Time Timer vs cheaper visual timers: what the extra money buys

Why do people pay for a Time Timer at all?

People pay for a Time Timer because it is the original shrinking-disc timer and the one that classrooms, clinics and offices tend to name when they mean the idea rather than the brand. Time Timer describes the red disc as patented, and the company's own pages say it was designed so that time can be seen without reading numbers. Several cheaper timers now copy the look, which is why the choice is worth a page.

We have not tested any of the timers below. Everything here comes from the makers' own pages and the retailer listings, read on 26 October 2026, and where the listings disagreed we say so. If you want a wider look at kinds of timer, our visual timers guide covers cards, light timers and apps. This page is the narrow question of whether the branded one is worth the premium.

Time Timer vs Secura: is the extra worth it?

The extra £20 or so buys a maker that states, in writing, what its timer does, and whether you need that depends on how much noise and wear matter to you. The Time Timer Original 8 inch and the Secura so you pay roughly three times as much for the Time Timer.

On Time Timer's own page the Original 8 inch has an 8 inch face, a 60 minute maximum, 2 AA batteries (not included), two large magnets on the back, fold-out feet and a hanging slot for a wall. It says the timer operates silently with an optional alert at the end, and it comes with one dry-erase activity card. The company also lists a one-year satisfaction guarantee, which is a returns promise, not a formal warranty.

The Secura is harder to pin down, and that is the honest finding. Secura sells more than one 60 minute visual timer, and the listings we read disagreed with each other. Some give 2 AAA batteries, others 2 AA. Some mention magnetic backing and some do not. One version is described with a 70dB bell, another with an alarm adjustable between 50 and 70dB. None of that is a fault, but it means the version in the basket may not be the version in the review you read. Check the listing you are buying for batteries, magnets and alarm volume, and if any noise at all is a problem, assume nothing about its noise until it arrives.

If you are unsure you will use a visual timer, the Secura is a fair way to find out for the price of a sandwich lunch. If the timer will live on a desk and run every working day, the Time Timer's documented silence and the fact that you know what you are getting justify the difference.

What does a Time Timer do that a copy might not?

A Time Timer is sold as silent while it runs, and that is the claim to check on any alternative. Time Timer's page says the Original operates silently, with no ticking, and sounds only if you leave the alert on. Plenty of mechanical timers tick, and ticking is the thing some people cannot tolerate across an afternoon. The cheaper listings we read do not make the same promise in the same words.

The alert is the other half. Time Timer says all its products share one alert sound, and that the Original has an on and off switch for it. The PLUS range, according to Time Timer's pages, swaps that for a volume dial that can silence the alert entirely and adds a pause button, which suits a meeting that gets interrupted. The MOD is the small personal size with a silicone cover. We picked the Original 8 inch because it is the model most readers will mean, but the PLUS is worth a look if pause and volume matter more to you than the larger face.

Size matters more than it sounds. An 8 inch face reads from the far side of a room, which is the point if the timer sits by a child at a table or on a whiteboard at the back of a classroom. A smaller disc suits a desk and loses its edge from a few metres.

Are there cheaper timers that work differently?

Yes, and for some jobs they are the better buy, because they swap the disc for a different cue instead of copying it. The Learning Resources Time Tracker Mini is the clearest case. At about £22 it uses coloured light: green when the countdown starts, yellow at a warning time you choose, red with an alarm when time is up. Learning Resources lists a range from 5 minutes to 2 hours in 5 minute steps, 3 AAA batteries (not included) and a volume that can be adjusted or turned off. That 2 hour reach is the thing the 60 minute discs cannot offer.

The Ticktime cube is the other kind. It is so it is not cheaper than the Time Timer here, and we include it because people search for it alongside. The Amazon listing gives six preset countdowns from 3 to 30 minutes by flipping, plus a custom timer and a stopwatch, and retailer pages describe sound, vibration or silent alerts and a rechargeable battery. We could not reach the maker's own specification page, so check the listing for the maximum time and charging details. It shows digits, so it suits someone who wants to start fast, not someone who wants to see time shrink.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Time Timer if the timer will be used daily, needs to be silent, or will be read from across a room. Buy the Secura if you want to try the idea cheaply and are happy to check the listing carefully. Buy the Learning Resources timer if you want colour cues, a warning stage or a setting longer than an hour. Buy the Ticktime cube if you would rather flip and go than read a disc.

A sensible order for most households is the cheap one first. If it gets used for a fortnight, you know the habit sticks and the Time Timer becomes an upgrade you have earned. If it sits in a drawer, you lost £10 and not £31.

Things to know

• Batteries are not included. Time Timer lists 2 AA as not included, and Learning Resources lists 3 AAA as not included. Check the Secura listing for its type.
• Listings change. Time Timer's own page showed the Original 8 inch as sold out when we read it, and it describes app access as both one year and limited-time on the same page. Prices and stock move, so confirm both at the shop.
• Ages differ by listing. Learning Resources shows 3 and over on one of its pages and 5 and over on another. Check the age guidance for any timer a young child will handle, and watch for small battery covers.
• Silent is a claim, not a measurement. We have not measured any of these. If any sound at all is a problem, buy from a shop with an easy returns policy.
• A timer shows time, nothing more. It will not start a task for you. Pair it with something to do the first two minutes, such as the ideas in our guide on time blindness.