The FPLife Lockbook Is the Diary I Wish I’d Had as a Teenager

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When I was a kid, I kept a diary. It locked with a cheap brass closure, and my brother soon figured out how to pick it. I wasn’t writing state secrets or scandalous notes, but it was a private space for me to ruminate, and it was easily violated. If I’d had an FPLife Lockbook, things would have been different.

As an adult, I still keep a journal. Although there is no longer someone trying to get inside and read my deepest and darkest secrets (not that I have many anymore), I still like the idea of privacy and knowing that my secret gripes and daily musings are secure. With the FPLife Lockbook, I can now have that.

Included in the package are the fingerprint-locked Lockbook, a long fabric wrapped no-tangle microUSB to USB cable, a rest pin, and starting instructions.

The Lockbook is available in two series, with a total of six different covers. The leather series is available in with covers in red, black, or brown, and the lace series is available with covers in black, orange, and pink. I went with red leather.

The Lockbook measures ~9.3″ tall x 7.25″ wide by 0.9″ thick. It takes 8.25″ x 5.6″ (A5) paper; While Lockbook says that the punch hole position will be their standard, the hole pattern is the same as the standard Filofax A5, so Filofax pages will fit inside the LockBook. Lockbook branded refills will also be available through Indiegogo and on Amazon after their crowdfunding campaign is over.

Other than the fact that there is a fingerprint logo with a lock on it along with a black plastic bar running down the outer edge of the Lockbook, it looks like just about any other daybook or diary.

On the outer edge of the book’s opening, there is a rigid black plastic bar with a fingerprint sensor in the middle. To open the Lockbook the first time, you simply press on the fingerprint sensor and then slide the tab down. There is slight haptic feedback as the lock recognizes your command, and if you are in a quiet room you’ll hear the vibration, too.

This video shows you how to set the lock …

Once the book is opened, you’ll see that it is very well-organized with two elastic bands on the inside cover and four card slots. The bands can hold flatter items like a wrapped cable or possibly a sideways inserted phone — although I don’t think this would be a great place to stow a phone considering you wouldn’t have quick access.

Inside the Lockbook are a red plastic divider, dot-matrix grid pages (25), lines pages (23), blank pages (26), a black plastic with various sizes and colors of sticky notes, a clear plastic zip bag for loose items with an open pocket on its front, and a second full size red divider with embossed fingerprint registration instructions. All pages measure 8.25″ x 5.6″. At the top of the book is an elastic loop for your pen.

Before using the Lockbook for the first time, you should charge it with the included microUSB cable for a couple of hours. There is no LED to let you know that it is charging or charged, so just give it a couple of hours that first time, and it should be plenty.

The paper included in the Lockbook is great to write on — it’s smooth and doesn’t bleed if you’re using a felt tip. The only thing missing is the standard date book or week on two pages that an office diary might have, but perhaps those pages will be available later on Amazon.

I’ve not charged the Lockbook since I first received it, and there has been no issue getting it to open every time I’ve tried. I think it’s safe to say that the battery will last for at least three weeks, but it might last for even longer.

I’ve tried to open a locked Lockbook, and I wasn’t able to do it (without potentially destroying anything). This means that whatever you are keeping your Lockbook is safe from all but the most persistent prying eyes. If you want to keep a private diary, or if you just want to know that if you leave your planner on your desk that your colleges won’t be able to rifle through it, then you should get an FPLife Lockbook.

The FPLife Lockbook Fingerprint Protected Notebook (with leather cover) sells for $49 (you can get an early bird Lockbook for $39, and the lace cover Lockbooks are $59); it will be available through Indiegogo with delivery around June 2017.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Available in leather or lace binders; Biometric security in the form of a fingerprint lock keeps out all but the most persistent prying eyes: Battery will last for at least a month; Well thought out interior with elastic, card holders, dividers, and a pen holder; Included reset pin will also work on phones; Accepts Filofax A5 refills

What Needs Improvement: Nothing — it works as advertised

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.