Notebooks & Journals
Rhodia vs Clairefontaine: The Paper Is the Same, the Book Is Not
The usual way this question gets asked assumes two rival papers. There are not two. Rhodia's notebooks are made with Clairefontaine paper, which changes what you are actually choosing between.
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The answer first
Buy the Rhodia if you want a finished book with fittings; buy the Clairefontaine if you want the same paper and would rather not pay for them. The Webnotebook publishes 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper, and so does the Clairefontaine clothbound. The difference is the elastic, the ribbon, the pocket and the cover.
The thing most comparisons miss
Rhodia's own listings name Clairefontaine as the paper. The Webnotebook publishes 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum; the spiral book publishes Clairefontaine 80 g/m2; the wirebound pad publishes Clairefontaine 80 g superfine vellum. So the question is not which paper is better - it is which book you want that paper wrapped in.
That reframing is the whole page, and it also means the usual tiebreakers do not apply. If you have read that one feathers less than the other, treat it with suspicion unless the writer names the two specific books and their published weights.
How we compared them
This site has written in neither, so the comparison runs on published specifications only, and on four questions that survive once the paper is off the table.
- What weight is in this particular book? Not every book from either brand is 90 gsm. Two of the four here publish 80 g, which is a real difference and nothing to do with the brand on the cover.
- Fittings. Elastic, ribbon, inner pocket, cover material. This is where nearly all the price difference lives.
- Whether pages come out. A pad and a spiral book are built to be torn from; a bound book is not. That decides more use cases than paper weight does.
- Ruling and format. Dot, plain, lined, A5 or A5+. Published on every one of these and worth checking before you assume.
Side by side, as published
| Book | Paper | Format | Fittings | Pages detach? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodia Webnotebook A5 | 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum | A5, dot | Leatherette cover, elastic, ribbon, inner pocket | No |
| Clairefontaine clothbound A5 | 90 gsm brushed vellum | A5, plain | Film-coated card cover, cloth spine - nothing else | No |
| Rhodia wirebound pad A5 | Clairefontaine 80 g superfine vellum | A5, dot, top-bound | Ultra-rigid back board | Yes, micro-perforated |
| Rhodia spiral A5+ | Clairefontaine 80 g/m2 | A5+, ruled, side-bound | Soft coated card cover | Yes, 160 detachable |
Quick picks
Ranked for the person doing the buying. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot 90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket. | A fountain-pen user, without qualification | $31.44 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 2 |  Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones. | 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here | $13.48 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 3 |  Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot Top-wirebound with micro-perforated sheets and a rigid back, which makes it the one on this page you can write on standing up. | A pad, not a notebook | $8.52 - View on Amazon #ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded |
| 4 |  Rhodia Spiral Notebook, A5+, Ruled A side-spiral book on 80 gsm Clairefontaine with 160 detachable pages, which is the construction to buy when the page has to leave the book. | Pages you intend to remove |
1. A fountain-pen user, without qualification
Rhodia Webnotebook A5, Dot
90 gsm Clairefontaine ivory vellum - the heaviest weight published anywhere on this site, in a book with a ribbon, an elastic and a pocket.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
90 gsm is the number to buy this for. Against 70 gsm Moleskine paper that is roughly 29 percent more paper between one page and the next, and that is where fountain-pen show-through stops being a problem.
The trade is page count. 160 pages against 251 for the Leuchtturm1917 at a similar size - heavier paper in a book of the same thickness means fewer sheets. That is physics, not a cost saving.
Ivory rather than white is a real preference axis. It is easier on the eye under a desk lamp and it flattens the contrast of a photograph, which matters if anyone is posting pages.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum10 gsm above the Leuchtturm1917 and 20 above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia A5 Webnotebook, Dot, Black |
|---|---|
| Pages | 160 (80 sheets)Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Size | A5, approximately 5.5" x 8.25"Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook - A5 |
| Fittings | Leatherette cover, inner pocket, ribbon page marker, elastic closureSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Webnotebook, A5 |
| Page numbers | Not publishedNot numbered. Rhodia does not target the indexed-journal use case. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm Clairefontaine paper, the heaviest weight published here, and the safe choice for fountain-pen ink.
- Ivory stock is comfortable under artificial light.
- Soft leatherette cover, pocket, ribbon and elastic as standard.
What it does not
- 160 pages, roughly two thirds of the Leuchtturm1917's count.
- No page numbers or contents page.
- Less recognizable as a brand than the other two, which matters in a gift.
Skip this: if the recipient keeps an indexed bullet journal. No page numbers means hand-numbering, and at 160 pages they will run out sooner than they expect.
2. 90 gsm, the heaviest weight published here
Clairefontaine Clothbound Notebook, A5, 90 gsm, Blank
Ninety gsm brushed vellum in a clothbound A5, which is heavier paper than any hardcover here and usually costs less than the 80 gsm ones.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
Ninety gsm is the number that makes this notebook interesting. On this site the heavy-paper argument usually stops at 80 gsm, and the books that publish 90 - the Rhodia Webnotebook, this one - are the two a fountain-pen user should look at first.
The finish matters as much as the weight. Clairefontaine's brushed vellum is a smooth, closed surface, which is why ink sits on top of it and dries slowly rather than sinking in and feathering. That is a genuine trade: cleaner lines, longer to dry.
What you give up is fittings, not paper. There is no ribbon, no elastic and no pocket, and the cover color arrives at random. If those things matter to the person opening it, this is the wrong book and the price gap explains itself.
| Paper weight | 90 gsm, brushed vellum finishTen grams above the Leuchtturm1917 and twenty above the Moleskine Classic.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
|---|---|
| Sheets | 96 sheets, 192 pagesSource: Goulet Pens - Clairefontaine Classic Clothbound A5 Notebook |
| Size | A5Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Ruling | Plain (blank)Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Cover | Film-coated card cover with a cloth spineThe listing states the cover color ships at random from the assorted pack.Source: Amazon listing - Clairefontaine Ref 9540C Clothbound Notebook, A5 |
| Page markers and pocket | Not publishedNo ribbon, elastic or rear pocket is listed. This is a plain book, and the hardcovers that cost more are buying you those fittings. |
What it does well
- 90 gsm published, the heaviest paper weight on this site.
- Brushed vellum surface, the reason fountain-pen ink does not feather on it.
- Costs less than most 80 gsm hardcovers.
What it does not
- No ribbon, elastic or rear pocket.
- The cover color is not chosen by the buyer - it ships at random from the assorted pack.
- Card cover, not a hard board, so it does not survive a bag the way a hardcover does.
- Blank only in this reference, which suits drawing more than lists.
Skip this: Skip this as a gift if the unwrapping matters. A random-color card-covered notebook is an excellent writing instrument and a flat present; buy it for yourself and give a journal gift set instead.
3. A pad, not a notebook
Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot
Top-wirebound with micro-perforated sheets and a rigid back, which makes it the one on this page you can write on standing up.
#ad Price as of September 27, 2026. How this is funded
A top-bound pad is a genuinely different object from a side-bound notebook and the difference is where you can use it. The rigid back means it supports itself, so it works on a knee, in a corridor or standing at a bench - which is the same reason clipboards exist.
Micro-perforation is the detail that separates a pad from a notebook with a spiral. The sheet comes away along a clean line rather than a torn edge, so a page handed to somebody else does not look ripped out.
Eighty sheets is not many, and that is correct for the format. A pad is a consumable that gets torn down and replaced, not a book you archive.
| Binding | Wirebound at the top edgeA pad rather than a book - sheets flip up and over rather than turning sideways.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
|---|---|
| Paper | Clairefontaine 80 g superfine vellumSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
| Sheets | 80, detachable and micro-perforatedSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
| Backing | Ultra rigid back boardThis is what lets it be used without a desk under it.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Wirebound Notepad, A5, Dot |
What it does well
- Rigid back means it works with no desk under it.
- Micro-perforated sheets tear off clean rather than ragged.
- Published 80 g Clairefontaine vellum, the same stock class as the brand's notebooks.
What it does not
- Eighty sheets goes quickly if you are not tearing them off.
- A top wire means your hand rests on it at the top of every page.
- Nothing holds the removed sheets - it is a pad, so filing is your problem.
Skip this: if you want to keep what you write in order. A pad is designed to be dismantled; if the notes need to stay bound and in sequence, buy a sewn or spiral notebook instead.
4. Pages you intend to remove
Rhodia Spiral Notebook, A5+, Ruled
A side-spiral book on 80 gsm Clairefontaine with 160 detachable pages, which is the construction to buy when the page has to leave the book.
Spiral binding does two things a sewn book cannot: it opens completely flat from the first page, and it folds back on itself so the book takes half the desk. On a small desk or a train table that is the whole argument.
Detachable pages are the other half. A sewn notebook punishes you for removing anything - the facing page loosens and eventually falls out. A spiral book is designed to give pages up, which is why it suits meeting notes you hand over and drafts you file.
The cost is the spiral itself. It catches on bag linings, it flattens if the book is dropped on the wire, and writing on the left-hand page means your hand rests on metal.
| Binding | Spiral, full binding, side boundOpens fully flat and folds back on itself, which no sewn hardcover does.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Spiral Notebook A5+ |
|---|---|
| Paper | Clairefontaine 80 g/m2Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Spiral Notebook A5+ |
| Pages | 160, detachableSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Spiral Notebook A5+ |
| Size | A5+Slightly larger than standard A5, which is worth knowing if it has to fit a sleeve.Source: Amazon listing - Rhodia Spiral Notebook A5+ |
| Cover | Soft, resistant coated cardSource: Amazon listing - Rhodia Spiral Notebook A5+ |
What it does well
- Opens flat from page one and folds back on itself.
- 160 detachable pages on published 80 gsm Clairefontaine stock.
- Coated card cover shrugs off desk wear better than plain card.
What it does not
- The wire snags in a bag and bends if the book is dropped on it.
- A left-handed writer rests a hand on the spiral on every right-hand page.
- A5+ rather than true A5, so sleeves and covers sized for A5 will not fit.
Skip this: if the notebook is a keepsake. Spiral bindings are working bindings - they are built to give pages up and to be replaced, not to sit on a shelf for twenty years.
What the fittings are actually worth
The Webnotebook and the clothbound publish the same paper weight, so the price gap between them buys a leatherette cover, an elastic closure, a ribbon marker and an inner pocket. Nothing else.
For a book that lives in a bag, those are worth real money - an elastic is what stops a notebook opening against everything else in there. For a book that sits on a desk, they are decoration, and the clothbound is the same writing experience for less. That is the entire decision.
Ninety grams is not automatic
The Rhodia name is widely treated as shorthand for 90 gsm, and two of the Rhodia books here publish 80 g rather than 90. That is not a downgrade - 80 g superfine vellum is excellent paper for a pad you tear from - but it is a different figure, and buying by brand rather than by number is how people end up surprised.
Check the weight on the specific book. It is published on all four of these, which is more than most of the notebook market manages. Notebooks for fountain pens ranks the whole field on exactly that number.
The formats are where they genuinely differ
Clairefontaine's clothbound is a plain sewn book: no detachable pages, no ruling on this reference, nothing to tear. Rhodia sells the same paper in a top-bound pad with a rigid back and micro-perforated sheets, and in a side-bound spiral with 160 detachable pages.
If your pages ever leave the book - handed over, filed, pinned up - that is not a preference, it is the requirement, and Clairefontaine's bound book is the wrong purchase however good the paper is. Notebooks for meetings works through that case.
Questions people actually ask
Is Rhodia the same as Clairefontaine?
They are different brands, but Rhodia's notebooks are made with Clairefontaine paper and say so on the listing. The Webnotebook publishes 90 gsm Clairefontaine brushed ivory vellum; the spiral and the pad publish Clairefontaine 80 g.
Which has better paper, Rhodia or Clairefontaine?
Neither, in the sense the question intends - it is the same mill. Compare the published weight on the specific book instead: 90 gsm in the Webnotebook and the clothbound, 80 g in the Rhodia pad and spiral.
Is the Rhodia Webnotebook worth the extra over a Clairefontaine?
Only if you want the fittings. Both publish 90 gsm; the extra buys a leatherette cover, an elastic, a ribbon and an inner pocket. For a bag that is worth it, for a desk it usually is not.
Which is better for fountain pens?
Either 90 gsm book. Both publish the heaviest weight on this site, and at that weight ordinary fountain-pen ink stops marking through the sheet.
Do Rhodia or Clairefontaine notebooks have page numbers?
Not on any book compared here - neither brand publishes page numbering or a contents page. The LEUCHTTURM1917 is the notebook that does.