ADHD tools: timers

Visual timers for ADHD

A timer you can see makes time feel real. A shrinking red disk, a flip cube or an hourglass shows how much is left, so you're not guessing.

At a glanceGift guide 2026
  • Last checked October 2026
  • 5 picks
  • No affiliate links

At a glance

5 picks

Prices are ranges checked in October 2026. Tap a name for the details.

At a glance: Timers. Last checked October 2026.
ToolGood forPriceSave
Time Timer Original 8"Time TimerSeeing time from across the room$38.95
Time Timer MODTime TimerA timer that moves with you$24.95 to $36.95
Time Timer WatchTime TimerTiming on the move$85.95
Ticktime Pomodoro Timer CubeTicktimeFlip-to-start Pomodoros$34.99 to $45.99
Small Sand Timers (4-pack)Teacher Created ResourcesTiny, silent starts$5.99 to $11.99

What to look for

  1. Visible from where you work. If you have to pick it up to read it, you won't.
  2. Silent or ticking, on purpose. Ticking helps some people and drives others up the wall.
  3. Easy to start. The fewer buttons between you and a running timer, the more you'll use it.
  4. An end signal you'll notice, like a beep, buzz or flash, unless the quiet is the point.

Showing 5 of 5

The picks

5 picks

Time Timer

Time Timer Original 8"

A 60-minute visual timer about 7.5 inches square. A red disk shrinks as time runs down, so you see what's left at a glance. Silent, with an end beep you can switch off and magnets on the back. Takes 2 AA batteries.

Why it can help

  • You see time passing instead of guessing at it.
  • No ticking, so it can sit in your eyeline without adding noise.
  • One ADDitude reader uses a Time Timer to turn tasks they don't enjoy into a game. Source

Who it's not for

If you wander off mid-task, it can't follow you. A wearable might suit you better.

$38.95checked Oct 2026

Official site for Time Timer Original 8" (opens in a new tab)

Sources: ADDitude store: Time Timer Original 8, a reader pickADDitude: 15 time-management tricks from readers

Time Timer

Time Timer MOD

The small Time Timer, about 3.5 inches square. Same shrinking red disk, up to 60 minutes. Silent, with a gentle end beep you can turn off. Runs on 1 AA battery. The Education Edition adds a silicone case.

Why it can help

  • Small enough to carry from room to room, so the countdown stays in view.
  • You see how much time is left without doing any math.
  • ADDitude's shop lists the Time Timer Plus as a help for moving between tasks. Source

Who it's not for

It tops out at 60 minutes. If your work blocks run long, look at a 120-minute model.

$24.95 to $36.95checked Oct 2026

Official site for Time Timer MOD (opens in a new tab)

Sources: ADDitude store: Time Timer Plus (same red disk, bigger model)ADDitude: 15 time-management tricks from readers

Time Timer

Time Timer Watch

A wristwatch with the red-disk timer on its face. Set it for 1 to 99 minutes, and it beeps or vibrates when time's up. It also tells the time and has an alarm. Not a smartwatch, so no apps or notifications.

Why it can help

  • The timer is on your wrist, so it comes along when you wander off mid-task.
  • Vibrate mode gives you the nudge without the whole room hearing it.
  • One ADDitude reader sets a 30-minute vibrating timer on their smartwatch when they start a load of laundry. Source

Who it's not for

If you already wear a smartwatch, its built-in timer might cover this for free.

$85.95checked Oct 2026

Official site for Time Timer Watch (opens in a new tab)

Sources: ADDitude store: Time Timer Watch PLUSADDitude: 15 time-management tricks from readers

Ticktime

Ticktime Pomodoro Timer Cube

A small cube that starts a countdown when you flip it: 1, 3, 5 or 10 minutes by face, or tap for 15, 25, 45 or 60. It can also run 25/5 Pomodoro rounds by itself. Sound, vibration or silent alerts. USB-C rechargeable. Ticktime's site sends you to Amazon to buy.

Why it can help

  • Starting a timer is one flip. No app, no menus.
  • The Pomodoro mode runs work and break rounds for you, so there's nothing to reset.
  • An ADDitude reader does Pomodoro rounds with a group of friends, setting timers and checking in each round. Source

Who it's not for

If you forget to charge things, note it runs on a rechargeable battery. Ticktime says a charge lasts up to 14 hours of use.

$34.99 to $45.99checked Oct 2026

$34.99 was a sale price on Ticktime's site (list $45.99). You buy it on Amazon, where the price can differ.

Official site for Ticktime Pomodoro Timer Cube (opens in a new tab)

Sources: ADDitude store: a flip-cube timer (same idea, different brand)ADDitude: 15 time-management tricks from readers

Teacher Created Resources

Small Sand Timers (4-pack)

Four little hourglasses for 1, 2, 3 and 5 minutes, about 3 inches tall. No batteries, no beep, no screen. Flip one and watch the sand. An 8-pack adds more times.

Why it can help

  • You watch the time drain away, and there's no alarm to jolt you.
  • Fixed short times make starting simple. Flip the 5-minute one and go.
  • One ADDitude reader uses quiet hourglasses for everyday tasks. When one runs out, that's the cue to move on. Source

Who it's not for

If you need a heads-up when time's up, sand won't tap you on the shoulder.

$5.99 to $11.99checked Oct 2026

Official site for Small Sand Timers (4-pack) (opens in a new tab)

Sources: ADDitude: Productivity hacks for easily bored brains

Our own tool

MailSynth

MailSynth is an AI Gmail assistant built by people with ADHD. Ada sorts your inbox, clears out the junk and sends one calm digest a day.

You tell Ada what matters in plain English, and she applies it to every email: its label, how long it stays in your inbox and how it shows up in your digest. We make it, so it isn't ranked against anything here.

Free for 14 days, then $9 a month.

Meet Ada

More ADHD tools

Other pages in this guide, plus free tools on this site.

How we pick

  • No affiliate links and no sponsored picks. Links go to each maker's own site.
  • Prices are ranges checked in October 2026. They change, so check the maker's page.
  • We only say Jack uses something when he does. Everything else fits a need people with ADHD often describe. Each pick links to its sources, and some are about the idea rather than that exact product.
  • Nothing here is medical advice.