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Paper Republic vs Traveler's Notebook: Pocket Journal Comparison
The Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket and the Traveler's Company Passport, compared on size, closure, leather, capacity and paper.
The Paper Republic is slightly larger, softer, and holds more. The Traveler's Company Passport is a little more pocketable and more rugged. In my opinion, the Paper Republic just feels a little nicer when you hold it in the hand.
I did a lot of research between getting these two. And while there's some comparison, I felt like there was a lot of missing information. So I wanted to put this together to give you all the details and how they compare against each other: the sizes, the paper, the leather, all that information.
Watch the full video.
Paper Republic vs Traveler's Notebook at a glance
| Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket | Traveler's Company Passport | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Slightly larger; notebook a little wider than a Field Notes | Fits a passport; more pocketable |
| Closure elastic | On the spine | On the back |
| Loops for a second notebook | Holes closer together, one knot you can move | Hardware on the outside, no knots |
| Leather | Softer, more malleable, a little smoother | Thicker, more rugged |
| Capacity I tested | Three notebooks, a zipper cover, cards and a pen | Three notebooks start showing on the side |
| Notebook it comes with | Blank, basic plain paper, stapled | Blank, Midori paper |
| Best for | A daily companion that holds more | Travel and a smaller carry |
Size and form factor
The form factor is one of the first things. The Paper Republic is slightly larger. Compare the notebooks these two come with and the difference in size is easier to tell.
For comparison, the Paper Republic notebook is just a little wider than a Field Notes. It is the same 5 1/2 in, but just a little wider than the 3 and 1/2 width of the Field Notes.
The passport size for Traveler's Company, as the name indicates, fits a passport just perfectly. One of them is obviously a little more pocketable.
They're both a squareish shape. The passport has a similar aspect ratio, the Paper Republic being a little taller than the passport size, but they still fit in the pocket. They're pretty pocketable.
Best for pocket carry: the Traveler's Company Passport.
Closure and elastics
Looking at the closure system, very similar. They both use an elastic, and they both have their pros and cons. The Paper Republic uses elastic that is on the spine, while the Traveler's Notebook uses elastic that goes on the back.
The drawback with that is the elastic gets in the way sometimes when you're writing, and you can feel when you're getting towards the end of your notebook.
The Traveler's Notebook does have some hardware on the outside that allows it to have two loops that don't have any knots. It looks clean. It is super convenient.
But again, the downside is you can feel this in the back when you're writing. If you want to use the clip with it, it's in the way.
On the other hand, the Paper Republic uses a little different system. You still have the two elastics. The holes are closer together, so you can actually use this elastic a little easier for a second notebook.
But the downside is you do get a knot in the elastic that's in the way, but you can easily rearrange it to put it somewhere in the back, similar to the closure elastic. And it's out of the way. You don't really feel it when you're writing because it's at the spine, and it's just more convenient.
The clip just fits a little better when you don't have the extra hardware in the back.
Best for a clean writing surface: the Paper Republic.
Leather feel
The leather on the Paper Republic is a little more malleable, and it's softer. It just feels a little easier in the hand. The texture is very similar, and it's a little smoother.
I find that this leather is softer to the touch. It is a little more malleable, and it molds a little bit better in the pocket to the notebooks, so it just has a better shape overall.
The Traveler's Notebook is a little more rugged. The leather is definitely thicker, more durable because of that.
Capacity: how many notebooks fit
Once you start getting more notebooks in the Traveler's Notebook, you start seeing that these start showing on the side. These are just three notebooks, and those are showing on the side.
The Paper Republic holds more. I do have three notebooks plus the zipper cover with some cards and papers, and I still have some space to put my pen in there and still feel that it's protected.
One of the things to note is the Paper Republic does have some extra width in the leather. And I like that, because then I can put my pen and it's a little more protected.
Best for carrying more: the Paper Republic.
Paper and included notebooks
They both come with a blank notebook. The Traveler's Company uses Midori paper, while Paper Republic uses a high opacity and just a little thicker paper, sometimes 120 GSM if you buy a book refill.
The one that comes with it is just the basic plain paper. Nothing to write home about. Very useful paper, and it's stapled in the back.
Two staples.
Which one should you buy?
In my opinion, the Paper Republic just feels a little nicer when you hold it in the hand. You get the European style leather cover that is great to take to the coffee shop and just have as your daily companion.
It's going to wear and patina a lot over time, especially if you carry it in your pocket.
The Traveler's Company is a little more rugged, and that's part of the experience you get. The Traveler's Company one is more for traveling. It's a little more rugged, and again you can feel that in the leather when you have it in your hand.
Verdict: the Paper Republic for a softer daily cover that carries more. The Traveler's Company Passport if you want the smaller, tougher option for travel.
The gear worth a look
- Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket): the softer cover that held three notebooks, a zipper cover, cards and a pen in my setup.
- Traveler's Company Notebook (Passport, Camel): the passport-size cover I compared it against, thicker leather and more pocketable.
- Field Notes: the size reference; the Paper Republic notebook is just a little wider.
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Related reading
- Lochby Mini Field Journal vs. Paper Republic Grand Voyageur
- Pocket Notebook Covers: 7 I Have Carried and What Each Is For
- Best Field Notes Alternatives for Fountain Pen Users
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is smaller, the Paper Republic or the Traveler's Notebook Passport?
The Paper Republic is slightly larger. The passport size for Traveler's Company, as the name indicates, fits a passport just perfectly.
Which one holds more notebooks?
The Paper Republic holds more. I do have three notebooks plus the zipper cover with some cards and papers, and I still have some space to put my pen in there. In the Traveler's Notebook, three notebooks start showing on the side.
Which one is more comfortable to write in?
The Paper Republic uses elastic that is on the spine, while the Traveler's Notebook uses elastic that goes on the back. You don't really feel it when you're writing because it's at the spine.
What paper comes with each one?
They both come with a blank notebook. The Traveler's Company uses Midori paper, while Paper Republic uses a high opacity and just a little thicker paper, sometimes 120 GSM if you buy a book refill.