An hourglass functions similarly to a timer. It’s a tool to give you a certain interval time. However, unlike a digital timer that you are probably able to change the time interval, the time interval of hourglasses is fixed.
In addition, although it’s said 10 minutes, for example, you should never expect it as accurate as the quartz or atomic clock in serving time counting.
It contains two vertically attached glass bulbs with a small neck in the middle area. This design enables control over the movement of material (traditionally sand) from the top to the bottom bulb. Since sand is the most used material, this equipment is also called sandglass, sand timer, egg timer, or sand clock.
The interval time that the hourglass gives is given by the parameters such as the amount of the sand, sand quality, interjoin neck width, bulb shape, and bulb size. Therefore, it’s important for the bulb to be identical in terms of size and shape.
These are some beautiful hourglasses that we list from the shortest time interval (3 minutes) to the longest (30 minutes) in this article. If you are going to buy the new one, you may like to consider our top 5 picks of best hourglasses below.
Top 5 Best Hourglass Timer in 2024
The detail of 5 best hourglasses is given below:
| Products | Pictures | Time Interval | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Thorinstruments |  | 3 minutes | |
| 2. KSMA |  | 5 minutes | |
| 3. Teacher Created Resources |  | 10 minutes | |
| 4. Deco 79 |  | 15 minutes | |
| 5. Swisselite |  | 30 minutes |
1. Thorinstruments Sand Timer Hourglass + Compass (3 Minutes)
This 3-minute hourglass looks classic. It’s not only impressive but also highly functional with the compass at the top and bottom parts. Each flipping, the compass would appear at the top side. The 3 units of the pillar are useful to protect the hourglass, won’t easily fall down.
Manufactured by Thor Instruments Co, this 5-inch traditional timer matches to put in your room that presents the concept of nautical decoration. It’s also great to put in desktop, home, and office room. Elder people would love this one and this is a great option to be a gift for them.
Although it impresses you with its authentic nice looking and brass finish, it seems that this one is not so accurate in time counting. There is variation in the duration of time as claimed by many customers. If you keep resisting buying this one, you need to check out the time interval it gives right after you buy it. Repeat several times and you could know the true time interval it gives for you.
2. KSMA Colorful Sand Timer Hourglass Timer (5 Minutes)
KSMA sand timer is a simple, clean, and nice-looking hourglass that suits to put in the classroom. Its protection design allows the children to put this one safe at any place. The colored sand also attracts the children’s attention.
It comes with high borosilicate glass for the tube which is heat resistant; not easily break apart when exposed to sudden heat increase. Both the end parts are made of plastic. This part is the common part that touches the surface where the hourglass stands. Since it’s plastic, it will be safe to stand anywhere.
- The material of this product is durable PVC (the top and bottom parts) and high borosilicate glass (tube)
- Counting time is 5 minutes, with a 10% time deviation
Don’t expect an accurate time countdown from an hourglass, this traditional time counter is commonly not as accurate as the modern one. This one counts down for 5 minutes. It may be not that exact. The deviation is claimed 10%. In reality, it may be 5 minutes plus 6 seconds or 4 minutes plus 54 seconds.
Another advantage of this hourglass is to make the children do tasks more effectively and build a better sense of time. It can be used for cooking, sports, school, children’s homework, exercise. It can also be used as home office decoration, realistic scheduling aid in everyday life.
The main disadvantage of this hourglass is that sand is often stuck in the glass and does not always flow smoothly.
3. Teacher Created Resources Colored Sand Hourglass (10 Minutes)
This 10-minute count-down hourglass comes with colored sand. There are different color options available with different time countdown. The design looks protection intended which is very ideal for kids. At the bottom and top part, it’s protected with sealed plastic material. The hourglass is also protected with a plastic tube. You don’t need to worry if it falls down.
- The item’s weight is 7 ounces
- The dimensions of the product are 25 x 3.25 x 6.63 inches
- The counting time of this timer is 10 minutes
Manufactured by Teacher Created Resources OS, this hourglass allows you to put at any place without worry. Just flip the timer each time after it empties the upper part to reset for another 10-minute countdown.
All in all, this hourglass is ideal to use for teaching your kids to be time aware. It is durable and colorful. It would resist a drop due to the outer plastic part that protects the internal parts. To be specific, it’s nice to put in the bathroom for tooth brushing, keep you not brushing too long.
4. Deco 79 Store Benzara Metal/Glass Quarter Hourglass (15 Minutes)
Another authentic hourglass from the list is Deco 79 hourglass. This Deco 79 hourglass is a 15-minute nautical ship metal-and-glass sand timer which is great for your desk decoration, turning all memories back to your youth ages working for a shipowner. Manufactured by Benzara, the design of this hourglass is very stylish. Through the style, it sends us a quick message that this is not for children, older users would be likely to like the style.
- The color of this product is brass
- The dimensions of the product are 4 x 4 x 7 inches
- The weight of the item is 1.05 pounds
- No assembly is required
- No batteries are required
5. Swisselite Biloba Turquoise-Colored Hourglass (30 Minutes)
If you are searching for an hourglass that counts down for 30 minutes, we suggest picking the Swisseelite Turquoise Hourglass. It’s a nice pick for your decoration but also serve you with great functionality. This made-by Hourglass Sand Timers hourglass has a simple design, colored-sand, and crafted from borosilicate heat resistant glass.
You don’t need to worry if the glass may break because of heat. Borosilicate glass is more heat resistant than any other type of glass.Since this hourglass is made of this glass, it suits to place at any site.
- The item’s weight is quite heavy which is 8 ounces
- The product dimensions are 1 x 4.1 x 4.1 inches
- The material of the glass is high-quality borosilicate
There are a lot of options for the sand color available to choose from. If you intend to get the hourglass that counts for 30 minutes, the options that you could pick are the sand whose color of black, rose red, turquoise, white, gold, and grey. This allows you to pick the color that you love much.
Overall, the Swisselite hourglass is a great decoration option for your home, studying desk, office desk, etc. It’s also a great pick for a gift. This traditional timer would be your best friend to increase productivity. The price is also friendly. Buy from the following buying button.
Conclusion: Which Hourglass to Take
Those are some best hourglasses that we are sharing with you. They are not as accurate as the quartz clock but they don’t require a battery to run. If you give a lot of attention to increasing productivity, this tool is recommended to have on your desktop. It’s also a good idea to teach your children about time management using this simple tool.
There are several factors to consider buying an hourglass. The most important thing is the time count up that it gives. Since it’s fixed, you cannot adjust it, you have to check it out before deciding to buy. Another thing is the design. Is it safe for children? An hourglass that is not easily breaking apart when it falls down is recommended for kids.
Since the consideration may be different for each people, the best hourglass to pick for each people is also different. Hopefully, the 5 best hourglasses above help you narrow your selection. They are also listed from the shortest one 3 minutes to the longest one 30 minutes. Further, you may need a tally counter to count how many times you have turned around the hourglass.
