Erin Condren LifePlanner Review

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I have been using the Erin Condren LifePlanner since 2016, except for one year when I tried a different planner and instantly regretted my decision. I spent the whole year waiting and planning my new Erin Condren LifePlanner purchase!

After years of using the Coiled Weekly LifePlanner, I am excited to try the Softbound LifePlanner for 2024. The slimmer profile of the softbound planner caught my eye while maintaining the Erin Condren LifePlanner quality I know and love.

Erin Condren LifePlanner Overview

This is the planner that saved my frazzled, hot mess life!!! The LifePlanner offers gorgeous colors inside and out, tons of beautiful covers to choose from, and multiple weekly layouts to choose from.

The LifePlanner runs for either 12 or 18 months and the 18-month version can start in January or July. It is offered in coiled, softbound, or ring agenda formats. Check below to see what each style offers.

Coiled LifePlanner

This is my favorite LifePlanner style. Coiled planners are weekly or monthly and come in 2 sizes, 7″x9″ or A5 which is 5.8″ x 8.3.” The coils are sturdy and go all the way around (no pages falling out halfway through the year!). Choose your coil color between platinum, gold, or my favorite rose gold.

The front and back covers are bright and beautiful, with tons to choose from including seasonal covers. Covers are dry-erase, for quick To-Do lists and can be personalized with your name, the year, and even a photo. You can also purchase seasonal interchangeable covers to change throughout the year. My favorites are the Halloween covers!

Coiled LifePlanners come in 4 interior layouts, horizontal, vertical, hourly, or the new compact vertical. I have gone with vertical in the past, but am trying the compact vertical for 2023. The interior designs and colors also vary, with 4 to choose from including neutral options.

The Daily Duo LifePlanners are a set of two 6-month daily planners. They also come in both the 7″ x 9″ and A5 sizes. Two sets of covers are included with the Daily Duo, one personalized and one non-personalized.

Softbound LifePlanner

I LOVE this option and am excited to try it in 2024! I chose this beautiful mauve A5-size softbound planner with a neutral interior.

Softbound LifePlanners have all the benefits of coiled and ring agenda planners but lay flat without coils or rings in the way as you write. The cover is made of vegan leather and there are multiple solid and print color options.

One big appeal of softbound planners is the price. They are about half the cost of the coiled planners and just as beautiful on the inside.

Softbound planners are released later than the other planners! For example, the 2023 planner was released after the early September Friends and Family sale when I purchased my coiled LifePlanner.

The softbound sizes are 8″ x 10″, A5 (5.8″ x 8.3″), or Pocket Planners. They come in horizontal, vertical, or hourly layouts and again offer the 4 color schemes for the interior. Please note, that not all interior layouts are available in both sizes. You lose the ability to customize the cover but the planner is thinner which is more purse-friendly.

I have a blog post dedicated to a full review of the Erin Condren Softbound LifePlanner, complete with pros and cons comparing it to the coiled LifePlanner.

LifePlanner Ring Agenda

The LifePlanner Ring Agenda comes in A5 size only, with a choice of daily or weekly planning. This versatile planner allows you to remove and rearrange pages in your planner, unlike the coiled and softbound planners.

Instead of the dry-erase covers, the ring agenda planner is presented in a vegan leather agenda with a magnetic closure. There are multiple gorgeous color choices for the exterior agenda. I love the color of the quartz!

Agendas come in 12 or 18-month formats, and you can choose between horizontal or compact vertical weekly layouts. There are 4 interior color schemes to choose from with the agenda as well.

LifePlanner Layout

The LifePlanner’s layout allows you room to track, schedule, and organize your whole life, in my opinion! The planners start with an 18-month quick glance calendar. I use this to keep track of time off from work, vacations, my menstrual periods, and other quick things that don’t require more than a dot to record.

Following is a 2-page spread of 12 boxes I have seen used in a variety of ways. Some people divide them into months and record birthdays, appointments, goals, or accomplishments. Others divide them into aspects of life such as home, work, kids, fitness, etc, and record goals for each. Lots of room for creativity here!

Monthly Dashboard

Each month has a cover page with a birthday list, monthly goals, a small area for bullet journaling, and a blank list space. Then there is the monthly calendar, with lines for a monthly list on the side. I decorate these pages with seasonal stickers, but it is colorful and beautiful even without them.

Monthly Calendar

After the dashboard, is the full spread monthly calendar. This is a decent size in the 7 x 9 size planner but a bit small in the A5. There is a lined vertical area next to the calendar that I use for a monthly to-do list.

At the start of each month, I fill out the entire monthly spread with all of my family’s planned activities. I color code with this multicolored flower highlighter. It is much easier than keeping track of 5 separate highlighters or pens. Each family member has their own color, plus a family color.

Weekly Pages

The weekly layouts are what sealed the deal for me on this planner. You can choose a horizontal, vertical, or compact vertical layout. I had been searching for a vertical layout with separate sections to have a space for each section of my life.

I divide each day of my vertical weekly spread into home, work, and blog sections. This allows me to group tasks by the 3 parts of my life each day.

At the bottom of each day is a small lined section. I use this part to write a quick gratitude sentence at the end of each day and meal plan. There is also a weekly list on the side for your general or unassigned To-Dos for the week.

Quick Facts about the Erin Condren LifePlanner

Coiled Erin Condren LifePlanner Sizes

• 5.8 x 8.3 inches
• 7 x 9 inches

Coiled Erin Condren LifePlanner Features

• 12 or 18-month duration
• Can start in July or January
• Monthly and Weekly Planner pages
• 4 weekly layout options for the LifePlanner (horizontal, vertical, hourly, or compact vertical)
• Comes in coiled, ring, or softbound formats
• Choose brightly colored or neutral interior pages, with 4 choices for each style
• Many beautiful covers to choose from no matter which format you choose
• Personalize your cover with your name and or photos on coiled planners
• Choose your coil color (they have rose gold!) on coiled planners
• Interchangeable dry-erase covers on coiled planners
• Option for vegan leather cover now available
• Snap-in accessories (I love the meal planner!)
• Start on Sunday or Monday
• Notes pages at the start of each month for goals, birthdays, trackers, etc
• Double-sided pocket at the back of the planner
• Snap-in ruler included (works as a page holder too) for the coiled planner
• 118 GSM paper
• 4 pages of coordinating stickers are included in each planner
• Lots of coordinating accessories including wash tape, stickers, pens, bags, pouches, and folios

Erin Condren LifePlanner Pros/Likes

• Beautiful inside and out
• Reasonably priced interchangeable covers can change the look of your coiled planner
• Colorful and neutral interior color schemes
• Multiple weekly layouts to choose between
• The best quality paper I have used in a planner (80 Lb.). Ink and highlighter don’t bleed through
• Many customization options
• Durable, no lost pages even after 18 months of using the same coiled planner
• Variety of compatible accessories, no matter which planner size you choose.
• Choose from coiled, ring agenda, or softbound format
• Frequent sales on the website
• A loyalty program that allows you to rapidly accrue discounts

Erin Condren LifePlanner Cons/Dislikes

• Expensive
• Limited layout options, depending on the size and style planner you choose

Grab Your Planner and Get Organized

The Erin Condren LifePlanner is pretty and functional but also easy to organize and fast to set up. For me, it is truly the best paper planner. For more information on the Softbound LifePlanner, check out my post.

If the LifePlanner is not your style, no worries, there are plenty of alternative paper planner options out there. Here I round up some favorite Erin Condren Planner Alternatives.