I am so happy in my Hobonichi Cousin with my red Van der Spek Janet Leather cover that I ordered a 2018 one. Because it is much cheaper to buy the planner with a cover AND you get free bonus items with it, I bought a cover as well as the planner. I can switch to it at a much later date or sell it if I am unable to move out of my Janet Leather cover.
This is the one I fell for out of all the Hobonichi covers this year. It is the Mitsuhiko Sasao ‘My Favorite Table’ and comes in both A5 and A6 versions. One major selling point is that it has the outside slip pocket I have always liked.
Here is the A5 version
Here is the A6 version
I really am enjoying using my Cousin. The four calendars (yearly, monthly, weekly and daily) are perfect for me. I could never do this in a ring bound planner with normal paper because of the bulk and the weight.
I like the Hobonichi Cousin and have two covers now, but am underwhelmed by the covers, for the price. They seem to be a reasonable cover, but expensive for the quality. I put mine either in an Etsy material one, or in my A5 leather Roterfaden
I was disappointed in the covers this year. As you say, the price was high and they were underwhelming. I really liked the leather ones from a few years back, but for that price I would rather have a custom made one.
My Roterfaden takes the Hobonichi and two Rhodia notebooks, but it mainly stays at home. I have a Start Bay A5 that takes it too, at lesss than the leather cases from Hobonichi.
PS – which covers do you have?
I have a black one and a bright yellow one. I also have a yellow cloth one with red foxes on it from Etsy. I like the weighted bookmarks but but am not keen on the closure method. I use good pens, either rollerball or fountain and done trust the closure not to put too much pressure on the pen.
I am falling in love all over again with the Hobonichi and I ordered an A5 Avec with the Vitamin Dot cover. I cannot resist dots… I plan on using it as my personal journal and I plan on using plenty of stickers (and hopefully plenty of memorabilia) so I expect it to be super chunky at the end of the year. This is going to be my fourth year running using a Hobonichi and I’m not looking back! The cover you selected is beautiful!