Best Advent calendars to celebrate the festive season with

Time to treat yourself.

Yours advent calendars

by Emily Gilbert |
Updated

There's nothing better to celebrate the run-up to Christmas than with the best Advent calendar. Pulling out chocolate each day of December has been a tradition for families all over the UK. And it's not stopping now!

This tradition, which dates back to the 19th century, is usually experienced by opening flaps or 'windows' on a tray, revealing a present behind every day of the month up to Christmas Eve. You'll usually find chocolate hidden behind these little doors. But nowadays, you can get everything from chocolate to cheese and even alcohol in Advent calendars.

The best Advent calendars:

Best chocolate Advent calendar

Monty Bojangles Enchanting Winter Nights Advent Calendar

Best coffee Advent calendar

Beanies Coffee Advent Calendar

Best sweets Advent calendar

Swizzels Sweets Advent Calendar

Best jam Advent calendar

Tiptree Jam Advent Calendar

Whether you're gifting a chocolate Advent calendar to kids or grandchildren, splashing out on a luxury Advent calendar for yourself or DIY-ing an Advent calendar, we've found the best festive calendars on the market this year. After all - they're not just for the children...

The best Advent calendars UK 2024

Tested

Best chocolate Advent calendar

Monty Bojangles Enchanting Winter Nights Advent CalendarArabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk
Price: £15.99

Looking for a more luxurious chocolate calendar? Try the Monty Bojangles Enchanting Winter Nights Advent Calendar. Behind each door is an individually wrapped cocoa-dusted chocolate truffle that melts in your mouth and on the final day, you get three!

From the classic Choccy Scoffy, buttery sweet and salty Popcorn Carousel, crumbly Cookie Moon, delectable Butterscotch Flutter Scotch and Raspberry Berry Bubbly with popping candy and fruity pieces, there are lots of flavours to try.

Reviewed by our Commercial Content Writer Arabella Horspool.

Pros

  • Individually wrapped to maintain freshness
  • Each truffle is full-sized

Cons

  • Chocolate truffles can melt easily, so must be kept in a cool place away from light
What's inside:Choccy Scoffy, Cookie Moon, Popcorn Carousel, Orange Angelical, Butterscotch Flutter Scotch, Berry Bubbly truffles

Tested

Best coffee Advent calendar

Beanies Advent CalendarNatalie Knowles/Yours.co.uk

This is right up my street as I love coffee, and the novelty flavours are an opportunity to get creative and make sweet treats, such as Gingerbread Latte and Caramel Macchiato. It's indulgent whilst being sugar-free and low-calorie.

I think this advent calendar is exceptionally good value for money because you get two full-size jars of Beanies flavoured coffee, plus 44 stick sachets. So, you can enjoy two coffee treats a day in the run-up to Christmas. I found it exciting, plus the perforated squares are easy to open. Love it!

Reviewed by our Commercial Content Writer Natalie Knowles.

Pros

  • Vegan-friendly, nut-free, sugar-free and low in calories
  • Squares are perforated, which makes them easy to open

Cons

  • The flavour of the mystery jars will vary, so you don't know which one you're going to get
What's inside:2 x Mystery Jars (Flavour will vary), 44 x Beanies stick sachets (assorted flavours)

Tested

Best sweets Advent calendar

Swizzels Sweets Advent CalendarArabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk

If you've got a sweet tooth, the Swizzels Sweets Advent Calendar is the one for you! Featuring a selection of their most popular confectionary, including Refreshers, Drumsticks, Banana Skids and Love Hearts, each packet is the perfect size for a little treat each day.

It's great for kids (and adults too), as behind each door is a fun Christmassy fact or joke, plus there's an image to colour in on the back of the box, along with a 'Hide and Seek' activity.

Reviewed by our Commercial Content Writer Arabella Horspool.

Pros

  • Wide selection of sweets
  • Jokes and facts behind each door, plus activities on the back of the box

Cons

  • Foil can be hard to rip
What's inside:Drumstick, Refreshers, Banana Skids, Snap Crackles, Stingers, Parma Violet, Love Hearts and Fizzers

Tested

Best jam Advent calendar

Tiptree Jam Advent CalendarArabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk

Switch up your breakfast routine with the Tiptree Jam Advent Calendar. Inside, you'll find 24 little jars of delicious conserves and marmalades. Each one contains 42g, so you can spread it on toast, crumpets, pastries or scones, stir it into your porridge or make some delicious baked goods.

I love the design of the box, as it stands out from regular advent calendars; I put mine in the kitchen next to the toaster so I can enjoy some jam on toast.

Our writer, Arabella Horspool, has reviewed this product.

Pros

  • Each day contains a 42g, which is an ideal size portion
  • Jars can be washed out and reused

Cons

  • Flavours aren't particularly "Christmassy"
What's inside:Little Scarlet Strawberry, Raspberry, Black Currant, Strawberry, Morello Cherry conserve; Orange Marmalade Fine Cut Peel and 'Tawny' Orange Marmalade Thick Cut Peel

Tested

Best Advent calendar for variety

British hamper legends Cartwright & Butler have released a delicious advent calendar full of their bestselling treats. The 12 drawers are filled with yummy foods, including sweet and savoury biscuits, fudge, preserves, hot drinks, confectionery and a Christmas pudding. Yes, please!

I'd say that this calendar is perfect for sharing amongst your family and friends, as there's truly something for everyone inside. Each product is a great size, (like the biscuits and crackers, for example), so you can all try the different foods.

Review written by Commercial Content Writer Arabella Horspool.

Pros

  • Wide selection of sweet and savoury treats, most of which are big enough to share
  • Box is made of high quality materials, and has a magnetic door (can be reused)

Cons

  • A bit on the expensive side, but you get such a variety of treats
What's inside:Chilli & Garlic Seeded flatbread crackers, Stem & Ground Ginger Biscuits in Carton, Milk Chocolate Chunk Biscuits, Winter Spiced Orange and Cranberry Shortbread Rounds, Milk Hot Chocolate Stirrer, Crispy Wafer Rolls with Cocoa Cream in carton, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate Stirrer, Beetroot Seeded Flatbread, Mulled Wine Spice Bags, English Breakfast Tea, Coffee Beans in Dark Chocolate in carton, Butter Fudge Bar, Mini Cherry Loaf Cake, Belgian Chocolate Fudge in Carton, Raisins in Milk Chocolate in carton, Sea Salted Fudge in carton, Merry Christmas Pudding in carton, Cheese Biscuits, Cheddar Cheese Crumbles, Soft Fruit Jellies in carton, Rhubarb & Custard Sweets in carton, Fine Cut English Breakfast Marmalade, Baked Salted Classic Mixed Nuts in Jar, Peanut & Popcorn Brittle in carton

Tested

Best popcorn Advent calendar

Popcorn Shed Gourmet Popcorn Christmas Advent Calendar Arabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk
Price: £34.99

Popcorn is the perfect snack to enjoy whilst watching Christmas films, and with the Popcorn Shed Gourmet Advent Calendar, you'll receive 24 bags to munch on. All of their popular flavours are there, from Salted Caramel to Peanut Butter, Berry-licious, Pop n Choc, Pecan Pie and Cookies & Cream.

When you open each door, you'll notice that each bag is the same colour, which gives nothing away about the flavour, so it continues the surprise until you turn the bag around to reveal what it says. Each flavour is nice and sweet, and there's a perfect amount of topping, in my opinion - with the Pecan Pie one, for example, you get the odd big piece of Pecan nut, as well as peanuts in the PB packets.

The Popcorn Shed Advent Calendar has been reviewed by Arabella Horspool.

Pros

  • Bags are like blind bags (as they're all the same size and colour) which adds to the supsense
  • Six different flavours of popcorn

Cons

  • May include the occasional hard bit of popcorn kernel
What's inside:Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Pecan Pie, Pop N Choc, Berry-licious, Peanut Butter Popcorn

Tested

Bonne Maman Advent CalendarArabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk

Have you ever browsed the shelves and seen loads of delicious spreads to try but don't know where to start? If yes, this Bonne Maman Advent Calendar is for you! It comes with 23 little pots of conserves, spreads and caramels in various flavours and is a surprise to add to your tree...

Some of my personal favourites include the Hazelnut Chocolate Spread and the Elderberry Conserve - delicious! Plus, once you're done with the jars, you can wash them out and recycle them or turn them into little ornaments or tree decorations.

Reviewed by Yours Commercial Content Writer Arabella Horspool.

Pros

  • Vast variety of flavours in travel-sized pots (great to add to a snack/sweet treat on the go)
  • A surprise on the 24th day

Cons

  • A couple of jars did not have labels on
What's inside:Apricot with Orange Blossom Conserve, Apricot and Peach Conserve, Pineapple and Passion Fruit Conserve, Cherries with Chestnut Honey Conserve, Lemon with Elderberry Conserve, Purple Fig with Cinnamon Conserve, Strawberry and Wild Strawberry Conserve, Raspberry with Rose Conserve, Fruits of the Forest Conserve, Guava Conserve, Mirabelle Plum with Linden Conserve, Blueberry Maple Conserve, Mango Raspberry and Lime Conserve, Orange Yuzu and Grapefruit Conserve, Pear and Cocoa Conserve<br>Apple, Quince and Pine Honey Conserve, Four Fruits Conserve (strawberry, cherry, blackcurrant, redcurrant), Rhubarb with Spices Conserve, Hazelnut Chocolate Spread x 2, Chocolate Orange Spread, Vanilla Caramel, Coffee Caramel

Tested

Best hot chocolate Advent calendar

Cocoba Chocolate Christmas Hot Chocolate Advent CalendarBecky Fuller/Yours.co.uk

Keep warm this winter with the help of this hot chocolate Advent Calendar from Cocoba Chocolate. With 24 lots of hot chocolate, there's plenty for the whole family to enjoy.

Here's what our reviewer said: "The calendar is big and really nice quality. It contains a selection of hot chocolate spoons, some with marshmallows, hot chocolate bombes, and hot chocolate flakes in milk, white, dark and even golden.

"The spoons take a while to dissolve, and you do need the milk to be hot, but they taste very creamy and rich. They do say the marshmallows are vegan, but I’m not sure if the chocolate is, so that defeats the object somewhat.

"The flakes are amazing, particularly the golden ones, but my favourite is the bombes. You pour hot milk over the bombe and watch as it dissolves to reveal marshmallows inside. The dark one was really lovely."

Pros

  • High quality chocolate
  • Nice selection of hot chocolate variations that are interactive

Cons

  • Some spoons may take a little while to dissolve
What's inside:Hot chocolate bombes, spoons, and drinking chocolate flakes 

The best beauty Advent calendars

Tested

Best skincare Advent calendar

Liz Earle 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar 12 Piece Gift SetArabella Horspool/Yours.co.uk

This Liz Earle 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar contains some of their most popular products and makes a brilliant gift for someone who deserves a bit of pampering.

From cleansers and scrubs to lotions and creams, all of the essentials are included in a range of full-size and smaller bottles. However, some of the products aren't recommended for sensitive skin, so keep this in mind.

Reviewed by Arabella Horspool, Commercial Content Writer.

Pros

  • Cruelty-free products
  • Mixture of full-size and smaller items

Cons

  • Some of the products aren't suitable for sensitive skin
What's inside:Liz Earle Cleanse &amp; Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser 100ml (FULL SIZE)<br><br>Liz Earle Cleanse &amp; Glow™ Cleanser 30ml<br><br>Liz Earle Smooth &amp; Glow™ Tonic 50ml<br><br>Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator 15ml<br><br>Liz Earle Instant Boost™ Skin Tonic 50ml<br><br>Liz Earle Eyebright™ Soothing Eye Lotion 50ml<br><br>Liz Earle Orange Flower Body Wash 200ml (FULL SIZE)<br><br>Liz Earle Orange Flower Body Cream 200ml (FULL SIZE)<br><br>Liz Earle Skin Repair™ Light Cream 15ml<br><br>Liz Earle Orange Flower Hand Repair™ 50ml<br><br>Liz Earle Skin Repair™ Hydrating Night Cream 50ml (FULL SIZE)<br><br>Liz Earle Superskin™ Eye Cream 15ml (FULL SIZE)<br><br>1 Pure Cotton Cloth

The best DIY Advent calendars

Tested

Best DIY Advent calendar

Hobbycraft Fabric Stocking Advent Garland 2.4mHobbycraft

This garland is utterly gorgeous and comes ready decorated with numbers. It includes 24 tiny stockings that can be strung across a mantelpiece or shelf. Each little stocking can hold a small treat, such as a couple of Lindor truffles or a miniature bottle of perfume. I love that it's ready to hang and adds a cosy feeling of traditional Christmas to my festive décor.

I will gift this to my parents and put some vegetables, herbs and flower seeds in each stocking so they can grow them in their garden next year.

This was reviewed by Natalie Knowles.

Pros

  • Empty, allowing you to fill it with whatever you'd like
  • String can be cut to size

Cons

  • Small so you can't fit much in each stocking
What's inside:24 stockings, string and 24 pegs

Advent calendars 2023

Best wooden reusable Advent calendar

Sometimes you want a more traditional and crafty advent calendar to open at Christmas. This amazing Clever Creations advent calendar is hand-crafted from sturdy, high-quality wood, and includes 24 boxes for you to fill with your own treats. It also features two festive scenes; deer in a forest and a snowy Christmas night.

Customer review: "I bought this as a Christmas keepsake for my daughter... which I know she will enjoy for years. It looks gorgeous unlit but when you flick the switch it’s the most wonderful Christmas centrepiece which gives a magical glow as nighttime falls. I know she’s going to love it."

Best cheese Advent calendar

For any cheese lovers, this is a match made in heaven. Available to pre-order soon, sign up for the waiting list now for this giant advent calendar packed with a whopping 4.2kg of cheese. Featuring 24 individual truckles of artisan Welsh cheese from seven different cheesemakers.

Customer review: "A lovely selection of Welsh cheeses. The box and hamper selections make great gifts for special occasions. Delivery is on time and well packaged. Highly recommended."

Best pet Advent calendar

Your beloved pet doesn't need to be left out of the fun this Christmas with their very own advent calendar from Lily's Kitchen. Available in both dog and cat advent calendar options, each window of this magical theatre is generously filled with Lily's Kitchen treats.

Customer review: "Had these for a few years in a row and they are very much looked forward to by my dog, who gets too excited when its time for 'what’s behind today’s door?'"

Best personalised Advent calendar

We love how you can add your favourite photos to the front of this CEWE advent calendar which is filled with different varieties of Ferrero chocolates. It's bound to make anyone smile - and not just because of the chocolate**.**

Best gin advent calendar

The Premium Pink Gin CalendarThe Bottle Club

This premium pink gin advent calendar is perfect for anyone who loves a tipple. Inside, you'll find twelve delightful pink gins from renowned brands; Whitley Neil, Bombay, and Gordon's to name a few. Each bottle measures 5cl, the perfect amount for a glass at the end of each day.

Customer review: "My wife loves it, it made a perfect surprise for her."

Best sock Advent calendar

Sock shop
Price: £48 (was £59.99)

www.sockshop.co.uk

If you're a sock-lover and enjoy the cosiness of warm feet, this sock advent calendar for couples may be the one for you and your other half. No two pairs are the same and you get 25 pairs of high-quality socks. Behind the first day window, you both get a pair of socks to wear then after that, every day is either “yours” or “mine”, taking turns to open a window and get a pair of socks made from soft, skin-friendly bamboo.

Customer review: "I thought the socks were excellent."

Best Advent calendar for home cooks

Experiment with a world of flavours this December with Just Spices' unique Advent calendar. It's the perfect treat for those who love to cook more than they love to eat. From banana bread seasoning to avocado delight, discover a new spice mix every day.

Customer review: "Great spices and recipe suggestions."

Best Advent calendar for scent lovers

Notorious candle makers, Diptyque really know how to set the ambience. You can bring these gorgeous scents to your home with Diptyque's luxurious Advent calendar. This Parisian gem comes with beautiful scented treats, from candles to balms. You can pre-order and let your home bask in heavenly fragrances this season.

Best beauty Advent calendar

From body lotions to serums, enjoy 24 days of pampering. These L’OCCITANE products include their latest novelties. This advent calendar features their most popular body, hair and skincare products – what’s not to love?

Best non-dairy chocolate Advent calendar

Celebrate the festive season with Nomo's vegan chocolate Advent calendar. Perfect for those seeking a dairy-free delight, it promises chocolaty milky-tasting treats every day without compromising on taste.

Our review: "After being dairy-free for years, this is by far the best milk-free chocolate I've tasted."

FAQs

What is the Advent calendar tradition?

Advent calendars have been found to date back to the 19th and 20th centuries from German Lutherans. That means they've been around for a pretty long time...

The tradition comes from counting the days literally like a calendar up to the day of Christmas. It's used as anticipation up to the 25 December to celebrate the season. Most Advent calendars nowadays start from the 1 December, but some traditional calendars start from the first day of Advent, which can range from the 27 of November to the 3 December.

In some more classic Advent calendars, you can find images, poetry or verses related to Advent and Christianity behind the windows of a calendar. Now, though, many Advent calendars have little gifts and treats instead.

What do Advent calendars go on sale?

While the festive season may seem like forever away, you'll find that some Advent calendars begin to go on sale from the end of August. From this time, those sought-after beauty calendars that are top of everyone's Christmas wishlist will begin to open their waiting lists too.

If you want to be in with a chance of getting those more luxurious options, we'd recommend keeping your eyes peeled throughout September to bag your favourites.

However, if you're in no rush, just make sure to buy yours in advance of 1 December. Usually, as soon as December hits, most Advent calendars go out of stock. You don't want to be left without one!

How do I create my own?

If you're a particularly crafty soul, you may want to make your own Advent calendar to make this Christmas extra special. We've found this YouTube tutorial below for an Advent calendar book that is easily made out of cardboard. A great gift for the festive season.

Chocolate Advent calendars are undoubtedly the most popular; they're affordable and easy to pick up in the local supermarket. Not to mention, always a welcome treat in the run-up to Christmas. You can even find plenty of vegan ones now too.

That being said, there are so many other types of Advent calendars. Perfect for treating yourself or your nearest and dearest. For kids or stationery lovers, you can buy stationery Advent calendars. Beauty Advent calendars are always popular, packed with mini and full-size products that last well beyond the Christmas countdown. And if you want to get your furry friend involved in all the festive fun, you can buy pet Advent calendars filled with treats and toys.

Features & Reviews Editor Emily Gilberthas been a journalist since 2016 and has worked across a variety of specialist and lifestyle brands both in print and online. Specialising in travel content and product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases, her favourite being gadgets for the home.

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