BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.
Which 2023 planners are best?
Daily planners are an interesting item. Many people feel they don’t need them, that they have the organization or memory skills to handle their daily, weekly and monthly tasks and obligations.
However, once you’ve tried using one and experienced the lucidity of your clearly written information, not to mention the extra brain space you get from not having to hold on to all that information, it’s hard not to keep using them.
In this article: Blue Sky 2023 Planner, Artfan 2023 Planner and At-a-Glance Professional 2023 Planner
2023 planner types
There are several types of planners, with some of the most common including:
- General planners are the baseline that other planner types spring from. They’re the most basic, usually only having weekly and monthly breakdowns with some blank pages thrown in for good measure.
- Academic planners are meant for students. Besides the basic time breakdowns, they usually have extra spaces for information such as your class schedule or your current grades and grade goals. They even typically run August to July, rather than the usual January to December.
- Professional planners are meant for, well, working professionals. They usually have different breakdowns of time, such as having extra-large day spaces or even hourly lines to track meetings and deadlines. There might be extra spaces for things like professional goals.
- Personal development planners are unlike any other type of planner. They’re essentially a cross between a planner and a journal, having spaces to write and track goals or to reflect on each day. If you’re trying to improve your life, it’s strongly worth considering this type of planner.
- Pocket planners are miniature general planners, though due to their itty-bitty size, you can’t put much information in them. However, they’re perfect for making plans on the go, noting those plans, and then transferring them to your main planner.
Timespan
Timespan in planners means two things: when it starts, and how long it goes for:
- Start date: Most planners start in January though some, namely academic planners but also others, can start in the middle of the year. The months of June, July and August are common in that case. There are also planners that have no dates at all, so you can start whenever you’d like and still get to use every contained day.
- Length: Most planners run for 12 months. There are also some that run for only six months, or extra-long ones that go for 18 months. Then there’s the occasional planner that runs for an odd number of months or weeks.
Binding
Planners typically have one of two types of bindings: spiral or perfect:
- Spiral-bound planners are usually your best option as they can be easily flopped open without needing weights.
- Perfect-bound planners, meaning the pages are attached to the spine with adhesive, look a little cleaner. Consider one if you’re concerned about the feng shui of your desk.
Cover
Most planners have soft covers, meaning they can easily flop or bend as they’re stuffed inside a backpack or briefcase. Others have hardcovers to better handle rough treatment throughout the year, though it can make them a little harder to pack up.
Design
You might think the design of your planner is unimportant. If so, you’d be wrong. Think about how long you’ll be staring at it when you’re shopping instead of grabbing the first one you see. And if you don’t care to shop around, at the very least, consider grabbing one that’s your favorite color.
Cost
The most basic or smallest planners typically cost $5-$10. More complex planners can cost up to $20. The biggest and best can cost up to $50.
Best general 2023 planners
This planner has weekly and monthly breakdowns for 2023, plus spaces for reference notes, contacts and general blank pages for scribbles and whatnot. It measures 5 by 8 inches and has space for the end of 2022.
Sold by Amazon
This planner is all about having something beautiful sitting on your desk. It’s just a benefit that it has space for all your plans and thick paper that can withstand being thumbed through for a year.
Sold by Amazon
Best academic 2023 planners
This academic planner bucks the trend of starting in July by starting in January 2023. However, it also extends to July 2024. It has a ribbon bookmark so there’s no need to thumb.
Sold by Amazon
Rileys and Co. Academic 2023 Planner
This academic planner does start in July, but it started this July 2022. It extends to December 2023 and comes in 8 by 6 or 8.5 by 11 inches.
Sold by Amazon
Best professional 2023 planners
At-a-Glance Professional 2023 Planner
This planner lays completely flat thanks to its twin-wire binding, plus the cover is flexible to avoid creases. Each day has one line for every 15 minutes starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m.
Sold by Amazon
Inamio Professional 2023 Planner
This planner has one line for every 30 minutes of each day starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m. It comes in 6.5 by 8.5- or 11 by 8.5-inch sizes.
Sold by Amazon
Best personal development 2023 planners
Amy Knapp Personal Development 2023 Planner
This planner started in August 2022, but extends to December 2023. It’s stuffed with extras, such as space for monthly goals and motivational quotes, and it even comes with 250 stickers.
Sold by Amazon
Freedom Mastery Personal Development 2023 Planner
This is one of the rare undated planners, meaning you can start it whenever you like, and it only takes five minutes a day to do the exercises and note-taking.
Sold by Amazon
Best pocket 2023 planners
BookFactory Pocket 2023 Planner
This planner measures 3.5 by 6 inches and each page has space for three days. The front of it has a list of all the major and many minor holidays, plus a 2023 and 2024 yearly overview.
Sold by Amazon
This planner measures 3.8 by 6.3 inches and has a monthly breakdown, plus daily breakdowns with three days to a page. It runs from January 2023 to December 2023.
Sold by Amazon
Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved.