The 7 Best Leather Journals

Perfect for diaries, school work, sketches, and professional use, leather journals are both stylish and versatile. The best leather journals have a durable cover, secure closure, and enough pages to meet your writing needs.

While many journals are labeled as leather, they aren't all made from the same material. For the best quality, look for options made with full-grain or genuine leather. Bonded leather, which is a blend of real and faux leather, is a great budget-friendly alternative that gives you the look and feel of genuine leather at a fraction of the cost. If you're only interested in the look of leather, some journals are made with vegan leather covers, which is usually plastic-based.

Leather journals come with a variety of paper types, including ruled, unlined, and dotted (which is perfect for bullet journaling). If you plan to use a fountain or felt-tipped pen, you'll also want to choose a journal with thick paper to prevent bleed-through. Most journals come with around 240 pages, but some come with less than 200, which may be preferable if you need a compact option for commuting or taking field notes.

If you do plan to travel with your journal, consider what type of closure you prefer. Tie closures give your book a classic look, but elastic closures are easy to use and can be more secure. Finally, some journals come with other added features like bookmarks, pockets, and lie-flat bindings, and options with refillable pages can be used over and over.

Whether you're looking to doodle, sketch, note-take, or more, read on for the best leather journals you can buy on Amazon right now.

1. This Traditional Leather Journal With A Hand-Stitched Binding

• Page count: 240
• Page style: unlined (also comes in ruled)
• Size: 7 x 5 inches (also comes in 8 x 6 inches)

While this 100% genuine leather-bound journal looks like it could be used to write poetry by candlelight, the thick recycled cotton paper is great for everything from school work to sketching. The hand-stitched binding allows the journal to lie flat, and the leather strap closure adds an extra touch of style. A fan favorite on Amazon, this journal has over 5,000 five-star reviews. Both lined and unlined options are available, and the tree-free paper is made from cotton.

One fan raved: “This journal is pure perfection! The size (6x8) is perfect! The paper is awesome! Im a lefty and this paper soaks the ink in so fast I finally don't smear all of my words all over the place and end up with a black pinky! The leather is thick and really really nice! Very soft and supple like an old style journal. The leather strap is a good quality unlike the super thin string they use on other journals. This journal is absolutely everything I was looking and hoping for! Once mine is all filled out I will definitely buy another! Its actually so fun writing in this journal that I have found myself writing much more than I used to before this journal.”

2. A Professional Leather Notebook With A Snap Closure

• Page count: not listed
• Page style: ruled
• Size: 5.5 x 8 inches

Simple yet stylish, this professional notebook has a full-grain leather cover that can be secured with a brass snap closure. On the inside, the cover is lined with herringbone fabric, and features four convenient card slots and a leather pen holder. The A5-sized journal has ruled paper that can be replaced with any A5 notebook if you run out of pages. This notebook is available in both brown and black, and can also be monogrammed.

One fan raved: "This well made journal came in it's own box. I was impressed by that! I like the way you can store cards and never be without a pen. I do like that it is refillable and the quality of it [...] seems it will withstand the test of time. You get what you pay for. In this case, money well spent."

• Available colors: 2

3. A Budget-Friendly Bonded Leather Journal

• Page count: 240
• Page style: ruled
• Size: 5 x 8.2 inches

This simple yet stylish journal has a bonded leather cover, and it costs just $10, so you won't have worry if you fill it up fast and need to buy a new one. The elastic closure keeps this ruled journal securely closed, and the classic brown shade looks at home on a desk or tossed in a backpack (though it also comes in two additional designs). This journal includes a back pocket, a ribbon bookmark, and a binding that allows it to lie flat.

One fan raved: “I have filled about four or five of these now and continue to love it. Exceptionally high-quality--inside and out. The cover is made of nice leather with stitching, the quality of the paper used for the pages is great. Even the smallest details exceptionally well: the decorative pattern on the inside covers is simple and elegant (not overly-embellished); the first page has its own distinct pattern, with a space to put a title or "if lost" note; the obvious care that was taken to line up the lines of mutually-facing pages; the existence of a pocket in the inside cover to keep loose pages; and the fact that you can mark your spot with a built-in "bookmark" ribbon AND a separate (and equally elegant) color-matched elastic to keep the book closed. Excellent product. Above and beyond.”

• Available colors: 3

4. This Bright Journal Made From Vegan Leather

• Page count: 185
• Page style: ruled
• Size: 5.5 x 8.1 inches

If you love this vegan leather journal, you can use it forever, because it features a replaceable interior notebook that's held in place by wings on the cover. The notebook has three topic guide pages, eight perforated pages, and three ribbon bookmarks. The cover is accented with a subtle debossed tree and can be tied shut with straps, and the luxe Italian paper is fountain pen-friendly.

One fan raved: “Finally I find the perfect journal. It’s just the right size and they were not lying about the paper being fountain pen friendly. I have been using it as a diary with a TWSBI Eco medium nib with the beautiful Emerald of Chivor ink and the performance of the paper has been fantastic. I definitely recommend this, especially with the option to buy refills of the notebook insert.”

• Available colors: 8

5. This Refillable Leather Journal That Comes With A Pen

• Page count: 240
• Page style: unlined
• Size: 8.75 x 6.5 inches

Offering everything you need to get started journaling or taking notes, this unlined leather notebook comes with a sleek pen, a cotton gift bag, and an A5-sized notebook insert. The 240 pages are made from recycled, acid-free cotton and are fountain pen-friendly, and the cover is made from soft, genuine buffalo leather with a leather closing strap.

One fan raved: "Once again Moonster has exceeded my expectations. As an author who continues to enjoy putting ink to paper, this is a quality, handmade journal. I have had many different journals over the years, but this is definitely my new, preferred favorite. The refillable journal is a nice weight and I'm glad I can purchase the same refillable journals for long-term use."

6. A Faux-Leather Notebook That's Perfect For Bullet Journaling

• Page count: 180
• Page style: dotted
• Size: 8.4 x 5.7 inches

Whether you're just getting started or are a bullet journal pro, this dotted grid notebook provides everything you need to make calendars, lists, schedules, journal entries, and more. The hard cover is made from faux-leather, and the binding features a convenient pen holder so you never lose your writing utensil. This journal also has a bookmark, an elastic closure, and a binding that lets it lie flat.

One fan raved: “I spent a good 30 minutes looking at all the bullet journal options Amazon has to offer and settled on this one. I am so happy I did!!! The pages are so [thick] and feel incredibly nice. The dots line up across the pages. There is no bleed at all, and only a little ghosting when I use saturated markers. The pages aren't a bright white, but rather a nice ivory that helps with the ghosting I believe. The book feels extremely high quality with the leather and the pen holder is a MUST HAVE!”

7. A Classic Faux Leather Journal With Over 10,000 Fans

• Page count: 240
• Page style: ruled
• Size: 5 by 8.25 inches

From a well-known and well-loved brand, this Moleskine notebook can be used for just about anything. The hard cover is made from synthetic materials and can be closed with the elastic band, and the 240 pages are ivory-toned. This journal also features a convenient pocket and bookmark. The cover has a classic leather look, and you can choose from dotted, ruled, unlined, and squared pages.

One fan raved: “Extremely high quality notebook for journaling or corporate/professional note keeping. Pocket in the back of the notebook for ticket stubs, photos etc. Ribbon book mark. High quality pages and book bindings and an elastic to keep the book closed. Sleek and professional. I love the grid line version for my bullet journaling and this is the fourth notebook I have bought of this same one and I don't plan to change that.”

• Available colors: 15