Daily journaling is a great habit to develop – we’ve covered it extensively on The Gentleman’s Playbook. You’ve probably decided it’s time to start working on this habit and want to know what some of the best journals for men are.
We’ve decided to compile a list of what we find to be the best journals for men when developing your daily habits. Our goal is to provide a few options that cover a variety of cover styles as well as a spectrum of page-style.
Some journals will have simply ruled pages where you can just write to your heart and mind’s content, whereas others may be of greater assistance to some of the different daily journaling methods you can use such as:
- Bad and Good Journaling Method
- Plan, Update, Finalize Journaling Method
- 3×3 Journaling Method
- “As I Go” Journaling Method
You’ll also find journals in this list that give you the freedom to journal however you like, as the main goal here is to reinforce a habit that’s healthy for your mind and spirit.
Let’s go ahead and jump into our breakdown of the 7 Best Journals for Men that are Classy and Sophisticated!
Two-Tone Vintage Leather Journal for Men
This two-tone vintage journal for men will look great on your bookshelf, especially if you have a collection of old or vintage books. We love this journal because it is made of full grain leather, which is higher quality and longer lasting than genuine leather.
In fact, full grain leather is one of the highest quality leathers you can get, especially for items such as a personal journal, which are usually made with very low quality leather, faux leather, or a soft vinyl material.
On top of the quality, this vintage leather journal for men from Leatherpress comes with 394 lined pages to fill with your thoughts, ideas, and eureka moments! The pages inside the journal are ruled.
Pick from two different color options with this journal – a black journal body with a tan spine, or alternatively, a mahogany leather body with a black spine. It even comes in a fancy sleeve, making it perfect for gifting to your male friends or family!
Custom-Engraved Journal & Pen Set by Cross
Want to get a little personal? If you’re looking for a really incredible pen and journal set that you can have your name engraved on, this professional journal and pen set is just for you.
When you order on Amazon, you’ll get walked through a process that allows you to have up to 25 characters engraved on both your pen and journal. The pen will have whatever you want (typically a name) engraved onto the top and the black leatherette journal will have your custom lettering imprinted on the bottom right of the front cover.
On top of this, the journal has a convenient pen storage slot in the spine that will help you keep your pen from ever being lost! You’ll also enjoy beautiful gift-ready packaging with your order; that way, if you’re ordering this for someone who just got their first big job or took a huge step in life, you can provide them with a personalized and well-displayed pen and journal set!
This is also a great option for any man who wants his own journal that displays his name proudly. The customization and value are what make this a great selection for our list of best journals for men!
Gratitude Journal for Structured Men’s Journaling
Do you want to take advantage of the benefits of journaling for men, but you don’t quite know where to start? Then this structured gratitude journal designed with men in mind may be just the thing for you.
To start, it’s highly affordable, making the barrier to journaling very low. You don’t need to spend a ton of money on something fancy to get started.
Second, the journal has structured pages meant for daily journaling that guide you through the process of achieving mindfulness, positivity, growing your leadership skills, and focusing on self-care. Everything is laid out in an attractive way, with each page having structured sections for you to fill out.
Even though this is very much a “fill-in-the-blank” kind of journal, it doesn’t make it any less impactful. This would be a great jumping point for anybody who wants to take advantage of the many psychological and mental benefits of journaling without having to figure it all out on their own.
A great solution for all ages of men, we definitely think this is a great journal for men. Check out all of the different pages and layouts by clicking here.
Refillable Leather Journal from NomadCraftsCo
First up on our list of best journals for men is one we think is a solid go-to that won’t let you down. This one is a refillable leather journal from NomadCraftsCo. While you may be forking over a couple of tens to secure this one, it’s nice to know it’s a journal that will last and can be refilled once you exhaust the pages it comes with.
Even better, the creators of this leather journal have mentioned that it can be refilled with any A5 journal refill, such as this one. That makes it easy to find a refill in a pinch either online or in-store while traveling.
You’ll also find a built-in penholder and cardholder slot, which is perfect if you plan to use this journal primarily for business purposes, freelancing, or on-the-fly meetings.
All you need is an awesome pen to go with it!
Handmade Leatherbound Journal
Continuing the more rugged journal appearance, CooLeathor on Amazon makes a really cool, classic rustic leather journal. If you’re looking for something more slick, don’t worry, we will go over some in this article!
This 6×8 inch journal is small enough to be easily transported, while also being large enough to take thorough notes, jot down your thoughts, or even sketch ideas in. The paper that comes with the journal is lined and you’ll get 240 pages to write on.
Close this bad boy with a leather wrap-around strap to keep it from falling open. If you click here, you’ll see how the company highlights an interesting feature…this leather journal was created with distressed leather, which means it is possible it can be easily scratched. While it can be scratched easily, it can also be “repaired” by simply rubbing the scratches with your finger or a cloth pad. Pretty cool!
When you order this journal, you’ll get a complimentary ball point pen, though we of course recommend finding a pen you really love and making it your go-to for daily journaling.
Furthermore, when you fill up the pages in this leather notebook, all you need to do is purchase a refill, which you can see here. The fact that you can continue to use this journal over and over without needing to buy a new case or shell, as well as the incredible vintage aesthetic are the primary reasons we’ve added this to our list of Best Journals for Men!
Handmade Leather Journal for Men by Rustic Town
Simplicity and minimalism are a beautiful thing – you get both with this handmade leather journal for men sold by Rustic Town on Amazon.
You can choose between a leather journal that has either blank pages or lined pages, giving you the freedom you need to journal in the way that’s most impactful for you. Looking at the pages, you may want to stick to using a ballpoint pen. The pages seem a little too coarse for writing with a fountain pen or dip pen.
Basically, any type of pen with a nib as the ink flow control will end up getting clogged due to the coarseness of this journal. This doesn’t take away from the function of it entirely, though. Just be careful what you write with. Pencil or ballpoint would be the way to go.
You get 360 pages to write on in the journal and the seller touts the fact that the paper is handmade. This leather journal also comes with a strap that you can wrap around the cover in order to keep the journal secured and closed.
Affordable Bonded Leather Notebook
Simple, affordable, and functional. What more could you ask for out of a journal? While not luxurious or made of particularly high quality material (the casing is made of bonded leather), this journal is great for the man who just needs something he can jot down quick thoughts in and not worry about damaging or losing.
If you do a lot of field-work or travel, this may be just the journal for you. You can opt to get this men’s journal in black or brown bonded leather. You’ll have 240 pages (front and back, so 120 sheets) to write in, all ruled.
Like most affordable journals, a vertical elastic band keeps this notebook sealed. You also get an attached ribbon to “bookmark” your pages as you use the journal. Lastly, you can take advantage of an expandable pocket in the back cover, perfect for storing business cards, small paper items, or a couple of dollar bills.
Take Your Pick from these Journals for Men!
We listed a few different options in our list of the Best Journals for Men that are Classy and Sophisticated! Our goal was to include a wide variety in both style and affordability, offering you a couple of options to jump off with when kicking off your daily journaling habit.
If you want to learn more about journaling for men, check out some of what we’ve written about here at The Gentleman’s Playbook on the topic: