SleeveNotes: Write Notes on Your Arm

For some reason I never trust myself to remember more than one number at a time. If I don’t write them down, I’ll usually end up going back to check my measurements several times. I try to write numbers down on the work piece or my work bench, but that’s only if I remember to put the pencil back in my hat.

I don’t know if SleeveNotes is a good solution for my problem, but it is an interesting low-tech one. It’s just a paper and pencil holder that you strap to your arm. It’s one of those products that is so simple you wonder why you didn’t think of it first.

Made in the USA by Boxwood Pro Products, SleeveNotes were originally intended for the construction trades, but now they are targeting a much wider audience — basically anybody who has to take notes.

They say one size fits all and they say it’s supposedly good for all weather, but I think they just mean you can wear it on any type of outdoor clothing, whether it be short sleeves or sweatshirt, not that it is rain proof.

When you buy a SleeveNotes, you get the holder with adjustable straps, two standard pencils, and two 3″ square notepads. They are stocked by Amazon, where you can order them for $12 shipped with Prime.

Buy Now (SleeveNotes via Amazon)

First Thoughts

I first saw the SleeveNotes as a Kickstarter project a few months ago, then I just spotted it for sale on Amazon the other day. I figured they had been successful, but no — they actually failed to reach their campaign funding goal. In fact, they only had 3 backers for a total of $129.

I find it strange that with all the videos and the market material they produced, I couldn’t find one instance of somebody using the product. It would be informative if they showed how to put the SleeveNotes on your arm or how to attach and remove the pencils for writing.

It seems like a simple enough product, but its use is far from obvious. For example, one pencil looks like it might be wrapped in the same Velcro strap used to attach the SleeveNotes to your arm, the other almost looks like the pencil has Velcro wrapped around it and just sticks to the strap.

I don’t know if this lack of demonstration hurt their Kickstarter campaign, if people just weren’t excited about something so simple, or some other reason, but it’s interesting to see a product continue forward even when some of their funding plans fall through.

It’s refreshing to see something like this in a time when everyone looks to their smartphones for everything, even something as simple as jotting down a quick measurement.