How many of you have shopped on Temu? My wife and I decided to give it a try earlier this year to see what it was all about, and more importantly, to evaluate the products themselves. After all, “cheap” often means “low quality,” right?

Surprisingly, most of what we’ve purchased from Temu so far has been quite good. Of course, there have been a few items where the low price reflected the quality, but overall, we’ve been genuinely impressed. For example, I’ve picked up a couple of t-shirts, and the material is surprisingly good quality, and they fit nicely. My wife has bought even more clothing from them and has been consistently happy with her purchases.

Now, you might be thinking, “Lee, this is Ink, Paper & Pixels, not a fashion blog!” You’re right, and I just wanted to set the stage by showing you the general quality you can find on Temu. Who doesn’t love a good bargain, especially when the quality holds up?

But don’t worry, I’m getting to the stationery!

This is where it gets relevant to our shared interests. In my most recent order, I finally purchased a leather journal cover. This cover can hold an A6-size notebook, a pen, and has various pockets for cards and other small essentials. I’ve been eyeing something like this for ages, but high-quality leather covers can be quite expensive, and cheaper options often turn out to be lower quality or made of PU leather.

This one, however, is real cowhide leather and has a pleasing, substantial thickness. I honestly didn’t expect much for the price I paid – just £11.80 – but I’m incredibly impressed. I plan to pair it with my Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel pen and a trusty notebook for jotting down notes and ideas on the go.

Also in that order, I snagged 12 A6 journals with a charming “National Parks” theme. They immediately reminded me of the Field Notes brand, which offers a similar aesthetic. I was fortunate enough to get these notebooks as a free gift from a selection of items on Temu, but they typically retail for around £7-8.

All 12 journals feature stitched spines, and the quality is remarkably good. While they might not be exactly on par with Field Notes, consider that Field Notes journals typically sell for £15.99 for just three! So, getting 12 for free (or even for £7-8) is an excellent deal.

I’ve already slipped the Everglades cover — a park I was lucky enough to visit in my late teens — into my new leather journal case.

Beyond the main stationery items, I also picked up some stickers for journals and a few for my laptop. As a collector of pin badges, I was excited to find some X-Files themed ones on Temu, which are now a welcome addition to my collection!

Correction, the sticker of the black cat with the red bow is from Choosing Keeping.

The Fantastic Mr Fox sticker was bigger than I realised and so I stuck it to the bottom of my laptop…I know, “What the cuss!”, perhaps not the best place but I had no where else to stick it!  Please don’t judge.

The Stay On Target is obviously a reference to Star Wars: A New Hope.  But I have stuck this to the laptop rest to remind me to keep focused!

In a previous Temu order, I also purchased a fountain pen for just £3.61. It’s a Jinhao brand pen in a lovely cloudy blue colour and even comes with an ink converter. Despite being made of plastic, it’s a surprisingly smooth writer with a fine nib.

That same order included a leather pen/pencil case, spacious enough for about three pens. Again, the leather is beautiful, and the quality is excellent.

Overall, I truly believe you can find some great quality items on Temu, especially when you consider the price. While it’s true that some products might be “you get what you pay for,” we’ve found those instances to be rare since we started shopping there.

Have you had any experiences shopping on Temu? What are your thoughts on their products, especially for your creative pursuits? Share in the comments below!