Advent calendars have undergone a big rebrand in the last few years. While for many of us, they still conjure up the memory of excitedly opening festive-shaped, if slightly disappointing chocolate before school, grown-up advent calendars have taken over and there are hundreds of options to choose from. Whether you’re into beauty, candles or even coffee, there’s an adult advent out there for you.
Speaking of adult advent calendars, online sex toy retailer Lovehoney has once again launched a range of sex toy advent calendars to make your yuletide a little merrier. Whether you’re a couple or a solo adventurer, Lovehoney has built a selection of calendars bursting with sex toys and spicy gifts to elevate the festive season. There’s a range to choose from so whatever your relationship status and whatever you’re into, you’ll definitely be able to find a sex toy advent calendar to suit your needs.
“Sex toy advent calendars can make great gifts, especially in relationships as it gives you the opportunity to explore new types of pleasure together,” says sex educator Laura Clark. “Instead of buying one really expensive toy that may not float your partner’s boat, you can spend your money on an assortment of different toys. Some may be a hit, others a miss, but you can enjoy exploring them together.”
How we tested
We rated each advent calendar according to a specific criterion. We judged the boxes on how well they were presented – design, packaging and how fun they were to unbox. We also assessed the range of toys and accessories on offer and the diversity of what was in each calendar. We also looked at value and which calendar delivered the best bang for your buck – pun absolutely intended.
Each toy was individually tested for quality, enjoyment and how useful it would be as part of your sex toy collection. We considered whether toys came with batteries or chargers, whether they were compatible with our favourite lubes and whether we could use them solo, or with a partner. We also checked whether the toys were waterproof, quiet and easy to hold.
Our testers are experts who have been writing about sex toys for many years so they know quality when they see it. We also enlisted the help of sexperts and intimacy experts to help with our assessment and to help you choose the right calendar for you and your body. Keep reading for our verdict.
Lovehoney 24-Day X Womanizer Couple’s Sex Toy Advent Calendar 2024
Unlike last year’s advent offering from the sex toy retailer, which had doors you could open like a chocolate calendar, this year’s Lovehoney couple’s calendar comes complete with a range of little boxes to open. This gives the whole calendar a much more luxurious feel. The red and gold theme is super festive and would look great under your tree – just make sure you remember to put it away before your parents come over.
The main goodie is this advent calendar is the Womanizer Liberty 2 Travel Clitoral Suction Stimulator, hiding behind door 24. On its own, the Womanizer Liberty is worth £89.99, over half the value of the entire calendar, plus you get 23 other sex toys and accessories.
The Womanizer is a power clit sucker, which uses air pulse technology to recreate the feeling of oral sex. It creates a suction seal around your clitoris (or whatever other body part you use it on) and creates a pulsating sucking sensation. The Liberty 2 has eight settings, is completely waterproof, and comes with a travel case too.
Other notable treats in this calendar include a sturdy little paddle, a Lovehoney mini wand (worth £19.99), and a bullet vibrator that can be used inside five of the other products.
Of course, there are also a few cheaper items to bulk out some of the days, but unlike some advent calendars, all of these are still pretty useful sex-essories, including two bottles of lube, some ben wa balls, and nipple clamps.
The only disappointing days in our view are the toy wipes (although, these are still useful if a little unsexy), and a blindfold – which has become a staple of sex toy advent calendars for some reason.
Is your Lovehoney advent calendar is worth the £149 price tag? According to the brand, the contents of the box is worth £457.75, meaning you’d save £308.75 if you were to buy everything separately. So quite the saving.
If you’re looking to build your toy collection with a partner or try out some new toys to see what you like, this advent calendar is certainly a worthwhile investment.
The only downside is that this couple’s advent calendar is definitely aimed at couples in whichone person has a penis and the other has a vulva, so if that isn’t you, it might be worth looking elsewhere for your kicks.
Buy now £149.00, Lovehoney.co.uk
Lovehoney Indulge Sex Toy Advent Calendar 2024
Like the 24-day calendar, this 12 piece set comes in individual boxes that you can open each morning. The purple theme is a little less festive but is still very well presented and looks lovely on a bedside cabinet.
As with the 24-piece set, the toys inside reflect the overall design of the box, so all the toys and accessories in this calendar are also a royal purple.
This box has a great range of goodies that would work as both a couple’s set or as a way for someone with a vulva to build out their collection.
The main toy in this box is the Lovehoney Indulge G-Spot and Clitoral Suction Stimulator, which retails for £69.99 on its own. As the name suggests, this is a clit sucker and G-Spot vibrator combined, with two separate motors, you can set each part to the speed and setting that works best for you. The clit sucker uses air-pulse technology, which means it stimulates the clitoris without actually making contact with it, helping you avoid losing any sensation. The G-spot dildo is curved to sit snuggled against the G-spot, and the ribbed texture adds even more sensation on top of the vibrations.
Along with the Indulge, this calendar contains a mini wand vibrator (worth £19.99) and bullet vibrator that can be used with five of the other products, including a dildo and anal beads.
In terms of accessories on the other days, it’s a similar offering to the 24-piece set, with ben wa balls, lubes and of course, the blindfold.
This calendar retails for £99.99 but the contents is worth £232.87 according to Lovehoney, saving you £133.87 if you were to buy the contents separately.
While the Lovehoney indulge definitely makes the box worth it’s £99 price point, the rest of the box doesn’t offer as much value for money as the 24 day calendar. While there is a really great range of toys on offer, it feels like there’s a bit more filler in this one than in the couple’s calendar.
Buy now £99.00, Lovehoney.co.uk
Lovehoney 12 Days of Play Gift Box
Another 12-piece sex toy calendar, the 12 Days of Play gift box looks more like last year’s advent calendars from Lovehoney, which individual doors to open. This means you can’t reuse the box, so some points lost there for presentation.
However, the selection inside is well worth the spend. Worth over £200 the calendar features a bullet vibrator with accessories to modify for use solo or with a partner – worth £39.99.
The star of the show is a limited edition Dream wand vibrator worth £69.99, so the two main toys alone total the £99 cost, without any of the other treats you’ll find behind the 10 other doors.
Behind those doors you’ll also find a cock ring and a butt plug, as well as lube and cute pink faux rose petals – perfect for planning a spicy night in. There are also sex games and bondage accessories like silky ties, a massage candle and more surprises.
The hot pink is a cool departure from traditional festive colours and every toy inside matches the aesthetic. Even the butt plug has a cute little fuschia gem at the end.
With the exception of the cock ring, this would make a great gift for anyone with a vulva, especially if they’re building their first sex toy collection. But it would also suit a couple looking to explore new things given the great range of toys inside.
Buy now £99.00, Lovehoney.co.uk
The verdict: Lovehoney advent calendars
If you’re single and have a vulva, the Lovehoney Indulge calendar might be a better option as there are fewer toys designed for mixed sex couples. However, there are still a few things in there that would appeal to a couple – such as the anal beads and finger vibrator. This one also only spans 12 days so you’ve fewer doors to open in the lead up to Christmas Day.
The 12 Days of Play gift box is a great starter kit for anyone building a sex toy collection and is great value too. With that said, the presentation for this one isn’t as luxe as the other two and it’s best suited to people with vulvas and not couples. This one also offers 12 days of fun surprises rather than 24.
Overall, the Lovehoney 24-Day X Womanizer Couple’s calendar is the best value for money, even at the higher price point. For only £50 more than the other two calendars, it has a much larger range of toys and fewer filler items. Even if you’re a single gal this Xmas, the couple’s calendar might be worth splurging on for the vibrators alone. There’s a serious saving there and you can always store the toys you don’t need for another time. And if it’s a shared experience you’re after, you can’t go wrong with this one, it offers 24 days of gifts and a great range of items too.
Read more: 9 best quiet vibrators that don’t compromise on power or performance
