Whether you intend on using them to set yourself reminders, for keeping memories, or boosting your productivity from the get-go this year, you need to get yourself a good annual planner.
But what are the diaries set to steal the show in the coming months? The coolest stationery brands have outdone themselves this year with great design — so much so that you might be a little spoilt for choice.
To help you get your ducks in a row from as early in the year as possible, I have turned to my decades-long love of all things paper and pen and identified 12 beautifully crafted yearly planners sure to make every day at work — or in school — count. Selected for their distinctive look, from vintage-inspired buys to hyper minimalist ones, each of the paper planners below was designed to infuse character and calm into your everyday life.
From the in-demand Japanese stationery houses giving your office a retro-fueled vibe to collectible desk accessories worth adding to your arsenal, this edit of 2026 year planners lets you get ahead, in style.
Hobonichi, one of Japan's most beloved stationery brands, officially launched on June 6, 1998, as copywriter Shigesato Itoi's personal website. Sharing a selection of lifestyle items, including office materials and clothing, under the name Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun (Almost Daily Itoi Newspaper), it has since grown into a global phenomenon with the debut of the viral Hobonichi Techo planner, released three years later, of which you find the latest edition above.
Simple and yet instantly recognizable, every Hobonichi planner stands out for its quality materials and attention to craftsmanship, as well as for its 180-degree, lay-flat binding — a key feature for professionals and students with lots to note down. These Hobonichi planners 2026, specifically, divide the year into two separate books, allowing you to track progress, benefit from a greater amount of space, and more vivid color combinations (I particularly love this year's ones, which loosely remind me of Livingetc's own brand palette).
There's something about leather planners that makes them effortlessly timeless (bonus point if they are undated planners, ha!). This faux leather Hobonichi planner was imagined in collaboration with Sonya Park, the owner of Tokyo-based concept store Arts & Science. Engraved with gold foil Japanese characters for Techo ("手帳") along with the shop's key-shaped logo, it comes with 448 pages, all yours to fill. With Hobonichi fold-on book covers protecting your 2026 planners from all wear and tear, you have no excuse not to keep on top of things this time.
You don't need to be a die-hard stationery fan to know German brand Leuchtturm1917. While absolutely essential design-wise, each Leuchtturm1917 notebook stands out for its refined binding, quality paper, and optimized organization. Currently, I own a pale green one, but this Spring Leaf option makes a hopeful, eye-catching candidate for my choice of planners 2026. Available in endless colorways and formats, Leuchtturm1917 diaries are a timeless classic, meaning you won't have to worry about them falling out of fashion any time soon. Not keen on feeling the pressure of yearly planners? They sell undated agendas, too.
With dozens of 2026 planners, diaries, and folios to pick from, it is no surprise Filofax has been going viral recently. Active since 1921, the iconic British brand is especially known for its premium, ring-bound organizers, which, thanks to their customizable daily, weekly, and monthly refills, allow you to keep the same look of undated as well as yearly planners for years. This white and chrome Filofax Clipbook is my personal favorite, embracing the grand return of silverware that made one of the biggest design trends last year. Not convinced? Browse more Filofax stationery to find the right style.
Papier is one of the coolest stationery brands active today, and so it should be no surprise that you won't find a single planners 2026 edit that doesn't spotlight a Papier buy at the very least. Known for its quirky, patterned designs and joyful aesthetics, Papier is the sort of shop that never ceases to amaze me. This year, I am particularly fond of this Running Wild diary, available as both a 2026 planner and an undated daily agenda. Still, I also love the look of their Dotted & Spotted, Damson Madder-designed one, again available as an undated planner, too, this checkered, New Beginnings one, and this Academic Year one, crafted in collaboration with trailblazing London-based fashion designer Rejina Pyo.
When everything else misses, the selection of planners 2026 available via Etsy will give you what you are looking for. Out of the hundreds of models featured on the website, this portable, Burgundy Pocket Diary 2026-2027 instantly caught my eye. It comes with monthly tabs that allow you to keep track of your yearly plans as you move forward, resistant paper pages, and a PU leather (yes, a vegan-friendly alternative) that'll work wonders with your chocolatey outfits.
I have said it before, and I say it again: a leather yearly planner is forever. Well, not literally, maybe, but aesthetically? Definitely. Aspinal of London is at the top of the game when it comes to creating everyday objects that stand the test (and look) of time, and this 2026 Slim Pocket Leather Diary is no exception. Compared to most dated and undated planners 2026, this makes for a more easily packable, less in-your-face option. It comes in ten different colorways and multiple types of leather grain, though the full Aspinal of London diaries 2026 collection won't fail to inspire.
Legendary leather goods and stationery brand Smythson needs no introduction, nor do its stunningly crafted planners 2026. This baby blue-tinted one, made from flexible, cross-grain lambskin and personalizable, is my current top choice from this year's collection — and no, not simply because it boasts the same hue of our magazine's palette. An undated planner, the diary comes with monthly pages to fill up with all of your tasks, gilt-edged, pale blue Featherweight paper, and textile dividers.
Whether to browse some of the world's coolest planners 2026 or simply catch a glimpse inside the time-traveling world of stationery, every paper and pen addict should add Present & Correct to their hotlist. Available in multiple, pastel-shaded colorways, this 365 Type Planner 2026 is generously sized, and vibrant enough to inject new life into whichever task you are focusing on at a given time.
There isn't much to say about this simply beautiful Paper Republic Weekly Planner 2026 if not that it's both sustainable, tactile, and imbued with a sense of nostalgia. I am obsessed with the exposed, colorful thread stitching binding, which gives it a bold twist, and despite the pocket size, it feels spacious enough to put all of your ideas in a line. Plus, every agenda is fully handmade.
Last but not least in this edit of 2026 planners, dated and undated, this Day One Diary has got the wit and spiritedness we all need in the most stressful moments of the year. I can't decide between the three pastel designs, though; likely, the lilac one has got to be my personal favorite. Plus, each week comes with a humorous sentence with blanks to fill in. Because who said routine has to be boring?
Searching for more ways to stay grounded, inspired, and proactive this year beyond drafting every thought that comes to mind on your favorite 2026 planners? Damson Madder's Unplugged cabin is the 72-hour getaway you need to value "every moment offline," Livingetc's wellness writer Amiya Baratan reports.
