My 2026 Hobonichi Haul (Plus a Purple Pen Sampler)

My 2026 Hobonichi Techo order arrived the other day, and I’m already counting down the days until January when I can start using it!

This year I went with the A5 Avec instead of a full Cousin for my main book. The split books feel a little less intimidating, and honestly, I didn’t want to commit to one giant planner in case I get bored or decide to switch things up halfway through the year. I bought a couple others and have a setup in mind, but I’ll save the full breakdown for another post once I’ve settled into it (no spoilers yet, except the picture at the bottom).

(Fun fact: getting that picture was a challenge because my cat would not leave me alone. He tried crawling across the floor and drooling on my hand. Disgusting and adorable in equal measure.)

Alongside my Hobonichi order, I couldn’t resist grabbing another pen sampler, this time all purple.

Overall? A solid set. Nothing was shockingly amazing or horribly disappointing, which in a way is a win. Even the two Gelly Roll pens, which can sometimes be hit or miss for me, did just fine.

• Favorites: Tie between the Sarasa Nano and the Pilot Juice. Both glide beautifully.
• Best bold tip: The Pentel EnerGel is your friend.
• Best fine tip: The Pilot Juice Up is practically writing with a needle.

But now, I think I’ve officially maxed out my purple collection. Between this set and my pile of highlighters, it’s probably time to branch out. Green might be next on the spectrum.

(And yes, my cat tried to photobomb this picture too.)