Pomodoro
Hardware
pomodoro timer device
SHOW HN2025
315points
68comments
#165of 3,837 in 2025
Top 5%of 2025 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
10 positive, 14 neutral or asking, 3 mixed, 6 critical, out of 33 comments about the project. Thread score +0.15.
Idea: 5 for, 5 againstDesign: 4 for, 0 againstPricing: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Delightful, well-thought-out UI
From 2 comments
I love this project! The UI feels so delightful and well thought out. I guess I found another weekend (multi-week?) activity. If you're looking for hackathon projects, the E-ink…
sambroner on HNThis is fantastic and I want to build one. The UI is delightful, and as other people have said, the multiple modes for different tasks is a great idea.
bloopernova on HN
Multiple modes for different tasks
From 2 comments
Lasering in on the three different use cases (rather than just one generic 25min focus time) and also providing statistics are both cool additions. Nice. It would be a good…
gorgoiler on HNThis is fantastic and I want to build one. The UI is delightful, and as other people have said, the multiple modes for different tasks is a great idea.
bloopernova on HN
Beautiful, tactile design
From 2 comments
It's very beautiful, lovely work. Sleek and shiny, it's a device that begs for interaction, which is important in something that you'll be engaging with every 24-30 minutes. I…
jpcom on HNSimple and tactile; a user interface anyone understands
gbraad on HN
Objections
Physical kitchen pomodoro timers are simpler and sufficient
From 2 comments
Yep. Any timer will do. If you find yourself programming an eInk display and a microchip in order to improve your procrastination, it is time to stop working on the project, get…
ISL on HNThe whole idea of pomodoro comes from a physical kitchen timer in the shape of... you guessed it, a pomodoro. The best UX for the pomodoro technique can be found in this physical…
rambambram on HN
Building the device can become procrastination
From 2 comments
Yep. Any timer will do. If you find yourself programming an eInk display and a microchip in order to improve your procrastination, it is time to stop working on the project, get…
ISL on HNBut it's also not a joke. Pomodoro timers are designed to increase productivity. But once of the things that many people who try to increase their productivity discover is that…
SamBam on HN
Knob design and case weight are awkward
From 2 comments
Always interested to see a "device" type of project on here -- they tend to be the most challenging, even if the goal is simple. The intersection of object design, electronics…
btbuildem on HNgreat questions! - knob: yeah, if I were to redesign that part I would move it to the top. I had a total schedule of 4 weeks for this project, and I didn't feel confident enough…
rukenshia on HN
Requests
Export of tracked activities
From 1 comment
Awesome project :-) I think the missing ingredient here is a way to export the tracked activities, but this looks like it was fun to make!
desertmonad on HN
Three-button UI instead of knob
From 1 comment
Always interested to see a "device" type of project on here -- they tend to be the most challenging, even if the goal is simple. The intersection of object design, electronics…
btbuildem on HN
LED status light for availability
From 1 comment
A guy I know tried to build a business around a physical pomodoro timer a while back - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/timechi-your-smart-productivity-tool#/ A useful addition…
pedalpete on HN
Questions
Cost and availability of e-paper displays
From 2 comments
$35 for the ePaper display seems pretty decent these days. Are these actually getting cheaper or am I off? I know it’s a patent riddled tech so that probably is the bit cost…
jjice on HNI'm so sad that ePaper displays are still so expensive. They'd be perfect for splashing some home assistant driven goodness around my house. But the tiny ones are too tiny for my…
mavamaarten on HN
Alternatives named
Focus Dial mechanical pomodoro timer
From 1 comment
I think functionally the Focus Dial (I linked to it in my README as well) is the much better „product“ and keeps exactly that UX compared to what I built. I had to face the…
rukenshia on HN
M5Stack ESP32 devices
From 2 comments
I know assembling things is half the fun, but if you just want a universal ESP32 device with screen and buttons, I recommend M5stack. Cheap, programmable, uniquitous.
atemerev on HNThey are great. I have actually built my own pomodoro timer using a M5Stack Core2, maybe I should publish the code. It's a lot simpler than this one. Update: here it is…
rlupi on HN
Solanum GNOME pomodoro app
From 1 comment
GPLv3-licensed GUI Pomodoro app for Linux, for anyone who needs it: https://gitlab.gnome.org/World/Solanum/
dartharva on HN
Gymboss interval timer
From 1 comment
I use this timer which has the advantage of being portable: https://gymboss.com/
gregwebs on HN