Infinitebook Review

Write, erase and write again. Over and over again. This is Infinitebook’s premise and it sounds great, especially if you’re a heavy writer trying to live a low waste life. But is it as good as it seems? How eco-friendly it actually is?

I’ve had my eye on the Infinitebook for months. The concept sounded really good: write, scan what you need, erase and write again. But it wasn’t an immediate decision, for two reasons: I had to order it online (which it’s something I am trying to avoid these days), and it wasn’t exactly cheap (over 20 euros for a notebook).

Even though this is one of those purchases that can be considered an investment in the long run because you can save money as much as you use it. However, it can only be considered an investment if it meets your needs and expectations.

Here’s my experience using the Infinitebook on a daily basis for two months.

Why I’ve decided to purchase it?

I’ve got a new job and I needed a new notebook. The problem? I handwrite a lot, and I’ve realized (quite recently) that I rarely go back to my work notes. Especially because most of these are dated briefings, to-do lists, and copywriting exercises. 

Nothing important for times to come.

So the idea of having a notebook where I could write whatever I needed, snap a pic of the most important info (notes from important meetings, best practices, etc.), erase what I no longer needed, and keep writing… sounded amazing.

Out of all the models available, I’ve decided to purchase the Infinitebook A5 Mix. Besides de A5 format, this one had more sheets and a few separators (that could come in handy).

My experience using it

If you follow me on Instagram, there’s a chance you’ve read my posts about this purchase and how focused I am on trying to reduce paper waste.

The Infinitebook per se is quite light, easy to use, and to carry anywhere. The pen that comes with it has a small eraser tip, which is great to erase whatever you need on the go. Like a typo or to make your notes more clear.

What about the writing experience? Well, it feels a bit like writing on a whiteboard and ink can transfer every now and then (make sure you don’t have anything white or sensitive nearby). On the other hand, I was really pleased to see my recycle bin empty.

Have I snapped many pages? Actually, I didn’t have to. Just as I initially thought, most of my notes were time-sensitive and could be erased as soon as the project was delivered.

How fast have I run out of clean pages? In my case, I ran out of clean pages pretty fast. But as I mentioned before, But as I mentioned before, I handwrite a lot… as it helps me a lot in my creative process. Making me an intensive user, instead of a standard one.

My experience cleaning it

 Well, this is where things go sour.

Even though there’s an Infinitebook Cleaning Kit, I wasn’t available at the physical store where my Infinitebook was purchased. So I had to improvise a little bit when I ran out of clean pages. 

First full cleanse: I used the erasing tip for it, as I had no other option. Even though it erased the pages, the tip ended up destroyed by the end of the process. So, not definitely a good idea.

Second full cleanse: It was a bit of a disaster here. The ink didn’t come out by rubbing a tissue or adding some water. So I had to look up alternatives.

I was finally able to remove the ink using alcohol and organic cotton. To bring the pages back to their whiteness (there were some smudges), I used glass cleaner and recycled paper kitchen towels.

This cleaning process required a lot of resources and ended up in a lot of waste. Which is exactly the opposite of what I wanted. Also, it made me run out of things I had in my cupboard for years now. Like the alcohol, the glass cleaner, and the organic cotton.

After this experience, I knew it was time to do some online shopping and invest in that cleaning kit.

Third full cleanse: I was really excited about this one.

I bought Infintebook’s Cleaning Kit online. This small (and cute) kit comes with a spray bottle, a magic sponge, and a microfibre cloth. The spray bottle doesn’t bring any special liquid. You just need to fill it with water. 

According to the instructions, fresh ink (less than a week) comes out with water and the microfibre cloth. While dry ink (more than a week), requires using water and the magic sponge, followed by the cloth.

How did it turn out? Not that well. The ink didn’t fully come out with water. It just faded and smudged my notes. No matter if these had fresh or dry ink on them.

Instead of alcohol, I used an eco-friendly nail polish remover. It worked to perfection, along with the magic sponge (it’s just a regular white sponge, there’s nothing magic about it).

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about the microfibre cloth. It worked well for a couple of pages, but once it got drenched… I could no longer use it. As I had no other similar cloth around, I had to use paper towels once again. Which ended up in a lot of unnecessary waste.

My overall experience

While I was quite pleased with my Infinitebook for the first month, the cleaning process (especially the third one) was the endgame for me.

Even though it allowed me to reduce paper, it actually made me waste more resources (and money) than I would with a standard notebook.

This experience made me turn to my iPad mini (and pencil) on a daily basis. As I can write whatever I want, erase and re-arrange the content, without using any further resources than charging it when needed.

What about my Infinitebook? What am I going to do with it? Well, I’ll keep it for when I have in-person meetings at work… for now. But I am already dreading the cleaning process, just by thinking about it.

Would I recommend it? Unfortunately, no. Not only does it feel natural writing on it, but the cleaning process is also long (if you have to clean all the sheets) and will make you waste extra resources.

If you handwrite a lot (like me) or want to reduce paper (notes, printable, calendars), I would recommend you a tablet instead.

Even though this is a much higher investment, it’s also more long-lasting and you can use it for plenty of things. Finding a second-hand (in mint condition) or on sale is actually easier than you might think.

Just try to get one that supports a pen/pencil. Trust me, you’ll get used to it in a heartbeat.