There are many different reasons that you may be looking for the best meditation timer to add to your practice. You may be looking to extend your meditation to a certain time but you are finding it tough not to glance at the time at some point during your meditation. With a meditation timer, you can remove the stress of time altogether and maintain all of your focus inward.
| Product | Our Rating | Best For |
| iHome Zenergy Meditative Timer | 4.4 / 5 | Best Overall |
| Elegant Digital Stainless Timer | 4.0 / 5 | Budget Friendly |
| Sound Machine & Meditating Timer | 4.0 / 5 | Editors Pick |
| Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine | 4.1 / 5 | Alternative #1 |
| Basic Timer With Alerts | 4.3 / 5 | Alternative #2 |
Benefits of a Meditation Timer
Acquiring a meditation timer is by no means necessary to start in meditation. It simply adds unique benefits to your practice that will nurture your advancement in meditation. The most obvious benefit of the timer is its ability to track time. It is natural for us to be curious about how long we are meditating for and also to want to meditate for longer periods.
This curiosity moves us into another benefit of a timer. Having the timer frees our mind from the thought of time. We no longer think the thoughts, ¨Have I reached the time I was shooting for? ¨, ¨How long has it been?¨, ¨I think it´s been about 30 minutes.¨. When you do think of Time you can tie off a knot on the thought and place it aside, for it is already taken care of with your timer.
Freeing Your Mind for Meditation
Now we know that the point of a meditation timer is to help free your mind from distractions while meditating. The concept of time and how long you have been meditating becomes a distracting thought during your meditation that may even be turning into action, i.e: You look at the time and your meditation stops.
If there are multiple distractions around you while you are meditating, successfully ignoring those distractions will improve your concentration. However, when you are beginning in meditation it can be tough to ignore any distraction at all which is why we strive to eliminate as many as possible to start.
As you advance you may actually look to increase your distractions to further train in your concentration, but that will come later.
Reducing and Eliminating Pain
Other than a meditation timer it is great to have a meditation cushion or chair to create a dedicated meditation space and remind you to meditate. They will also help you reduce any physical pain you might be experiencing. While meditating, it removes the stress of having to maintain perfect posture entirely by yourself and gives you a sitting position conducive to proper blood flow.
Some people also prefer meditating with a kneeling seiza bench or need a meditation chair with back support for more intense back issues. These items will help reduce any pain distractions during your meditation.
Creating Silence
Creating silence during meditation is just as important to do internally as it is externally. Most of our time is spent around a spectrum of different sounds and if there is nothing happening we tend to talk away to ourselves in our own heads.
Creating a space for internal silence will help deepen your meditation. You can learn how to develop your internal silence by practicing and focusing on the silence. If you find your thoughts being loud and frantic, allow them to be, but focus on the silence in between the thoughts. Observe the silence and let the rest be as it is.
It can be hard to develop your internal silence, though, if you´re external environment is rampant with distracting sounds. Naturally, try and reduce all the sounds that you have control over as much as possible. If there is still too much sound you can look at using earplugs for your meditation practice to help nullify the external sound altogether.
They Scent for These
Another element that can cause distress or distraction is the different smells in your area. Depending on your environment there might be unsavory smells that are present that are outside of your control.
If you find yourself needing freedom from smells there are different options you can look into. There are Eco-friendly incense sticks you can burn as well as non-toxic scented candles that will do wonders for your space. If you really want to unlock your world of fragrance you can also dive into the world of essential oils!
Even if your space smells neutral, adding these items to your meditation will help you open up spiritually and relax both physically and mentally.
Choosing your Meditation Timer
When it comes to choosing the right meditation timer it will depend on what you are looking for. If you want absolute silence then you can obtain a very simple timer that simply tracks the time and plays an audible tone when it´s complete.
The next thing to consider is the tone itself. It is never very pleasant to be pulled from an hour-long meditation with a screeching beeping sound. Also, you will want to consider if you want a physical timer or if you want to use one of the free apps available for your phone.
Having a physical timer vs an application will give you a more tangible, physical element to serve as an additional reminder for your meditation. Also, some of the timers I am reviewing with you will function with a variety of colored lights or sounds and can be helpful and soothing for your children or yourself to sleep at night.
During meditation using a steady, consistent and pleasant sound will help increase your focus and concentration by drowning out sporadic ambient sounds that might occur in your environment.
The Best Meditation Timers!
Now we are going to take a look at the best meditation timers that are available today! These timers are all chosen with your meditation practice in mind. Some of them have soothing colored lights and others have relaxing sounds to stimulate the senses. Others will be simple timers that simply play a soft but audible tone at the end of your meditation session.
White Noise Sound Machine
The light-weight and travel-friendly White Noise Sound Machine is programmed with 8 different relaxing white noise and nature sounds. These sounds include White Noise, Fan, Ocean, Rain, Water Stream, Summer Night, Thunder, and Forest.
This can be used as a meditation timer by utilizing the timer cycles for a meditation session. You have the option of setting the sound to play for a 15, 30, or 60-minute cycle. The sound can also be set to run continuously if you want to use it to sleep.
It has the ability to be used with headphones and adjust the volume if you´d like to keep the sound within your own personal space. It even has dual USB charging ports for your phone!
Customers have found the device to be useful for various things, including drowning out the annoyance of the neighbor´s barking dogs. Some customers have found that the speaker loses sound quality when the volume is over 75%.
Pros:
- Compact and travel-friendly
- Pre-programmed nature and white noise sounds
- Auto-shutoff timer for 15, 30, or 60-minute cycles
- Headphone and USB charging port
Cons:
- Customers have found the quality of sound to diminish when the volume is higher than 75%
ZYGY X-Wlang 3-in-1 Alerts Timer
ZYGY´s X-Wlang 3-in-1 Alerts Timer has 3 different alarm functions but only 1 would really work for meditation. This timer is designed as a kitchen timer combined with a therapeutic timer. The 3 alarm functions include a loud standard beep, a bright flashing, and a vibration feature.
If you´d prefer a timer that vibrates at the end of your meditation session then the X-Wlang 3-in-1 timer will work perfectly for you! You´ll be able to use this timer for other purposes as well with the 3 different functions in case you need a timer for non-meditation related activities. Each alarm function can function independently or you can have 2 or all 3 alarm functions go off simultaneously.
The device itself has a large display and large buttons to make functionality easier if you have impaired vision. It has a clip on stand so it can stand on its own or a magnet if you want it on your fridge. It also has a 2-year warranty in case you run into any issues with it and runs on 2 AAA batters which are included.
Customers have found this work really well for meditation and yoga. One customer stated it was easier than fumbling around with her phone and she could easily clear out her times to keep track of how long she is holding her yoga poses. People have also said that it´s super simple to use and works as intended.
Since the buttons are so large on the device it is tough to use as a timer if you have it in your pocket. If you´re trying to time a jog for example and keep it in your pocket you may find the buttons press themselves as it moves around in your pocket.
Pros:
- Dual purpose timer: Vibration/Bright Light for meditation, Audible Beep for kitchen timer or other activities
- Large display, simple to use, easier to use than apps on the phone for tracking time
- 2-year warranty
Cons:
- Doesn´t work well for activities where you need to carry it in your pocket, like jogging – buttons are too large and tend to press themselves
Elegant Kitchen Timer by eTradewinds
For meditation, we would generally stay away from kitchen timers, but a select few are designed with calming and soft tones for the alarm like the Elegant Kitchen Timer by eTradewinds. The timer has a loud volume and a soft volume and the soft tone will work perfectly for your meditation.
The timer is designed where you can switch between hour/min and min/seconds easily. So, if you want to switch from a 30 min timer to a 5 min timer it only takes the click of a button. This timer is also a great budget-friendly option.
It also has a fold-out stand so it can stand independently with the option of a magnet on the back as well. It even has memory so it can remember your times and you can quickly set the timer without having to set it up manually each time. The device also comes with an included AAA battery to power it and it has a lifetime warranty!
Some customers have had issues with the timer quitting on them after awhile. The customer service from eTradewinds is great though! If you have any issues they´ll completely replace the timer for free!
Pros:
- Has soft volume tone suitable for meditation
- Dual-purpose for meditation or kitchen timer/other activities
- Budget-friendly
- Lifetime warranty
Cons:
- Some customers have had issues with the timer quitting on them after months go by – any issues are covered under the lifetime warranty, though!
iHome Zenergy Meditative Light & Sound Therapy Candle
iHome´s Zenergy Meditative Light & Sound Therapy Candle is my personal favorite timer for meditation because it adds such a soothing and pleasant ambiance to the environment. It is designed for meditation with customizable sounds and LED lights so you can personalize it. It even has a setting for a breathing meditation in the 4-7-8 method that you can choose to listen to with or without a voice to guide you.
The 4-7-8 method simply means that you inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds, then exhale with a ´WHOOoosh´ sound for 8 seconds and repeat. The sounds the machine includes are zen, calming ocean, thunderstorm, white noise, pink noise, and fan noise.
The light options include a candle flame effect, color blending, or choosing your favorite color. It can be used as an alarm for sleep as well and when the alarm goes off for sleep or meditation it will gradually decrease in volume as it softly pulls you back into this realm of consciousness.
The only downside customers have found with this is that they have to repetitively turn off the voice for the guided meditation when they want to use it. It could be better designed if the voice was turned off automatically rather than on.
Pros:
- Adds a soothing and pleasant ambiance to your meditation space with a variety of relaxing sounds and colored LED lights
- Programmed with a 4-7-8 breathing method guided meditation with or without voice
- Gradually decreasing volume on the alarm to softly pull you out of sleep or meditation
Cons:
- The voice for guided meditation is set to automatically be turned on and must be turned off each time
Big Red Rooster White Noise Machine
The Big Red Rooster´s White Noise Machine is a portable and travel-friendly sound machine that has 6 different soothing sounds to choose from. You can set up the device to run continuously if you use it to sleep. It also has the option to shut off the sound automatically in 15, 30, or 60-minute intervals so you can use it for meditation.
The 6 sounds that are included are Rain, Brook, Thunder, White Noise, Ocean, and Summer Night.
The device is designed to cover up any background noise and help you sleep easier. The AC adapter functions at 110-240V so it will work in international outlets but it also uses 3 AAA batteries as a backup power source.
The only downside is that the volume settings aren´t very smooth to adjust. It will basically go from a soft-low volume to a loud volume with a single button click so you basically get to choose either loud or soft.
Pros:
- Portable and travel-friendly, works internationally
- An auto-off timer of 15, 30, or 60-minute intervals for meditation
- Powers off both AC adapter or 3 AAA batteries
Cons:
- Volume doesn´t have good mid-range volume and jumps from soft to loud very quickly
Time´s Up!
Now you have everything you need to know so you can choose the best meditation timer! With these timers, you´ll be able to easily free up your mental space and allow time to be managed by the device instead of your thoughts. You´ll now be able to choose the right meditation timer for you that fits your needs of either simplicity or inspiring a soothing ambiance. Enjoy your new timer!
