The Best Appointment Books 2023: Hair, Cosmetology & Barber (2024)

Every salon owner and hair stylist knows that organization is everything.

Keeping your schedule on track and your appointment book full makes all the difference between living paycheck to paycheck and six-figure life.

That’s where an appointment book comes in.

Even if you’re just starting out, you need a separate space to manage your work schedule and client appointments.

And no, we don’t mean the Notes app on your phone.

We’ve scoured the internet to find the best appointment books for hair stylists, barbers, and nail techs — according to hyper-passionate reviewers.

There’s an appointment book for every type of business: solo stylists, barbers, multi-location salons, and multi-provider spas.

Search through hundreds of fan favorite appointment books from Amazon, Walmart, or Etsy — or just take it from a stylist scheduling software. 😉

Bonus: If you’re interested in ditching pen and paper, we also included details on the best online booking software for salons.

In this article:

• Best Salon Appointment Books for Hair Stylists, According to Amazon Reviewers
• Best Appointment Book for Barbers
• Best Appointment Book for Spas and Nail Salons
• Best Online Appointment Booking App
• How to Choose the Best Appointment Book for You

Best Salon Appointment Book on Amazon, According to Reviewers

For Hour & Day Increments: At-A-Glance 2023 Weekly Planner, Quarter-Hourly Appointment Book

With 4.8/5 stars and thousands of reviews, this general appointment book is a great option on Amazon for 2023.

Behind the faux leather black cover are day-to-day appointment pages – perfect for any service provider. (And for only $24.50!)

You can also bundle it with a desk calendar or wall calendar to be doubly organized at your business.

One reviewer said: “I have used this book for years. It is easy to see and use. It makes mysalonlife much easier when booking clients.”

Another from Stephanie Hollander said: “I am a private practiceowner,and I’ve used this planner for the past 3 years. It’s the best I’ve found.”

From massage therapists to hair stylists, this appointment book holds up to any busy schedule.

For 15-Minute Increments: GoGirl Salon Appointment Book – Undated Reservation Book for Beauty Salons, Spas, Hair Stylists, Estheticians & Manicurists – Appt Booking Planner with 15-Minute Slots

If you prefer a prettier appointment book, this top-rated appointment book comes in hot pink, lavender, purple, rose gold, and turquoise.

This paper calendar book has 4.8/5 stars and is a fan favorite on Amazon. (For only $25!)

Take it from reviewer John:

“I like that I can write in my own dates and make my own schedule to book my clients. There are several pages, and it is a good quality appointment book. I will be using it for my nailsalon.”

The GoGirl Salon Appointment Book also has amazing features:

• Extra thick pages
• A rear pocket for loose pages
• Pencil and bookmark holders
• Pages for client list information (and empty pages for extra notes)
• Stickers
  

For Monthly Increments: 18-Month Planner, Monthly Planner/Calendar 2023-2024 by Artfan

With 4.7/5 stars and over 11,000 reviews, this 18-month planner boasts:

• Multiple colors for the cover: black, coral pink, turquoise, and light grey
• Tabs to separate months
• Two inner pockets for loose papers
• Password pages
• Unruled daily blocks for scheduling
• Notes columns
• Thick paper
• Reduced ink leakage between pages
• List of holidays

Reviewer Arizona said: “If you like a full-size, but minimalist planner (lightweight, as few pages as possible), then like me, this planner might be for you!

I need a quick-access visual view of my schedule. As long as you don’t need daily and weekly pages, a monthly planner is a good fit, but not always easy to find.”

Best Appointment Books for Barbers

SCALPMASTER 3 Column Barber Appointment Book

Who doesn’t love the throwback vibes of this paper planner for barbers?

Rated at 4.7/5, this book is a favorite among reviewers like Jamie: “[It’s] probably one of the best hair stylist/barber appointment books I have ever used in 16 years of doing hair. Great job!”

It also has a three-column design, so you can see the schedules of up to three barbers at once. For only $10, this appointment planner is a steal from Amazon.

Dated 12-Month Appointment Book – Etsy

With over 1,100 shop reviews and 5/5 stars, this appointment book for barbers on Etsy is an easy choice.

With different customizations to choose from, the $40 appointment planner can include:

• An optional column for Sunday appointments (or Monday-Saturday calendars if your barbershop is closed on Sundays)
• Daily and weekly income tracking
• Yearly business expenses tracking
• Option to check cash, card, check, or other payment
• 15-minute appointment increments
• List of holidays
• Protective book sleeves
• Plastic inner pocket for loose papers
• Elastic cord binding
• Name personalization on the cover

Reviewer Angel said: “I ordered my boyfriend a planner for him to keep up with his clients for our anniversary, and he LOVES it! It’s well made, easily put it in your bag or backpack, and [I] love the binder clips that came with it!10/10 recommend. 😊”

Best Appointment Book for Spas and Nail Salons

Appointment Book for Nail Technicians | Nail Salon Notebook | Mail Artist Appointment Book | Manicure and Pedicure Planner: A Daily Planner for Nail Salon Businesses by Gala Design

This appointment planner is ideal for nail salons and solo nail artists/manicurists.

It’s modern, girly, and the perfect size to keep track of all your spa appointments. This weekly appointment book includes 15-minute increments and a notes section.

This rose gold paper planner also includes client pages to store contact information and service preferences.

With 4.6/5 stars, this book comes in hard cover or paperback – depending on your preferences.

Beauticom Undated Hourly Appointment Schedule/Planner | Organizer Book for Spas, Nail Salons, and More

If you’re part of a huge nail salon, this appointment book is for you. With six (!) columns of 15-minute increments, it’s easy to track appointments, services, and providers.

A stylist in Pittsburgh reviewed this popular pick and said: “The spaces to write in are larger than the basicappointmentbooks. [I] love it!”

Best Online Appointment Book(ing)

An appointment book is great, because there are tons of options out there.

You can download and print a template from Etsy, rebrand a template on Canva, or purchase a planner from Amazon every year.

Or…

You could skip the annual expense and design headache by transitioning to online booking for your appointments.

Why switch from a pen-and-paper appointment book to online booking software?

• Your appointments are in one place, not on 100+ pages. (Plus, no paper cuts.)
• It costs about the same or less than buying a paper planner every year. For example, Schedulicity is $34.99/month. Most appointment books cost between $20-$40 per provider.
• Your entire business is in one app: client communication, client notes and information, appointment booking, payment reports, inventory tracking, and more.
• A scheduling app is great for solo providers, multiple providers, and multiple locations.

Take a look at this entire list of benefits to online booking, including automated appointment reminders and follow-ups, appointment waitlists, service waivers, and more.

“If Schedulicity is looking for a spokesperson to sing your praises, you know where to find me. In a salon of nine ladies, I’m the only one not using a paper book! They have no idea what they are missing!” —Shaina, Hair Stylist

Sign up for Schedulicity, or read more about the features you should look for in an appointment booking platform.

What is the Best Appointment Book(ing System)?

Ultimately, it comes down to picking the booking system that works best for your business.

If you have a hard time keeping track of last-minute cancellations or no-shows, an online booking platform can adjust those appointments for you.

If you rely heavily on walk-in traffic or day-of calls, a appointment book lets you make edits and changes in a few seconds.

(Just make sure you get all the info right – or don’t write in pen. 😉)

Make a list of features you need most from your scheduling system.

Then, make sure that the software you’re considering, digital calendar templates, or pen-and-paper planners, covers them all.

And don’t be afraid to experiment!

Order inexpensive appointment books, or sign up for a free trial with an online scheduler. Test it out on a less busy day and/or with some of your most loyal customers.

If you’re ready to commit to a scheduling app like Schedulicity, see how we compare to popular competitors in hair and beauty:

• What’s the Difference: Schedulicity vs Vagaro?
• What’s the Difference: Schedulicity vs Schedulista?
• What’s the Difference: Schedulicity vs Acuity?
• What’s the Difference: Schedulicity vs Booksy?
• What’s the Difference: Schedulicity vs Appointy?