Hi there! My name is [your name] and organization has always been a challenge for me. However, I discovered pretty early on in college that using a paper planner helps keep me on track. I‘ve tried just about every type of daily, weekly and monthly planner out there over the last 10 years. So when the colorful and highly customizable Erin Condren planners started popping up on my social feeds, I knew I had to give them a try…
Overview of Erin Condren Planners
For those not familiar, Erin Condren offers a popular line of paper planning systems, with their signature product being the Erin Condren LifePlanner. The brand has expanded to include daily, monthly, teacher/academic and binder-style planners as well.
The pros of Erin Condren planners:
- High quality and durable materials
- Tons of personalization and design options
- Comprehensive organization features
- Range of planner formats/layouts
The potential cons:
- Planners are some of the priciest on the market
- Hit or miss customer service reputation
- Coiled binding may not appeal to everyone
I personally tested out three of Erin Condren‘s most popular layouts over the past year and will share an in-depth review of each below. The planners I used were:
- Erin Condren LifePlanner
- Erin Condren Daily LifePlanner
- Erin Condren Monthly Planner
Now let‘s get into the details of each planner type!
Erin Condren LifePlanner Review
The Erin Condren LifePlanner is the brand‘s signature planner that first put them on the map. This planner features a 7" x 9" coil-bound layout with thick, high quality paper.
Layout
The LifePlanner format focuses on weekly and daily planning. Each 2-page weekly spread has columns for all 7 days of the week, along with a section for notes and to-do lists. This allows you to schedule appointments and events by the day, while also having space to track tasks.
There is also an hourly daily planning page between each weekly spread. This page has timed columns for scheduling down to the hour. It‘s great for those busy days when you need to plan your hours carefully.
Customization & Extras
One of the prime benefits of the LifePlanner is the personalization and design options available. You can customize everything from the spiral coil color to the cover style and accent colors used throughout the planner pages.
I added my name to the front for free and selected a fun yet professional looking light blue coil and cover combo. The planner also came with sticker sheets designed to coordinate with my color scheme, which is a nice extra touch!
Pricing
The Erin Condren LifePlanner ranges from $50-$60 depending on size, customizations and addons like sticker packs. I paid $55 for my customized 12-month planner, which I think provides solid value when you factor in the quality of materials and extras included.
My Experience
I used the Erin Condren LifePlanner as my primary scheduling tool for about 8 months. The weekly views were perfect for organizing my work schedule and appointments. I loved having an hourly daily page between each week to plan out my days in more detail.
The LifePlanner really kept me on track with work projects and activities. Having my customized name and color scheme made it feel fun rather than boring to grab my planner each morning!
Ideal User
The LifePlanner is ideal for those wanting to plan by both day and hour. Working professionals, students, busy moms/dads and social butterflies would all appreciate the weekly spreads mixed with daily pages.
It‘s for organized folks who want a stylish planner that feels personalized to their lifestyle. The LifePlanner is likely best for those with fairly routine schedules from week to week that require hourly planning as well.
Erin Condren Daily LifePlanner Review
As the name suggests, the Erin Condren Daily LifePlanner focuses mainly on daily planning down to the hour. Let‘s look at what sets this planner apart.
Layout
The Daily LifePlanner contains pages where each day has an hourly schedule from 7am-7pm. This allows you to plan your full days hour-by-hour in great detail. I really liked having timed columns since that level of scheduling suits my detail-oriented personality.
Erin Condren sells the Daily LifePlanner in a duo pack, so you essentially get two 6-month planners – one for January to June and another for July to December. The duo comes standard with interchangeable covers so you can swap looks half way through the year!
Customization & Accessories
Just like the LifePlanner, you can fully customize the Daily LifePlanner by selecting your preferred coil color, cover designs, accent colors and more to make it uniquely yours.
My duo pack came with complementary covers – one with a floral pattern and the other a blue green abstract print. It also included useful sticker sheets designed to color coordinate with my planners.
Pricing
These planners are sold in a duo pack spanning 12 months total. Prices range from $68-$73 for the pack depending on customizations.
Given that you‘re getting two planners plus great accessories, I feel the pricing is fair and on par with the value you receive. It comes out to about $6 per month which is reasonable in my opinion.
My Experience
I relied on my Daily LifePlanners as my main scheduling tool for about 4 months straight. I loved having an hourly view of my whole day in one glance. It was also nice to switch up my style half way through the duo set.
What I liked most was that each day‘s hourly schedule had a notes column – perfect for listing tasks and mini to-do lists. This allowed me to schedule meetings/events by the hour but also track to-dos.
One downside for me was the 7am-7pm hourly range. As a night owl, I wish the daily pages had columns up until 9 or 10pm.
Ideal User
The Daily LifePlanner is tailored to those who want to rigorously plan their schedule hour-by-hour. It‘s great for busy professionals, students, parents and socializers that have events and tasks planned throughout their day.
People with routine, busy schedules will get the most utility out of the Daily LifePlanner‘s hourly format. Having a notes column makes this a winner for task/project tracking too.
Erin Condren Monthly Planner Review
For those wanting a bird‘s eye view of their month in one glance, Erin Condren‘s Monthly Planner offers flexibility and simplicity. Here‘s an overview:
Layout
True to its name, the heart of this planner is the monthly calendar spread. Each month covers two pages with ample room to write events, meetings, travel plans etc.
What sets this planner apart is that you can select whatever month you want to start with rather than the traditional January-December calendar. Love that customization!
There is also room for weekly notes, goals and to-do lists in addition to the monthly views. So you get the 30,000 foot planning view combined with space for weekly task tracking.
You can further customize by adding lined note pages – either 40 or 80 pages – great for journaling or longer form writing.
Customization & Accessories
The standard color and style offerings are available with this planner too. Pick your favorite coil color, monthly accent shades, out of a dozen + stylish cover designs.
My planner came with coordinating sticker sheets – I especially loved the monthly themed stickers to highlight key dates on my calendar.
Pricing
Prices range from $40-$45 depending on size (7 inch x 9 inch or 8.5 inch x 11 inch) and extras selected like note pages and stickers.
I paid on the higher end for the additions and felt I received excellent value for the money. The quality and versatility make the Monthly Planner well worth the investment.
My Experience
I relied on the Erin Condren Monthly Planner for about 3 months as my primary scheduling tool. Since I had a chaotic period filled with work travel, the flexibility to start my planner mid-year rather than January was hugely beneficial.
The spacious monthly calendars gave me a great high-level view of my meetings and travel arrangements color coded by week. I loved having the extra space on weekly pages to track milestones and tasks specific to those 7 days.
My sole gripe is that I wish this planner had daily pages in addition to the weekly note sections for more detailed day-to-day planning.
Ideal User
The Monthly Planner appeals to those wanting an eagle eye view of their schedule month-by-month. The simplicity of the format makes it popular for travelers and those with variable schedules.
Creative types who think visually also love being able to color code plans and appointments on the monthly calendars. It‘s also great for goal setters thanks to the weekly notes for reflecting on milestones.
Erin Condren: What Do Customers Really Think?
Since Erin Condren Co. has grown into such a booming business, I was curious what other actual customers had to say.
I dug into reviews and feedback online to gauge overall sentiment toward the products and shopping experience. Here is a recap of what I discovered:
Pros Reflected in Reviews:
- Outstanding quality of materials is widely praised
- Most love the personalization abilities
- Variety of planner formats appeals to range of preferences
- Lots of repeat, loyal customers
Cons Raised in Some Reviews:
- Planners are "overpriced" per a vocal minority
- Customer service seems to miss the mark sometimes judging by complaints
- Coil binding isn‘t for everyone
- Limited supply of popular designs
My assessment is that the majority of customers, particularly Erin Condren loyalists, are very satisfied with the planners and keep coming back to purchase again.
However, there are some folks who‘ve had disappointing experiences related to customer service or product defects. It‘s not rampant, but these issues do surface from time to time.
As with most brands, there will always be varying perceptions and opinions. But on the whole, Erin Condren seems to have earned an overwhelmingly positive reputation built on product quality and meeting diverse customer needs.
Are Erin Condren Planners Worth The Investment?
Whether you‘re willing to splurge $50+ on a paper planner comes down to personal preference, budget and how much value you place on organization tools.
For me, Erin Condren planners are worth every penny because:
- The high quality materials withstand heavy daily use with no tearing, smudging or damage
- The designs are beautiful and feel great to use daily compared with basic planners
- The customization is unmatched – you make it uniquely yours
- There are formats suitable for all schedules and planning preferences
- They helped me stay consistently organized for months at a time!
The bottom line is that Erin Condren planners are an investment in your productivity. Having used three styles for over 8 months combined, I can confidently say they live up to their reputation and cost.
If you want to get serious about organization and are willing to pay for premium materials, extensive personalization and helpful features that keep you on track, I wholeheartedly recommend giving Erin Condren planners a try!
Key Planner Purchase Details To Note
Before you shop, here are a few quick additional details about Erin Condren planners:
Promotions:
Erin Condren offers discounts fairly regularly. Some current promos include:
- 15% off all planner accessories
- 20% off wedding/bridal planners
- Special pricing on gift items like water bottles and tech cases
Where To Buy:
You can purchase Erin Condren planners directly through their website ErinCondren.com or Amazon. Retail stores like Staples also carry select planner designs and formats.
Policies:
- Free U.S. shipping over $75
- International shipping available
- 30-day return policy on unused products
- Contact via chat, email or phone
I personally enjoyed shopping directly through their site because I could see custom planner mockups before buying. Their new "gifts" section is also fun to browse with items like bracelets and apparel.
Final Thoughts
I hope this thorough breakdown of the best Erin Condren planners provides helpful insight! To recap, all three planner formats I tested were high quality, visually appealing and supported my organizing needs.
The LifePlanner is ideal for combined weekly and daily planning. I suggest the Daily LifePlanner for rigorous hour-by-hour scheduling. And the Monthly Planner is perfect for big picture planning.
While investing in premium planners comes at a cost, I found Erin Condren‘s to provide tremendous value through quality materials, customization and helpful organization features specific to my scheduling style.
Here‘s to many more years of staying on track thanks to my Erin Condren planners! Have questions or want personalized advice about Erin Condren products? Feel free to reach out anytime. I‘m happy to chat planning tips!
