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A pretty picture of a shepherd following yonder star no longer makes the cut; advent calendars have gone luxe, with everything from diamonds and dog toys hidden behind the classic 24 doors.
Things have come a long way since the German Lutehrans invented the concept in the late 19th Century, and they now provide a month’s worth of mini dopamine hits for the whole family. And while some options are undeniably extravagant, some advent calendars are so cool we’d swap them for a stuffed stocking from Santa.
But to sort the best from the rest, WIRED has peaked behind the big doors on a whole host of designer advent calendars that guarantee you maximum brownie points for the whole of December.
And it’s worth noting that several of the designs here are for 12 not 24 days, but as you’ll see, skipping a day might just keep your liver intact until the new year.
For more gift guides, check out our main edit of Christmas gift ideas, our tech toys edit and our supply chain-proof Made In Britain gift guide.
Cyber Monday has arrived and discounts on a wide range of tech and gadgetry are now live. The WIRED team has sought out the top true savings on quality products. Here’s the best Cyber Monday deals.
Master of Malt actually sells 14 different spirit based Advent calendars featuring rum, vodka, gin and whisky. Someone out there will be forever grateful for the £1,000 Old and Rare Whisky collection which includes a dram of 41 year old Talisker, but this altogether more affordable, collection of 24 x 30ml different Scotch whiskies remains an absolute treat, with highlights including a 12 year old Macallan and 18 year old Isle of Jura.
Price: £150 | Master of Malt | Amazon | Not on the High Street
One for the foodie completist who needs 12 different flavours of Sriracha hot sauce in their life. Designed in collaboration with Flying Goose, the world's favourite brand of Thai Sriracha chilli sauces, behind each door you’ll find one of their iconic 200ml bottles in a rainbow of flavours including Yellow Chilli, Wasabi, Tikka and Super Hot, all perfect for making leftovers a little more interesting.
Price: £40 | Sous Chef
Containing toys, sweets, chocolates, games and some more sweets, this reusable fabric Advent calendar comes with your child’s name printed on it. It’s a welcome antidote to some of the over packaged toy options available, and gives you the chance to refill each year with stuff the kids might actually want. You can buy an empty calendar to fill your own for £50, and they also do a grown-up version stuffed with premium miniatures including Sipsmith, Patron, Campari and Kraken Rum for £160.
Price: £100 | Not Another Bill
An altogether more wholesome choice of Advent calendar that’s also eco friendly, plastic free and heartwarmingly charitable. Behind each cardboard door you’ll find details of a charity you’ve supported through buying the calendar. These range from providing food and medicines, protecting oceans and endangered species, with each day representing a £1 donation. Charities include Children in Need, Alzheimers UK, Groundswell and the PDSA. Advent for Change is a non-profit organisation, with over 85% of the proceeds going directly to charity.
Price: £33 | Advent For Change | John Lewis
Look, just because Doc Brown gets all soppy, doesn’t stop it being a great (ok, fun) movie, and what better way to indoctrinate the kids than with 24 classic BTTF themed characters and accessories. Behind the doors you’ll find Marty McFly and Dr Emmett Brown in both 1955 and 1885 outfits, there’s Copernicus the dog, and Buford ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen. They’ve even included Doc’s gravestone and Whitewall tyres for the DeLorean.
Price: £30 | Playmobil | Amazon
Every artisanal (and mass market) chocolatier creates an Advent calendar these days, so there’s a good chance, if the person you’re buying for has a favourite brand or type of chocolate, you’ll be able to indulge them. And with that in mind, here’s WIRED’s favourite; 24 delicious truffles from Montezumas, one of the UKs most innovative and original chocolate brands. Behind each door you’ll find a mix of classic rich, dark chocolate, milk, white, salted dulce de leche caramel and smooth and creamy truffles. There’s 350g in total, but it’s Christmas, so calories don’t count.
Price: £25 | John Lewis | Ethical Superstore | Montezumas
Well played Virgin Wines for including a full sized bottle of fizz on Christmas day, alongside 24 curated, and rated reds, whites, proseccos, pinks and even a port. As a result the calendar feels like good value for money, with a mix of 18.5cl, 20cl and 750cl bottles. Choose from a mixed case, white/rose/fizz, or all red affair, we’re impressed by the range of grapes on show including a Fonseca Bin 27 port and favourites from Black Pig and Savvie, all with detailed tasting notes to help lure you back later for Virgin’s subscription service.
Price: £89 | Virgin Wines | Amazon
Beer subscription service HonestBrew isn’t the only beer Advent calendar provider - most supermarkets and larger scale breweries including Brewdog and Beavertown are also offering them. But they do have a habit of curating a great selection of interesting drops from the likes of Cloudwater and Siren and this year there are 12 unique HonestBrew collaborations you won’t find elsewhere. Varieties range from IPA to stouts and everything in between.
Price: £65 | HonestBrew | Amazon | Not on the High Street
You’ve left it late, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Advent in style with 12 pairs of the finest - and brightest - socks around. Thankfully they’re not all Christmas themed, and Happy Socks has ensured a smattering of cotton classics too including their dot and food patterns. Available in two sizes (36-40 and 41-46) it’s sure to enhance any sock drawer. They also do a full 24 sock option for £199.
Price: £119 | Happy Socks | Amazon | John Lewis
Liberty’s iconic Advent sold out weeks ago, but you can still go big on beauty, with Net-a-Porter’s super luxurious calendar that’s crammed full of over £1,300 of beauty products. Yes, £255 is an extravagance, but there’s no better way to sample such a range of new and iconic beauty products without forking out for full-sized versions. That and the fact you’ll earn maximum brownie points come December 1st. Highlights include Charlotte Tilbury's Kohl Eyeliner, Victoria Beckham Beauty's 'Sway' vegan lipstick and Tata Harper's soap-free 'Purifying Cleanser.’
Price: £255 | Net-a-Porter
Sent out in four boxes of six to ensure the contents don’t get stale, Lola’s 24 full sized brownies are a welcome antidote to the classic chocolate advent. Each Belgian chocolate brownie is individually boxed and numbered, delivery is nationwide and flavours range from Pecan and Rocky Road to Coconut and Raspberry and Red Velvet. Be quick, orders close on the 28th November.
Price: £60 | Lola's Cupcakes
Save your jokes about Christmas coming early, this luxuriously packaged box of gender neutral adult bedroom goodies features gifts worth a whopping £420 if bought individually. With eight sex toys, some ‘light’ bondage toys, a couple of sex games, lubricants and some perfumed pillow mist (which we’ve been reliably informed isn’t a euphemism) is enough to put mistletoe farmers out of business.
Price: £109 | EasyToys
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
