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Our favorite time of year is right around the corner! Today’s blog post is a special one. In today’s video, I’m going to break down everything you need to know about the new Erin Condren LifePlanner launch next week!

We’re gonna talk about the products, themes, layouts, new sizes, prices, accessories – you name it, information about everything is included herein. Now, if you’re more of a video learner, I have a comprehensive launch review video on my YouTube channel. There’s more visual walkthrough of the planners and products, and it’s a complete guide to how this launch process works.

If you’re like “what are you even talking about?” Let’s break down each piece of what this post entails.

• 2022-2023: YES, we are talking about 2022-2023 already. Planner companies release their planners way before you’d think they would. That’s because these planners are…

• Academic Year: This means the planners that run from July of 2022 until June of 2023 (some run through December 2023, which I’ll note for you below).

• Erin Condren: This is one of the most popular brands in the planner community. Their product releases are closely followed by people like me and thousands of other planner enthusiasts.

• LifePlanner: This is the signature line of planners for Erin Condren, called the LifePlanner.

• Launch: Exactly what it sounds like! This is a huge product release in the world of planners.

Why this matters

This specific product launch, always in late April or early May, is the time when new themes, designs, sizes, and layouts are introduced to us. These themes in particular will be present in every subsequent product launch you see this year. For people who spend every day in their planner for a year (or more), you’ve gotta love it! So this gives us the chance to see what we love, get excited, and buy more planner accessories than we probably need.

OK, that’s enough intro from me! Let’s talk about what is new in 2022.

What’s new in 2022? – Side by Side comparisons

• The A5 Compact Vertical layout. We’ll discuss this in depth later, and I have a separate video where I talk about planning in the new A5 compact vertical coil planner. The A5 size is smaller, which means the traditional vertical layout has been re-tooled to fit the dimensions of the smaller planner.

• You can get any of the themes this year. Last year, depending on the size of the planner you bought, it limited which of the planner design options (themes) you could get buy. With more standardization, you can now get the size & theme you want!

• Better layout options for the A5 size coiled LifePlanner. This goes hand in hand with the new Compact Vertical layout, but in last year’s A5 you were limited to either the horizontal layout or the daily layout.

• Accessories that are very interchangeable amongst themes. Complementary is the word that I would use. In past year’s the themes have been aesthetically distinct from one another. And they still are. But this year, however, there’s more “harmony” – (to use one of their words). You can buy a planner in one of their themes and buy accessories from one of their other themes. And it’ll still look great!

• 100+ new accessories and 100+ new combinations of planners! Need I say more? This is what we’re here for!

• Agenda inserts are available to be sold separately. I believe this wasn’t the case last year. If your favorite planner is the A5 Ring Agenda (new in 2021), you can just buy the inserts this time around. There are more layout options available, in the inserts, too.

• There’s no 8.5 x 11 size in this year’s launch. I’m sorry for those of you who love having a big planner, but the trend in Erin Condren and other planners has been to go smaller. That’s why you see the focus on the A5 sizes and scrapping the 8.5 x 11

• The 7×9 binder lost some flexibility with layouts. Last year, you could choose several layout inserts, but now Daily is the only layout option in the 7×9 binder.

• There’s no black coil option. My fiancé’s planner is on a black coil and he loves it, so I was disappointed about this!

• No Softbound planners in this launch. But that’s OK, Softbound Planners have their own product launch later in the year! If you prefer a bound planner, just wait on that launch.

Sizes & Bindings

Binding Options: Coiled, Ring Agenda, Binder

• As I mentioned above, there are no bound planners in this LifePlanner launch. So your first decision is: Do you want a coil, a ring agenda, or a binder?

• The Erin Condren coils are legendary and sturdy. I beat mine up every year throwing my planner into purses, backpacks, suitcases (and planning, of course!) – and the coil always holds up like a dream. Since it’s the literal backbone of your planner, having a solid binding goes a long way.

• After introducing the A5 Ring Agenda product last year, I’m delighted it’s coming back for a second year. You’ll be able to buy the planner inserts separately, a change from last year.

Size Options: 7” x 9” and A5 (5.8” x 8.25”)

For my readers on the metric system, all measurements here are in inches.

• The 7” x 9” size is the standard size for the flagship Erin Condren LifePlanner. If you’re buying your first Erin Condren planner, this is the size I typically recommend. It’s smaller than a piece of notebook paper, but not so small that your handwriting gets crowded.

• I’ll just come out and say it: The lack of an 8.5” x 11” size is going to be disappointing for some, I know. However, it’s clear to me that the larger size in the LifePlanner did not sell well. I still expect the Erin Condren Teacher Planner to feature the 8.5” x 11” size.

• The 8-ring binder is only available in the 7” x 9” size. Because it’s not an 8.5” x 11” size (standard for school binders), you’ll need a special hole punch (sold separately) if you want to punch and include pages & printables.

• The A5 size is smaller (duh, Lauren!). It’s definitively smaller than the 7” x 9” planner, but in subtle ways. It’s the perfect size if you have smaller handwriting or if you take your planner with you everywhere you go. The A5 size is a little too small for my big handwriting. That’s why I’ll be using a 7” x 9” planner this year.

Themes

OK, this is where the most change comes from year to year. Cover to cover in the planner, the planner theme pops off the page and makes planning a little more joyful. Just like last year, there are 3 core themes with 1 variation. These (4) themes will be seen in nearly every product launch this year.

• Harmony (Colorful). The tagline for Harmony is “Finding peace in the perfectly imperfect.” To distill down a complicated, colorful, and playful design, the one word I’d use here is geometric. The design has layered elements and the colorful colorway is…wait for it…deeply colorful. I have the 7” x 9” vertical LifePlanner in Harmony Colorful. You’ll see how this Harmony theme pairs well with the Colorblends theme, which we’ll get to in a sec. My favorite cover in the entire collection is the Metallic Gold in Harmony Colorful–just wait til you see the gold pop off the page.

• Harmony (Neutral). Each year, Erin Condren includes a “neutral” theme that tones down one of the signature designs. Last year’s design was called Just My Type, and it’s one of my all time favorites. This year, the Neutral colorway of one of the signature designs is in Harmony, so–Harmony Neutral. I actually have this theme in the 18-month hourly LifePlanner. I always love the Neutral themes to see how the design team tones down

• Colorblends. “Highlight the beauty of everyday moments,” Erin Condren says about the Colorblends theme. Colorblends draws on the classic colors you’re used to in the Erin Condren color palette. And wow, the color really does pop off the page. Colorblends has the most visually stunning array of accessories. It is dynamic, loud, a little retro and pairs well with the other themes, especially Harmony Colorful, as you’ll notice a lot of overlap in the color palette. I have the Colorblends theme in the A5 size. You’ll see how these accessories pair naturally between the Harmony and Colorblends themes.

• In Bloom. Flowers, flowers, flowers. This is the sister design to last year’s Flora design. It’s visually appealing if you love the soft feminine touches. And the florals truly do pop off the page. Erin Condren does a wonderful job incorporating flowers into their themes.

One of the starkest changes from last year to this year came from customer feedback (I think). We wanted all of the available themes, regardless of the size of planner we choose. Just My Type was only available last year in one size; this really disappointed those of us that preferred a smaller or a larger planner. I’m super happy that once you choose your size you’ll have your choice of theme.

• One quick note here: If you opt for the 7” x 9” binder, your only available theme is the Harmony Colorful.

Layouts

Now that we have a clear idea of the sizes and the themes, our next decision is which layout to use. If you’re like “Laur, I’m with you to this point but I don’t know what you’re talking about with layouts,” I got you! Here are videos showing you how to plan in the horizontal layout, the vertical layout, and the hourly layout.

I’m a believer that having the right layout can take your planning to the next level. Does take your planning to the next level. Will take your planning to the next level. So I’ll walk you through all of the available layouts in this year’s LifePlanner launch!

To summarize, there are 5 total layouts this year: horizontal, vertical, hourly, daily, and vertical compact (pictured below)

• Each year there’s a shifting around of the available layouts. In this year’s launch, there is much better standardization. If you have a favorite layout, you can get it in any size, pretty much. This hasn’t always been the case!

  • One quick note, though: If you’re an Hourly planner, the Hourly layout is only available in the flagship 7” x 9” LifePlanner this year.

• The Daily Duo planner (Daily Layout) has become a mainstay in a few short years. It is available in both the 7” x 9” and A5 coiled sizes. And you can get the daily layout in the 7” x 9” binder as well.

• The 7” x 9” coiled LifePlanner has the same horizontal and stacked vertical layout that have been in use for years. The only visual refresh to these planners are the new themes, discussed above!

• It’s the A5 size where things really get interesting. Last year, the only available A5 coiled planner came in the horizontal layout or the Daily Duo. Vertical layout lovers, you got your wish! The Erin Condren team got feedback from this community asking for a vertical layout in the A5 size. They delivered in the form of a completely new compact vertical layout.

  • The A5 compact vertical layout is now also available in the ring agenda. And you can buy these inserts separately, too.

• Here’s a guide to show you the summary of the available sizes, themes, and planner layouts. There’s so much to choose from,

Covers & Coils

Now, it wouldn’t be an Erin Condren launch without having options for personalization. When I talk about personalization, you get choices! The choices aren’t just the layout and the theme and the size, it stems to the cover and the coil as well.

Coils

• There are three coils that are available in this launch: rose gold, gold, and platinum.

• For those of you who liked the black coil on their planner, this is no longer an option in this LifePlanner launch. We’ll see if it makes a comeback in the Focused collection launch later this year. My fingers are crossed, but we’ll see!

Covers

Where do I start? Erin Condren is famous for its interchangeable covers, which can also be personalized with your name! You just snap them off the coil and snap on a new one. It’s a great way to keep your planner fresh throughout the year.

• There are at least 18 new, distinct cover designs for this year. As you would expect, there are designs that match each of the themes–Harmony Colorful, Harmony Neutral, Colorblends, and 6 In Bloom covers with absolutely stunning florals.

• There are also gorgeous covers made out of Vegan Leather that are available with the 7” x 9” flagship coiled LifePlanner.

• My personal favorite cover, of all you can choose from, is the Leopard Print cover.

• It’s about the details. The metallic gold accents on the Harmony Colorful cover are a small detail that accentuates the cover, I love it.

Accessories & Launch Day Gifts

Accessories are equally (if not more) important to us planner people. What is a planner without your favorite pens, sticky notes, snap-in bookmarks? One of the conscious decisions the Erin Condren team made this year was to create each design theme to be complementary. If you get accessories in Colorblends, they should be able to match well with your Harmony Colorful planner.

• 97 accessories and 6 bundles, that’s what we have this year. There’s a lot to choose from, so I’ll try to simplify it for you.

• The bundles are always a great value if you’re planning to buy the LifePlanner. They include the planner, a ballpoint pen in the planner design, washi tape pack, a list pad, and snap-in bookmarks. It’s the perfect “getting started with planning” starter pack if you’re gifting this planner to yourself or to a friend.

• There are two mega accessories bundles this year in Harmony and In Bloom designs. Each includes my favorite accessory, sticky notes, among many other things.

• If you purchase on Launch Day to the general public (April 26), you’ll get the Sticky Flags set included with your purchase! for free!

• Other Accessories: As usual with any EC LifePlanner launch, there are – as I mentioned – 97 other accessories. These are generally organized based on the design theme. Note pads, list pads, snap-in dashboards, sticky notes, pen sets, interchangeable covers, washi tape, pencil cases, personalized stationery, sticker sheets, and more.