There are a plethora of options for pocket notebooks these days so its hard to find a product that sets itself apart. Back Pocket Notebooks sets itself apart in a couple truly notable ways.
First. Guitars (3 pack for £13.50)! I say this because I believe that when Back Pocket picks themes for their notebook cover designs, they choose things they are passionate about and it shows. Luckily, it is also things that certain people in Desk HQ are also passionate about. I was given permission to deface the Ukukele edition which allowed me to channeled my inner Marilyn Monroe à la Some Like It Hot.
Also, the illustrations are excellent!
And… they include facts about the instruments in the back cover and chords and scales in the front. So, even if you buy the notebooks just because you think they look cool you can actually learn a bit.
Best of all? The paper quality is top notch. The cover stock is a sturdy 300gsm and paper stock is 120gsm soft white dot grid. The dots are light enough grey not to be intrusive either.
All my pen tests were successful. The paper was a little toothy which I like but if you prefer skating rink smooth paper, this might not be for you.
From the reverse of the writing sample, looking on the right, if you strain your eyes really hard you might see the faintest hint of a shadow from the ginormous brush pen I used but that’s it. NO SHOW THROUGH. Seriously.
The kind folks at Back Pocket Notebooks also sent over a set of the SpaceX notebooks (set of 3 for £12) but Mr. Skylab Letterpress pretty much said I’d have to pry them from his cold, dead hands and then he sealed them in a pressurized canister for safe keeping. They are that awesome.
The Back Pocket Notebook fit perfectly in my Red Hare Leather notebook cover and actually look quite spiffy. I bought the cover at the airport in KC in the Souvenear vending machine which is an awesome concept created right here and filled with locally-created goods.
So, while the price for the Back Pocket Notebooks might be a bit higher than some other brands, the paper quality is significantly better than most.
Also, this is a UK-based product so if you are in the UK or the EU, this product is probably significantly easier to acquire and less expensive to ship to you than products made in the US. For US residents, shipping starts at £5.50 so its a bit more expensive but these are pretty nice notebooks, considerably nicer than most and the designs are top-notch.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the items featured were sent to me free of charge by Back Pocket Notebooks for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.