Finding covers for your favorite notebooks is not the easiest task. I should know, seeing as I own a company that makes pen cases which also hold notebooks. Sure, finding something to hold your favorite 3.5” x 5.5” memo book is not that difficult, but the choices dwindle quickly once you start looking other paper sizes.
Rhodia is a big player in the aforementioned other paper sizes, featuring a range of pads from A7 through A4, and outliers like the mini 2” x 3” note pad, or the popular 3” x 8-1/4”, which is used frequently for task lists. If anyone has incentive to add accessories to their product lineup it is Rhodia.
There are six different pad holder sizes, each available in Black or Rhodia Orange, plus a single stray Silver pad holder with orange stitching for their 3-3/8” x 4-3/4” No. 12 pad. My choice for this review was the Rhodia Pad Holder Black 4.5 x 6.25 Graph Notepad, which holds Rhodia’s A6 sized note pad. This size and format is perfect for on the go writing, which is also a situation where I am most likely to use some type of cover.
The pad holder is simple to use. The back cover of the note pad slides into a sleeve on the inside back of the pad holder, covering about two-thirds of the cover. The front cover slides in similarly on the inside front of the pad holder, covering around one-third of the cover. When closed, it provides a perfect fit and good protection. When opened, the pad holder allows the front cover to slide enough to allow for the pad to flip back, while still staying inside the pad holder.
One issue I ran across is I have to use my non-writing hand to hold down top flap while writing on the bottom page. This is due to the smaller notebook size. The smaller the pad, the more likely the cover is to flip up. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means, and you may already do this as a habit with your smaller pads. I was able to fold the top of the cover under the pad easily, which helped when writing.
The pad holder itself is well made. It is soft to the touch, and has solid stitching. It even has a pen loop, although it is only designed to hold normal-to-narrow barreled pens. Most fountain pens will have a tough time sliding in the loop. The paper, well, what can I say. It’s Rhodia, so it is some of the best on the market.
The pad holder I reviewed is only $15.50 at Goldspot, and comes with a matching note pad on the inside. The smallest size, for the A7 note pad, is $11.50, and the big A4 size runs $42. These prices are very fair for the product, and the fact paper is included. If you are looking for added protection for your top-bound note pads, Rhodia might have the perfect pad holder for you.
(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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