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  • Writer's pictureKraftyChloé

Review: UGLYBOOKS Pocket Notebooks

Pocket notebooks are endlessly useful due to their conveniently small size. UGLYBOOKS have produced some simple but effective pocket notebooks for all your portable writing needs.


Because I seem to have a green theme going this year (ask my classmates - they can spot me by the giant green Doughnut backpack) I chose the notebooks with green covers and ivory pages, though there are a lot more options. Including, unusually, coloured pages! The gold staples pair well with the green covers of my notebooks.


The cardstock cover isn't the most durable material in the world (and don't worry, the logo is only on the plastic wrap). It is going to pick up creases, bumps and scuffs if you're using it when you're out and about, but I'm fine with this and I think that a lot of pocket notebooks will wear in a similar fashion unless they have non-biodegradable plastic covers.


Inside, you immediately notice how thick the paper is. It's probably about double the thickness of your average notebook paper. It's also quite textured, which worried me at first because textured paper has an alarming tendency to feather, and feather badly. Not to mention bleeding...



Luckily, it held up well, considering that it is quite toothy. There was some bleeding and showthrough, but feathering was minimal, even with the Sharpie S-note pens.


Ironically, watercolours didn't bleed at all, even though the two ink swatches below the two watercolours did...



I have absolutely no explanation for this.


But the watercolour works so well with the paper that I would recommend it to urban sketches who regularly use watercolours, which I can't say for most of the other notebooks I've tested because the paper just won't hold up to the moisture. It would warp - or disintegrate entirely!


The bleedthrough with the pens isn't catastrophic, and I'd still use fountain pens to take notes in it if a ballpoint wasn't more convenient for college.


If you don't mind a slightly worn aesthetic, UGLYBOOKS are a brilliant option for urban sketchers and writers. I especially love the range of colours available, and the possibility of customisation with washi tapes and stickers. A blank canvas, full of opportunities!



Disclaimer: UGLYBOOKS provided this product for review purposes. All opinions expressed in this article are my own.

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