Review: Cambridge Weekly & Monthly Planner

5.5” x 8.5” and 8.5” x 11” dated planner
Available at Amazon.com in small and large sizes

Description:

A softcover, spiral bound yearly planner. It opens to a 3-year view and important dates pages. The months are tabbed, one month per two-page spread. Each month spread is followed by weekly overview spreads. Contact pages and note pages at the back.

My experience with the Cambridge weekly & monthly planner:

Full disclosure: I’m reviewing a planner I used in 2019 and 2020 – however, the design has remained basically the same.

An impulse buy, I bought this planner at my local supercenter. It was cute, on sale, and I was in need of a planner, so no regrets. It was on the small side, but it worked well; I bought it again in 2020, but in the large size, which I liked much better. So much space to write!

The pages are designed and organized simply, which is my jam. The month view spreads the month across 2 pages, with a column for notes on the right side. The week view is divided into 8 sections: 7 for days of the week and one for notes. On both planners, there were cute floral designs around the top and corners. For me, all that does is take up space – especially in a smaller planner, where space is at a premium.

The feature that I like the most is the tabbed months. It makes the planner so easy to use and my linear brain loves that the month view and week view are grouped together under one tab. Genius.

There are three major drawbacks with the Cambridge planner for me; they’re why I went searching for a different planner in 2021: the flexibility of the cover, the spiral binding, and the thin paper. This is completely my preference, but I like a more substantial hardcover or a vegan leather cover. While it seems that most people prefer spiral binding in their planners, I don’t like it at all. Again, preference. And lastly, the paper is thin (and thinner in the small size). Even ballpoint pen shows through to the next page. I also have a heavier hand, which embossed every page.

They served me well while I used them, but would I buy a Cambridge planner again? Probably not.

Pros:

1. Well organized. Easy to use.
2. Tabbed months!
3. Size. The large 8.5” x 11” is the perfect size for me.
4. Price. At just over $15, very affordable.

Cons:

1. Size. The 5.5” x 8.5” size felt cramped, especially with the additional decoration.
2. Thin, flexible cover. Doesn’t feel as sturdy or durable.
3. Spiral binding.
4. Thin pages. Even ballpoint pen shows through to the other side.

Conclusion:

While there are some features of the Cambridge planner that I love – layout, size, and tabbed months – I’ve moved on since 2020 and probably won’t purchase it again. While I love the tabbed months, I don’t love the spiral binding. The thin paper easily embosses and all types of pen show through. It’s not my perfect planner. But it could very well be yours. Cambridge planners are very good planners.