Staples® Clear Divider Pockets, 3-Hole Punched, 5 Set, Clear

A Well-Made, Useful Basic

I use a zippered three-ring binder (two, actually ~ one for the school year, one for summer) which I carry with me most of the time ~ sort of like a mini-file/home...Read complete review

I use a zippered three-ring binder (two, actually ~ one for the school year, one for summer) which I carry with me most of the time ~ sort of like a mini-file/home office desk in a bag ~ in which I organize a multitude of projects, notes, camp info & various registration forms, copies of the kids' immunization records, maps, lists, etc. ~ all sorts of miscellany! I am constantly putting things in & taking things out as needs & activities change ~ and I use binder pockets for most things rather than punch holes in my papers. The pockets that I use can take quite a beating ~ I'm admittedly often pretty hard on them! I use several of these pockets in the binder & always have a few extra (empty) in the back of the binder to toss things into as the need arises ~ they are very handy for holding a variety of paper items, and hold up remarkably well under the hard wear I put them through.

(I also have colored plastic binder pockets, with tabs, and pockets on both sides, from another manufacturer that I use for certain items, as well as a few sheet protectors for *permanent* items.)

But for what these are ~ a basic clear plastic binder pocket ~ they are practical & well-made: sturdy & supportive while still being thin & flexible ~ not bulky, but also not at all flimsy. I particularly like that the pocket material doesn't stick to the print of copies (as some other materials have sometimes done in the past). They hold loose papers very securely, even single sheets or small pieces of paper ~ yet papers are also easily inserted or removed without sticking.

Aside from a couple personal preferences (two-sided pockets vs. one-sided, & tabs), the only improvement I would like to see for these is that the pockets be seamed along the ring-hole edge ~ between the ring holes and where the papers are stored in the pocket ~ so that the papers in the pocket cannot rub up against the rings; but this is a problem common to all binder pockets I have ever used (except for specifically designed sheet protectors). For papers that are in the pockets for a while, it can over time cause wear to the left edge of the papers. It's not an issue for me for most things, and rarely important enough for me to even think about it ~ but if you want to be certain your papers remain pristine, and don't need to be adding or removing items from the pocket on a regular basis, sheet/document protectors would be a better choice. But for basic everyday use, and easy access, these are great.