the zeitgeist of zoe

Featuring the Moterm Pocket Luxe 2.0 in Full Grain Veg Tanned Leather

With the new Moterm veg tanned leather being released in more and more sizes, my enthusiasm for it got the better of me and in my excitement to ‘try all the colors’, I ordered a Pocket Luxe in Chestnut. 

To be honest, my motive was that I wanted to see the Chestnut leather in person so that I’d be ready for the next Personal Luxe restock, not because I in any way use, know how to use, or have any need to use a pocket size planner. 

Not that I’ve ever let the fact that I don’t use a particular size planner stop me from buying one. Or, you know, four.

If you’ve been following my posts about the delicious full grain veg tanned leather that Moterm has come out with, you’ll know that I missed out on Chestnut in both the Personal Luxe 2.0 and the Original Weeks Cover release, so I was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this Pocket Luxe.

As always, the planner and inserts you are about to see were purchased using my own funds and this post is an honest review consisting of nothing more than my own personal opinion and experience.

My initial response when this Moterm came was another squeal of glee. That happens a lot when opening Moterm boxes. I had seen a few posts on social media of the Chestnut color, but it was hard to get an idea of the undertone of the shade because everyone’s lighting is different, and from some of the photos I was afraid it was going to be too burgundy for me, so I passed on it when other sizes that I do use were released.

Spoiler alert: it isn’t.

Chestnut is a beautiful milk chocolate color with a lot of depth to it. I like it so much that I went back and ordered a B6 + cover in Chestnut while it was still available, and will definitely put it on my wish list for the next Personal Luxe and Weeks Cover restocks. While it is a bit of a chameleon depending on the lighting, to my eye it is definitely a brown and not a burgundy.

For a small planner, the Moterm Pocket Luxe has a lot going for it: 

• On the inside cover it has a gusted zipper pocket with a leather tab to cover the zipper pull so it won’t dent your inserts, 3 vertical card slots, a larger bottom pocket (that perfectly fits a small pad of sticky notes), and a handy secretarial pocket
  
• It has the large back wallet pocket
  
• On the inside back cover, you have 3 more vertical card slots, another larger bottom pocket, another secretarial pocket, a slip pocket and a partially elasticized outward facing pen loop (even on a small planner, my Dr Grip multi pen fit in the loop with no issues, though I am using a more pocket appropriate sized Pilot G2 Mini for everyday)
  
• It has a double snap closure for when you load this thing and its 30mm rings up
  
• You also get a flyleaf with a slanted slip pocket and another partially elasticized pen loop

The Moterm Pocket Luxe is a larger version of your average, every day pocket binder. The Pocket Luxe measures 10.6” x 5.6” laying open and features huge (IMO for a pocket planner) 30mm rings. This little planner is a chonker! It is meant to be used with Pocket Plus inserts, which are sort of newish in the evolution of planner insert sizes. Or maybe they aren’t – as I’ve said, pocket size hasn’t really been a part of my planner life until now, so someone please correct me if I’m wrong and Pocket Plus has been around forever and I’m just clueless.

Pocket Plus inserts are 3.5” x 5” (vs. regular Pocket size inserts which measure 3.19”x4.72”) so you get a larger page and therefore more writing space. I liked this phat little guy so much that I decided to order up some inserts to give it a real test drive, not just drool over the color of the leather. I was curious to try the size because it is pretty close to Field Notes size (3.5” x 5.5”), and I have used and loved FN notebooks for many years. 

The inserts I decide on are from eaststreetpaperco out of Boston, MA on Etsy. I chose this seller because she offers printed inserts as well as printable (I have zero DIY skills and those of you who know me, know I’m not even reliably capable of punching pages correctly let alone print and cut them) and also I like to support local businesses. I live in the middle of nowhere in the New Hampshire, so Boston is my nearest metro area. I’m counting it as local.

Because I don’t technically use this size planner, I kept it simple and sampled only the basics; dated monthlies, dated daily pages and I threw in an attractive dashboard and motivational planner card for fun. 

The quality these inserts is really nice, the paper feels pleasant to the touch and perfectly substantial without being too thick at 32lb weight. It is smooth and bright white. What attracted me to her inserts (other than the fact that I didn’t have to fiddle with printing them myself and deal with the ultimate failure that would ensue) were the clean lines and simplicity. I like fonts that are easy to see/read and I find her whole aesthetic to be very minimal and modern.

While I’m not entirely sure this planner size will be one that I use in the long run, I am psyched to have it as a beautiful addition to my Moterm Veg Tanned collection. Hopefully this helps anyone on the fence about Chestnut like I was at first. If you like brown, give it a try…you won’t be disappointed!

For more photos and Moterm goodness, be sure to go join the Moterm Official Fan Group on Facebook. And don’t forget to follow @Motermofficial on IG to stay on top of news from the company and upcoming releases of the veg tanned leather.