When I first saw the Filofax Flex, I was distinctly underwhelmed. It seemed….meh. My first thoughts? ‘A notebook cover by Filofax – so what. And it is not even leather! Well, that won’t last’.
Every time I beetled over to the Filofax displays I ignored the Flex display. Then I read somewhere that the covers now came in leather. There was a second version of them with a very interesting pocket constellation. And (this was the kicker), the red A5 lizard perfectly matched my Red Lizard in Personal size.
I was given a store voucher by one of my students and the value covered the cost of an A5 Flex. So it seemed to be in the stars.
And? I love it! I use a 256 page notebook on the right hand side with a week on two pages on the left hand side. In 2014 I will be using a Week on Two pages on the left and a Page a Day on the right.
In the same way that Filofax is a very flexible system, the Flex is also flexible, despite being made up of bound books.
From the photo above you can see how flexible it is. You can use
- 1 notebook, sketchbook or diary (available in thick and thin versions) with covers slotted under left and right inside flaps. This leaves the outside flaps for use as pockets
- 2 books with covers slotted into either inside or outside flaps. If both are slotted in outside flaps you can see 4 pages at any one time. If you need to be able to write on your lap for example you can slot them in the inside slots. All credit card and phone pockets are available no matter which layout you use. You can change your constellation at any time.
- The Jot pad can be slotted top or bottom, allowing you to use it at the same time as the other books.
- You can insert three booklets at any given time, though they will not lie as flat as if you only have three and it works best with thinner booklets.
- One person (Tim Edwards – see Philofaxy posts here and here) has added rings to his Flex and turned it into a regular Filofax
- You could, theoretically, turn this into a Midori Traveller’s Notebook by adding an elastic to the spine. This I would be VERY keen to try if I can find a cheap one to experiment on. It would be a perfect size and shape for me AND give a lot more flexibility to the concept. I could then carry more than two notebooks and have it much thicker.
I used one for a while and really liked it. But then they started doing something odd with the inserts, and the good-quality properly bound ones were replaced by these appalling plastic-bound horrors which looked like a child’s school project! I even complained to Filofax about them. I’d give them another go if I could only tell what the inserts are like now.
I use a flex slim black first edition as my EDC, I have punch a hole on the spine and put an elastic like on traveler’s notebooks to close it.
I have bought an A5 in purple leather : I think I am going to use autoadhesive scratch bands to fix rings in it, as I have seen in a personal ring binder you sold me (two years ago?).I don’t find the post you did of it… So that I wont’ make hole inside the leather.
You can faux Midori it by using thin elastic band to secure a third notebook between the two in the slip pockets. I’ve seen at least two other bloggers do that with flex-style covers from other companies. I’m debating doing it to a Coach slip cover I have, if I can ever find where i packed it during our last move.
Thank you!
The last thing I expected was to see my name in this post! Originally, I fitted 13mm rings to a vinyl First Edition A5 Flex. Shortly afterwards (summer 2012) the leather versions became available and the ring mech was transferred into a tan leather model. Several people have emailed me in the last eighteen months, to ask questions or to tell me they have done the same thing!
The original vinyl Flex was later converted by me to a Midori-style folder and that was very easy to do.
You are my guru Tim! If only I had the courage, the talent and the rings to do what you did!
I have always been drawn to the purple lizard flex, they are on sale now, but I never thought I’d use it enough to take the plunge. Your red one is very pretty too.
Janet it’s really pretty! I’ve always liked the inserts and was also pretty underwhelmed with the first set of binders
Tracy