Customer Reviews

Blue Moon Timer and Stopwatch

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been using a timer to study in 45 minute units since graduate school. I usually use a timer on my computer, but wanted to unleash myself from that procrastination-inducing machine. I needed a timer that a) would easily repeat my 45 minutes so that I wouldn't be too lazy to set the timer b) wasn't so loud I would have a heart attack when it went off and c) didn't have a sound like my house was on fire.

This timer costs about twice as much as most of the kitchen timers out there. But it is worth it because of the features that make it different: It really is easy to use. It has a volume dial that goes from silent to loud (but not earsplitting). And the sound it makes is a sort of electronic chime. Other reviews say the chime is "eerie." It isn't eerie in a spooky or chilling way. It is just a sort of electronic sounding tone. It certainly isn't bothersome or off-putting, especially compared to the alternatives.

By the way, I went to the company website [...] before I bought the timer. There is a preview of the sound there, so have a listen.

I find it so handy I am going to use it for other things too so I can kick the procrastination habit.

I was so happy to find a solution to my dilemma... I had tried several ways to close my private meditation sessions, and nothing felt right. Other timers were shrill and jarring and the polar opposite of peace, using no timer at all and allowing my practice to end naturally was causing me to constantly wonder what time it was. The Blue Moon Timer has a quiet tune that is adjustable and in no way objectionable, and could not be easier to use. I am very happy that I bought it, it suits my practice perfectly. I only have two small issues... I wonder about the tune itself. It's a little eerie, and I'm a little curious about the choice, where it came from. I don't mind it, it will work fine, my husband and I were just a little suprised by it. Also, the battery cover does not close after there are batteries in the chamber. But the cover isn't necessary for it to work.
All in all, I'm glad I bought it, because I think I got exactly what I paid for. It will suit me and my meditation practice just fine.

I love this and use it during meditation as a peaceful way to return from my meditative state. The alarm is very subtle and could be described as a calming tune. I like that it has volume control. Very reasonably priced.

This timer is priced too high considering that it doesn't seem to be that well made. The packaging and instructions are attractive and clear, but when I flipped the timer over to install the included batteries, the face plate covering the digit display fell off. It seems that it was not glued properly. I decided to just glue it on myself rather than contact the company. The chime sound is nicer than the annoying beep of most timers and I like that there is a volume control, but the chime sounds tinny coming from the small speaker on the timer - not as pleasant sounding as I had hoped.

Basically, you are paying about 3 times more than what a normal digital countdown timer designed for kitchen use costs, and I'm sure that it costs about the same to manufacture so the per-unit markup on these things is huge. The key difference? Kitchen timers have deliberately loud, piercing alarms designed to get your attention if you happen to wander off to a different part of your home or are on the phone or have the TV on loud or screaming kids, etc. One pays a premium price for this product for only 2 reasons:

1. ALERT CHIME: relatively non-piercing, non-industrial, non-obnoxious. I would not go so far as to call the electronic chime on this device "soothing" or "beautiful" or even all that "pleasant"---it sounds like some sort of child's toy, perhaps a music box, or one of those carousels you hang over a baby's crib that slowly turns some dangling toys while playing a simple melody. Even if you rather dislike this particular sound, the next feature can make it tolerable:

2. VOLUME DIAL: this is what the extra $20 you are paying for is really all about. Turn the volume down low enough (I use it at maybe 15% or 20%) and just about ANY alarm chime will be tolerable. If my cell phone allowed me to turn down the alarm chime on its built-in timer, or have it vibrate instead of chime, I never would have bought this thing. But, alas, it does not and so here I am, out $30.

But as long as #2 works, this timer does its job reasonably well: stops my meditation or yoga session in a relatively gentle, non-stressful way.

Other notes:

1. FORM FACTOR: simple design, not beautiful but not bad looking. I like that it's a plain black color, though I sort of wish it were more matte than glossy...but that's a minor quibble.

2. HEFT: has a nice feel to it in your hand, mainly because the battery compartment is located at the top of the device rather than at the bottom as is usually the case. Also, it uses 2 AAA batteries, instead of the single AA that most timers use...don't know why, if there is some longevity advantage to it or not. (I'm guessing they just found it cheaper to have it produced with 2 AAAs instead of a single AA.)

3. *** BUTTON SENSITIVITY *** this is by far the biggest drawback of this timer, and why I am giving it 3 stars not 5. In short: the buttons don't have that satisfying click nor responsive bounce-back of other timers. In fact, they can be downright erratic...sometimes you have to press the buttons really hard to get a response, and at weird angles---the buttons do not seem to be set very well. This is both annoying and worrisome...hopefully the buttons will not go out on me too soon. For nearly $30 one would hope to get at least 3-5 years use out of this thing.

4. EASE OF USE: pretty much self-explanatory, you'd have to be sort of dim-witted to actually need to read the user's manual for this thing.

Despite #3, I can always console myself that the only other dedicated meditation timers I've seen on the market are at least 2-3 times more expensive...albeit they do look a lot nicer and have more pleasant alarm sounds. So, alas, the "invisible hand of the market" prevails upon me to choose and keep this thing until something better comes along.

My problem with timers is that they all have super annoying, nagging beep and no way to make it quieter. This seems to be the only one that has volume control and a very nice, surprisingly non-digital sounding chime.

Pros:

- chime sounds really good, (at least at low volume I always use), it doesn't sound tinny and digital but sort of like an old music box might sound. It has one note that's a bit louder than others so even if there's some ambient noise and I can't hear the chime I can still hear that note.

- volume control. lowest setting is perfect for meditation in a quiet environment, it does not jolt you when it comes on but still can be heard.

- great for timing tea, especially if you need to make several precisely timed brewings.

- black colour which feels more suitable for meditation or making tea vs. clinical white of most timers.

Cons:
- construction feels a bit cheaper than some other timers.

- rather bulkier and heavier than most timers. This is probably due to a heavy speaker to make nice-sounding chime. I think a tiny speaker simply can't make a very good sound at low/medium frequency. Because of weight, I'm afraid it might break apart if dropped, though.

- buttons feel a bit mushy and take getting used to. They don't make a sound when pressed so you have to look at the display carefully to confirm button was pressed. At first I had to press a few times to make buttons work but I got hang of it within a day. You have to press and hold it for a split second.

Considering the unique features and low price, I feel that all cons are relatively minor and this is a great product. It's a must-have if you don't like the bleeps !@#$ of normal timers.

I got this timer because I wanted something reliable with a pleasant sound. I use it for meditation, exercise, and cooking. It's nice and simple and does what it says on the tin.

The magnet is not strong enough to keep it on my fridge, which isn't important to me, but I thought I'd mention it in case someone else might be looking specifically for that feature: you might be disappointed.

Overall it's a great product. I use it enough that when I lost it for a few days I missed it a lot. It's more than I would normally expect to spend for a timer, but then again my last couple of timers used a horrible buzzing noise and broke pretty quickly, so there is higher quality for the premium price.

I purchased this for my morning meditation when I sit for 30 minutes every morning. It has a gentle chime that is very soothing to hear and is easy to program.

Great timer! Love that you can adjust the volume! The only con is there is no off switch. Not the best in conserving your batteries.

It's small, easy to use, and even has a little clip on the bottom to make it sit up in easel mode. The alarm sound is pleasant and appropriate for ending meditation. The volume adjustment feature is an added plus. I'm very pleased.