Sand timers make great accessories for the office or home. Like the name says, it's a timer that uses sand to count down. The sand is placed in an hourglass attached to a wooden, plastic, or metal handle. When you're ready to start the countdown, you simply flip the sand timer to the empty side and start your task until the bottom is completely filled up. But what should you look for when buying this timer?
Before buying just any sand timer, you have to think about what you're going to use it for. There is no correct way to use a sand timer. It can be use for anything from a cooking timer, a task timer, a study aid, to an exercise timer. That's why you have to jot down a list of things you'll be timing before buying a sand timer.
For example, if you're looking to use a sand timer for studying, it would be best to buy timers that are set for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or even 30 minutes. If you're using the sand timer for a game, you'd probably look for a sand timer that's for 1-5 minutes. Basically, the idea is to buy a timer with enough time for what you are using it for.
Sand timers come in times from 1 minute to all the way to 100 minutes. You can find all kinds of different intervals for the timers so you don't really have to worry about not being able to find the time you want. Obviously, the timers with a bigger time range will be bigger than the ones with less time counting down since more sand will be used to fill up the space.
The classic sand timer is fortified with wood. This type can come finished in cherry, auburn, or other types of wood colors. But there are timers that come in plastic, metal, to even rubber. If you're using it for décor purposes, the classic wooden sand timer will probably be the best way to spruce up your space.
But that's not all there is to it. There are all kinds of designs for these timers from different colored sands, different imprints, to different designs for the columns. The small details will make a big difference to your guests. It can also add a fun element to the space and even support other accessories/décor in the room.
Sand timers range from as low as $5 to as much as $100. How much you pay will depend on how much sand the timer is holding and the quality of the material it is made out of. If you're looking to buy it as an accessory you can buy times that are built with regular glass but if you feel small children will be using it, it's best to go with fortified glass or plastic. You should also buy many timers with different times, if you're actually buying it for task completion purposes. You'll find that you will need different time settings later on so it's often best to buy sand timer in a set.