Tested: Grovemade’s desktop Note-Taking bundle is utterly gorgeous, but is it useful?

Grovemade introduced its latest collection of desk accessories in mid July, and we have been testing it out ever since. This time around it is offering customers the new Display Rail for perching up notes, smartphones, and the new Notebook that also debuted in the bundle. A small Vertical Organizer is also making its debut with the Note-Taking Kit to organize paperwork and things of that nature. All of it, as anyone who knows the brand will have guessed, is beautifully crafted from natural and premium materials, but is it actually useful? Dive into our hands-on review as part of our ongoing Tested with 9to5Toys series below to find out. 

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Hands-on with Grovemade’s new desk accessories – Note-Taking kit

As you’ll know from our launch coverage, the Grovemade Note-Taking Kit is its latest desk accessory bundle consisting of the Display Rail, Notebook, and Vertical Organizer. 

And as you’ll know from our coverage of the rest of the Grovemade lineup, the brand is once again employing premium and natural materials to deliver a gorgeous piece of kit here. The wood, available in your choice of oak, walnut or maple, is hand-sanded and finished in vegetable oil, each piece features a natural cork bottom for a soft landing wherever it might sit, there is German Merino wool felt on the Display Rail, and you’ll find a thick slab of ceramic-coated aluminum to steady the Notebook. It is through and through a wonderfully-made set of desk gear. 

You can buy the pieces individually, but the bundle is still seeing a launch discount at $270, down from the usual $300. 

Here’s a closer look at the specs:

• Hand sanded and finished with vegetable-based oil.
• American Black Walnut, Eastern Hardrock Maple, White Oak
• Display Rail: Stainless Steel, German Merino Wool Felt
• Vertical Organizer: Brushed 5052 Aluminum, Natural Cork Foot
• Small Notepad: 70# text dot grid paper, Ceramic coated Aluminum, Natural Cork Foot

9to5Toys’ Take

Grovemade has long been creating gorgeous, well-made desk accessories to elevate your work from home experience and just to add a touch of finesse and beauty to your desktop. Real wood treatments accented with cork, leather, metal, and wool are the hallmark of the brand, and it continues with its new Note-Taking Kit. 

There’s no denying the design prowess and craftsmanship here, it’s simply top notch for me. The finishings, use of materials, and overall aesthetics are all absolutely gorgeous.

The question really is, at least for the Note-Taking Kit, how useful is it really?

First up, the Display Rail. With the popularity of smartphone and tablet stands, not to mention the sheer number of options out there, where does a pricey artisan model with no power capabilities really fit in? The stand rail here doesn’t feature any charging action, and it’s far more expensive than the basic metal stands you’ll find on Amazon to perch up your devices. Grovemade likes to present the stand with its metal-backed notebook resting on it, so that’s an option. And perhaps some folks would rather have their handsets on something of this quality while at the desktop. But it still feels a niche proposition to me – there are other gorgeous wood and metal solutions you can string an Apple MagSafe charger through, presenting an arguably as premium option that leaves your phone in view and charges it at the same time. 

I think where the new Grovemade Display Rail really shines is in its form-factor and its place in the brand’s larger ecosystem of accessories. It can carry more than a few different items all at once neatly lined up in a row, looks great doing it, and will match beautifully with much of the brand’s other gear. It really comes down to personal taste and necessity here – to charge or not to charge – but it is certainly a pricey proposition for something that can’t keep your smartphone juiced up. Perhaps those with a larger desktop space might find use for the stand with a separate phone charging stand elsewhere, I’m just not one of them. 

The same goes for the Notepad and Vertical Organizer, but to a much lesser degree for me. I still use good old notebooks and paper all the time, and this one is fantastic. A thick rock solid ceramic-coasted metal base with a nice cork backing make for both a pretty and enjoyable base to jot notes down on and the protrusion along the top to hold the paper in is a nice design touch. It is a joy to use and look at, but it does use a proprietary paper size/system – you’ll need to purchase refills directly from Grovemade when the time comes – and not everybody takes handwritten notes these days. But if you do, and you can appreciate the finer things, this one is brilliant.

The Vertical Organizer is again something not everyone needs – another beautiful piece of design that is particularly well-made you might not really require. Unlike the Notebook I will be using on a regular basis, I’m not really sure what to put in the rack outside of some loose papers I need at the ready and another thinner notebook perhaps. It’s fantastic in every way if you’re going to use it, I’m just not sure I need it taking up space on my desk.

In the end, Grovemade is offering up another gorgeous set of desk accessories here. Beautiful design and craftsmanship – a real sight to behold on just about any workstation – but it might not be worth the cash unless you’re certain it will be put it to good use.

Buy the Grovemade Note-Taking Kit

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