A scientific experiment is a crucial process and having a trusty scientific notebook for your Life Science classes is essential to document the detailed development of your experiments.
If you’re looking for great birthday presents or a Christmas gift to give to a science student, we searched for the best lab notebook that can serve as your special gift!
OUR #1 RATED
Student Lab Notebook: 100 Spiral Bound
- Durable binding material
- Easy to tear copy page
- Aesthetically designed cover
- Page protection from bleed
- Chronologically numbered
OUR #2 RATED
Barbakem Scientific Lab Notebook
- Affordable price
- Aesthetically designed cover
- Clearer pages
- With graph paper for illustrations
OUR #3 RATED
BookFactory Student Lab Notebook (Scientific Grid Format)
- Easy to determine contents
- Easy to disassemble
- High-quality pages
- Has an optional copy page
- Worth the price
Table of Contents
Top 10 Lab Notebooks of 2023
1. Student Lab Notebook: 100 Spiral Bound
A lab notebook serves as a permanent record for experiments and a reference for scientists for continuous study [1].
While a regular notebook can be used for taking down notes, the Student Lab Notebook offers notable features that can effectively protect scientific documentation.
This scientific notebook has a laminated front and back cover or archival quality, 100 carbonless pages with perforated copy pages, chronologically numbered, and a premium thick paper.
It also has a foldable back cover to prevent bleeding between pages and scientific reference information.
PROS
- Durable binding material
- Easy to tear copy page
- Aesthetically designed cover
- Page protection from bleed
- Chronologically numbered
CONS
- Highly-priced
- Hard to disassemble
2. Barbakem Scientific Lab Notebook
This lab notebook is the most recommended to use by ChemistryHall.com, offering almost all the standard features that you can look for.
It contains 100 carbonless pages with a perforated copy page and is consecutively numbered while the top page remains.
For clarity, it measures 11 x 9 x 1 inch with ¼ inch graph paper, white top, and copy page.
Also, it has a spiral-bound laminated front and back cover with scientific reference information.
PROS
- Affordable price
- Aesthetically designed cover
- Clearer pages
- With graph paper for illustrations
CONS
- Hard to disassemble
- Top page note perforated
3. BookFactory Student Lab Notebook (Scientific Grid Format)
Scientific research won’t be verified true without keeping good records or proving how the outcome was obtained [2].
Thus, we recommend this notebook that is produced using acid-free paper!
BookFactory features a durable translucent cover with Wire O Bind, and the book lies flat when opened!
It measures 8.5 x 11 inches with ¼ inches grid format and can be with or without a copy page.
Also, it has an acid-free paper of archival quality and comes with a “Notebook Guidelines” page and a “User Data” page.
PROS
- Easy to determine contents
- Easy to disassemble
- High-quality pages
- Has an optional copy page
- Worth the price
CONS
- Cover is not ideal for storing
- Pages may fall out
4. Rediform National Engineering and Science Notebook
An ideal Chemistry lab notebook, the Rediform National features a simple yet academically designed gray cover.
It has a College Ruling with margin-facing pages and 10 x 10 quad ruling on the back pages.
It measures 11 x 8.5 inches, has 60 sheets, 120 pages, spiral-bound, with white paper and a blue ruling.
This notebook is recommended as a scientific notebook and is perfect even for Engineering students to make design mock-ups easier.
PROS
- Makes diagrams easy
- Clearer pages
- With standardized features
- Flexible usage
- Neat cover
CONS
- Without carbon copies
- Not tamper-evident
5. Book Factory Biology Lab Notebook
Another recommended Science notebook features a durable translucent cover and Biology-related design and is proudly produced by BookFactory – a Veteran-owned firm in Ohio, USA.
It measures 8.5 x 11 inches and has ¼ inch grid format with Wire O binding, so the book lies flat when opened.
In addition, it is available with or without a carbonless duplicate, has a perforated copy page containing a “Duplicate” watermark, and has fully formatted and numbered pages.
PROS
- Varying count of pages
- Easy to disassemble
- With watermark on copy page
- Grid lines blend with diagrams
- Aesthetically designed cover
CONS
- Grid paper sheets
- Pages may fall out
6. iScholar Composition Book
The iScholar Composition Book features a black marble cover, and its firm binding ensures pages have a tight band and is ideal even as an Engineering notebook.
It has a thick and heavy board back cover, with bright white and durable sewn pages.
It measures 9.75 x 7.5 inches in 5 x 5 graph ruling to easily draw any illustrations and contains 100 sheets per book.
Moreover, its inside covers contain a class schedule, contact list, multiplication table, and conversion tables.
PROS
- Affordable price
- With added helpful information
- Aesthetically designed cover
- Handy size
- Easy to draw illustrations
CONS
- Smaller page dimensions
- Cannot be disassembled
7. Organic Chemistry Notebook by Hayden – McNeil
While most laboratory notebooks on this list almost offer the same features, this product has an Organic Chemistry cover design and is ideal for related professions. It has a laminated front and back cover containing the latest periodic table.
This lab notebook has 100 carbonless duplicate sets and a foldable back cover to prevent bleeding from the wettest fountain pen inks.
Furthermore, the cover has reference information, including Mass Spectral Interpretation Guide, abbreviations, solvents, and acidity-related equations.
PROS
- Aesthetically design cover
- Easy to draw an illustration
- Worth the price
- Contains latest periodic table
- Contains basic chemistry information
CONS
- Hard to disassemble
- Perforated top page
8. Scientific Notebook Company Research Laboratory Notebook
This lab notebook is ideal for long storage, offering a company flush trimmed cover with Smyth sewn pages.
It has a black imitation leather cover and can be used as a research notebook with an issuance page, an instruction page, and table of contents pages.
Its page dimensions are 9.25 x 11.5 inches, containing 192 pages with a ¼ grid and signature blocks.
Also, this laboratory notebook is available in red, burgundy, green, matte black, and blue imitation leather cover.
PROS
- Sturdy hard cover
- Professionally bound
- Contains signature blocks
- Has instruction page and table of contents pages
- Color variations
CONS
- Without numbered pages
- Cannot be disassembled
9. BookFactory Lab Notebook/Laboratory Notebook
This professional-grade laboratory notebook comes in hardbound with a black and burgundy imitation leather cover.
It has foil stamped borders and lettering and is FSC Certified.
This notebook measures 8 x 10 inches with a ¼ inches grid format, and BookFactory stated that they proudly produce this product from Ohio, USA.
Also, it contains a User Data page and Documentation Guidelines page.
PROS
- Durable hardcover journal
- Worth the price
- Proudly produced in the USA
- Varying count of pages
- Archival quality acid-free paper
CONS
- Without issuance page
- Cannot be disassembled
10. Book Factory Scientific Lab Notebook
This laboratory notebook is also proudly produced by BookFactory in Ohio, USA.
It is Smyth sewn, so the book lies flat when opened.
It is also tamper-evident with archival quality acid-free paper and an imitation leather cover in black, blue, red, burgundy, and green.
It measures 8 ⅞ x 11 ¼ inches with a ¼ inches grid format and is a hardbound book durably coated to protect its contents page.
PROS
- Durable hardbound book
- Quality paper
- Contains documentation guidelines page
- Professionally designed
- Numbered permanent record
CONS
- Heavyweight
- Cannot be disassembled
Buying Guide
Number of Pages
One of the top things to consider when buying a lab notebook is its purpose. In short, the number of pages that it contains, both top and copy page, should cover the entire activity or experiment to be conducted.
For instance, if you’re conducting basic research, you may opt to use 60 to 100 pages. For longer studies, you can go for 240 to 312 pages.
Paper Quality
Considering that experiments or research can be mind-boggling, jotting down notes or creating tables can be time-consuming. So when choosing a laboratory notebook, make sure to buy the one with the best quality and longer lifespan, and if you can, opt for those offering acid-free archival paper that can last from 20 up to 1000 years.
Size
Choosing the ideal size of a laboratory notebook also matters. Most brands offer a standard size of 8.5 x 11 inches, similar to the dimension of a short bond paper. However, other manufacturers offer a bit smaller or larger size.
Thus, it depends on the user whether to go for the size standard or opt for a smaller or larger notebook, as the decision relies on their preferences.
Durability
A lab notebook can be used for different purposes like applying for funding from an organization, as a reference for questions about an experiment, and for other researchers to study [3]. Thus, it should be built with durable materials from the outer cover to the page binding to ensure that the documents can last for years and serve their purpose.
With or Without Hardcover?
Another important thing to consider before purchasing a lab notebook is whether to use a softbound or a hardcover. Although others prefer to use the one without hardcover, it is ideal to purchase a hardbound book if you’re planning to store it for the years to come. Take note that hardcovers protect the pages, thereby extending the lifespan of a notebook.
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With or Without Pocket & Pen Holder?
In terms of convenience, a pocket and pen holder are ideal if you’re constantly moving during an experiment or research. It helps keep things organized and handy as you can have everything in the notebook related to the specific experiment.
However, continuous use of the pocket may cause further damage to the cover. Thus, if you’re looking to store the notebook, you may opt for a laboratory notebook without a pocket and pen holder.
Refillable
Conducting research and experiments is quite unpredictable, especially if you’re studying new findings or developing ideas. That’s why it is ideal to use refillable laboratory notebooks to ensure that you can document everything, especially if any changes occur or new hypotheses are made.
In addition, a refillable notebook can help organize in one place all the relevant information regarding your experiment.
Aesthetic
Yes, an electronic laboratory notebook should be handy and nice; nothing beats having a well-designed lab notebook in your hand. It is best to go for lab books that suit your both your taste and needs.
There are varying design covers, like a fully laminated or clear cover or a hardbound with patterns and different colors. Furthermore, it is ideal for legal and storing purposes to have a laboratory notebook that looks professionally bound.
Leaf Format
The leaf format is important in a laboratory notebook. It should be numbered to organize the documents perfectly and have scientific grid format page dimensions for creating graphs or other illustrations.
For instance, if your purpose is to jot down notes, one with a college ruling is recommended. Meanwhile, grid ruling is ideal for making illustrations in Organic Chemistry. It is best to go for a scientific notebook that has both formats.
Price
The price matters when buying a laboratory notebook. Since different brands and products offer varying features, the price will differ.
However, the price should match the features that the lab books offer. It usually ranges from around $5 to $25, and anything beyond that may be too expensive, especially if it also has the same features as the others.
A spiral-bound one is pricier than sewn pages as you can refill them, saving you more money than buying another scientific notebook.
FAQS
Since laboratory notebooks are produced for documentation of experiments and the like, it is mostly utilized by scientists, researchers, chemistry students, math students, and lab assistants. It helps them keep track of their work, promotes note-taking efficiency, and is tamper-evident as it contains numbered pages.
Yes, lab notebooks are legal documents that serve as a permanent record of a research or experiment’s work development and outcome. It can be used for legal purposes such as patent filing and protection, copyright claims, and evidence for formal investigation due to scientific delinquency [4].
And the #1 Lab Notebook is...
While having an electronic lab notebook may seem ideal, having the standard lab notebook with an elastic pen loop is cheaper and more reliable than an electronic notebook. After hours of research and testing, we came to the conclusion that the Student Lab Notebook is the best laboratory notebook in the market!
Our team considered it one of the best laboratory notebooks as it contains pollution-free carbonless pages without extra carbon paper. Although it does not have a user data page, it is ideal for group or solo research and has page protection from most pens.
Whether you’re looking to use it for your Math class or as a duplicate laboratory notebook, this brand would definitely provide you with value for your money!
Thank you for reading this far! I hope that the information provided in this article will be helpful to you.
OUR # 1 Recommendation
Student Lab Notebook: 100 Spiral Bound
- General lab reference information
- Documentation guidelines page
- Latest periodic table
- Paper protection from ink bleeds
- Has a table of contents page
