SWISSELITE Puff Sand Timer, Hourglass Sand Timers, Inspired Glass for Home, Desk, Office Decor

Pro's:Hourglass arrived well packaged; an important feature for glass.Accuracy is very good, running at 30 minutes, 14 seconds -- Close enough for my purposes.It's attractive and well made. Glass does not appear to be fragile, with the thinnest spots being on the flat ends.It's quite stable on both ends and has scooted across my desk rather than tipped when gently bumped.You can stop the timer by placing it on its side. It will rock, but not roll around and doesn't need to be chocked.Sand appears to be fairly consistent in size and low in moisture content. Very little residue remains in the upper chamber when the sand runs out.The price is excellent at $9.99 with prime shipping.Uses:Whatever you desire of course. I use mine in the office for two different purposes.It's terrific for reminding me to stop and stretch every half hour or so when focused on computer work yet it doesn't break my concentration with an audible alarm.I try to conclude most office meetings within 30 minutes or so. Many people ask about the hourglass then tend to self-regulate as the sand flows. This provides a gentle way to bring meetings to a close, especially for people with disabilities or those who illustrate with stories. Some people will flip the hourglass themselves as a meeting begins which helps us both to be more respectful of each other's time.I plan to order more to help me keep track of the passing of time as I focus on home projects.Cons:None really. The attached tag was crunched and folded making it less suitable for gift giving. But at this price I'm not really concerned.

Just what I wanted to time my music practice sessions. No batteries required = no fuss. Looks great when not in use.

This is perfect. One only thing: keep it with a softer base to avoid any accident.

Is it 30 mins? Don't know but it's close enough. I use it when I have troubles focusing on a task. Flop it over and convince myself to focus for as long as it's going. 30 ish minutes later I've gotten stuff done.

Love the simplicity in design and the contrast of black sand against my white decor. I leave the "productivity/inspired" tag on it because it's exactly what I use it for and it looks decorative! I was comparing this to other hourglasses of the same price range and I went with this one because of it's wider profile, offering sturdy, wide base---no accidental falls as of yet! I know it's made of glass, but I didn't want to have to treat it so delicately. It was packaged very well and they offer free replacements if the item arrives damaged. In terms of functionality, it works as I hoped it would. I use it in place of a "pomodoro timer" when I'm trying to focus. I like that my train of thought isn't disrupted by a piercing alarm when the time runs out. Rather, I have a tangible object to look at when I need to see how much time is left and I can keep going for a little while longer if I'm in the middle of a good work flow. It also prevents me from reaching for my phone and getting distracted by it. I would definitely recommend this brand and will keep this item in mind when I want to add more decorative and functional pieces to my home.