Should You Get One? | Hobonichi Weeks Pros and Cons

Stay until the end for the bonus pro that I totally didn’t forget to add to the beginning! Leave your own pros and cons down below and let me know if you plan to get one!
Where to buy the Hobonichi Weeks:
Hobonichi store: www.1101.com/store/techo/en/l...
Hobonichi Amazon store (no 2023 products yet): www.amazon.com/stores/Hobonic...
JetPens: www.jetpens.com/Hobonichi-Tec...
00:00 Intro
01:35 Cost
05:26 Pro #1 Cover Variety
07:08 Pro #2 Portable Size
07:59 Pro #3 Horizontal Weekly Layout
11:01 Pro #4 Memo Pages
12:26 Pro #5 Tomoe River Paper
14:29 Pro #6 Moon Phases
15:19 Con #1 Can Be Too Small
16:25 Con #2 Cream Colored Paper
17:41 Con #3 Useless Yearly Layout
18:39 Con #4 Quotes
20:19 Con #5 Info Pages at the Back
21:10 Outro
22:34 BONUS PRO! December Start

[@RachelleinTheory]

Have you used a Hobonichi Weeks before? What kind? Let me know your favorite features and least favorite features below! P.S. I filmed this at the same time as my Hobonichi Cousin pros and cons video, but SO many of you left great gel pen suggestions and where you bought it. Please feel free to leave those same suggestions below OR viewers of this video - you can head back to that one for some good tips :)

[@paintbrushpuke]

I find it a little odd how often people complain about the Japanese when it's produced by a Japanese company >.>

[@RachelleinTheory]

Great point lol

[@scf7334]

For everyone that likes the size of the Hobonichi Weeks, but not the cream paper, the quotes, and the small yearly tracker - check out the Kinbor Weeks. It’s half the price, has white paper, an awesome yearly tracker/index (ten columns worth of check boxes per month), no quotes (so more room for writing), and a super cool yearly overview/monthly breakdown spread, too. Plus, the softcover one fits in the Hobonichi clear cover (not sure about the hard covers). The only downside (IMO) is their limited cover choices, but it’s an awesome planner!

[@TwoMiceOnMyBookshelf]

Three years on, I still think Hobonichi Weeks is one of the most underrated planners out there. The one year spread has tiny days for sure 😭 But I would sacrifice anything to be able to see the whole ONE year in one spread which is what this Weeks is giving. As for the quotes: For as long as we have a tracker of which week we are in, in a particular month on the bottom right corner, the only way to make both pages symmetrical and seamless is to also have a gap on the bottom left side. If there is one thing I would love is for it to be converted into a check box list like they do have at the top of the A5 and A6, or at the bottom of the monthly section of the Weeks. (Which along with the space on the left of the month give us space to summarise each week of the month and the month itself). This little planner really packs a punch!! Thanks for sharing!

[@RachelleinTheory]

That's a good suggestion for the bottom left instead of the quotes - checkboxes or priorities would help this little guy pack such a punch! I agree with you that this little guy is so underrated. I'm so surprised at how much it can fit, even though I struggle to fit more than a couple life areas into one. Thank you so much for watching!

[@demonheart13]

I've always bought a cousin and a weeks. The cousin stays at home cause it's to big for on the go planning but the weeks is the perfect size to leave the house and jot down appointments and reminders.

[@RachelleinTheory]

@@demonheart13 Love this combo

[@aEquanimity]

I just ordered my first Hobonichi Weeks... good to know about the gel pens. Other than that, cons for me would be the thin paper & ghosting, the cream color of the paper, and the graph/grid layout. Still, I'm looking forward to trying it out... I got a Sneaker Mega for the raspberry cover and appreciate you showing how a clear cover would fit! I read that they're not compatible and was wondering why. If the planner does fit inside one I think I might as well get one, even if it'll be too big. My Weeks will just be for extra notes or as a commonplace book. I've been using Japanese Sanrio (Hello Kitty) weekly planners for years and am really happy with them. They're similar to Hobonichi Weeks (in terms of contents and layouts and such) but not ugly/cuter lol and white paper! I think my only complaint about Sanrio planners would be that sometimes I have a lot to write and run out of room, though I like the overall size of the planner. I'm curious why you're getting two Weeks!

[@KristanKremer]

I am not even in the market for a Hobonichi but I like watching videos like this. I thought you did a wonderful job with the pros and cons!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thanks so much Kristan!

[@matildedelgado6647]

I changed it for the Kinbor Weeks. Highly recommend it!

[@PaperJoyPH]

Great video 😊 I personally love the cream colour paper 😅 PS love your functional planning!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Omg! I watch your Weeks videos all the time haha. Thank you so much for watching and commenting! The cream definitely doesn't bother me when I functional plan, which is most of what this is... it's just those stickers!

[@PaperJoyPH]

@@RachelleinTheory I agree - The stickers are more true to colour with the lighter cream, and best with white!

[@angiepayne6104]

Great video. I loved all the pros and cons you pointed out. I subscribed to your channel.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Welcome to the fam Angie!

[@katsmith8263]

I'd like the hobonichi cousin in the size of the Standard TN🤣. I even wrote about it to the hobonichi company. They answered something like " we don't do them"🤣. So I did it myself in the printables. But still I'd love to have it professionally done in the thin paper. So here is my ideal planner: hobo cousin in the Standard TN size

[@RachelleinTheory]

Ooooooh a cousin in the TN size.... that sounds dreamy!

[@DianeShugart]

Wonderfully informative video -- I got hooked on the Weeks but never really thought about the Pros and Cons until now. Some things have changed this year with the launch of the English edition, eg the quotes at the bottom.The layout also looks even cleaner, basically because there are fewer print elements. It took me a while to find a good use for the vertical year. Ideally I'd like the columns wider, say two spreads -- January-June, July-December but a lot of Weeks fans like seeing the whole year at a glance. I've used it to track spending and bills, also to record my daily step count; this year I've been using it as a project planner, drawing vertical lines down the dates and writing the project lengthwise (or use a color code) and this way I get an overview of my work time (I freelance).

[@RachelleinTheory]

Glad you liked the vid! I JUST got my Hobonichi 2023 order in the mail so a comparison of the english weeks vs the japanese weeks is definitely coming, because I know that there are a lot of differences. That's a good use of the yearly layout, thank you for sharing!

[@RiseWithRaina]

I love your videos and I’ve been debating the weeks as a companion to the HON but not sure if it’s worth it so thank you for this!!

[@leftoclock]

17:41 totally agree with you, I really wish they make the yearly view in 4 pages, like they do in the original a6 (where it is 8 pages actually lol). Also, they make the monthly pages until march which I think it's a total waste, as it is the jan-dec version, not the spring. I would prefer to have the yearly pages spread over more pages so the space to write in would be bigger. I like to use that vertical yearly pages, but it's going to be a challenge to use them in the weeks (my first hobo weeks).

[@RachelleinTheory]

Yes exactly! i wish I could use the yearly page but its just so tiny. I never use the next year Jan-March spreads, but I do appreciate them for forward planning (which I do only in my dreams 😂)

[@kraeftwerker]

I ended up choosing a Hobonichi Cousin over the weeks this year. I am a bit worried about the amount of the space in the Cousin being intimidating, but I knew I can't do the Weeks. Even though I love my Traveler's Notebook I often avoid using it because it's so small, and the weeks is smaller!

[@RachelleinTheory]

imho you HAVE to choose the size that's right for you!

[@haleylquinton]

I ordered a weeks for the first time for next year.... I'm planning to use it as a reading journal/book tracker.

[@RachelleinTheory]

That sounds like a great way to use it!

[@raealdridge8200]

I got a Weeks for the first time for 2023. I’m excited to use it, but I was surprised to see how small it is! I’m going to start testing pens to see which one writes the best in it. I love the Mark On for my Cousin, but I’m thinking the tip might still be too large for the Weeks.

[@RachelleinTheory]

I was surprised when I first got my Weeks too! It's a tiny little thing but it packs a punch. Happy planning!

[@ajbee1065]

I imagine some of the things that English speakers don’t like about the Hobonichi planners, are probably significant for the Japanese. I would be curious to know if Hobonichi has ever explained the purpose of those extra pages and the quotes.

[@RachelleinTheory]

So true! I do see some quotes in English planners now and again, though not as much. That might just be personal preference. But I WILL say the info pages are significantly different in the English weeks vs the Japanese weeks... I'm doing a comparison next week that will have more info but I think they really did decide to change it intentionally!

[@Andidejager.]

While I understand people not liking the ghosting and crinkle with Tomoe River Paper, I definitely feel the same way you do where I LOVE the crinkle and the ghosting and the way it feels well used 🥰 it’s my favourite paper for writing! I used to be such a chaotic slob with my stationary all throughout school and college. I used the same pencil case from grade 4 till matric and sharpened my pencils directly into it, my bags were always falling apart, my pencils all had the paint chewed off them and my ballpoint pens were all gunked up at the barrel with weed residue because they doubled as the downstem for DIY bongs💀I never cared what I used or what condition it was in as long as it more or less got the job done! Now I’m kicking myself for not discovering the amazing world of stationary sooner! It would have made every aspect of my classes so much more enjoyable😂 and I treasure and baby my stationary now 😂 it’s all in pristine condition and all organised. I stopped smoking weed entirely as well. And now I’m even considering using a planner!? Who have I become???😱 hahaha my younger self would think I’m very lame 😂

[@aliciavilas5411]

Love this. Would love you to do the same for the other Hobonichi planners (original and day free).

[@RachelleinTheory]

This is a great suggestion! I ordered the original this year, and used the english original last year, so I should have some stuff to say about it soon.

[@kimberlyhuffman3115]

Solution for the year-at-a-glance... easy enough to make ur own in the notes pages at the back. ;-)

[@RachelleinTheory]

But isn’t the point of buying a dated planner to NOT have to make your own spreads? 😭 but totally the memo pages can be used for this and more!

[@loldoctor]

Regarding con #3, the Japanese guide/idea pamphlet that comes with the planner says those small boxes are for recording your steps per day--or at least, that's one way to use them. You can do whatever you want, of course.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Thanks Michael!

[@creativelylisamarie]

I cover them with dashboards from Shine Sticker Studio!!!

[@elizabethhenson3092]

I have a Makse Life Planner, but just moved into the Hobonichi Weeks Mega. I like the Makse planner but it's just so heavy to carry around. So far so good, so if the Hobo Weeks works, I may consider the Hobo A6 or the Cousin.

[@tspacefullstop4161]

Only just thinking about a Weeks for 2024. Bought my planners for 2023 but ended up buying a Weeks dupe so thats why I'm intrigued by the size.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Honestly the size SHOCKED me when I first got it because of how tiny it was, but I quickly grew to love how compact it felt in my hand and how much I could fit in there. A dupe is a great way to try it out!

[@tnickolej]

I have a mega weeks coming!!! I have an april start weeks so I’m going to try to “implant” the current weeks into the mega so I can start using asap!!

[@RachelleinTheory]

Yes! The urge to move in right away is so strong haha. I hope you like it!

[@TheSeatedView]

I've been in a Weeks for work for two years and love the focus element, but am finding that juggling 4 different roles/jobs needs something else. Did buy two Weeks like you for next year, but also intend to try Sterling Ink's new B6 planner to see if the extra space helps.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Lene! This is my exact lineup for 2023 haha. Two weeks and Sterling Ink's planner. We'll have to swap tips when we've used them enough!

[@TheSeatedView]

@@RachelleinTheory Yes! I'm really looking forward to testing this system!

[@zee3e]

weeks are my favorite size for journalling bc i can never consistent fill a whole a6 page, but i wasn't interested in any of the covers from 2023 jan, so i finally invested in the 5 year

[@zee3e]

for planning, i need a weekly vertical layout and the a5 is way too big and too much, and the $10 a6 supplement is too small, so i've been using a $10 muji b6 planner for the last two years and going to repurchase for next year.

[@RachelleinTheory]

I'm so glad the muji is working for you!

[@tinyluminaryexpert1557]

I use my Hobonichi weeks as my only planner (not counting my lesson planner), so it is entirely possible to use it as the one and only :) nner

[@RachelleinTheory]

That is great to hear!! How do you make it all fit? Those of us who are spatially challenged are curious 😂

[@tinyluminaryexpert1557]

@@RachelleinTheory As I said, lesson plans are elsewhere or it would definitely not fit 😂 but! I make great use of the back pages for dailies when I need it. The dated side of the weekly pages are for date/time sensitive only, and the right for a master to do list. Work tasks included! I keep my tracking in the yearly and monthly views, as well as exercise, holidays, birthdays and household stuff. I probably lead a boring and uneventful life 😆😂

[@RachelleinTheory]

​@@tinyluminaryexpert1557 ​ That's the beauty of hobonichi though! your "boring and uneventful" life is made beautiful by capturing it creatively :) That sounds like a great way to use the planners!

[@inkyfingers10]

Agree on white pages for the weeks and the quotes are a waste of space.

[@MirandaPurpleClouds]

Hi! I have a silly measurements question im trying to find the answer of. Trying to replicate this layout in a regular notebook to see if this is something for me, but i cant find the sizes of the boxes anywhere? Like, the spaces of every day column and the overall paper, not just how big the book is (which of course only talks about the outer measurements) Do you know? ❤️

[@deleongirl72]

I loved your review. I bought a cousins for 2022 and was very overwhelmed. For 2023 I bought a hobonichi weeks and hope to make it work as I was in a pocket size for 2022. Where did you get the monthly tabs ?

[@RachelleinTheory]

The tabs at the top are blank tabs I had leftover from a set of monthly tabs from Coffee Monsterz Co. The ones at the bottom I think are just repositionable sticky note or post-it note brand tabs. Thanks for watching :)

[@deleongirl72]

@@RachelleinTheory I actually found them after I asked you. They’re in route. Ty.

[@katsmith8263]

19:08 again, use the kinbor weeks planner without the quotes and the white paper

[@chelseag3365]

I used a weeks this past year and it was great except my handwriting is just too dang big :( So the size is a con for me. I struggle with A5 being too small too, but it's the most portable 'large' planner I can get.

[@RachelleinTheory]

Ah I wonder if the grid size is also a little bit too small. Hobonichi has a really tiny grid.

[@Stormbrise]

Do you have a video of what you ordered for your weeks? Also, where did you get the pen body that you have moved your inks into? I am hoping to land one of the Aurora Duty planner, given my niece is named Aurora, my regalia has polar bears, and I use the colors of Aurora as the ribbons in my regalia. I have ordered a mega anyway. I never fill out all the pages, but I fear of running out. I love the weeks, and loving the page layouts that Paperjoy pH comes up with. Also, the English weeks, is less of the cream color than the Japanese version. Also, lots of people use color coding for tracking in the year at a glance pages. My con is no project planning tracker like the JT planners for all the books

[@RachelleinTheory]

I will have a video of what I ordered coming soon! Going to do my full unboxing once I have my package, which is on it's way. It sounds like the Aurora one would be so personal and lovely for you, I hope you get it and like it!

[@Stormbrise]

@@RachelleinTheory they went from restock coming, to restock undecided. I sent them a mail saying look I spend at least 1000 a year with my autistic collection habit. Not FOMO, and my buying anymore this year depends on the availability of that cover. It went back to restock coming. Not sure if I had anything to do with it personally or the overwhelming messages that undoubtedly received from the masses. I have yet to buy that cover, and one for my mother in law for Christmas, and my accessories, which I let go of this month in fear I would not get my tweed cover.

[@RachelleinTheory]

@@Stormbrise It's definitely a very popular cover! I hope you get it! BTW, never answered your question about pen body - It's the Uni Jetstream 4&1 4 Color 0.5 mm Ballpoint Multi Pen + 0.5 mm Pencil in Pale Green. If you just copy and paste that into jetpens you'll see the one I have. Currently out of stock in my color but it comes in a bunch of other colors as well!

[@Stormbrise]

@@RachelleinTheory when i get home to Oregon this holiday season and my sisters baby Elder birthday (55), on the 29th of October. That means I have a fast decline now of October 7th to turn in my thesis.I will buy it from Jet pens. Thanks for the name and heads up

[@zee3e]

i think the leather weeks might be most expensive around 4500 yen

[@RachelleinTheory]

I think that's true!

[@ecr.7695]

This year is the first time I used the Weeks. I got it as my EDC planner, but mostly so that I can use the sticker kits that I won from a giveaway 😆. I got the Mega with the purpose of jotting down two broad things, but I ended up not continuing with it because it ended up taking so much effort to get it all set up. I sorta feel bad for not using the whole notes section but I had personally forgiven myself for letting the huge amount of notes pages go blank. I'm considering buying a Weeks Mega again but for journaling. Will I completely fill up the whole notes section? Maybe not, but I have stickers, cardstock, etc. to fill them up. Who knows what 2023 will bring? (Also leaning a little to the Weeks that Aura Estelle x Annie Plans is going to have for next year. It looks like a good one for journaling, though I do not like that it's a Sunday start in the months section.)

[@RachelleinTheory]

I admire people who journal in the Weeks! it's such a tiny little thing, I feel like I need more space per day - but with a mega it might be possible! Is the Aura Estelle x Annie Plans weeks bigger than Hobonichi? Might be better if so, but I so agree that the Sunday start thing is weird.

[@ecr.7695]

@Rachelle Not sure yet about the Annie Plans x Aura Estelle Weeks in all its glory as there are no further details about it yet. The details that I do know is that it comes in two volumes like the Hobonichi Avec, has daily pages for the week with a page with boxes for each day, and the months. As for the journaling, I wanted to get the A5 Avec (or the Sterling Inks B6 planner) but I already got a planner I’m interested on and I’m trying not to overload myself with more planners in my system. I may buy the A6 Avec (or a Stalogy one) just for those embellishments that I may want to add for decorations (so that I don’t bulk up the Mega Weeks). That was my problem with the Cousin in the past; I got the one planner and not the Avec, so I bulked it up before the year ended and I couldn’t journal for the rest of the year. Learned my lesson and still open about getting the A5 Avec in the future.

[@RachelleinTheory]

@@ecr.7695 ​ It's all about learning lessons! I hope you like what you got and I admire you for sticking with only a few :)

[@ecr.7695]

@Rachelle I wouldn’t say I only got a “few” planners 😅. If I add it all, this’ll be: the 5-yr A5, the 5-yr A6, my EDC dollar planner, the A6 book log, the planner that I’m interested in instead of the Cousin (which is the “cleaner” version of the EDC + part of my reading log but with ARC reading deadlines), the Mega Weeks, probable A6 Avec/Stalogy, probable A6 weekly supplement, and my 2-yr period log. Basically the period and reading logs plus the probable A6 weekly supplement is “when it happens” with the probable A6 Avec/Stalogy probably when I feel crafty, the planner I’m interested in being weekly, and the rest are daily planning 😆. I’ll never be a one-book planner but when I look at my probable 2023 planners lineup, it does seem a lot to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@makandasode4532]

Does this planner lay flat?

[@RachelleinTheory]

In most covers, yes! That's a huge pro. Some of the covers do not lay flat, though, so just look at the photos carefully.

[@JanisK1953]

I have to disagree with you about using gel pens in any of the Hobonichis. I use gel pens pretty much exclusively in the Hobonichi and I’ve never had any kind of smearing. It tries quickly too.

[@Klein0422]

7:13 hey that size is huge!!!..... 7.... 7inch is huge! what you talking about 😢

[@JanisK1953]

That’s the height. It’s like the size of a long wallet, but a bit wider.

[@katsmith8263]

I don't care about hobo weeks because the weeklies are not vertical and I can't scan it with my eyes as easy as the hobo cousin weeklies

[@RachelleinTheory]

Do you use your planners for preplanning? For me, vertical weekly is GREAT for scanning and preplanning, but horizontal weeks is ideal for prioritizing and getting things done day to day. Which is why I always end up having both in my system!

[@katsmith8263]

@@RachelleinTheory there is no such thing as pre planning. There is only planning. You just plan twice, which is excessive, but might be useful to organize things visually in a better way the 2nd time

[@RachelleinTheory]

@@katsmith8263 fair point, I guess what I really mean is drafting plans, which is what I think of as preplanning as but I should just say that if that's what I mean 😂