Staples makes a Better Binder
Next week, Stanford MBA students like me write midterm exams. To prepare, I spent several hours online and at the local Staples deciding what binders to buy for organizing my notes.
Criteria:
- Be a useful “backpack binder”: Each week I haul my classes syllabuses plus weekly readings to class—about 250 pages. On Sunday I swap last week’s papers for next week’s papers. This balances travelling light, being prepared, and not over thinking. This binder needs to be light, rugged, droppable, convenient, and the right size.
- Be a great "course binder”: When it’s time to study, each course gets its own binder. Some fill up 700 pages, so this binder better be strong. I review each prior to exams.
After reviewing dozens of products, I settled on the “Staples® Better™ Binder”. It features a “D-Ring” design with a straight right-side edge for storing papers. This lets you haul 25% more paper than “O-Ring” binders of the same thickness. As an added bonus, a good D-Ring puts less wear on the holes in the paper when the binder repeatedly opens and closes.
Below Left: Original 1.5” O-Ring used for backpack binder nearly overflows. Below Right: New D-Ring of same thickness holds the same papers with room to spare.
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In addition to efficiency, we should consider capacity and price. Here’s what I bought:
| Subject | Size of Ring (in inches) | Maximum Capacity (in sheets) | Price (in $ USD) | Cost per page stored ($ USD/100 sheets) |
| Backpack Binder (black) | 1.5 | 400 | 8.99 | 2.25 |
| Global Management Course Binder (orange) | 2 | 540 | 11.29 | 2.09 |
| Corporate Finance Course Binder (yellow) | 3 | 800 | 14.79 | 1.85 |
Below: Backpack binder plus two new course binders I bought for my open book midterms.
Some caveats: The top ring of most binders breaks fastest. Stapled papers stack higher and the top of a binder fills faster than the bottom. If the top ring warps and a gap appears, turning pages becomes annoying as pages fall through the gap. The Staples Better Binder features strong rings and a locking mechanism preventing annoying gaps.
Below Left: Papers at top ring higher than at bottom ring because of staples. Below right: Binder lock opens easily if you push on it, rings lock in closed position otherwise—without locking rings, when you drop a binder your papers could totally scatter.
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The matte finish of the clear front cover shows off the course reader insert I slip inside to identify its contents. Opening up the binder, clear inside pockets on both covers let you store papers you don’t have time to immediately hole punch and file in chronological order.
Moreover, rubberized joints between the hardened plastic spine and covers offer longer life than typical plastic wrapped cardboard designs. Bonus: the binder inverts conveniently.
Below Left: Cover of Global Management course binder. Below Middle: Open binder featuring convenient inside cover pocket. Below Right: Binder with cover inverted.
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Also a good sign: 73 reviewers rated the product an average of 4.6/5.0 and 97% would recommend it to a friend. Below: Review Snapshot of 1.5” Staples Better Binder at Staples.com
The review does mention cons around bulkiness, an understandable complaint as the binder adds unnecessary space above the D-Rings. Another con for me: The rubberized joints make the binder more difficult to insert in a slim backpack. Rubber grabs onto fabric, costing some extra seconds to pack up the binder.
One last neat feature to mention: The binder offers a convenient way to insert spine labels from the inside cover. Way more convenient than designs needing long skinny labels and meticulously jamming.
Below Left: Convenient way to insert spine label. Below Right: How spine label appears.
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Seriously though, who has time to create spine labels for their binders? In the crucible of higher learning that is MBA school, time is of the essence.
Good luck on midterms y’all!
