Focus tools
Physical pomodoro timers compared: cube, gravity timer, Time Timer, Flow Timer and Perchi
Five physical pomodoro timers, from a ₹899 cube to an AUD 99 Flow Timer, compared on what starts the block, whether they tick, whether they punish an interruption, and whether you see a total. Perchi (₹2,999) is the only one that starts when the phone is put down and keeps a record; the cube is the cheapest and works anywhere.
The five timers at a glance
Prices are the vendor's or the listing's figures on the date shown, in the currency they were shown in. Our own price, warranty and returns come from the same configuration as the pricing page.
| Feature | Perchi MyPerchi | Cube timer Amazon.in generics, TickTime | Gravity timer EooCoo and similar | Time Timer timetimer.com | Flow Timer Minimal Desk Setups |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price (dated) | ₹2,999 incl. GST, sold direct in India (2026-09-18) | ₹899 to ₹915 on Amazon.in (PiyuBind, Cuteefun, 2026-09-18); TickTime Cube $36.99 direct | ₹1,469 on Amazon.in (EooCoo, 2026-09-18) | Import only in India; price not recorded on 2026-09-18 | AUD 99 at shop.minimaldesksetups.com (2026-09-18) |
| How a block starts | Rest your phone on it (3-second ring), or hold the head 3 seconds | Flip the cube so the duration faces up (the TickTime Cube has 5, 10, 15 and 20-minute faces plus 25/5 cycles) | Tip it over; a gravity sensor starts the preset | Turn the dial to set the red arc | Turn the knob to a 25/5, 45/15 or custom preset |
| Ticks or beeps | Silent: no speaker at all | Beeps at the end | Beeps at the end | Model-dependent; not recorded in our sources | Silent |
| Silent option | Yes | On some models: the TickTime Cube has a silent or vibrate mode; the Amazon.in generics beep | Not recorded on the listing we read | Not recorded in our sources | Yes |
| Interruptions | Lifting the phone pauses the block with a look; back within the grace period and it resumes; an early end keeps every finished stage | Flip to stop; the count is simply gone | Tip to stop; nothing kept | Turn the dial back; nothing kept | Turn the knob; nothing kept |
| Stats or history | Daily and weekly report cards, streaks and a wardrobe of finished projects in the dashboard | No | No | No | None on the device; it is deliberately phone-free |
| Works away from a desk | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, though it is a desk object |
| Needs a phone or an app | No: a 3-second head press starts a block without a phone; the dashboard is optional | No | No | No | No; it is deliberately phone-free |
| ADHD-friendly features | Visible progress in five stages, forgiving pauses, a streak freeze, silent, no phone involved | Cheap, tactile, no phone; easy to forget once it beeps | Tactile and satisfying to tip; novelty can wear off | The red arc shows time draining, the classic visual timer | A beautiful object that invites the ritual; no stats |
| Best for | Desk work where the phone is the problem | Students on the move; the cheapest working option | People who like a tactile ritual | Children and anyone who needs to see time, not read it | A calm desk with no software at all |
Who should buy which?
Choose Perchi if
- Your phone is the reason you need a timer in the first place
- You want to see progress, not just time, and a record of your week
- You want silence and forgiveness: a pause, never a punishment
- You want a phone stand and a companion, not only a timer
Choose one of the others if
- You study away from a desk: pick a cube or a gravity timer
- You want to see time drain visually for a child or for ADHD: pick a Time Timer
- You want a beautiful metal object with presets and no software: pick the Flow Timer
- You want a timer for under ₹1,000: pick a cube
What each timer is
A cube timer is a small box with a duration printed on each face; flip the face you want upwards and it counts down and beeps. On Amazon.in the PiyuBind and Cuteefun cubes sat at ₹899 to ₹915 on 2026-09-18 with 4.5 to 4.6 stars from a few hundred ratings each; the TickTime Cube ($36.99 direct) adds a silent or vibrate mode, 25/5 pomodoro cycles, USB-C and magnets. A gravity timer works the same way with a tilt sensor; the EooCoo model was ₹1,469 with 4.6 stars from 587 ratings.
A Time Timer is the ADHD classic: a red arc that shrinks as the minutes pass, so you see time draining without reading a number; the Time Timer MOD alone has 9,864 Amazon.com ratings, and it is sold through timetimer.com and Amazon.com rather than an Indian channel we could find. The Flow Timer, from Minimal Desk Setups, is a solid-metal knob timer with 25/5, 45/15 and custom presets, deliberately phone-free, at AUD 99 with 4.8 stars from 442 reviews; it raised AU$420,529 from 3,936 backers on Kickstarter, the most-backed focus timer on the platform.
Perchi (₹2,999) is a desk companion and phone stand whose timer starts when your phone rests on it: a 3-second ring, then a block of 25 minutes by default (5 to 120). It knits a scarf, grows a sprout or builds a tower in five visible stages beside its face, pauses with a look when you lift the phone, and keeps every finished stage if you stop early. It is silent, and it also starts with a 3-second head press when the phone is elsewhere. How Phone Nap works has every rule.
Which one for ADHD?
We make no medical claims, and none of these timers is a treatment. What the people asking this question describe wanting, in the r/pomodoro and r/adhdwomen threads we read, is a timer that is silent, stays out of the phone, forgives an interruption, shows progress and keeps a record, because the novelty of a beeping cube wears off. Against that list: the Time Timer is the best at showing time draining; the cube and gravity timers are cheap and tactile but punish an interruption by losing the count; the Flow Timer is calm and beautiful and keeps nothing; Perchi is silent, forgives a pause, shows progress in stages and keeps report cards, and it only works at a desk.
Cube against app
A cube timer is better than an app at one thing that matters: it is not in the phone. Starting it never passes through a lock screen and a feed. It is worse than an app at everything an app is good at: custom lengths, stats, streaks, a total for the week. Perchi sits between the two: the trigger is physical and phone-free, and the stats live in a dashboard you look at later, not during the block. The software cousins are compared on Perchi vs Focus Friend and the blockers on Perchi vs Brick.
What to look for
Silent, or at least a mute switch. No phone in the loop, including to start it. Forgiving of interruptions: a pause, not a reset. Visible progress you can read from across the desk. A record, so the week adds up to something. Price is last, because the cheapest cube that works costs less than a takeaway; the question is whether you will still be using it in a month.
When Perchi is not the right fit
If you study on the move, in a library or on a train, Perchi cannot come with you; a cube or a gravity timer can. If you want a timer for ₹899, a cube is that and Perchi is not. If you want a child to see time drain, buy a Time Timer. Perchi is the right fit when the phone is the problem and the desk is where the work happens.
Questions about physical pomodoro timers
Is a physical pomodoro timer worth it?
For many people, yes: the timer leaves the phone, so starting a block never passes through a lock screen and a feed. The cheapest that works is a ₹899 cube from Amazon.in; the question is whether it will still be in use in a month, which is where progress, forgiveness and a record matter.
What is the best physical pomodoro timer for ADHD?
One that does not punish an interruption and shows progress. Perchi pauses when the phone is lifted and keeps every finished stage; the Time Timer shows time draining as a red disc; cubes and gravity timers are cheap and tactile but lose the count when tipped or flipped. We make no medical claims about any of them.
Is a cube timer better than an app?
Better at staying out of the phone, worse at stats. A cube starts with a flip and never shows you a feed; an app tracks lengths, streaks and totals. Perchi keeps the physical trigger (the phone resting on it) and puts the stats in a dashboard you read later.
Which pomodoro timers are silent?
Perchi (no speaker at all) and the Flow Timer are silent. The TickTime Cube has a silent or vibrate mode; the Amazon.in cube and gravity timers beep at the end. Time Timer behaviour depends on the model and is not recorded in our sources.
Which pomodoro timer tracks total hours?
Perchi, through daily and weekly report cards in its dashboard that show focus minutes, blocks, the longest block and streaks. The cube, gravity, Time Timer and Flow Timer models show only the current countdown.
Where can I buy a cube timer in India?
Amazon.in: the PiyuBind and Cuteefun cubes were ₹899 to ₹915 on 2026-09-18, and the EooCoo gravity timer was ₹1,469. Time Timer and the Flow Timer are imports.
More questions, answered on the page that owns them
Related comparisons
- Perchi vs Focus Friend
Focus Friend is the best-loved software version of the idea, and it lives inside the phone you are trying to avoid. Perchi moves the same loop onto the desk and makes the phone's resting place the timer.
- Perchi vs Brick
Brick is a lock: tap and your chosen apps are gone until you tap again, anywhere. Perchi is a home: rest the phone and a focus block starts, at a desk. Many people will want both.
- Perchi vs Padmee
Padmee is the closest Indian product: a screen face with a focus timer, a backup battery and car-dashboard mode. Perchi holds your phone, starts the block from it and reacts to real events.
- Perchi vs Perchi Matrix
Perchi is for the person whose phone is the problem; Perchi Matrix is for the person who wants live numbers on the desk. One dashboard runs both.
Every comparison we publish is listed on Compare; the ranked guides live under Alternatives.
Sources and last check
Competitor facts, prices and review counts were read from the pages below on the dates shown in the table; this page was last checked on and is re-checked quarterly. Our own figures come from Pricing.
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