FAQ

Hourstick is incense made to keep time. Four of the five sticks burn for about 25 minutes (±3 minutes in still air) — the length of one deep-work session. The pure-agarwood Scholar's Sandalwood is denser and runs longer, at about 35 minutes. Light one, put your phone in another room, and work until the ember reaches its end. The stick is the timer; no screen, no alarm, no app.

Each box holds 80 incense sticks, a weighted glazed ceramic holder, and a ritual card with the three steps of the practice, packed in a recyclable molded-pulp box with paper-shred cushioning. You only add a match.

Three steps. Light one: hold a flame to the tip for 2–3 seconds, then gently blow it out so the ember glows. Begin: set the stick in its holder, put your phone out of reach, and start your single task. Then rest: when the stick ends, so does the session — stand up, stretch, take your break. The full method is on The Focus Ritual page.

Twenty-five minutes is the most-used unit of deep work: long enough to get into a task, short enough to protect the break. For longer projects, burn one stick, take the full break, then light the next. The idea is old — Song-dynasty scholars and monks measured sittings by yi zhu xiang, "one stick of incense," made to burn at a steady, known rate. We rebuilt that instrument around the modern working day.

One exception: NO. 02 Scholar's Sandalwood is pure Hainan agarwood, which is denser and burns slower — about 35 minutes. If you want a longer unbroken block, that is the stick.

The stick does what an app can't: it lives on the desk, not on the screen that distracts you. There is nothing to unlock, no notification, and the end of the session is something you smell and see rather than something that beeps. Many people also find a physical burn-down easier to judge at a glance than a number counting down — you can see "about half left" without reading anything.

Pick by ingredients, not by the clock — every stick works at any hour. First Ink (loquat blossom · yuzu peel · agarwood · sandalwood · atractylodes) is the bright, clean-start one; Scholar's Sandalwood (pure Hainan agarwood, about 35 minutes) is the long, low, everyday deep-work stick; Second Wind (rose petal · sandalwood) lifts without sharpening, for restarting a session that has drained; Quiet Page (pine cone · cedar · sandalwood) is the quietest of the five, made for reading; and Last Light (lavender · agarwood · sandalwood) reads as done, for closing things out. If you only pick one, most people start with First Ink or Scholar's Sandalwood.

At two sticks per working day, a box lasts about 40 days; at three or four sticks a day, about 20 to 26 days. Most people settle somewhere in between — which works out to roughly $0.37 per focus session.

No. Every box includes a glazed ceramic holder with a weighted base and a dish that catches the ash. The stick has no bamboo core, so it needs a holder that grips the stick itself; the included one is made for it.

Hourstick is tuned for desk distance, not for perfuming a house. The scent is meant to sit within arm's reach — present enough that your brain learns "this smell means work," soft enough that it never becomes the distraction. If you're used to temple or head-shop incense, expect something noticeably gentler.

No. There is no frankincense or resinous "church" note in the line, and nothing heavy or ceremonial. The five scents read like a desk, a cup of tea, a cedar shelf, a bath house, or a garden at dusk — not a shrine.

Some — all burning incense produces smoke. Hourstick sticks are solid-pressed wood powder with plant binders, with no bamboo core and no charcoal, and each stick burns for about 25 minutes — 35 for Scholar's Sandalwood — rather than an hour, so the total amount burned per session is small. We are arranging independent smoke testing and will publish the numbers here when we have them; until then we don't make claims about how our smoke compares with other brands. We do recommend a cracked window.

One stick, in a normal-sized room, usually won't — but it depends on the detector type and how close it is. Photoelectric detectors are more sensitive to visible smoke than ionization ones. If your detector is within a few feet of the desk or your room is very small, keep a window cracked, place the stick away from the detector, and don't burn two sticks at once. Never cover or disable a smoke detector.

Solid extruded sticks of aromatic wood powders, fragrance, and plant-based binders — no bamboo core, no charcoal powder, no combustion accelerants. The bamboo-free build is why the burn is slow and even, and why the stick can keep time in the first place.

Always use the included holder (or another heat-resistant one) on a stable, heat-safe surface. Keep the burning stick away from curtains, papers, and anything flammable; keep it out of reach of children and pets; crack a window for airflow. Never leave a burning stick unattended — if you step away, put it out. Make sure the ember is fully out before discarding ash.

Many people do, and a 25-minute stick with reasonable ventilation is the sensible way to do it. Public-health guidance is consistent: incense smoke contains fine particles, so ventilate and don't burn more than you need. If you're pregnant, have asthma or another respiratory condition, or share the space with someone who does, talk to your doctor first and use your judgment.

Birds should never share a room with any burning incense — their respiratory systems are far more sensitive than ours. For cats and dogs, burn in a room they can leave, keep the holder where a tail or paw can't reach it, and stop if the animal sneezes or avoids the room. When in doubt, ask your vet.

Yes. Press the ember gently into the holder's dish or a ceramic surface until it's fully out, and relight the stick next session. (Though we'd argue the whole point is to stay until it ends.)

A little. The 25-minute figure is for still air; a steady draft across the stick makes the ember burn hotter and faster, typically shaving a minute or two. If the timing matters to you, keep the stick out of the direct draft and let the room ventilate around it.

Let it cool completely, then sweep it into the trash — or into your plants; wood ash is inert. The molded-pulp box and paper shred are curbside-recyclable or compostable.

We currently ship to the United States, Canada, and Australia. We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter so we can notify you as soon as we expand our international shipping services.

Orders are packed within 1–2 business days and typically arrive 15–20 business days after they ship. You'll get a tracking link by email the moment your box is on its way. Full details are in our Shipping & Returns policy.

If your order hasn't shipped yet, we can usually fix it. Email focusincense@hourstick.com with your order number as soon as possible — within 2 hours of ordering is safest.

Unopened boxes can be returned within 15 days of delivery for a full refund. Opened a box, burned a few sticks, and it's not for you? Email us anyway — we'll make it right with an exchange or store credit. Start any return at focusincense@hourstick.com with your order number.

We're sorry — send a photo of the box and contents to focusincense@hourstick.com within 7 days of delivery and we'll ship a free replacement. No need to mail anything back.

Yes — we work with studios, bookshops, coffee shops, and focus-minded spaces. Write to focusincense@hourstick.com with "Wholesale" in the subject line.