Planner Sizes Explained: A5, 6×8, 7×9, 8×11 and US Letter

There is no single standard planner size. The common choices are A5 (5.8 × 8.3 in), 6×8, 7×9 and 8×11 inches, plus US letter (8.5 × 11 in). Smaller sizes travel in a bag; larger ones give a daily hourly schedule room to breathe. The table below puts them side by side.

Planner sizes side by side

A-series and B-series in two minutes

A and B sizes come from the international ISO 216 paper standard. Each size is half of the one before it: fold an A4 sheet in half and you get A5, fold A5 and you get A6. So the smaller the number, the bigger the page. All A sizes share the same proportions, which is why a layout scaled from A4 to A5 still looks right.

B sizes sit between the A sizes. B5 (176 × 250 mm) is larger than A5, and B6 (125 × 176 mm) is larger than A6 but smaller than A5.

US planner sizes: 5×7, 6×8, 7×9, 8×11 and letter

In the US, planners are usually sold by inches. 5×7 (127 × 178 mm) is close to B6: small, light and easy to carry, with room for lists more than for a full day. 6×8 is close to A5, a little wider and a little shorter. 7×9 is clearly larger than A5, about 3 cm wider and 2 cm taller, and that extra width is what lets an hourly schedule and a task list sit side by side.

8×11 is the same height as US letter and half an inch narrower. Letter itself (8.5 × 11 in) is standard printer paper, so it suits planners that live on a desk or in a binder rather than in a bag.

Action Day® planner sizes

• Undated Planners: 6×8 or 7×9 inches
• Yearly Planner: 7×9 or 8×11 inches
• Timeboxing® Weekly Planner: 7×9 inches
• Timeboxing® Daily Planner: 7×9 inches, spiral bound with a hard cover
• Action Meeting Notebook: 6×8 or 7×9 inches

The Undated Planners are the clearest size choice in the range: 6×8 inches if the planner travels with you, 7×9 inches if it mostly stays on your desk. The range comes in black and turquoise, and because the pages carry no dates, you can start in any week of the year.

How to choose a planner size

Four questions settle most decisions:

• Desk or bag? A planner that lives on the desk can be 7×9 or 8×11. One that goes in a bag every day is easier at 6×8 or A5.
• Do you plan by the hour? A day split into hours, with tasks beside the times, needs width. Below 7×9 the columns get cramped.
• How large is your handwriting? Large handwriting fills a 6×8 line quickly. Small, neat writing fits comfortably.
• One hand or two? If you write standing up or between meetings, a smaller book is easier to hold. At a table, size matters less.

If you plan your week in timeboxes, the larger page pays off; see how to plan your week in 20 minutes for what a full week on paper looks like.

Checklist before you buy

1. Measure where the planner will live: the bag pocket or the free space on your desk.
2. Look at your busiest day. If it holds several fixed appointments plus focused work, choose 7×9 or larger.
3. Write one line of your normal handwriting on a sheet cut to the size you are considering.
4. Decide between dated and undated before you choose the size; how to set up a planner covers that choice.
5. Check what else you carry. If a meeting notebook travels with the planner, a matching size keeps them together.