Galen Leather Notebook Cover Review

Carrying a bullet journal around can be a hazardous activity. Our precious notebooks are defenseless in the outside world: scratches and dents can be seemingly unavoidable. Not to mention, it would be nice to have a compact way to carry a notebook that can also transport other journal-related supplies.

This is why I present to you, the notebook cover. Specifically, this one that I’ve been using as of late:

This cover from Galen Leather has been sooo helpful, and I’m sure it will prove even more useful post-quarantine when I’m commuting back and forth to school via train (that’s assuming corona allows me to take the train at all this year, rip). Or when I’m in college and carrying my journal around between classes!

It protects my notebook and has space for additional supplies at the same time. This cover has been so nice, and I’m excited to share my review with you all.

First things first, let’s just admire the beauty. My notebook cover arrived in a lovely package, which I opened to find this gorgeous cover. Galen Leather is a small business that handcrafts these notebook covers (as well as other stationery-related products) in Turkey using traditional leather-making techniques.

The one I have is designed for the Leuchtturm1917 A5 (my notebook of choice), but they also make covers for Moleskines, Rhodias, traveler’s notebooks, and more (including smaller notebooks as well).

There’s a nice strong elastic band that keeps the notebook in place and can be stretched around to make sure the cover is securely closed.

On to the inside! I love the little pockets inside the cover—I’ve been using then for my ruler, sticky notes, and spare scraps of paper to use in my journal spreads. There’s a pen loop as well, and larger pockets on each side. These can fit a small tablet, but I’ve been using them for larger papers like the graph paper scraps shown in the bottom right photo.

Overall, I’ve been very impressed with my notebook cover. The main downside is that it’s a little pricey, but if you’re looking to treat yourself, I think this is the perfect item to do it with. It’s obviously very well-crafted and and unique, and it’s a great opportunity to support a small business if you can afford it.

If you’d like to browse Galen Leather’s products, here is their website! And here is the link to the specific notebook cover that I’ve been using.