Erin Condren Planner: Is it Really Worth the Money? And More FAQ answered

Is the Erin Condren planner really worth the money, which planner is best for you, Erin Condren alternatives and more FAQ answered here. See all Erin Condren Planner reviews here.

 Note: Erin Condren sent me some of the goods shown for review consideration, some items I have purchased myself. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Purchases from these links may provide a small commission to me at no extra cost to you. Refer to my Full Privacy Policy and Disclaimers here. 

I have been an Erin Condren planner fan since 2015 when I purchased my first one. At that time, there were only a few options to choose from and it was the most I’d ever spent on a planner. But I loved how it truly helped me organize the things I had to do and balance it with the things I wanted to do with and for my family. It changed my life and made me obsessed with planners and really using them to design the life I wanted.

Since then, the Erin Condren planner line has exploded in growth and they now offer so many different types of planners and accessories that it can be overwhelming and difficult to figure out which one is right for you. I’ve spent a lot of time and/or money researching and analyzing different planner companies so I can help you decide which one is best for you in this season of life. 

I have put together this Erin Condren Planner buying guide for you so you can decide for yourself if the Erin Condren planner is worth the money. Each section will lead you to the different posts I’ve written about Erin Condren products for very detailed information on my research and analysis. 

Erin Condren Planner Reviews 

Erin Condren has a wide selection of planners so I have individual reviews for each one so you can make an informed decision. I use the same criteria for all of the planner reviews on my site. Each review address whether I think a specific Erin Condren planner is worth the money. In addition, I present the following information in each planner review:

• Planner specifications
• Tons of pictures walking you through the planner
• Examples of how I used the planner
• How I color code and time track in the planner (if applicable)
• How I use the planner to achieve my goals
• How the planner compares to its competition
• Best pens to use in the planner / favorite supplies used
• Free printables that the planner company offers (if applicable)
• Sales and coupon code info (when possible)
• Where to buy the planner
• The bottom line review (Is the planner worth it, who the planner is good for, what makes it unique, what I like, what I don’t like, whether I recommend it)

Find all my Erin Condren Planner Reviews here, the page will be updated as I post new planner reviews and will give you an overview of what is offered. 

My Thoughts on If Planners are Worth it

In general, I absolutely believe that any planner that you use to the best of your ability is worth the money. If a planner helps you move one step closer to living the life, home, work and/or family you want, then it’s worth it. I’m not saying that any planner will work for any person. And I think the same planner will work for us differently depending on the season of life we are in. It may work today but not tomorrow. That’s a risk I’m willing to take to cope with life’s ups and downs.

Even when a planner does not work for you, it will teach you what does/might work for you instead so you can continue to grow. If you want a specific recommendation from me, leave me a comment or send me an email at tanya{at}momssmallvictories{dot}com and I’d be happy to give you some options for what might work for you. I don’t want you to spin your wheels or buy a planner that doesn’t work for you.

Are Erin Condren Planners Worth It?

Erin Condren has tons of sales and deals. So it’s obviously great to snag it on a deal. And being an EC Insider (which is free to sign up) definitely has it’s perks like early access to sales, free gifts with purchase and earning rewards for each purchase. Like I said in the beginning, I think planners are worth the money if you use them for what you NEED it for. I think with the huge selection they have, you’re sure to find something that will work for you.

In addition, I think the Erin Condren planner is right for you if:  

• You plan to keep the planner for years then invest in the Erin Condren planner for it’s paper quality. 
• Pretty planners and quotes bring you joy, inspiration and motivation to get things done and achieve the life you want. What could be more worth it than that?
• Like to change out covers to make it feel like a new planner
• You like to personalize the cover and choose the interior layout theme

Erin Condren Planner 2023: What’s new? 

Every year Erin Condren planners change the theme with a signature cover and different interiors. Erin Condren sent me a sample of each of the three themes to show you.

The three Erin Condren planner themes for 2023 are:

1. Harmony in colorful and neutral 

The Harmony theme is a collage of geometric shapes and it is designed to inspire you by “finding peace in the perfectly imperfect.” I love the color palette of greens, purples, pinks and blues in the colorful version. While the neutral is more muted pastel versions. Both are lovely and I really can’t decide which colors I like better. In years past, I’m team neutral all the way because the colorful version had some oranges and greens I didn’t care for. But this Harmony colorful palette is great!

The Harmony colorful theme is available in the following sizes/layouts: 

• Coiled 7”x9” Weekly LifePlanner (vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts)
• Coiled 7”x9” Daily Duo 
• Coiled A5 weekly planner – vertical compact (new layout!) and horizontal
• Coiled A5 Daily Duo 
• Ring Agenda A5 in vertical compact weekly, horizontal weekly and daily layouts
• Binder 7”x9” with daily layouts

Harmony colorful sample

The Harmony neutral theme is available in the following sizes/layouts: 

• Coiled 7”x9” Weekly LifePlanner (vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts)
• Coiled 7”x9” Daily Duo 
• Coiled A5 weekly planner – vertical compact (new layout!) and horizontal
• Coiled A5 Daily Duo 
• Ring Agenda A5 in vertical compact weekly, horizontal weekly and daily layouts

The Harmony neutral has the same geometric patterns shown above just in pastel colors.

2. In Bloom (neutral)

The In Bloom theme is for floral lovers. Pastel blooms adorn each page with pops of muted color. Last year’s Flora design is an absolute favorite of mine and In Bloom brings similar hand drawn florals with a bit more color to the pages. Classic and elegant script fonts for the headers make this a stunning planner. A variety of cover options featuring different colors/flowers/quotes.

The In Bloom theme is available in the following sizes/layouts: 

• Coiled 7”x9” Weekly LifePlanner (vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts)
• Coiled 7”x9” Daily Duo 
• Coiled A5 weekly planner – vertical compact (new layout!) and horizontal
• Coiled A5 Daily Duo 
• Ring Agenda A5 in vertical compact weekly, horizontal weekly and daily layouts
• Wedding Planner
• Coiled 7”x9” notebooks

In Bloom sample

3. Colorblends

The Colorblends theme reminds me of a tropical paradise. Bright and bold colors that meld into each other like a tropical sunset along the ocean. It makes you happy just to look at its bright smiling color palette. 

The Colorblends theme is available in the following sizes/layouts: 

• Coiled 7”x9” Weekly LifePlanner (vertical, horizontal and hourly layouts)
• Coiled 7”x9” Daily Duo 
• Coiled A5 weekly planner – vertical compact (new layout!) and horizontal
• Coiled A5 Daily Duo 
• Ring Agenda A5 in vertical compact weekly, horizontal weekly and daily layouts

I really can’t pick which is my favorite. Each one has something I love about it. The In Bloom makes for a beautiful keepsake while the Colorblends is fun and playful and makes me happy just to look at. If you love neutrals, I prefer the In Bloom over Harmony Neutral. If you love colors, I prefer Colorblends over Harmony Colorful. Just my two cents.

Erin Condren Planner 2023 Changes

• New! The new A5 vertical compact layout is great for list lovers with a block of lines for each day. Available in both the A5 coiled planners and the A5 ring agenda planners. I love the A5 size and coil bound planners so this would be the one I would get if I needed a weekly planner. 

• The Daily Duo planners now (both coiled and ring agenda) have a lined page after the Sunday planning page!!! For someone who likes to do weekly reviews and reflections and never has enough notes pages, this extra notes page is a beautiful sight! 

• The clear bookmarks in the planners are shorter so they can fit interchangeably in the A5 or 7”x9” planners and notebooks. This is great for people like me who switch planners during the year depending on need or need a bookmark in a notebook.

I’ll make other updates here as I find them.

Erin Condren Accessories 

The thing about Erin Condren is they have a huge assortment of coordinating accessories. Many of the accessories come in the three new themes like washi tape sets, sticker books, pencil cases, planner pouches and more. Each planner comes with some stickers so besides those my favorite products are functional ones.

These are my essentials pictured above: 

• the snap in sticky notes (gimme all the sticky notes and these stick well without curling up), 
• the snap in mini bookmarks (I like to keep them on the bottom of the coil so I can flip easily to the page I need), 
• the note pads (the same great Erin Condren paper in a note pad), and
• pens (see the best pens down below) 

I also love the new interchangeable covers. They just snap in and off the coiled life planners and coiled notebooks (except for the vegan leather planners which are not removable). That blue is my favorite color and a quote I need to remember and the rainbow stripe makes me happy 🙂 These are the 7″ x 9″ covers but there are also A5 interchangeable covers available. They go on a good BOGO sale every once in awhile but it’s a fun and budget friendly way to change up your planner so you have fun using it. Lots of people change up their covers by months/seasons which is really fun too.

What is the Best Erin Condren Planner for You? 

Head to this post of the Best Erin Condren Planner for Your Needs where I cover: 

• The best Erin Condren planner for stay at home moms….
• The best Erin Condren planner for work from home moms…
• The best Erin Condren planner for work outside the home moms…
• The best Erin Condren planner for students…
• The best Erin Condren planner for teachers and homeschooling moms…
• The best Erin Condren planner if you want an all in one planner…
• The best Erin Condren planner for memory keeping…
• The best Erin Condren planner for a reading journal…
• The best Erin Condren planner for meal planning…
• The best Erin Condren planner for budgeting…
• The best Erin Condren planner for goal setting…
• The best Erin Condren planner for bible journaling….
• The best Erin Condren planner for daily journaling…
• and more!

What are the best pens to use in the Erin Condren planner? 

Erin Condren planners have 80# paper with a bit of texture/tooth to it. As a result, I’ve never had pens smear on the EC paper.

These are my favorite Erin Condren pens to use in the Erin Condren planners:

• For writing (ballpoint): Ballpoint Click pens 3 pack.(bottom left in picture above). I like the wide barrel and it writes very smoothly. You can see it on my Instagram here and how it writes. It doesn’t leave indentation on the other side of the EC paper. 
• For writing (fine tip gel) and highlighting: Pastel and Black Dual Ink Dual Tip Highlighter Pens 6 pack. (top right in picture above). I usually only use one pen and one colored marker/highlighter per month so this pen/highlighter combo in one pen is perfect for me. The black fine tip writes really smoothly and I love it. You can see it on display on my Instagram photo here. I also love the new Dual Tip/Dual Ink Markers with a colored pen and coordinating highlighter in one marker (top left in picture above). They are great for making headings and sectioning out important pieces in your planner.
• For colors: I have a huge assortment of the Dual Tip Markers (bottom right in picture above). I love using them to bring pops of color to my pages. I prefer the fine tip side for writing and the broader side for dots/headlines. My youngest son and I use them for our grown up coloring books too. So they get some good use and the colors are vibrant. See?

You can find my other favorite pens for planning in my Amazon shop. 

Does Staples carry Erin Condren planner?

They used to carry Erin Condren planners at Staples. I have not been to the physical store in awhile (last time I was a year or so ago, the Erin Condren planners were on clearance) but the Staples website does not show any Erin Condren planners for sale. So it makes me think Staples no longer carries Erin Condren. 

Where to Buy Erin Condren Planners

• ErinCondren.com
• Erin Condren has 4 physical stores in Hawthorne, CA, Irvine, CA, Fairfax, VA and Austin, TX. 
• Amazon
• Target in stores or target.com

Should I buy the Erin Condren planner at their website or Amazon? 

Erin Condren planners and accessories are available on Amazon. Selection is limited but more than you will find at Target. The advantage is you get free 2 day shipping if you have Amazon prime.

The advantage of ordering directly from Erincondren.com is you can get personalized planners and interchangeable covers. You get the little EC freebies (usually a few tag stickers, and a 20% off coupon your next purchase for you and a friend). If you sign up to be an EC insider, you can also get $10 off your first purchase and rewards for your purchases which add up quickly especially if you refer your friends. Erin Condren is good about having sales too, something is usually on sale. Also, if something is wrong with your product, then Erin Condren customer service is good about making it right whereas Amazon may not accept returns.

I recommend checking erincondren.com first to see if what you want is on sale first before heading to Amazon.

What are Erin Condren planner alternatives? What planners are like Erin Condren?

I give you some planners similar to Erin Condren in this awesome planners like Erin Condren post. 

Which planners are better than Erin Condren?

Head to my ultimate planner comparison post to judge for yourself. You can grab a free side by side comparison chart and figure out which planner is best for YOU!

Erin Condren vs Happy Planner

I get a lot of questions on the Erin Condren vs Happy Planner, which one is better? They both have colorful, happy layouts as well as neutrals. And both have tons of fun accessories, stickers and gizmos to coordinate and make planning your dream life fun. Where they really differ is in price and quality. I feel like the Erin Condren products are higher quality and thus the higher price.

If you can afford it, and it brings you joy and you use it, then go with Erin Condren. If you’re on a budget or want to be able to hop into a store to grab your planning supplies, then Happy Planner is the way to go.

Personally, I’ve tried the Happy Planner a few times and I just am not a fan of discs even though theoretically they would be my ideal planner system so i could add pages and fold the planner back on itself. But alas, it’s not for me.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful and whether the Erin Condren planner is worth it for you.

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Any other questions? Be sure to leave a comment and I’ll be glad to answer. I hope this has given you all the info you need to determine if the Erin Condren planner is worth your money. It’s definitely been a staple in my planning routine for years now and you’re sure to have a planner you can look back through on with happy memories.