I’m a planner kind of girl. All of my friends make fun of me for it, but I carry my life in my planner. I don’t leave home without it. I even have color coded pens and sticky notes to keep all of my events, plans, notes, and lists organized. Blue is just for me, green is for hubs, black is for the blog, purple is for work, pink is for holidays and birthdays.

I know, I know, I’m a total nerd. One of the best things about starting my own business is getting to go shopping for office supplies. Office Max is my mecca. I’ve always been this way…I used to run a “shop” in our basement one summer, I think before 4th or 5th grade, and every day my dad had to come home at lunch and buy office supplies (that he originally bought for me, mind you) from my shop. Luckily he understands, because I definitely get it from him!

That’s why picking out a planner is very serious business to me. I have a laundry list of musts. So today I thought I would compare the 3 most popular planners on the market…the Day Designer, the Simplified Planner, and the Kate Spade Agenda.

1. Day Designer by Whitney English
Price: $59
Size: 9″ x 9.75″
Months: January 2016 to December 2016 (12 months)
Color Options: black stripe, gold foil stripe, black dot, floral
Availability: preorder in September for shipment 10/30-11/10
Top Features:
-90 gsm paper
-space for schedule, to-dos, notes, gratitude, dinner
-broken up hourly 5 am to 9 pm
-daily inspirational quotes

Instead of a monthly or weekly planner, this one really focuses on the day to day. Each day is broken down into hours, and to-do lists, meal planning, and goals are all included. There’s also a full month spread at the beginning of each month.

Last year, I shied away from this one, because that much detail just seemed like a little much. But the more that I try to figure out this working-from-home routine, the more I think that this might really work for me now.

Each day has a “top 3” to-do list, so goals are really clear. There’s also a running to-do list (because who actually checks all their boxes in one day?!) and a daily gratitude section.

2. Simplified Planner by Emily Ley
Price: $58
Size: 8″ x 9″
Months: January 2016 to December 2016 (12 months)
Color Options: colorful stripe, gold pineapple, mint dot
Availability: online now, and in stores
Top Features:
-90 gsm paper
-space for schedule, to-dos, notes, dinner
-broken up hourly 6 am to 9 pm
-tips & quotes throughout
-comes with a keepsake box

Similar to the Day Designer, this one also focuses on the day to day. Again, each day is broken down into hours, and there is plenty of room for lists and notes each day. There’s also a full month spread at the beginning of each month.

On the plus side, there’s lots of free printables to add to this planner, and the front pocket is very sturdy. On the down side, there’s no weekly planning or notes sections, and I’ve heard the pages can be difficult to turn.

3. Agenda by Kate Spade
Price: $36
Size: 9″ x 7″
Months: August 2015 to December 2016 (17 months)
Color Options: black stripe, gold dot, Quick & Curious quote, office illustrations
Availability: online now, and in stores
Top Features:
-90 gsm paper
-space for schedule, to-dos, notes
-inspirational quotes throughout

I picked up this planner in the black stripe last July and began using it in August. I really needed something right then, so it was nice to find a 17-month planner and not have to either wait until January or buy one that I would use less than half of.

I get a lot of compliments on it. It’s really pretty (I added a gold monogram to the front of mine to jazz it up a bit) and easy to use. There’s a good notes section, and the weeks are laid out nicely.

The price of this one is definitely attractive. It covers a longer period and costs less than the others, so it really is a good value. However, I wish that it also came in a 12-month cycle. The 17-month planner was great when I needed one in July, but now I just need a regular 12 months.

I’m about 80% sure which one I’m going to order, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. Which planner would you choose?