The Six 2022 Planners That Caught My Attention

One of the things I love best about making planner printables and creating my own planner system is how customizable the process is. However, it can be a lot of work and sometimes you just want a planner that is ready to be used – no assembly required. I get that! Some years I do exactly that. So I thought it would be fun to share the planners I would consider buying if I hadn’t already started putting together my 2022 planner.

Planners for 2022

With the new year right around the corner, it’s planner launch season. Every time I open Instagram I swear I’m seeing a new planner launching for the upcoming year. I love it! But the options for planners can be as overwhelming as making your own.

I’m always a little overwhelmed seeing all the options. So I thought I would share with you the six planners I would buy if I wasn’t DIYing my planner for 2022.

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My Top Picks for 2022 Planners

Even though I usually make my own planners each year, I’ve been known to buy one, ready-made, when I just need something that I don’t have to think about. I’m still feeling out my planning system for this coming year. I know I’m DIYing most of my planning system, but I toyed with the idea of just buying something.

While I was toying with that idea, I spent some time checking out some of the 2022 planners that have hit my radar over the last little while. Here are my top picks.

At-A-Glance

Long before I started making my own planner printables I used to buy a new planner every year. More often than not, the brand I turned to was At-A-Glance. Their planners are simple, super functional, and some of them are quite pretty.

The one thing I really love about this brand is that they have planners at all different price points and in a few different sizes. Whether you need a weekly or a daily planner they have something for everyone.

They even carry a line of Simplified planners, designed by Emily Ley, that are stunning! I was seriously tempted to buy one for this coming year.

One of the things I really like about At-A-Glance and that puts them at the top of my list, is that you can find their products in stores like Staples and Office Depot as well as online. There is something to be said about being able to hold a planner in your hands and see if it’s the right fit for you.

You can check out all that At-A-Glance has to offer by heading on over to their site. (affiliate link)

The Top Planner

This planner is one you may not have heard of. It’s one I was introduced to last year when I took the Top Bootcamp workshop, hosted by Megan Sumrell. Megan is a productivity genius, and she designed this planner to specifically work with her planning method.

It’s a timed, vertical, weekly planner so that you can see your whole schedule for the week. Megan says this part is crucial because it allows you to really see what time commitments you have made so you don’t over-schedule yourself.

The Top Planner comes only in one size, however, you can get a digital version if you like planning on your tablet. The one thing that I really love about this planner is that it is straightforward, no fluff, and was designed to help make time management easier.

You can check out the Top Planner over on Megan’s site. And if productivity is something you enjoy learning about, check out her podcast – The Work and Life Harmony Podcast.

Makse Life Planner

I have had my eyes on the Maske Planner since they launched a few years ago. This planner is a goal-setting system and planner all in one. Which is one of the things that I really like about it. I’ve seen other goal-setting planners out there, but most of them either don’t have a weekly planning section or the goal-setting section is a little light.

The Makse Life Planner seems to blend both very well. While I haven’t actually used one of these planners, I have many friends who have and love them. On top of a goal-setting system that is woven throughout the planner, this planner comes with your choice of weekly and daily layouts. I love that they’ve slowly grown their options to fit their audience.

If you’re someone who likes or need the structure of a goal planner as well as a regular planner, this is the one I recommend.

Check out all the Makse Life Planners right here.

Purple Trail Planners

This planner company is new to me this year. They offer a wide variety of planners, from regular weekly to blog/content planners. Unlike the other planners on this list, Purple Trail Planners offers a ton of customization options so that you can create a planner that fits your needs.

I actually have a review of one coming out in early December. I opted for a 5-day weekly student planner that my son and I will use for planning and tracking his homeschool this year. One of the highlights of these planners is that in addition to all the various customizations, you can also choose your start month so you’re not left with previous months just sitting there being wasted.

The cover options were a little overwhelming. There were just so many of them to choose from. However, I kind of liked that, because that means there’s something for everyone.

You can check out all the different options and play around with customizing your own planner – check out the Purple Trail Planners here. (affiliate link)

The Productivity Planner

I was introduced to this planner last year when I was searching for recipe ideas of all things. Jordan Page, the founder of Fun, Cheap, or Free, has a whole course dedicated to productivity called the Productivity Bootcamp. The Productivity Planner was created to work with the principles she teaches in the boot camp.

This planner is unique because it follows Jordan’s way of planning. Jordan plans her days in blocks, rather than by time. And the planner is set up for planning those blocks. There are instructions at the beginning of the planner that walk you through how to use it.

I love that this planner contains everything you need to plan your month, week, and each day. It’s undated, which allows you to be able to use it when needed and put it away when you don’t. Start at any time.

In addition to the Productivity Planner, they also offer a Budget Planner and some really awesome Capable Kids and Teens planners that are worth checking out.

You can check out the Productivity Planner here.

Hemlock and Oak

Last, but certainly not least, is a planner company that is brand new to me this year. Hemlock and Oak is a planner company that is based in Vancouver, BC. It’s wonderful to have a Canadian planner company to share.

Their planners are beautiful! Hemlock and Oak planners are made in Canada, from ethically sourced materials. And this is not just another planner. The planners themselves are part goal-setting, part journal, part planner. The company approaches planning by looking at our whole selves, not just what we want/need to get done. As such, they’ve created a planner that focuses on our mindset and wellness as well as our productivity.

These planners are weekly, vertical layout planners in a hardbound format. There are a number of colour options to choose from for the covers. And you have the option of dated or undated.

I’ve been contemplating ordering one of these for working on personal goals and to use a journal for 2022. I just want to make sure I’ll actually use it before I go ahead and order one. If I do, I’ll for sure review it here.

You can find the Hemlock and Oak Planners right here.

How to Choose the Right Planner for You

If I could manage it, I would use all the planners mentioned above. Though that would be a lot of planning required each week. With all the options out there, it can be hard to choose the planner that will be the right fit.

Here are some of my suggestions for how to narrow down your choices.

What’s Your Budget

Many of the planners on the market these days are NOT cheap. I continually find myself surprised at the price of some of these. So figuring out your budget is a great starting point. It allows you to eliminate possibilities right away.

What’s Your Preferred Binding

What kind of book do you like your planner in? Do you prefer coil or hardbound? Maybe you like a more flexible system like rings or discs. Maybe you’re not sure what you would prefer, so, what do you know you don’t like?

Just like with your budget, this will help you eliminate choices.

What Size Do You Like Your Planner to Be?

Size matters. Some planners are too big, some are too small, which works best for you is totally a personal preference. Larger planners offer more writing room, smaller planners are often more portability. Knowing if you prefer larger or smaller planners will help narrow your choices even further.

Of course, if you already know the size you prefer that helps narrow the choices even more.

Weekly or Daily

The second to last step to narrowing down your choices is to decide if you need a weekly or daily. Some companies offer both options and some only offer one. If you know which one you need it can help to eliminate even more.

What’s Your Preferred Layout?

You can take this one step further and think about the kind of weekly or daily layout you prefer. Such as a horizontal or vertical weekly or a day per page with a schedule section and notes. Maybe you prefer two days per page?

Again this just helps weed out the ones that won’t work for you.

So What Planner am I Using for 2022?

My planning system has been slowly evolving over this year. As I mentioned above, I’ll be using a Purple Trail Student Planner (affiliate link) for my son to help him plan and track his homeschool.

As for everything else, I’m using a combination of my own printables and printables I purchased from other places to create my home and work planners and I’ve been eyeing a few of the At-A-Glance planners for something that I can carry with me. I’ll be going into more detail in an upcoming post closer to the new year.

I need to spend a little more time fine-tuning my process and setup. As much I love the idea of not having to set up my own planner I know that I need the flexibility and customization that making my own offers.

What Planners Have You Been Eyeing Lately?

I love hearing other people’s opinions. What planners have caught your eye recently? What planner are you currently using? Do you love it?

Drop a line in the comments below and let me know.