(7)
£46,49
(7)
£32,49
(6)
From £29,99
(5)
From £59,99
(5)
£59,99
(6)
From £27,49
(8)
£29,49
(5)
£17,90
(6)
£37,49
(9)
£59,99
(5)
£19,99
(8)
£37,49
(5)
From £62,99
(5)
From £55,99
(6)
£97,99
(7)
£24,99
(5)
£76,99
(8)
£35,49
(5)
£62,99
(8)
£35,49
What is a decorative hourglass?
An hourglass, or sand timer, is two glass bulbs joined by a narrow neck, with sand that takes a fixed time to run from one to the other. The decorative versions in this collection add colour, glitter, brass or wooden frames, liquid timers where bubbles rise instead of falling, and digital LED hourglasses that imitate the flow and can be set from 1 to 30 minutes. A desk object, a meditation timer and, for children, the best tooth brushing timer there is.
32 modelsFrom £17.99Sand, liquid, glitter or digital1 to 60 minutesFree UK delivery over £45
Who is this collection for?
⏳
For a desk that needs a pause
A sand timer on the desk turns a break, a pomodoro or a cup of tea into a small ritual. Digital LED versions set any time from 1 to 30 minutes.
🎁
For a colleague, a teacher or a new office
Elegant, silent, useful. The hourglass is the classic desk gift with a scientific soul.
✨
For lovers of beautiful objects
Gold glitter, coloured sand, brass frames, reverse hourglasses where the sand rises. Decor first, timer second.
How to choose an hourglass
Decide on the duration first (a 5 minute timer has a job; a 60 minute one is a ritual), then the size and the frame for where it will sit.
| Type | Best for | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small sand timers, 1 to 5 minutes | Desks, kids, tea, teeth | 1 to 5 min | £18 to £30 |
| Coloured and glitter hourglasses | Gifts, shelves, decor | 3 to 30 min | £25 to £45 |
| Reverse and liquid timers | Fidget, calm, bubbles that rise | 2 to 5 min | £30 to £50 |
| Large, brass and digital hourglasses | Statement pieces, study sessions | 30 to 60 min, or set 1 to 30 | £45 to £120 |
Sand timers are accurate to within a few percent; humidity and how you turn them change the flow slightly. The digital hourglass has a rechargeable battery with about three hours of use.
The science in two lines
Sand flows through the neck at a rate that barely depends on how much sand is above it, unlike water, because the grains lock into arches that carry the weight to the walls. That is why an hourglass keeps steady time from the first grain to the last, and why a water clock does not.
Our three bestsellers
(7)
£46,49
(7)
£32,49
(6)
From £29,99
Hourglass Decor: your questions, answered
How accurate are sand timers?
Within a few percent of the stated time. Humidity and how the timer was turned change the flow slightly. Product pages give the nominal duration.
What is a reverse hourglass?
A liquid timer where the coloured bubbles rise instead of falling. Same idea, opposite direction, mesmerising.
Does the digital hourglass need batteries?
It has a rechargeable battery with about 3 hours of use, charged by USB.
Which duration should I choose?
5 minutes for tea and children's teeth, 15 to 30 for study or focus sessions, 60 for a full pomodoro cycle. Several sizes are available.
Are they fragile?
The glass is the usual glass: treat it like a vase. Frames are wood, brass or metal and take knocks well.
Free UK delivery over £45 and 30 days to return it. For time you can read at a glance, the unusual wall clocks and Nixie clocks.