SOLD!!!!
Love the layout improvements but absolutely loath the golden edges. So tacky.
Finally a comment about the gold pages!! I find them so tacky and over the top, such a huge con for me. But I’ve not seen anyone comment about or point it out as a con.
Agreed. I know so many people love them, but I think they’re so gaudy. Totally in conflict with the (beautiful) simplicity of the rest of the planner. The only thing (other than the lack of A5) that would keep me from buying it.
It's giving Bible
@@JH-kw8zy😂😂😂
I love thé gold
Do you have a planner recommendation for a planner that does not include weeklys? I love a large daily page and I love my monthly overview in my planner but I never use the weekly portion.
Yep! Usually you can just search or look on your favorite planner sites for “monthly planner” or “daily planner.” Those searches will usually yield good results, and typically will have monthly views and either blank pages or daily pages. I like Hobonichi’s day free for a monthly planner and Leuchtturm’s daily planner for a page per day + tiny monthlies.
Copying sth, piggybacking on its fame to sell your own product, claiming to have "fixed" it, just feels... tacky, like that gold foiling.
It's not the size that counts, it's how you use it - Nigel Powers
Midnight??? No way. Too early
i do also think A5 is too big
Blank spaces don’t bother me. A little blank space lets your eyes rest
True!
so it's more of a day free than a planner
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How can I reach SterlingInk? I through Instagram and Mail without success. HOW???????