Hadron Epoch is a Los Angeles based planner and paper products company.  

The Hadron Epoch Signature Planner is a 5.125″ x 8″ hardback book filled with between 196 & 260 pages of high-quality linen paper and covered in a beautifully textured fabric exterior.

Color choices range from aesthetic pastels to jet black. 

Let’s take a look.

17M Planner

Month Goals Intro Page

Month Layout

Week Layout

Notes Section

(Sorry for the low quality photo)

2020 12M Finance

Second Page Financial Planner Section

Account Log Section in 12M

Page Design

The page design is effortlessly minimal and structured enough to help you organize your thoughts, but not enough to hijack your natural approach to organizing your life and scheduling your daily tasks.  

I’ve used the Hadron Epoch signature planner for three years now. 

Here are my thoughts. 

Price Range: $30 (pretty standard for an agenda this quality)

Pages: 196-260 pages (for 12M and 17M planners, respectively) including:

• Intro pages:
  • Two-year overview
  • Holidays
  • Important dates
• Month at a glance pages, including month goals intro page for each month
• Weekly layout pages
  • Seven days across a two-page spread
  • Weekly goals box
  • Weekly checklist section
  • Weekly notes section
• Up to 12 additional pages including:
  • Maps, measurements, abbreviations, and year end review reflection (17M planner)
  • Account Login section and Shows to Watch pages (12M planner)
• Financial Organizer section for 12M planner only
  • Two pages for each month to track expenses and savings (24 total pages) 
• Note pages
  • 10 lined, 10 blank, and 9 dotted note pages (for 12M planners)  
  • 12 lined pages and 14 dotted note pages (for 17M planners)

Similar To: Papier hardback planners. Hadron Epoch and Papier have similar feels, although I do prefer the proportions, layout, and more simple cover options that Hadron Epoch planners offer. 

Paper Quality – Grams per Square Meter (GSM)

• Hadron Epoch planners include a paper quality that is 120gsm linen-finished paper (i.e., it’s silky smooth and doesn’t have issues with ink bleed, in my experience. Please note that I use generic pens, usually Bic.) 
• For reference, Papier planners include 85gsm paper, making it thinner and not as smooth. If you’ve ever been in an Anthropologie long enough, you’ve probably picked up a Papier product, so it’s a good go by. Overall, I find Hadron Epoch a bit more quality in feel.  

12 Month vs. 17 Month Signature Planner

I’ve used both the 12M and 17M Hadron Epoch signature planners. I prefer my planners to hold a single year, but last year I had to settle for the 17M planner since the company wasn’t offering a 2021 12M planner. 

Key differences

• Monthly Financial Planner Section in the 12M planner–very minimal, two pages per month to track bills / expenses and savings.
• 3 extra note pages in the 12M planner
• A Shows to Watch and Account Log section in 12M planner.
• On the other hand, the 17M planner includes five extra months of regular months/weeks of planning space. This is nice if you want a new planner for the school year that runs through the following year. My 17M 2021 planner runs from August 2020 to December 2021. 

The Things I like 

• Hardback books are just nice. I enjoy the aesthetic, the sturdiness, the feel, and the way planner looks completed and stored on my bookshelf. 
• The fabric cover offers beautiful colors and a unique texture and feel.
• The paper quality is really nice. I’m certainly not a paper snob, but I have definitely noticed the difference in smoothness and density of the Hadron Epoch paper when I’ve tried to branch out and buy other similar planners, like Papier.  
• Minimal design – I’ve learned that a planner with too much design in terms of layout interferes with my workflow. I use planners to jot down ‘to do’ lists, goals, finances, notes, etc. When the page layout is filled with little habit trackers or random cutesy boxes designed with a very specific use in mind, I get derailed wanting to fill out those sections as they were intended, even though it’s not something I’d normally do. Maybe it’s just me, but I find that planners with less are 100% more in the way of usability.  
• Gold Inlaid Title – The gold plate branding is really nice and offers a rich contrast to the homey fabric cover. 

The Things I Don’t Like 

• Fabric Cover – There’s not much I don’t like, but the main one is kind of a big one. From a utility standpoint, the fabric cover is really not great at staying clean. It’s actually too good at picking up any and all fuzz, oils, and dirt from your hands due to the fabric texture. This is really sad because your beautiful planner goes from looking fresh and crisp to ratchet pretty quickly. Hadron Epoch did listen to this main complaint, though, and now includes a protective sleeve for all their signature planners. Let’s just say the ‘sleeve’ fixes the issue if you’re willing to pack around a bulky cardboard sheath…. look, it’s either that or a lint roller. I will say the redeeming factor of the sleeve is it’s the same color as your planner and does do a good job of keeping your planner looking clean all year.
• WTF – The cover layout includes the first initial of the days of the week ‘SMTWTFS’ followed by ‘Planner’ in the gold-foil accent letters. The ‘WTF’ section of the week is bolded like the word Planner, and I wish this highlight was not part of the design due to what it stands for. It’s subtle enough to be barely noticeable, however.
• Flat Layout – This is more of a note rather than a dislike, because it doesn’t bother me. The signature planner lays fairly flat for a hardback book. The design is accommodating and makes it easy to open and work out of any section. You do have to hold it open with your hand, though, and if you’re used to a ring bound planner, this may be an issue / annoyance to you. It isn’t to me because I prefer how sleek the hardback book is compared to the bulkiness that you typically get with ring bound planners. 

Closing Thoughts – Will Hadron Epoch Release a 2022 Signature Collection?

• Hadron Epoch currently doesn’t have a 12M 2022 collection of their signature planners posted (it’s mid Dec. 2021 as I write this). I’ve reached out to the shop asking if they will release 2022 planners and haven’t heard back, so we’ll see. Overall, Hadron Epoch is a small business that puts out quality products. If you’re in the market for a minimal planner, be sure to click the link below to check them out!

Thanks for reading. Check out the Hadron Epoch website for more details.