Today, I’ll share how to choose the MeePlus Slimpad. I’ll cover the following aspects: 1. notebook size, 2. types of leather, 3. ring diameter, and 4. accessory options.

 

1. How to Choose the Right Size

Choosing the right size for your Slimpad involves considering three factors:

1）Purpose: Do you need the Slimpad to be portable, or do you prioritize having a larger writing area?

2）Refill Availability: Will it be easy to find refills for your chosen size?

3）Refill Sharing: If you have multiple ring binders, do you need to use the same refills across different notebooks?

 

1）Notebook Size and Intended Use

Slimpad comes in two main size categories:

• Compact Sizes: A7 Pocket, A8 (Mini 5), A8 Wide
• Medium Sizes: A6 Personal, A6 Slim

A8: This size has a small writing area, about the size of two credit cards. It’s ideal for jotting down short-term tasks, shopping lists, or brief notes. Its compact size means it can fit into a shoulder bag or even a jeans pocket.

If you don’t need it to be ultra-portable, consider the Pocket size, also known as A7. It’s similar in size to a phone and offers a balance between portability and writing space. 

A6 Personal: This size is close to an iPad Mini. With ample writing space, it’s perfect for tracking daily plans, work schedules, setting personal goals, or recording meeting notes. It’s practical for both work and everyday life. 

Note: Don’t rely solely on images or photos from bloggers to gauge the size. It’s best to measure the size yourself, ideally cut out a page to match the size, and test writing on it before making a decision. (Photos may make the notebook appear larger, and you can't be sure of the blogger's handwriting size.) 

 

2）Availability of Refill Pages

If you prefer ready-made functional refills (like those designed on Etsy), I recommend choosing the A6 Personal or A7 sizes. These two sizes are the most common, and there are more options available for functional refills and accessory pages. For those who need functional refills, these sizes would be the best choice.

MeePlus Slimpad offers standard sizes, so there are many refill options available on the market. Additionally, MeePlus provides a variety of refills, including not just plain white pages but also colorful versions, and functional refills such as weekly and monthly planners, to-do lists, and habit trackers. This makes your planner more attractive and customizable.

 

3）Compatibility of Refill Pages Across Multiple Notebooks

If you use multiple ring binders, consider whether the refills can be used across different sizes. For example, if you have both an A5 notebook for your desk and an A7 notebook for on-the-go, and you jot down an idea in your A7 notebook, you can later transfer that page to your A5 notebook. Since the ring spacing of A7 and A5 notebooks is compatible, you won’t need to re-copy the content, saving time. However, if you primarily use A6 and A7 notebooks, their refills are not interchangeable.

 

Here’s a table to help understand which refill sizes are compatible:

• A8 Refills: Can fit into A5 and A7 Pocket rings. To fit into an A6 Personal, you need to cut off one corner.

• A7 Refills: Can fit into A5 rings but not into A6 Personal rings. 

2. How to Choose the Right Leather

Currently, MeePlus offers four types of leather: Pueblo, Buttero, Mist Waxed Leather, and Bridle Leather.

• Italian Pueblo leather: undergoes a special sanding process that gives it a rough texture at first. Initially, it feels slightly fuzzy, but over time, the leather develops a shiny, smooth surface, and the fuzziness disappears. The color deepens with use, giving it a unique, aged patina that reflects the passage of time.

• MeePlus Slimpad: Pueblo-start from $79

 

• Italian Buttero Leather: undergoes a waxing and pressure polishing process, which increases its density. The leather is relatively stiff and durable, combining both toughness and a smooth hand feel. It has a rich, oily texture and feels smooth to the touch. It gains a natural sheen with use. However, it is prone to scratches.
• MeePlus Slimpad: Buttero-start from $79

 

• Bridle Leather: Bridle leather is stiff and durable, with a waxed surface that gradually wears off with use, revealing a more lustrous inner layer.

• MeePlus Slimpad: Bridle-start from $69

 

• Fog Wax Leather: This vegetable-tanned leather is coated with white wax, which protects and extends its lifespan. The wax layer can rub off easily and is sensitive to water and oil. It feels cool and smooth, with no noticeable texture. Over time, some wax wears off while the rest absorbs into the leather, revealing its natural color, which deepens. The leather becomes shinier and more polished with use, creating a unique aging process.
• MeePlus Slimpad: Fog Wax

 

3. How to Choose the Right Ring Diameter

The A8 Slimpad comes with an 11mm ring as standard. The A7 offers three ring diameter options: 11mm, 13mm, and 16mm. The A6 provides 11mm and 16mm options. The larger the ring diameter, the more pages you can fit.

• 11mm Rings: Can hold up to 60-80 sheets. We found that flipping is smoother with fewer than 60 sheets; beyond that, it can get a bit sticky. If portability is a priority, smaller rings make the notebook more compact and easy to fit into your pocket or shoulder bag. However, they also limit the number of pages, which helps you focus on the essentials.

 

• Larger Rings: Allow you to hold more pages, making them suitable for notebooks with extensive content. However, writing on the left-hand pages might be less comfortable with larger rings. Typically, 11mm rings offer a comfortable writing experience. If you're not used to writing with rings in the way, you can remove pages from the ring to write on them or turn the notebook to write horizontally (we also offer special refills designed for this purpose).

 

4. How to Choose the Right Accessories

Currently, we offer the following accessories, with new ones being introduced regularly:

Ring Supporters: To achieve the best flattening and closure effect, we shave the leather around the rings. This can cause the rings to leave impressions on the leather. Therefore, we provide free ring supporters to our customers.

Band with Lifter: To ensure the notebook stays compact and the pages don’t spread out when closed and placed in a bag, we offer pads and bands as accessories.

Cardholders: Unlike other brands that separate cardholders, bands, and pen holders into multiple accessories, which can be costly and make the notebook bulky, our designs combine these functions:

 - 2-in-1 Cardholder: This cardholder includes a band and can hold up to 4 cards comfortably (up to 6 cards, but this may affect writing comfort).
 - 3-in-1 Cardholder: This includes the cardholder, band, and a pen holder. Unlike standard leather pen holders that may not fit all pen sizes, our 3-in-1 cardholder has a slot for the pen clip. If you use the pen holder, it may slightly push the cards forward, so we’ve added a button design. With the button fully closed, you can fit about 2 cards; without the button, you can fit up to 4 cards.