Are you thinking about starting a bullet journal but you aren’t sure where to start? Maybe you’ve heard all the hype about bullet journals and your curious to know more. I recently got a bullet journal and it’s been so much fun! It’s helped me feel inspired, organized, and creative each day.
That’s why I wanted to do some research and organize a list for you of the most highly-raved about bullet journal supplies. I’m also including options for every budget, so you can choose what’s best for you.
We’ll go over the best bullet journal notebooks, pens, highlighters, and accessories with the pros and cons for each one. We’ll also go over exactly what a bullet journal is, why you need one, and all the benefits of bullet journaling.
Plus, to make it easier for you, at the bottom I’ve included several bullet journal starter kits ranging from $25 up to over $100. So whether you’re ready to dive in with all the most expensive and high-quality bullet journal supplies, or you want to start with the basics, I’ve got you covered!
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What is a bullet journal and why you need one
The Bullet Journal is a type of notebook created by New York designer, Ryder Carroll. In his words, the Bullet Journal is meant “to help you track the past, organize the present, and plan for the future.”
Basically, a bullet journal is a great place to keep track of your ideas, your schedule, your meals, your mood, your to-do list, your goals, and the list could go on. It’s basically like organizing your whole life in a journal!
What makes a bullet journal different from a normal journal? Unlike a normal journal which has lined pages, each page in a bullet journal is full of little dots. These dots mak it easy to create organized, symmetrical, and beautiful journal entries.
Who is a bullet journal for? A bullet journal is the perfect solution for anybody wanting to organize and simplify their life. If you ever struggle with feeling overwhelmed or stressed, a bullet journal can help you organize all of your thoughts and feelings in a systematic way. It’ll help you keep your life organized, simple, manageable, and stress-free!
The benefits of bullet journaling
- It’ll help you stay organized! Your bullet journal will be the place you write down everything important to you from your grocery list to your bucket list. Studies show that writing things down by hand help us remember them. If you’re the type of person who scribbles on random sticky notes or keeps notes in your phone, a bullet journal will be the perfect place to store and organize everything that matters to you.
- It’s inspiring! When you take the time to reflect, come up with new ideas, and look back on old ideas, it can spark your creativity and imagination. This can motivate you to create new goals, come up with new ideas, and feel inspired each time you open the page! It’ll also encourage you to be more creative since you get to choose the colors you use and any artistic doodles you decide to draw.
- It helps you be more productive and get things done! How satisfying does it feel to make a list and then cross it out? You can write to-do lists and schedules in your bullet journal to keep track of things you need to do. Having it right there in front of you can motivate you to get it done. Plus, the reward of getting to cross it out feels so awesome!
- It will simplify your life! When you start bullet journaling, you’ll probably experience less stress and overwhelm, and more simplicity in your life. I know I did when I started! That’s because writing can help us make sense of our thoughts and emotions. When we hold it all in, these thoughts and emotions can feel really stressful and overwhelming. But writing can be a really therapeutic way to process everything that goes on in our brains!
What bullet journal supplies do you need to get started?
There are tons of amazing bullet journal supplies out there, it can be hard to know what to get. All of the options can feel overwhelming.
According to avid bullet journalist and blogger Kimberly, from Sublime Reflection, all you really need to get started is a notebook and a pen. This is the cheapest and most simple way to start, especially if you’re not sure if bullet journaling is right for you.
And the truth is, a bullet journal is meant to organize and simplify your life. You don’t need all of the most popular and expensive supplies to have a successful bullet journal. There is no one “right” way to bullet journal so it’s important to decide what feels right for you.
But of course, if you’re ready to dive into bullet journaling and you want to get fancy with it, there are a ton of supplies out there to choose from! There are special pens, highlighters, washi tape, rulers, and more. We will go over all the top rated bullet journal supplies below!
The best bullet journal notebooks
#1 Leuchtturm1917 Medium A5 Dotted Hardcover Notebook
All across the internet, this is the bullet journal everyone is raving about! It’s rated 4.5 stars on Amazon and has over 3,000 positive reviews.
THE PROS:
- It opens flat so you can draw and write from any angle without affecting the spine of the notebook
- It has an elastic band to keep it securely closed and two book marks to save your page
- It comes in over 20 different colors and includes a table of contents and a pocket
THE CONS:
- It’s a little more pricy than other options currently coming in at about $20
- Although it’s praised for high quality paper, some caution against using a heavy ink on this paper because it may bleed through to other side
#2 A5 Dotted Journal by Scribbles That Matter
In second place, is this bullet journal by Scribbles that Matter. They are also rated 4.5 stars and have over 300 positive reviews on Amazon.
THE PROS:
- It has smooth paper and a pen-test page to make sure your pen won’t bleed through
- To make it less overwhelming, this bullet journal includes key code page, index pages, dotted numbered pages and 2 color coded bookmarks
- It also has a lay flat design for smooth writing and has a pen holder
THE CONS:
- The pen holder is a tight fit for some bigger pens
- It has 201 pages compared to other bullet journals which may have more pages
- It’s a little pricier than other options coming in at about $20
#3 Budget-friendly Dotted Grid Notebook/Journal
For a cheap bullet journal, this is one of the best I’ve come across. It has over 900 positive customer reviews and is rated 5 stars on Amazon! Although it isn’t as high quality as the others, it’s a great option if you’re just starting out and want to start simple.
THE PROS:
- This bullet journal is much cheaper than most, coming out to less than $10
- It’s made of durable, faux leather and includes an elastic band, bookmark, and inner pocket
- It has a simple, minimalist bullet journal design
THE CONS:
- It has 128 pages which is less than most other bullet journals
- It doesn’t include index pages, table of content pages, or any other fancy page features.
The best bullet journal pens
Once you’ve chosen your bullet journal notebook, you’ll need to find the right bullet journal pens. If you’re going the cheaper route, any old pen will do. But typically with a bullet journal, it’s best to use a fine-point pen. To find the right pen for you, you’ll need to consider several factors such as:
- Pen grip
- Point size
- Boldness and richness of ink
- The colors you’d like
Below, I’ve broken down some of the most popular bullet journal pens!
#1 Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens
If you’re not sure what type of pen to choose, this assorted 4-pack is a great and affordable option. It has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon and has over 250 positive reviews.
THE PROS:
- It includes four different pen tips: S (Superfine .3mm), F (Fine .5mm), M (Medium .7mm) and B (Brush 1-5mm)
- The ink is highly pigmented, lightfast, water and smudge resistant, permanent, odor free, acid-free and pH neutral
- The pens use premium Indian ink which won’t bleed through pages
THE CONS:
- This pack is a bit more expensive than normal pens, coming in at about about $9
- Some say that the pens dry out quickly so it’s important to not keep the cap off too long
#2 Tanmitt Bullet Journal Colored Fineliner Pens
If you’re looking to add some color to your bullet journal, these fine-point colored pens are a great option. This pack comes with 48 different colors. Color coding your bullet journal might be useful if you’re a very visual person and prefer different colors to help visually separate categories in your journal.
These pens have a 4 star rating on Amazon and have over 150 positive reviews.
THE PROS:
- The thin lines make it easy to draw intricate patterns and details
- The colors are vivid and bright
- The ink is water based and non-toxic
- The pens are comfortable to hold
THE CONS:
- The ink color doesn’t always perfectly match the color of the cap, so it’s important to test out a color before using it to make sure it’s the color you want
#3 Sharpie Fine Point Pens
For a trusted, high-quality pen, Sharpie is always good option! This is a pack of 12 fine point pens, which will definitely last you a long time.
THE PROS:
- The ink is quick-drying and won’t fade
- These pens are thin making it easy to create small details in your bullet journal
THE CONS:
- This pack only includes black, fine point pens so if you want a variety of thickness and other colors, it’s best to get more pens
The best bullet journal highliters
Highlighters aren’t always necessary, but they can help make your bullet journal pretty and easy to read. If you have important dates, or important notes to remember, highlighting can make them stand out. Below are some of the best bullet journal highlighters.
#1 Zebra Pen Mildliner, Double Ended Highlighter, Broad and Fine Tips
These highlighters are raved about from top bloggers and bullet journal enthusiasts for their beautiful colors. They have a 4.5 star rating on Amazon and have over 250 positive reviews.
THE PROS:
- They are double ended featuring a broad, chisel tip and fine bullet tip for broad highlighting or fine underlining
- They are water resistant and quick to dry
- They come in a variety pack of gorgeous, soft colors
THE CONS:
- The first time you use each highlighter, it may bleed through so it’s important to do a test for each one before using it in your bullet journal
#2 Stabilo BOSS Original Highlighter, Pastels – 6-color Set
Coming in second place are these Stabilo highlighters. They have a 4.5 star rating on Amazon and over 400 positive reviews!
PROS:
- This pack is cheaper than the Zebra pack above (also comes with less highlighters)
- They have anti-dry out technology so they won’t dry out quickly
- The come in 6, pretty pastel colors
CONS:
- Although the colors are beautiful, I personally think the Zebra colors look nicer
- They don’t dry as fast as some other highlighters so you may need to wait a few seconds to let them dry
Best Bullet Journal Accessories and Extras
Hopefully by now, you’ve got an idea of which best bullet journal is best for you, the best pen, and best highlighter. If you’re interested in more bullet journal accessories, I’ve got some of the most popular ones below. These things aren’t totally necessary but they can be useful and make bullet journaling easier and more fun!
#1 White out tape
If you plan on doing a lot of bullet journaling, having some white out tape on hand can be helpful. If you make a mistake, you can simply swipe over the error with this tape and write over it.
This one by Tombow is well-loved by bullet journalists because of it’s pivoting head. That way, if you make a mistake that isn’t perfectly straight, you can still white it out easily! If you plan on doing some sketching or drawing, this could be especially useful.
#2 Washi Tape
If you want to add some bright patterns to your bullet journal, grab some rolls of washi tape! You can use it to create pretty border, cover up mistakes, and add color and creativity to your bullet journal pages. The pack below comes with 48 rolls for under $10.
If you like to save things like concert ticket stubs, plane tickets, or photos, you could even create a section in your bullet journal to save them. And then you could use washi tape to tape them onto the pages.
#3 Bullet Journal Stencils
These popular stencils have over 500 positive reviews and 4.5 stars on Amazon. If you don’t feel super confident in your drawing abilities, these stencils are a good way to get practice and create doodles you love. This pack comes with 20 pieces and a ton of stencils on each page. Use them to create banners, shapes, and pretty little designs in your bullet journal!
Bullet Journal Starter Kit
Now that we’ve gone over some of the best bullet journal supplies, let’s figure out how to create a bullet journal starter kit at a price point that feels right to you!
Below are five different options, starting with the lowest cost first.
#1 Budget friendly starter kit under $25
If you want to start a bullet journal but aren’t ready to fork out a ton of money, you can just start simple. As time goes on and you get a feel for bullet journaling, you can always add to your collection.
For this cheap bullet journal starter kit try these:
- The dotted grid notebook
- Pack of Faber Castill Pens
#2 Bullet journal starter kit under $45
If you’re willing to spend a little more money, try this starter kit which includes a higher quality notebook, pens, and highlighters.
- Scribbles that Matter Journal
- Pack of Faber Castill Pens
- Stabilo Highlighters
#3 Bullet journal starter kit for under $60
At a slightly higher cost, this starter kit includes more highlighters with a variety of beautiful, pastel colors and a slightly nicer bullet journal.
- Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Notebook
- Pack of Faber Castill Pens
- Zebra Pen Highlighters
#4 Starter kit for under $80
This kit includes a journal, pack of black pens, pack of color pens, and pack of highlighters.
- Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Notebook
- Pack of Faber Castill Pens
- Tanmitt color pens
- Zebra Pen Highlighters
#5 Starter kit for $100+
If you’re ready to go all out and invest in your bullet journal hobby, then this kit is for you. It includes one of each of the top bullet journal supplies that I mentioned.
- Leuchtturm1917 Dotted Notebook
- Pack of Faber Castill Pens
- Zebra Pen Highlighters
- Tanmit color pens
- Stencils
- Washi Tape
- White out tape
Bullet journaling can be such a great way to organize and simplify your life. You can use your bullet journal to organize your ideas, meals, dreams and goals, memories, and whatever else your heart desires. I hope these bullet journal supplies and starter kits were helpful to you in deciding what to start with!
Remember, there’s no “right” way to bullet journal and only you know what’s best for you. Have fun bullet journaling!