Laurel Denise Anne Planner Review: My Honest Take After 9 Months
You've been staring at it on Instagram. You've watched the unboxings. You've gone down a deep rabbit hole. You’re wondering which layout is right for you or what the heck all the names mean. You just want to know if the Laurel Denise Anne planner is actually worth it - for your brain, your budget, and your planning style. This was me and so many others before diving in to the world of Laurel Denise.
I've been using mine since July 2025. Here’s my review:
Quick Verdict
Best for Vertical thinkers, list makers, time blockers, small handwriting
Not ideal for Large handwriting, horizontal layout lovers
*Size reviewed Large
My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where to buy Laurel Denise ← affiliate link
At a Glance: The Specs
Before you fall for the aesthetic (and you will), here's what you're actually buying:
Sizes: Large, Small
Binding: Wire-O Coil
Layout: Vertical monthly + weekly views with large dashboard space
Paper quality: Premium; handles nearly any pen or marker without bleed or ghosting
Customization: Compatible with PIPs (pop-in panels), LD branded inserts, and third-party punched pages
Price: $59 Check current price →
First Impressions
The Anne arrived feeling like something you'd be almost nervous to use. That good kind of nervous, where the quality is so obvious you want to do it justice.
The monthly and dashboard pages in particular have a noticeably elevated paper quality. It feels substantial in a way that a lot of planners don't. This is not a flimsy, falls-apart-3-months-in kind of planner.
The coil binding is sturdy and lays flat. My one note here: there's a finite amount you can add to this planner before the coil starts to feel strained. More on that below.
How I Actually Use My Laurel Denise Anne
Here's the thing about the Anne that other reviews miss: it's not just a pretty planner. It's the perfect place for your personal planning system.
I essentially use three layers — monthly, weekly, and daily — and they work together in a way that genuinely reduces my anxiety.
Monthly pages: This is where I capture everything first. Every event, appointment, important reminder, and deadline goes here. It's my bird's-eye view. When I open my planner each morning, the monthly is my first stop.
Weekly pages: Anything that lives on the monthly gets carried forward here with more detail. I can see my schedule, my time blocks, and my tasks all in one vertical column. For a brain like mine, one that thinks in time moving downward, not across, this layout is *perfect*.
And the best part? You can see it all at one time!!
What's inside my Anne right now:
PIPs (pop-in panels) for extra project tracking space
A checklist insert for recurring annual and quarterly tasks
Punched MakseLife companion notebook pages tucked behind my weekly pages. They're the perfect size and flip easily when I need to focus in on goals.
Planner Kate stickers for functional and aesthetic planning (and honestly, because they make me happy to open it)
I also punch in pages I make myself when I need something specific that doesn't exist yet. The customization potential here is genuinely one of the Anne's (and any Laurel Denise planner’s) best features.
Want to see my Anne in action? I share my weekly setups, spread walkthroughs, and real planning moments over on Instagram at @plannedimperfectly. If you want to see how this planner actually looks in everyday use, come hang out there!
What I Love About the Laurel Denise Anne
Seeing the big picture and the details at once. Monthly and weekly in one place. N flipping pages or using multiple planners if you don’t want to. Everything lives here.
The vertical layout. If you think in time moving downward (morning at the top, evening at the bottom), this layout will feel like it was designed specifically for your brain. Time blocking is intuitive in a way that horizontal layouts never were for me. After all, Laurel Denise makes planners for the way you think, and I can’t believe how true this is.
The space to customize. The monthly dashboard pages especially have generous room to track whatever matters most to you - habit trackers, goals, budget notes, meal planning. It doesn't prescribe what goes where.
Paper quality that earns the price. Zero bleed. Zero ghosting. With every pen and marker I use regularly. The monthly and dashboard pages feel noticeably premium, like writing on something that's meant to last.
The accessory ecosystem. PIPs, branded inserts, sticky notes, and companion products that actually fit. When a planner brand builds accessories that work seamlessly with their product, it's a gift. Laurel Denise gets this right.
What I'd Change
The coil. This is my one honest frustration. Coil binding is beautiful and functional until you want to add more than it was designed to hold. If you're someone who loves stuffing your planner with inserts, sticky notes, stickers, and other extras, you'll hit a limit. It's not a dealbreaker for me, but it's worth knowing before you buy.
That's genuinely it. After 9 months, the coil is the only thing I'd change.
Who the Laurel Denise Anne Is For
This planner is the right choice if you:
Think vertically, time moving downward makes intuitive sense to you
Love lists and like to see your schedule clearly
Time block, or want to start time blocking
Have small or medium handwriting
Want to see your month and week without flipping pages
Like customizing your planner with inserts, stickers, and accessories
Want a planner that feels like a quality investment, not a throwaway purchase
Who It's Not For
Be honest with yourself here, it'll save you money:
Large handwriting. The columns are generous, but there are real limits. If you write big, you'll run out of space on busy weeks. Take advantage of their free printable for size comparisons!
Horizontal thinkers. If you're used to a week laid out left to right across a spread, the vertical format will feel like an adjustment. Some people love the switch. Others never adapt.
Slope-sensitive writers. A number of users notice a slight slope on certain page sections. Personally, I don't notice it at all, but I've seen it mentioned enough to flag it here so you can decide for yourself.
How It Compares to Other Laurel Denise Planners
The Anne is Laurel Denise's large vertical option and it's the one I reach for because I need that combination of big-picture monthly planning and detailed daily space. If you're curious how it stacks up against the Nancy, Scout, Billie, or Claire, I'm building out full reviews for each one. Check the Laurel Denise review hub → COMING SOON!
What I Pair It With
No planner works in a vacuum — here's what's in rotation alongside my Anne:
MakseLife Companion Notebooks — I punch these to fit behind my weekly pages. If you use the Anne, this pairing is worth trying. Shop MakseLife →
Planner Kate stickers — functional and fun, which is exactly the point
PIPs and inserts from Laurel Denise — worth every penny for extra project or focus space. Shop accessories →
The Imperfect Sync Sheets — if you're running a hybrid setup (analog Anne + digital backup), my free Sync Sheets help you bridge the two without doubling your work. Grab them free here →
Final Verdict
The Laurel Denise Anne is like no other planner I’ve tried over the years. I’ve planned in this planner every week, and nearly every day since I received it. The patterns that it’s offered in are gorgeous (and change with each release). I don’t see myself ever stopping recommending this planner to any and everyone.
If you think vertically, need to see the big picture and the details side by side, and want a customizable system you'll actually want to open every morning, this is it. The paper quality justifies the price. The accessory ecosystem makes it endlessly adaptable (and cute and fun!). And nine months in, I have zero intention of replacing it. As a matter of fact, the 2026-2027 Laurel Denise Academic Planner launch is coming up on May 13, 2026!
If you've been on the fence, this is me telling you to just go look at it.
Not Sure Which Planner Is Right for You?
Before you buy anything, download the free Planner Trigger List. It's a free printable that helps you identify exactly what you need from a planner so you can think about potential layouts and how you might use any given planner before you buy.
*This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and love.
