Hourglass Sand Timer - 30 Minute White Sand, 5.5 inch

I have a thing for sand timers. Don't know why. This is my favorite of my entire collection of six sand timers. Why? Because it is so simple and elegant. Yes, its true that because this does not have a "case" of 3 protective bars around it, it is more likely to get broken. I'm willing to risk it anyway.I do suggest you get this instead of the  G.W. Schleidt ATC19/W Sand Timer Glass White Sand 8-Inch , because this timer has a wider base. I had a similar timer to the Schleidt, and it was wobbly. Eventually that one did break.This is a 30 minute timer. Don't expect it to be accurate down to the second... I timed mine once and it came in at about 29 minutes. Not perfect, but close enough.

I have another 30-min. timer which is much larger, so I assumed you need a fair amount of sand to flow for 30 minutes. This one is small and makes the sand last 30 minutes by decreasing the flow rate through a very small opening. The problem is, that causes stoppages. Sometimes sand clogs the small opening. The white sand is difficult to see and so there is no obvious visual cue that it has stopped flowing. So it's not useful for anything other than a desk toy (way too fragile for a children's toy, given it's just bare glass with no "scaffolding" around it.)The larger reliable timer, however, cost 40 bucks, vs. 20 bucks for this one. You get what you pay for.

The glass cracked after turning it over by the third time. Pretty unfortunate. I was enjoying the time elapse.

This was originally purchased to help my six year old with time management. It quickly became evident that if used for that purpose, it would not survive the week. However, it is very pretty and an interesting piece for decoration.

This is my fifth hourglass now and I love it. It's simple and elegant. It's a nice size not too big but not to small either. I like that it came in a nice box so I can pack it away easily without worrying about breaking it. The glass thickness is on par with the other ones I have so it's not that thin either.

I've gone through two of these and they BREAK very EASILY.To be clear, I'm not being careless with them or setting them down hard. If simply takes very little for the bottoms to break and then you end up with super fine sand EVERYWHERE.

As others have observed: this hourglass is:* elegant* minimalist* sand is white and pure* comes in a nice box* the glass is thin and it will likely break the first time it tips over. this is a handle-with-care, functional objet d'art.

I bought this to keep on my desk at work. I love it! It works great and was packed in a nice satin-lined box for protection.