20 May 2014

review: a selection of Go Stationery goods!

I am a sucker for notebooks and I am a sucker for cute patterns and designs. Merge those two together and you get... GO Stationery. Never heard of this brand? No, me neither until recently. With so many stationery brands out there, what makes GO Stationery stick out against its competitors? Well, they offer you the choice of stationery in a wide range of patterns and designs that will be appealing to most people. You'll inevitably find something that you'll find yourself drawn to - after all, I did and I am quite picky when it comes to notebook pattern and designs. 

A few weeks' ago, I was sent a few products to review from GO Stationery and here was the selection:


Aren't they so pretty together? So let's have a look at them as individual items. First up, an exercise book that is not A4 in size, nor is it A5 in size. It has a whimsical polka dot pattern on its exterior.


Inside, the cover has a micro-polkadot pattern and the pages are ruled. However, the quality of the paper isn't so good. It feels rough and reminds me of the recycled paper I used back when Woolworth's was still around and sold refill pads. A pen test with a Muji gel, a Lamy Safari fountain pen, a Papermate Flair felt-tip pen and a biro was done and every pen (save for the biro) feathered upon contact with the paper and there is some show through on the other side too. I think some work needs to be done as the paper quality definitely didn't meet my expectations.


Next up is an A5 Bound Notebook - doesn't the leaf print make it seem like it could be from Orla Kiely? It has an elastic band keeping it together and I think this notebook would make the perfect journal.


Inside, there is a cute polka dot pattern and the paper is ruled (hard to see due to the rubbish lighting). The paper is the same as the previous exercise book so it's nothing to write home about.


Next up is a To-Do List pad.


At the back, there is a magnet - perfect for attaching it to the fridge so you can remind your housemates/significant other/kids/yourself of what needs to be done.


Inside, the paper is of much better quality. I tested it out with my Lamy Safari fountain pen and found that there was no show through and no bleeding or feathering! Each page has space for 18 to-dos: so plenty of space for even the busiest of individuals.


This to-do pad is a product that supports the Woodland Trust which explains the hedgehog print and somewhat 'natural' design.


Finally, a set of three pocket notebooks.

 


Inside, you'll find that the paper is the same as the exercise book and A5 notebook mentioned earlier. This time, the paper is plain which means you could use these pocket notebooks for anything you'd like.


Overall, GO Stationery has got the design aspect of the notebooks right. Aesthetically, the products are designed well and appealing but the one big shortfall is the quality of the paper used inside the notebooks. If you're a fountain pen user, I'd steer clear of these notebooks for the time being as the paper is not fountain pen friendly.

What do you guys think? Does paper quality mean more to you than the design of notebooks?

Thank you, Edward from GO Stationery for allowing me to review these products.

NB: Although I received these products as review samples, I have reviewed them just as I would have if I had paid for them.

1 comment

  1. The pink polka dot notebook is the cutest!

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