Good Thinking

Ingenious titanium ring aims to replace your tape measure

While small in size, the Tiroler can measure pretty much any distance in any configuration
Suzuki Sho
While small in size, the Tiroler can measure pretty much any distance in any configuration
Suzuki Sho

While everyday carry (EDC) multitools are great at many things, they can fall short in the measuring department. The new titanium Tiroler ring fixes that by adding the ability to take measurements to your EDC kit, with a smart portable design.

You know the issue. Even if your EDC multitool has a ruler built into it, it's usually not very long, so you wind up measuring things in three- or four-inch increments, no matter how long they are. Enter the Tiroler, a titanium ring which is currently on Kickstarter.

The ring is designed so that as you hold the outside of it, the inside wheel is free to spin. As you roll it along a surface, that central wheel, which is marked with either an imperial or metric scale, turns.

The numbers are displayed through a small window in the outer ring and each time you complete one revolution, you get what the makers call "a satisfying click" that helps you keep track of how far you've rolled.

For the metric version, that click is delivered every 10 cm. The imperial version clicks after every five inches rolled.

So for example, let's say you were using the imperial version and measuring the edge of a piece of furniture. If you heard six clicks and saw the number three in the window, it would mean that the edge was 33 inches long because 6 x 5 equals 30, plus the extra three inches shown on the device. It's a clever way to pack pretty much limitless measuring ability into a very small form factor, as long as you can keep track of the clicks in your head.

Because of its rolling design, the Tiroler is also great at measuring oddly shaped objects like a seat cushion or a round bowl. And it does away with the need to struggle with the sharp and bendy metal strips that are common in most tape measures.

Thanks to its sleek design, it wouldn't look out of place worn as an attention-grabbing necklace. If that's not quite your style, it's also available with a small leather carrying pouch that would allow it to be clipped to your keyring.

The Kickstarter community certainly seems to think the Tiroler is a good idea. The campaign has raised over US$143,000 for an initial ask of $3,343. If you want to get in on the action, there are still 11 days left in the campaign with a few early-bird pledges left that will run you ¥8,650 (about $58) for the metric version or ¥10,300 (about $69) for the imperial model.

As this is a crowdfunded project, the usual cautions apply, but there is little doubt the project has raised enough to go forward. If things continue to go according to plan, the makers of the Tiroler say they will begin shipping in mid-December.

You can see the device in action in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter

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14 comments
Jinpa
This competes with laser devices which don't have the memorization requirement. A solution in search of a problem?
warmer
Things like this are utterly useless for the designed purpose. NO ONE requiring a measurement is satisfied by nearest whole inch/CM this is a cool design/form with HORRIBLE FUNCTION
MeToo
$70 for a tiny tape measure that would be hard to read? Not me.
ArdisLille
The Tiroler would be ideal for taking measurements in a calm and nearly silent environment. It's a given that I would lose track of the clicks, giving way to a new adage: measure 50 times, cut once.
Smokey_Bear
I'm with Warmer on this, dumb that it only reads out within an accuracy of an inch. If I'm measuring something, it's for a reason, if I was looking for a estimate i wouldn't be grabbing a measuring device.
walksalot
Especially love the guy taking a lengthwise measurement of a long wall but rolling along on a waist-high ledge. I would have to build a ledge to roll this device if I didn't want to crawl along the floor for 30 feet, while not letting the wheel lose contact with the floor. LMAO. Also notable, it is $58 for metric but $69 if you want your measurements in (rounded) inches. WHY?!
The Doubter
Why titanium? The whole idea is unusable. Just because there are people with excess money ready to buy any novelty does not mean that one should make them.
Erg
I can see a market for this. I think it's a great idea.
jeremiah.mckenna@yahoo.com
Oh look, a solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

"I need a fidget spinner that clicks so I know how long my thigh is." Said No one , ever.
RobertElliot
I like the concept, I just don't know how it would compete with other alternatives. But I do like the idea of hanging it around your neck.