When I first tried Silk & Sonder‘s monthly wellness journal, I’d never seen anything like it. I’d heard of bullet journaling, and I was all too familiar with planners (being somewhat of a to-do list junkie), but this felt like so much more. Since then, I’ve tried several wellness journals and planners, but four years later, I keep coming back to Silk & Sonder.

So, how have the journals evolved over the years? Are they worth the annual subscription? What’s the hype about? Here are the fast answers, so you can decide whether it’s a good fit for you.

What’s in a Silk & Sonder Monthly Journal, Anyway?

Calling Silk & Sonder’s guidebook a journal sells it short. Each spiral-bound booklet lasts only a month, and each one has a theme. June 2020 was “choice,” and an intro letter from Meha, the founder, mentions that it was chosen to remind users that no matter what happens in the world, “only you have the power to decide how you react, amend and move on.” In January 2023, the theme was abundance, framed not just as a way to bring more of what you want into your life, but as an opportunity to appreciate the abundance that already exists in it.

What Types of Things You’ll Find in Each Silk & Sonder Journal

• Mood tracker
• Habit tracker
• Sleep tracker
• Coloring page(s)
• Daily “one thing” prompts, encouraging you to name one thing you can do that day to make your day easier
• Reflections for the previous month
• Intention-setting for the month ahead (focusing on spiritual and physical health, personal goals, professional goals, money management and key relationships)
• Custom workbook pages that reflect that month’s theme (for January 2023, there was an “Abundance Jar” activity, a year in review section, a dream life section and a few abundance-themed journal prompts
• Gratitude log
• Recipe(s)
• Notes pages

What’s New with Silk & Sonder

The price has gone up since 2020—from $20 a month to $25—but the company has launched an online community that makes the journal even more useful. The Sonder Club lets you connect with others on a similar path, offers daily affirmations and exercises, and other bonus content.

The Silk & Sonder Planner’s Pros

Pro: It’s Thoughtfully Designed

As much as I value space for a classic to-do list, the little activities taking up the first third of the booklet really got me psyched for the month ahead—and helped me to stop and think about what I actually wanted to accomplish that month, instead of getting stuck in the head-down, daily grind of existing.

Pro: It Inspires You to Be Proactive *and* Reflective

It helps you focus, track your goals and inspires you to expand your perspective—while taking care of yourself.

Pro: It Takes Up Zero Space

And the slim design and spiral-bound nature make it easy to take with you and journal on the go.

The Wellness Journal/Planner’s Cons:

Con: The Cost

A year’s worth of journals will set you back $189—that’s still a 35 percent savings from the month-to-month cost ($25 apiece), but still, that can be hard to swallow.

Granted, this is more of a magazine-meets-motivational-guide-meets-organizer than a traditional planner, with the surprise-and-delight element of a subscription box. But still. You’d have to really use it—and feel fulfilled by the results—to justify the cost. (But, to be fair, let’s refer to the bulleted list above: You’re getting a whole lot more than a calendar and a bunch of blank pages with dates.)

Con: Flimsy Construction

It’s a spiral-bound, paper planner that feels like it was printed off a home printer on light card stock. For some, this is a deal-breaker, making it not worth the cost. This wasn’t a big deal to me, because it kept the notebook lightweight, and when it was fully used, I didn’t feel as guilty tossing it (or recycling the pages) as I do with hardcover annual planners.

The Bottom Line: Is Silk and Sonder Worth It?

Silk & Sonder‘s series makes for a great birthday or holiday gift: You can try out for a month or two, see what you get out of it, and decide from there if it’s the right fit for you. They also offer some pretty cool gift sets, making the present extra special.

Silk & Sonder was originally reviewed in June 2020. This story is an update of that original article.