Improving the Flex by Filofax : Review


The Flex by Filofax is a great product, I genuinely love it to bits. But wouldn't it be even better if Filofax did a bespoke service and you could literally design the ultimate personalised Filofax to work for you, exactly how you want it to?  It's nice to dream ...

This is an old post and sadly Filofax don't make the Flex anymore. However, I hope that you enjoy the nostalgia of reading about the Flex. Plus, it's interesting to see how some of my wishes came true – Filofax must have been listening!


We all use our planners in different ways so you may not agree with all of my points. But these are just the little alterations and improvements that would make the Flex work better for me:
  • I know they designed the Flex to be simple and universal, but they had better start thinking of some new cover designs soon!  I mean, there are endless possibilities - it hurts my head just to think about them.  I would personally like to see something classy and feminine.  I love the lace and leopard-print on the Temperley for example, it would be nice to have some similar fabric options for the Flex – that don't cost a fortune. Real leather would be great too. (They did indeed end up making a real leather version of the Flex!)

  • The jot-pad is soooooo in the wrong place for me.  I need it at the front on the left-hand side where I can have easy access to it.  I don't want to have to search for it behind all of my notebooks, do I? There should have been slits on both the right and the left hand-side so that we can choose what works best.

  • The pen-loops are rubbish.  Mine snapped in the first week of purchasing my Flex.  I was very upset and I haven't gotten round to buying a new pen insert because my Flex originally came with a black one to match the cover, but the replacements all seem to be grey!  I don't like the grey - That's why I bought black.

  • I wish there was a zip pocket somewhere.  Just a small one for loose change, perhaps on the front or back of the binder.

  • Sometimes I wish there was a built in or attachable concertina-style pencil case on the front, you know, for a rubber and pencil sharpener, sticky notes and other loose bits and pieces.

  • I'd rather like to have the option of having a slim ring-binder insert that you could slip into one of the slots and use the Flex like a normal Filofax as well.  But I guess it would make it too bulky. A slim optional insert wouldn't hurt would it? 

  • Filofax need to work on their insert collections for both the normal Filofax and the Flex.  I think this needs a dedicated post all to itself though.

  • It needs an elastic band around it to keep everything together!  Then you could slip loose pieces of paper in between pages and not worry about them falling out when you take it out of your bag. (Little did I know that the Traveler's Notebook would steal my heart a few years down the line!)

  • Wouldn't it be cool if there was a way to slot or clip two or three Flex binders together to make an ultimate FAT one with lots and lots and lots of options!  Perhaps not very portable, but fun for an option all the same.

  • It might be nice to design a Flex with clear pockets on the front and back so that you could slip your own images, photos, paper or material in and transform the look of your Flex whenever you feel like it!  This is perhaps my most genius idea so far, and if Flex by Filofax design something like this in the future I want my cut of the profits! (Filofax did indeed end up designing something customisable like this with the Clipbooks further on down the line, however, I did not get a commission! Grrrr.)


Well, I hope you have enjoyed my little review and suggestions for the Flex by Filofax. Let me know what you think, or if you have any ideas of your own, in the comments below - I can't wait to read them. (I ALWAYS reply to comments – even new comments on old blog posts!)



See you in the next post ...








Loved it and want more?





9 comments:

  1. KateB TPS7 June 2012 at 18:15

    Very very very good ideas!!!!! I really want a (personally customised) Flex now!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LJ9 June 2012 at 05:41

    Loads of fab ideas here - you should definitely email FF :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zara M.9 June 2012 at 13:02

      Thanks! I never thought about emailing FF directly, I suppose I could, although they might think I'm completely nuts... Subscribe to Filofancy to keep updated... I might do a post shortly, if I get a response from them heehee xx

      Delete
    2. Zara M.9 June 2012 at 13:04

      Thanks! I never thought of emailing FF directly, what a good idea, I might actually do that ;) Subscribe to filofancy to keep updated, I'll be posting about any responses I get hee hee...
      xx

      Delete
  3. DEM12 June 2012 at 19:45

    I love all of these ideas as well! I'm about to buy a Flex (thanks to you!) and especially love your last idea of having a transparent sleeve-type cover. I've been thinking...I've seen some type of sleeve in office product stores that have an adhesive back to them...for those DIYers out there, I wonder if there are any A5 sized ones that could be stuck onto the outside of the binder. Might look a bit too DIY but just an idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zara M.13 June 2012 at 13:31

      I did wonder about self-adhesive transparent sleeves, but I don't think many people would want to deface their beautiful leather Filofaxes. Plus there could be an issue with the popper/clasp thing that holds your Filofax together if you stuck a sleeve over it.

      It could be fun to experiment with a cheaper version though, and I'm sure its possible to cut out a gap for the fastener. I'm not too keen on the Apex for instance, but it would be a perfect DIY experimental Filofax.

      You never know, you could end up loving it even more than your expensive ones. Sometimes it's the things you put time and effort into that hold a special place in your heart.

      Here's a link to a site selling A5 sticky sleeves if anyone is feeling daring...

      http://www.plasticsfabrication.co.uk/pages/stock_items/clear_pockets.php

      And don't forget to send me any pics to publish on the blog! It would be VERY interesting to see these crazy ideas of ours in action.
      filofancy@gmail.com
      x

      Delete
  4. Cheryl15 July 2012 at 23:30

    Great ideas! I don't have a Flex but it's on my wish list. It would not replace my personal Filofax; I would use it as a notebook/journal and home for a future Kindle! The ring insert is also a good idea. Franklin Covey used to make a slim ring insert for their wire bound planner covers. I used to have one but alas got rid of it with the cover a few years back. Regretting that big time now. Not sure if it would fit in the Flex but I think it may have. As for an elastic band...seems like that would be easy for them to do (like the Domino). Always wondered why they just didn't attach a snap closure for the flex like you find on the ring binders? You can buy elastic bands from office supply but it would be a pain to have to take it off and set it somewhere whenever you opened the binder and mine would be lost the first time I used it! It really needs to be attached to the back of the Flex cover. Definitely send those ideas to Filofax!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zara M.26 July 2012 at 20:38

      Hello Cheryl,

      Thanks for your comments :) I bought another Flex recently - a Slim Magenta - its very cute, I'll be posting about it soon, so subscribe to the blog if you haven't already and keep updated!

      x

      Delete

Thanks for your comments and getting involved! :)

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Never Miss A Post...