Rocketbook Wave is an ingenious notebook that is not only cloud connected, but also reusable! As a writer, this peaked my interest from the moment I saw it and I even covered the Rocketbook Wave campaign on one of our Rapidly Funded Kickstarter lists (you can check it out here).
The Kickstarter campaign for Rocketbook Wave raised $574,699 from 10,922 backers when it closed in April 2016.
I finally got to try this notebook out recently and let me tell you, it’s cool.
Rocketbook Wave Features
- Sturdy notebook with 80 thick pages
- Comes in two sizes (Standard: 5 in x 9.5 in and Executive: 6 in x 8.9 in)
- Dot grid pattern makes it easy to write and draw
- Dark border makes scanning the page easy
- QR code helps you keep track of page order no matter what order you scan them in
- Uses Pilot FriXion pens, comes with one but you can buy in stores and on the Rocketbook website
- Bottom of pages show 7 icons that you can assign to different cloud services
How it Works
Rocketbook Wave is a notebook that you can microwave to erase and reuse up to five times. All you need to do is write your notes with Pilot’s FriXion pens (which are erasable pens to begin with) and you can use this notebook again and again!
These days, a lot of our work is done on the computer, but some people still like the convenience and feel of pen and paper. Unfortunately, pen and paper isn’t the most environmentally friendly option out there when we are constantly filling up books, throwing them out, and buying more.
Rocketbook Wave presents a real solution to this problem by bridging the gap between pen, paper, environmental concerns, and technology. With the Rocketbook Wave notebook and smartphone app, you can finally take your pen and paper notes, scan them to your favorite cloud services, and erase the notebook to use it again!
Each Rocketbook page has seven small icons on the bottom. Using the Rocketbook app, you can easily assign each of these icons to a cloud service, so you can send notes to your accounts on:
- Box
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Evernote
- iCloud
- OneNote
- Slack
The bottom right-hand corner of each page also features a QR code that helps you keep track of the order of your pages, even if you scan them out of order. This makes Rocketbook a great resource for sharing information with team members or uploading notes on-the-go to come back to later.
Microwaving Your Rocketbook Wave
One of the things that makes Rocketbook Wave so unique is that when you’re done with it, you get to microwave your notebook to erase it! The Rocketbook website gives specific instructions on how to do this safely and effectively.
First, you need to make sure that your Rocketbook Wave can fit into your microwave and spin without hitting the sides and getting stuck. Next, you fill a mug to ¾ and place it on the circle on the front of the notebook. Making sure there is water in the cup is important for protecting both your book and your microwave.
Next, turn on the microwave and look in every 30 seconds until your logo goes from dark to light, then you know it’s ready. Turn it around and do the same thing on the other side! You may notice that there may be a slight indentation from where your writing was, but as long as you use the right pens the writing will disappear.
My Review
I think that the concept of the Rocketbook Wave is great. It’s a useful and inventive spin on the regular notebooks that we’re all used to.
My favorite things about it: I love the page layout, design, and the overall look of the Rocketbook Wave. I also love how easy it is to program in the different services where you want your notes to be sent when you upload them, and how easy it is to scan and send the pages once you’re finished.
The Rocketbook app, available on Android and iPhone, scans the pages automatically once you line up the frame right and your notes come out very clearly (one little thing that I noticed is that the notes turn out way better when they aren’t scanned in sunlight).
My biggest issues: I’m not a huge fan of the FriXion pens. As a writer, I’m pretty picky when it comes to pens and these aren’t my favorite to write with. They’re a little bit messy and run out of ink pretty quickly, but unfortunately, the special ink means that these are the only pens that you can use.
It didn’t take me very long before I used a different pen without thinking. This is something that you really need to keep in mind if you only have one FriXion pen and want to be able to erase your notebook later.
I also didn’t measure my microwave before receiving my order. When I went to erase it there was not enough space for the notebook to spin properly. If I want to erase my Rocketbook I need to buy a bigger microwave or find someone who has a bigger microwave that I can use. This is definitely something future customers should keep in mind before placing their order.
Conclusion
Overall, Rocketbook Wave is a really cool notebook that can be used to quickly and easily transfer written notes to your favorite cloud services and help save the environment by reusing the same notebook several times instead of just once and throwing it away.
The team has come out with several products since they launched in 2015, including Rocketbook Everlast, a new notebook that is endlessly reusable and erases using water! The Kickstarter campaign for this new notebook raised over $1.8 million in January 2017. They also announced that they will be launching a new notebook soon, so if you’re a fan you have something to look forward to!
Rocketbook’s Founder, Joe Lemay, is a great example of someone who saw something that could be improved and made it happen by using crowdfunding. He tested the idea and gauge interest from a community of people who enjoy backing creative projects and the response was HUGE.
It will be interesting to see what other features Rocketbook includes in future notebooks.
Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!
