December is nearly here, and that means it's officially time to get the tree and decorations up without some Scrooge-type grumbling that it's too early.
Present-buying may be underway, but the time to crack open the first window of your advent calendar is practically here.
While the big day is still a fair few weeks off yet, you can plan ahead and spread the cost of Christmas by securing things like advent calendars as soon as they're up for sale.
We’re not just talking about the chocolate-packed versions we squeezed our eyes tight wishing for in childhood, oh no. Today’s advents aren’t just for kids; treats inside are mostly for an adult-only audience.
We’re talking festively festooned boxes packed with everything from stationery to sex toys, and delightful surprises that go from booze to beauty.
While the daily treats within may be for an 18+ age range, the giddy excitement of tearing open a fresh window every day until Christmas is the same, no matter how old you get.
Advent calendars were once a nice extra, but increasingly, they’re a must-have present to enjoy until December 25 dawns. There are options for every taste, budget and fancy you can dream of, plus a fair few curveballs that will make you, or the person you’re buying one for, chuckle with joy.
To show you just what’s out there, we’ve collected the weirdest, wildest and downright wonderful advent calendars that promise to make Christmas 2023 one to remember.
Check out our bonkers and brilliant edit below.
Shop now
Best beauty advent calendars of 2023: Which to buy and what products are included
Best alcohol advent calendars of 2023: Wine, beer and spirits
Best whisky advent calendars of 2023 to enjoy a festive dram
Best gin advent calendars of 2023: Christmas selections to get you in the spirit
Best advent calendars for men in 2023 featuring whisky, games and more
Craft Gin Club Advent Calendar 2023
Craft Gin Club is back to make 2023’s festive season your merriest yet with its stupendously popular advent calendar featuring a line-up of 25 mini gins. Hailing from master distilleries all over the world as well as the UK, expect classic London Dry as well as seven exclusive gins made just for the brand. Each calendar will even include cocktail recipes - think a ‘Claus-mopolitan’, a ‘Festive Snowball’ and a ‘Sloe Gin Negroni’ - to take your seasonal serves to new heights.
And if you’re looking for new mixers to pair with the latest members of your gin collection, Craft Gin Club is also making a ‘pairing bundle’ of mixers and garnishes to accompany its flagship boozy advent calendar (£39.95 or £37.95 for members).
Pre-orders are open now, with deliveries sent from October and you can pay via Klarna to make the purchase lighter on your wallet.
Buy now £94.95, Craft Gin Club
Grove & Vae Jewellery Advent Calendar
Who knows what the December weather will bring, but you can ensure frosting is on the cards with this jewellery-stuffed advent calendar from Grove & Vae.
The 12-door creation is packed with lovely accessories to ensure you're as decked as the Yuletide halls come Christmas. The contents are worth £679 if purchased individually, but you can shave hundreds off the price by bagging the advent for just £389.
Buy now £389.00, Grove & Vae
Joe and Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar
For a different sort of sweet treat, look to gourmet popcorn company Joe & Seph’s. The brand has launched a deluxe advent calendar packed with a medley of flavour combos. There are 24 mini packs so you can enjoy a popcorn moment every day until December 25.
Looking for the vegan option? Find it at Amazon (£27.96).
Buy now £15.00, Harvey Nichols
Sockshop 25 pair Christmas Advent Calendar
Socks are always a useful gift, and festive ones add to the fun of the season. Sockshop's 25-day calendar comes in three designs for men, women and couples to enjoy together. Secured with a pretty ribbon, the box barely needs gift-wrapping but if you decide to, the square shape will make it all the easier.
Buy now £48.00, Sockshop
Lovehoney X Womanizer Couple's Sex Toy Advent Calendar
Designed to bring red-hot passion to the cold winter nights leading up to Christmas, Lovehoney’s sex toy adult advent calendar is back with a bang.
This year, the sexual happiness expert has teamed up with the award-winning toy brand Womanizer. Naturally, the external suction vibrator, the Womanizer Classic 2, which costs £119.99 alone, is a headline attraction, with the other 23 windows holding small gifts designed to keep you occupied between the sheets: think a bullet vibrator and beaded products.
In total, there’s more than £425 worth of products for the bargain RRP of £150. If that doesn’t get your bells jingling (or at least your gas bill down), we ask you - what will?
Buy now £150.00, Lovehoney
Lovehoney Rose 12 Days of Play Sex Toy Advent Calendar - £100
Lovehoney isn’t stopping at just one advent calendar; this year it has three.
The second in its line-up spotlights one of the company’s best-selling suction toys, The Rose (worth £54.99 alone). The unassuming-looking accessory is the muse for the entire rose-themed calendar, which has 12 windows stuffed with delights, from massagers and beads to a crystal-decorated butt plug. You could say that they’re putting the X in XXXMas.
Buy now £100.00, Lovehoney
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Savour the 12 Drams of Christmas calendar
It really is Christmas over at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society; you need only to look at its advent calendar for confirmation. The line-up consists of a dozen cask-strength drams from distilleries all over Scotland, each a pleasing 50ml a go (most competitors offer 30ml).
The twist? All distilleries are kept secret and given descriptive names so you can focus on the spirit in your glass, rather than be blinkered by branding or prestige. As a bonus gift, you will also get a year's membership to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, allowing you to delve further into your whisky journey.
Buy now £149.00, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Drinks by the Dram Japanese Whisky Advent Calendar 2022 Edition
If you’re a fan of all things from the Land of the Rising Sun, continue your admiration for Japanese whisky with this advent from Drinks by the Dram. There are two designs to choose from: the original and this beautifully decorated kintsugi option.
Each box contains 24 x 30ml wax-sealed vials, delivering a host of exciting styles and flavour profiles. Brands include the well-established such as Suntory, as well as smaller distillers. The design is recyclable, as long as you remove the wax first (tip: it comes off a treat with hot water).
Available now
Buy now, Master of Malt
Star Wars Original Stormtrooper Beer Advent Calendar
If your guy is a beer-loving Star Wars geek, use Christmas as a chance to unite two of his obsessions in one advent calendar. This themed box comes packed with cans of Star Wars-themed IPA beer and ale as well as snacks and a Stormtrooper glass.
Buy now £44.00, Menkind
Haynes Electronic Games Advent Calendar
Perfect for the young (and young at heart), this calendar reveals components every December day until the 25th until you have everything you need to build 24 different games like Code Breaker, Whack a Mole and Wire Maze. Requires three AA batteries, not included.
Buy now £25.00, MenKind
Lily’s Kitchen Christmas Cat Advent Calendar 42g
Christmas is a time to celebrate with all members of the family - including the four-legged kind. From gourmet pet food company Lily’s Kitchen comes this cute advent calendar, with a heavy sprinkling of Yuletide charm. There are plenty of surprises in store for your feline friend, from luxurious gifts to toys and novelties.
The brand also offers a version for dogs which you can find for £7.
Buy now £6.25, Lily’s Kitchen
Pip & Nut’s Nut Butter Cup Advent Calendar
For those who rever the gift that is peanut butter comes Pip & Nut’s decadent twist on a traditional advent. There’s chocolate, yes, but wrapped around discs of the tastiest, palm oil-free, vegan nut butter. There are 24 individually wrapped treats to eat immediately or save for later in the box. The December lift everyone needs and deserves.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Gourmet Marshmallow Advent Calendar from The Naked Marshmallow Company
We know it’s the season for chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but they’re not to everyone’s taste. Know what everyone loves though? A gooey-in-the-middle toasted marshmallow.
Indulge the one you love with a gourmet marshmallow advent calendar that will dispense 25 sweet bites every day until December 25. Flavours include candy floss, s’mores, cinnamon churro and curiously, fizzy watermelon and bubblegum. Whether you wish to toast first thing in the morning or as a nightly dessert is up to you.
Plot twist: there’s also a boozy marshmallow version for grown-up kids (£22).
Buy now £17.00, Prezzybox
Artisan Coffee Co.’s advent calendar
Bring Christmas cheer to December mornings with Artisan Coffee Co.’s advent calendar, which comes in three versions: bag (£28.99), pod (£26.99) and ultimate pod which has 48 portions as opposed to the formers 24.
Made to share, the Ultimate calendar is made for sharing with double doses of coffee to enjoy each day, plus a tasty chocolate to heighten the drinking experience. There's also a special gift included - but we won't be the ones to spoil the surprise.
Buy now £48.96, Artisan Coffee Co
Pure Pet Feliz Navidog Advent Calendar
For an end-of-year treat your four-legged friend will love, an advent calendar stuffed with dog treats is bound to get tails wagging. Pure Pet has launched a version stuffed with 24 turkey and cranberry bites while the box can be personalised with their name too.
Buy now £4.99, Pure Pet
Pets at Home Christmas Giant Treat Advent Calendar For Dogs 291g
Prepare for the most excited yapping of the year when your dog figures out what this box of delights is for. Pets at Home is offering a cute range of pet-focused advent calendars this year, and for variety and size, this is our top pick. Made for adult dogs, the house-shaped box includes gnaw-worthy treats as well as toys and festive vouchers to treat your BFF well into the New Year.
Buy now £15.00, Pets at Home
Pets at Home Christmas A Meaty Treat Cat Advent Calendar
At just a fiver, there’s no reason not to treat kitty to its own advent calendar this year. Pets at Home’s calendar is packed with whisker-licking chicken and salmon bites that they will love with 25 windows to see them through until the big day. Alternatively, you could dish them all out on Christmas Day as a special lunch for your feline friend.
Buy now £2.50, Pets at Home
The 12 Days of Nudea Advent Calendar
We've seen socks, now its underwear's turn in the advent spotlight. Nudea's calendar is made to give your lingerie drawer a boost with a 12-day compilation that spans underwear, tools and surprise gifts to enjoy. Select your size first, then sit back and wait for delivery.
Buy now £125.00, Nudea
