Pocket Notebook Covers: 7 I Have Carried and What Each Is For

If you want one pocket notebook cover, start with the Paper Republic Grand Voyageur in the pocket size. It is the one I have been carrying the most, and it holds two notebooks, a pen, and a pencil board.

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There are a lot of different kinds of pocket notebook covers. Over the years, I've been able to have a good number of pocket covers to test, try, and explore, and I wanted to share that in case you're looking for a new cover.

This list is what I have purposely acquired over the years, and I still try to use every single one of them. None of these were sent to me.

I'm someone who enjoys pocket journals, and Field Notes and LOCHBY are a couple of the brands that I really enjoy having notebooks from.

The high-quality paper of the LOCHBY notebooks is what keeps bringing me back to them, and the different cover designs and how fun they are to use bring me back to Field Notes all the time.

Pocket size, that three-and-a-half-by-five-and-a-half dimension, is the size I prefer. A few of my covers are built for A6 or passport size. But in general, when we talk about pocket notebooks, I stick with the pocket size.

Pocket notebook cover comparison

Etsy leather sleeve

The first cover is a pretty simple leather sleeve. I bought it on Etsy many, many years ago. I got my initials embossed and just enjoy having the simplicity of just a cover that you can put your notebook in.

You slide it into the flaps, and then that's all you have.

I sometimes go back to this just for how minimal and simple it is, and I like carrying these to conferences and maybe more formal settings where something like a Field Notes with their really cool designs may be out of place.

Best for minimal carry and formal settings. Skip it if you need room for a pen, cards, or a second notebook.

Etsy wallet-style cover

I got this one alongside the sleeve, thinking I could turn it into my wallet. I turned it into a prayer setup where I have my notebook and some prayer cards and whatnot on the side.

Sometimes I do carry it as a wallet, if I know I have limited space or just want to try something new. This is a cover that's really high quality from Etsy. If you search Etsy, there are many makers that do these pocket notebook covers.

Best for a notebook plus a few cards. Also consider the plain sleeve if you do not need the extra compartment.

Etsy custom A6 cover

The third cover also came from Etsy. It's forest green, and this one is mostly an A6 size. I got it for my prayer book and my A6 Pocket Bujo, to have my prayer journal there.

The leather has started to soften, and it feels just fantastic in the hands. I don't remember the exact store, but I was able to customize it to fit exactly that book of prayers that I had. It's really cool to have the opportunity to order some of these things and make them custom size.

I really appreciate that about the Etsy makers, and supporting those small businesses is always a great option.

Leather is my preferred cover material. It just ages super nicely with time, and it starts developing patina and the character that we all love and enjoy.

Best for a custom-sized A6 setup. Skip it if you change notebook sizes often.

LOCHBY Pocket Journal

I got the LOCHBY covers because I've seen this brand all over the place. They have a lot of covers in the pocket size.

The Pocket Journal is what I carried with me for quite some time early on when I was using pocket notebooks a lot more. It has capacity for a couple of notebooks, and I've been able to fit three if I really push it hard.

The zipper is high quality, and I would expect it to last a lifetime. It uses high-quality materials, with waxed canvas on the outside.

These days, I use it for my reading journal, and I carry a couple of them: one where I summarize different quotes and books that I'm reading, and the other one is more of a thinking book where I take some of those quotes and then map them into something that makes sense to me.

I often keep these with a pen and a couple of highlighters.

I wouldn't put it in my pocket, but it's definitely pocketable if you have big cargo pants pockets. I usually have a bag with me or just hold it in my hand and carry it that way.

Best for a reading journal with two notebooks (three only if you squeeze). Skip it if you want true trouser-pocket carry.

LOCHBY Mini Field Journal

I wanted to explore LOCHBY a little more. I've been getting into the Pocket Journal and really enjoying the materials. I also use the Venture Pouch as my primary EDC pouch for tech, tools, and stationery.

Once they launched this olive green colorway, I wanted to give it a try.

You get a ton of organization that you can use for rulers, cards, other notebooks, papers, and whatnot. And for a pocket notebook, I think that is a fantastic number of features and organization.

You do have four elastics here, and they are really high quality, some of the best I've seen. There is a separate elastic for the pen loop, and you're able to fit four notebooks.

I've been trying to figure out what I want to be doing with this cover, maybe turning it into more of a health journal. I've been doing a lot of coaching, so maybe I'll use it as a coach log and take notes during practices and games. I've been taking it on trips as well.

It's really durable and able to fit passports and some other things beyond just my notebook.

Best for capacity and organization. Skip it if you want the smallest possible cover.

Traveler's Company Traveler's Notebook, Passport Size

This traveler-style cover is the Traveler's Company Passport size cover. I had the regular TN, which is my daily notebook that I write on every single day, and this one just felt like a great option for a pocket notebook.

I've been conditioning it somewhat, and it feels really nice in the hand, but the size, just the shape of the notebook, did not quite click with me, and overall, I couldn't really use it as it was intended to be used.

Once you have more than one or two notebooks, you're still seeing quite a bit of overhang, which I did not appreciate.

These days, I use it as my passport cover. I have a couple of passports that I need to carry with me at all times, so having a cover that can fit both of those comfortably is great. It keeps them protected, and it just looks super nice when I carry it with me.

It is not used for notebooks anymore, but it is still very well used.

Best for carrying passports. Skip it as a multi-notebook pocket system if overhang bothers you.

Paper Republic Grand Voyageur Pocket

This is my current and by far my favorite pocket notebook cover. This is the Paper Republic, the Grand Voyageur in the pocket size. Really minimal branding, just a little bit of branding down at the bottom.

I had it embossed with my initials. The leather feels really soft compared with the more rugged, thicker leather of the Traveler's Company. It is an olive color that has started to patina and wear beautifully.

This is where I carry my daily notebook. I usually put it in the elastic, or lately I've just been tossing it there and closing it, and it really keeps it secure there.

I got a pencil board from Traveler's Company, just as a straight edge, something to write on if there are some bumps or whatnot in the back.

This is one of my favorite features. Since the pocket notebook is a little bit narrower than the Paper Republic cover, the space left is almost exactly perfect for a pen to be secure and safe in there. If I were to carry a fountain pen, I wouldn't be too concerned about scratches.

I still have a collections notebook and my daily Field Notes. I put this pencil board with a pen loop to hold my pen, and I keep the Traveler's Company plastic zipper insert for any random things that I need to carry or find when I'm out and about.

Best for everyday pocket carry. This is where I would start if you want one cover that holds two notebooks, a pen, and a few small things.

How I rotate them

If not every day, I try to rotate between the Paper Republic and the LOCHBY Mini Field Journal to make sure they're not just sitting on the shelf and gathering dust. There are a lot of other options from different brands that I still want to check out.

The gear worth a look

• Paper Republic Grand Voyageur (Pocket): my current daily cover, holding two notebooks, a pen, and a pencil board.
• LOCHBY Pocket Journal: my reading-journal cover, a couple of notebooks, and three only if I really push it.
• LOCHBY Mini Field Journal: the most capacity and organization in this lineup, with four elastics, a separate elastic for the pen loop, and room to fit four notebooks.
• LOCHBY Venture Pouch: my primary EDC pouch for tech, tools, and stationery items.
• Traveler's Company Traveler's Notebook, Passport Size: now the cover that protects my two passports.
• Field Notes: the daily notebook that lives in my Paper Republic cover.

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Related reading

• Lochby Mini Field Journal vs. Paper Republic Grand Voyageur
• Pocket Pen Case Setup: Every Tool I Carry Daily
• What I Actually Carry My EDC Stationery In (And Why)

Frequently Asked Questions

Which pocket notebook cover holds the most notebooks?

The LOCHBY Mini Field Journal holds the most. It has four elastics and a separate elastic for the pen loop, and you're able to fit four notebooks.

Does the LOCHBY Pocket Journal fit in a pocket?

Only a big one. I wouldn't put it in my pocket, but it's definitely pocketable if you have big cargo pants pockets. I usually have a bag with me or just hold it in my hand and carry it that way.

Is the Traveler's Company Passport Size cover good for pocket notebooks?

Not for more than two. Once you have more than one or two notebooks, you're still seeing quite a bit of overhang, which I did not appreciate.

Which pocket notebook cover would you start with?

Start with the Paper Republic Grand Voyageur in the pocket size. This is my current and by far my favorite pocket notebook cover.