As with all of the Livescribe paper products, the paper is reasonably thick and gives a smooth and pleasant writing experience with both the fine and medium refills that are available. The cover is a smooth-ish synthetic leather-like material and thick enough to allow writing without a table, but not so thick that the journal is too bulky. Although this is a little large for small handbag or pocket use, it is very good as an alternative to an A4 or A5 spiral bound book - it's a little smarter and you don't have to contend with bent spiral bindings after too much time spent in a rucksack or unstructured bag. I use one as a travel journal - the elastic band around the cover means that tickets and small flat momentos don't get lost - and the other is for storing my brilliant ideas! It's nice to know that if either went missing, I'd still have the contents to remind me. Not the cheapest or most stylish journals, but if you've got a Livescribe pen, the combination is unrivalled.