If you've found your way to the traveler's-notebook format, you've probably already met Midori and Hinoki. Here's how MOONBOOKS actually stacks up against both.
All three brands sell some version of the same idea: a cover you keep, and paper inside you replace. But "refillable notebook" covers a wide price range, and the differences between brands aren't always obvious from product photos alone. Here's a side-by-side, using real listed pricing.
| MOONBOOKS | Midori (Traveler's Company) | Hinoki (NotebookTherapy) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship price | RM49 (Maker's A5) / RM59.90 (Wirebound, refillable) | Starter sets roughly RM250–750+ depending on edition | Bundles roughly RM385–690 (US$82–164), incl. notebook + refills |
| Refillable | Yes (Wirebound & Triobook lines) | Yes — the format's originator | Yes |
| Cover material | Vegan leather | Mostly genuine leather, some other materials | Vegan leather |
| Refill cost | RM5–8 per refill | Individual refills roughly RM55–95 each | Bundled in at purchase; standalone pricing less common |
| Engraving / personalization | Yes — laser engraving, direct & bulk | Limited | Limited |
| Corporate/bulk gifting program | Yes — dedicated program, MOQ 10 | Not offered | Not offered |
| Brand history | New (2026) | Originated the category, ~20 years in market | Established content/community brand |
| Where to buy in Malaysia | Direct, local | Imported via retailers like Kinokuniya | Imported |
On price. This is the most clear-cut difference. Midori's starter sets alone can cost more than 5–10x what a MOONBOOKS Wirebound journal costs, before you've bought a single refill. Hinoki sits in the middle — its bundles include refills upfront, which softens the gap, but it's still priced well above MOONBOOKS even before shipping and import duties on a Malaysia order. None of this makes Midori or Hinoki "bad value" — you're partly paying for genuine leather, brand heritage, or a content ecosystem. It means MOONBOOKS is the option if the system itself (cover + swappable pages) is what you want, without paying a heritage or import premium for it.
On materials. MOONBOOKS and Hinoki both use vegan leather; Midori's core lineup leans toward genuine leather, with some canvas and other material options. If avoiding animal leather matters to you, MOONBOOKS and Hinoki are the closer match — and between those two, MOONBOOKS is the one available locally without import shipping.
On the refill system. All three are genuinely refillable, so this isn't a real point of difference — Midori in particular deserves credit as the brand that popularized the format. The practical difference is ongoing cost: once you own the cover, restocking a MOONBOOKS Wirebound runs RM5–8 a refill, versus tens of ringgit per refill for an imported brand.
Where MOONBOOKS doesn't win — and that's fair to say. Midori has two decades of brand trust and is sold through established retailers like Kinokuniya. Hinoki has built a genuine content and community following. MOONBOOKS is brand-new and doesn't have either of those yet. If heritage or social proof matters most to you, that's a real point in their favor.
Where MOONBOOKS does win. Price, local availability (no import wait or customs), and a corporate-gifting program — bulk ordering with engraving — that neither Midori nor Hinoki offers at all. If you're buying for yourself and want the refillable format without the import premium, or buying in bulk for a team or clients, MOONBOOKS is built for that in a way the other two aren't.
The honest takeaway: if you want the brand with the deepest heritage, Midori is still the reference point. If you want a content-forward brand experience, Hinoki delivers that. If you want the same refillable, vegan-leather format at a third of the price, available locally, with the option to buy in bulk and engrave it — that's where MOONBOOKS fits.
Shop the Traveler's Journal Wirebound → | See our corporate gifting program →