A6 vs A5 Journals: Which Size Is Right for You?

Most people agonise over the leather, the colour and the closure of a new journal, then pick the size in about four seconds. That's backwards. Size is the decision that quietly determines whether your notebook lives in a pocket and gets scribbled in daily, or sits open on a desk filling with proper, considered pages. Get it right and the journal becomes a habit. Get it wrong and it becomes a lovely object you feel slightly guilty about.

At Burecho we make refillable full-grain leather covers in both formats, so we've watched hundreds of customers work out which one suits them. This is the honest, no-jargon guide we wish more shops offered — the practical differences between A6 and A5, who each one really suits, and how to avoid buying the wrong one.

The numbers, quickly

Let's get the measurements out of the way, because the names alone tell you nothing useful.

• A6 is roughly 105 × 148 mm — about the size of a postcard, or a large smartphone with a little extra height. It slips into a coat pocket or the side of a small bag.
• A5 is roughly 148 × 210 mm — half a sheet of standard A4 paper, or about the footprint of a paperback opened flat. It's a two-hands, put-it-on-a-surface kind of notebook.

A5 has almost exactly double the page area of A6. That single fact drives everything else: how much you can write, how much you can carry, and how the journal fits into your day.

A6: the everyday carry

A6 is the pocket format. Its whole personality is availability — it's the notebook that's always on you, so the fleeting thought, the shopping list, the overheard phrase, the sudden idea on a station platform all get caught before they evaporate.

A6 suits you if…

• You want a journal that travels everywhere — jacket pocket, handbag, back pocket of a rucksack.
• You write in short bursts: quick notes, one-line diary entries, lists, sketches, a running "commonplace book" of quotes.
• You're a traveller. An A6 travellers' notebook is a genuine companion rather than luggage — see our guide to travel journal ideas and our real-life test of what actually fits in an A6 travellers notebook.
• You've started journals before and abandoned them. A6's low commitment — a page fills fast, so it feels achievable — is a genuinely underrated cure for blank-page guilt.

The trade-offs

The smaller page can feel cramped if your handwriting is large, and it's not ideal for spreads that need width — think weekly planners, tables, mind maps or full-page sketches. Some people also find they flip pages constantly, which breaks the flow of longer entries.

A5: the room to think

A5 is the workhorse. It gives your hand somewhere to go — full paragraphs, proper diagrams, a whole day mapped across a single spread. If A6 is for capturing, A5 is for developing: the place a half-formed idea becomes a plan.

A5 suits you if…

• You write long-form — morning pages, reflective diary entries, meeting notes, essays, sermon or lecture notes.
• You use layouts: bullet-journal spreads, weekly planners, habit trackers, tables. If that's you, our guide to bullet journaling in a refillable leather notebook is worth a read.
• You sketch, letter or paint small watercolours and want room to breathe.
• You mostly write at a desk, café table or on the sofa rather than standing up.

The trade-offs

A5 is not a pocket notebook. It asks for a bag and a surface. It's heavier, and the very space that feels luxurious can feel like pressure if you only ever jot a couple of lines — a half-empty A5 page can nag at you in a way a full A6 page never does.

How you write matters more than what you write

Here's the question that actually settles it: when and where will you write?

If the honest answer is "on the move, in gaps, whenever it strikes me," choose A6. Portability wins, because the best journal is the one that's with you. If the answer is "I sit down deliberately to write, usually at home or a desk," choose A5. Space wins, because you'll use it.

A quiet third option: many people keep both. An A6 for capture that lives in a coat, and an A5 for the weekly sit-down where scattered notes get processed into something coherent. It's less indulgent than it sounds — the two sizes do genuinely different jobs.

Paper, refills and the long game

One of the reasons we build refillable covers is that size regret is fixable. Because the leather cover is separate from the paper insert, you can try a different paper weight, a dotted layout instead of lined, or swap between insert types as your habits change — without buying a whole new journal. If you're new to the format, our explainer on how the refillable insert system works and our step-by-step on how to refill a travellers notebook walk through it clearly.

Whichever size you land on, the cover is the part that lasts decades. Our refillable leather notebook cover is made from full-grain veg-tan leather that softens and darkens with handling — the more you use it, the better it looks. If you'd like to understand why that leather ages the way it does, we wrote about what patina is and why leather lovers chase it.

A quick way to decide in 30 seconds

1. Pick up your phone. If you want the journal to go everywhere your phone goes, that's A6.
2. Look at your handwriting. Large, loopy or fast? A5 gives it room. Small and neat? A6 works fine.
3. Think about your last five notes. Lists and one-liners → A6. Paragraphs and layouts → A5.
4. Be honest about where you'll write. Standing up, on the go → A6. Sitting down, on a surface → A5.

There's no wrong answer here, only a better fit — and a well-made cover in either size will outlast a dozen mass-produced notebooks. If you're buying it as a present, a name or date adds a lasting personal touch; see how to personalise a journal gift with engraving. You can explore both formats across our leather goods and the premium Badalassi heritage collection.