Desk Pad Calendar or Wall Calendar? How to Choose

Both show you the month. They are used in completely different ways, and picking the wrong one is why so many calendars go unmarked after February.

A desk pad calendar is a working surface

It sits under your keyboard or notepad, so you look at it every time you sit down. Because it is within arm’s reach you actually write on it — deadlines, call times, leave days. The large formats (17 x 12 inch and up) double as a desk mat and protect the table underneath.

A wall calendar is a reference

It is read from across the room, usually by more than one person. That makes it good for a shared household or a shop counter, and poor for detail: you will not write six lines into a wall calendar square.

Practical questions

• Do you write on it? Desk pad. Tear-off sheets help — you start each month clean.
• Does anyone else need to see it? Wall.
• Is desk space tight? A 14 x 11 inch pad gives you most of the benefit without covering the whole table.

Check the date range before you buy

Many desk pads run 18 or 19 months rather than a clean January-to-December year. That is a feature if you are buying mid-year and a nuisance if you wanted a calendar year. The months covered are always printed in the listing — read them.