
Plus, even if you don’t have the app open as you write, your notes will be saved directly to the pen and later synced into the app. While it’s pricey, our pros were blown away by how effectively handwritten notes and sketches were transformed into a digital copy in the Notes App in real-time thanks to the included smart pen. Unlike every other smart notebook on this list, the Moleskine Smart Writing Set gives you the best of both worlds, allowing you to digitize your notes on the Moleskine app while still holding on to your paper version. If you’re a loyal user of Moleskin notebooks and love their look and feel, then this smarter version was made for you.
#BEST DIGITAL NOTEBOOK FOR NOTE TAKING PRO#
If you want a smaller notebook, our pros also recommend the Rocketbook Mini, as well as the Rocketbook Fusion or Rocketbook Pro if you’re looking for various page layouts to help with daily organization. The Pilot FriXion is actually a Good Housekeeping Seal Holder, and "smart" in the sense that it uses technology that allows the pen's ink to be erased by using friction.


We would have preferred if Rocketbooks came with a Bluetooth-connected pen that automatically captures content, but we like that the FriXion is easy to replace should you lose it. Our pros found it easier than expected to wipe down pages with a damp cloth and were impressed by the resulting clean, blank page - though we’re curious to see how pages look after extended reuse. You can even turn handwriting into text for certain destinations by enabling “OCR Transcription " just don't expect this to work across all platforms. Our pros found this process both intuitive and easy, and love that you can email your handwritten notes or send them to a destination such as Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, OneDrive and more directly from the app. But before watching your ink disappear, grab your smartphone to capture a photo and safely store your notes in the Rocketbook app. The 25,000+ glowing Amazon reviews say it all: This 32-page lined notebook comes with a Pilot Frixion pen and microfiber cloth, so you can wipe away your notes or doodles and start anew. Though our pros admit that you have to invest a bit of time to feel comfortable with all of Remarkable’s many features, this smart notebook is a top choice for avid notetakers who want to get organized digitally without all of a tablet’s distractions.

That means you can send your meeting notes into Google Drive directly from your notebook. But if you go without the subscription, you’ll still have access to integrations with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and email. Unfortunately, to access unlimited cloud storage and sync notes across your smartphone and laptop you’ll need a $2.99 per month Connect subscription, which ultimately can make the Remarkable 2 as expensive as a tablet. Though we wish more ink colors were available for sketching and that the display featured a backlight for low-light situations, we like that this smart notebook automatically digitizes your notes (no phone scans necessary!) and stores them for future use. We’re especially fond of the numerous writing utensil options that are included, such as the choice among ballpoint pen, pencil, paintbrush calligraphy and more. The 10.3-inch display gives ample room for note taking, and we found the device both lightweight and comfortable to hold. Look no further than the Remarkable 2 if you’re seeking a smart notebook that comes closest to feeling like real paper but can transform handwritten notes into easy-to-read text. According to our pros, these are the best smart notebooks of 2023 to help you get organized and never lose track of a to-do list again. We also asked at-home testers to share feedback on their experience using each notebook. To find the best smart notebooks, our pros reviewed 11 smart notebooks, evaluating each one for its ease of setup and use, design (including its size, portability and feel), performance, app intuitiveness and overall user experience. The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute test everything from tech gadgets to home office accessories, including tablets, laptops and desks. Some smart notebooks will require a quick snap of a photo to then upload your notes into an app (or they'll do so automatically), while others store your scribbles on the devices themselves so you can later share them via email or to platforms like Google Drive. Most smart notebooks are reusable in their nature so you can reduce paper use, and they work alongside an app on your smartphone so you can save and keep track of your notes, homework or grocery shopping lists.

We carefully reviewed this guide in June 2023 and updated our picks according to recent testing in the Media & Tech Lab.Ī smart notebook is a clever way to bridge the gap between the traditional experience of using pen and paper with the digital world.
