lochby field journal: a review

a versatile a5 size journal cover

Disclaimer: This product review features a product that I was gifted in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Links provided are affiliate links. If you choose to shop through affiliate links, I may receive a commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support if you do so!

Lochby Field Journal in the black colorway.

Hello friends!

Today I bring you a review of the Lochby Field Journal. If you’ve been looking for a journal cover for travel, this may be the product for you!

I was first introduced to Lochby by a friend that gifted me their Venture pouch. I used it on a recent work trip, and it was the perfect carrying tool for my pens and Hobonichi Weeks. So when Lochby reached out, I couldn’t resist trying their Field Journal.

My first thoughts about the Lochby Field Journal

The Lochby Field Journal is a waxed canvas cover that is a hybrid between a traveler’s notebook and folio style cover and comes in brown, black, or navy blue. It has four elastics to house journal inserts, and the side pockets are large enough to hold a thicker A5 notebook like a folio. The Field Journal has a unique closure system with an airplane grade aluminum hook, and it has multiple pockets on the inside cover and one large pocket on the back of the cover. It has an elastic pen loop that can house a fountain pen and a handle on the spine to carry it.

Lochby carries A5 sized journal inserts with Tomoe River Paper. The Field Journal includes one dot grid insert, and you can purchase other inserts separately. They come in plain, ruled, wide ruled, dot grid, and an undated planner layout.

If you’re thinking of using it for a thicker A5 notebook, it is possible. It fits the spiral side-bound Maruman Mnemosyne notebooks, the Stalogy, the Leuchtturm1917, and even a Hobonichi Hon. However, if you’re someone that chunks up their notebook, I wouldn’t recommend this cover. This cover is meant to have a minimal profile. The aluminum hook closure doesn’t have much give to it.

Inside of the Lochby Field Journal with the included dot grid insert.

How would I use the Lochby Field Journal

When I first got the Field Journal, I was planning on using it for work. I work in a laboratory setting, and it’s nice to have some journal cover options that are not leather. However, since I’m currently using a B6+ notebook, I’m unable to use this cover at the moment. But I truly think it’ll be perfect to house my work bullet journal in the future.

Of course, the Field Journal would be perfect for traveling, camping, or nature journaling. I don’t typically travel with an A5 sized notebook, but the multiple pockets make it perfect to house your journal and some supplies for journaling on the go.

I personally find the fact that the Field Journal can be used either as a traveler’s notebook style cover or a folio cover very useful. It’s one of the most versatile covers I’ve come across in a while.

A5 Danika58 Tomoe River Paper notebook in the Lochby Field Journal

Things I would change about the Lochby Field Journal

One thing I do like about Lochby is that they are active with their customers trying to solicit feedback. As evidenced by their recent Instagram post, they’re always trying to improve their designs or add new products. So if I could change the Field Journal to better fit how I’d use it, it’d be to change the closure and to include pockets on the front cover, particularly pen holder pockets.

The aluminum hook is a very secure closure system that looks cool, but it’s also a bit clunky. Personally, I would have preferred an elastic closure. It’d be an easy way to open and close the cover when out and about, and it’d also allow for a bit of give when a notebook chunks up. I will note that a Zippered Field Journal was poised as an idea by Lochby on their Instagram recently. If that comes to fruition, I’d be curious to see how that looks.

In regards to the pen loop, the elastic pen loop is fantastic, but as a fountain pen user, I’d typically be carrying around at least two pens when at work and traveling: a fountain pen and a ballpoint or gel pen. So it’d be lovely to have two pen pockets on the front of the cover. It’d allow it to be an all-in-one journal carrying system without needing an extra pen case.

Many thanks to Lochby for gifting me their Field Journal! It’s a lovely product overall, and I think it’s a great option for anyone that travels with an A5 size journal.

Have any of you tried any Lochby products before? I really want to try their Tool Roll next.

🩷, Amy