[Gadget Review] The Timer Timer (and app)

Today, after not posting for a long time, I’m back with a gadget review – a category I invented before I went off the blogging grid for a while. Today’s review will be for a tool that has become an absolute staple for me. The Time Timer.

The Time Timer. What is it?

So what is it? Basically just a simple visual timer. In the real-word version, there are different models. Mine is the original one (edit: it’s actually the MOD model). It’s battery-powered and the batteries last long enough. You can decide if you want an audio alarm or not (mechanical switch at the back). You set the time by turning the little thing at the center (mine has 60min but obviously you can just set it for less long). They sell timers for other durations too. The time left is indicated by a red colour and that’s basically all it does. It tracks time without any digital distractions or danger of looking at any apps.

My experiences and possible downsides

The only downside I’ve experienced is when you don’t have any extra batteries and once the battery opening didn’t open properly (actually really soon after I first got it but there were never any problems since). I sometimes even travel with it but wouldn’t recommend carrying it around on a daily basis to avoid getting it dirty. Once it happened to me that dirt got stuck inside the glass. It’s not hermetically sealed – there’s an opening at the thing you use to turn the red shade thingy. So maybe don’t bring it to the beach. Otherwise, it has proven to be a sturdy, dependable device that I love for time-boxing, my go-to productivity method.

Get the app to check it out first – it’s quite expensive

The only downside to the Time Timer probably is it’s price. If you aren’t in the habit of doing time-boxing yet and are just about to experiment/see if you like it, I can recommend getting the app first which is a lot cheaper and which I also use from time to time when I’m in the office or so. The downsides to that are having your phone close while working (possible distractions) and likely needing to bring a charging cable because the app really drains your battery.

You might also want to start off with a Pomodoro timer to test if time-boxing is for you. Although I don’t personally use the Pomodoro method (a special kind of time-boxing), it’s quite similar.

Why I prefer it to other alternatives

Personally, I found this timer because I had been on the lookout for a mechanical, digital-devices-free way of measuring time for time-boxing. However, kitchen timers which tend to fit my criteria visually usually tick loudly, making varying degrees of annoying noises. That doesn’t really work for me. That’s why it really was worth the money to invest in the Time Timer as it’s absolutely silent (unless you set the alarm). Standard kitchen timers are a lot cheaper than the Time Timer but they also make one hell of a racket which isn’t great for doing productive work unless you always listen to loud music.

Given that I have been using the Time Timer since 2019 now, I think the investment was worth it. It kind of feels good investing in a one-purpose, non-digital, high-quality product for a change. Makes me feel like an adult somehow 😀

Yeah, so that’s it for today. Was nice talking to you again and you can expect to hear from me more regularly in the future.

Best,

S

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