The Daily Star’s resident Santa Claus, Adam Cailler, gives you our pick of the top advent calendars for this festive season.
Christmas is coming – whether you like it or not. And wherever you stand on the Scrooge spectrum, the right advent calendar can only help brighten the buildup to the big day. The question is which one to choose. Here Adam Cailler gives you our pick of the top advent calendars this festive season…and he tested more than 50!
This is the best advent calendar of 2026. It is packed with 27 luxury products from brands like Huda Beauty and Clinique – including 19 full-sized items – worth over £700. If you can’t quite stretch to £150, Boots is also offering 24 Days of Skin for £70 and 24 Days of Scent for £90.
P.Louise What Glows Around 2026 (£250)
This spinning light-up carousel box contains £502 worth of makeup across 25 full-sized surprises. Featuring exclusive Christmas formulas, lip kits, blush palettes and a 10-piece brush set, it is a showstopping gift for cosmetics fans.
LookFantastic The Grooming Advent Calendar (£90)
This 25-door grooming calendar packs in £469 worth of men’s skincare, haircare and fragrance – including 15 full-sized items. Featuring top brands like Elemis, ESPA, Shiseido, Rituals and Murdock London, it is an exceptional value pick for the men in your life.
Cartwright & Butler Advent Calendar (£199)
Weighing a massive 5kg, this luxury foodie calendar hides 24 full-sized sweet and savoury treats behind its illustrated drawers. Packed with artisan shortbread, fudge, preserves, crackers, tea and Christmas pudding, it is the ultimate gourmet countdown.
Crazy Fun Original Mystery Squishy Dumpling (£40)
Ideal for children who love sensory toys, this calendar from The Entertainer features 24 tactile Squishy Dumpling bao buns behind its doors. With shiny and scented editions to collect, it will keep kids occupied throughout December.
LEGO Marvel Advent Calendar 2026 (£29.99)
This 317-piece calendar offers 24 festive Marvel superhero minifigures and mini-builds. It is well designed, great value for money, and guaranteed to keep both younger and older LEGO fans entertained until Christmas Day.
CEWE Personalised Photo Advent Calendars (from £9.99)
CEWE allows you to personalise the cover and hide individual family photos behind all 24 doors. You can also upgrade the calendar to include Kinder (from £16.99), Ferrero (from £25.99) or Tony’s Chocolonely chocolates (from £38.99), or a 500-piece photo jigsaw (£34.99).
Virgin Wines Mixed Wine Advent Calendar (£99.99)
This calendar includes 24 mini bottles of red, white, rosé and Prosecco, plus a full-sized bottle of French sparkling wine for Christmas Day. It is a great way to sample a new quality wine every night in December.
Roly’s Fudge Advent Calendar (£60)
For £60 (including postage), Roly’s handmade calendar offers 500g of crumbly Devon fudge across 25 doors, packaged in recyclable card. Flavours include Vanilla Clotted Cream, Salted Maple & Pecan and Christmas Pudding.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Miniatures Advent Calendar (various)
Available at Sainsbury’s, this 245g calendar is filled with Reese’s milk and white chocolate peanut butter miniatures. Simple and reliable, it is an easy crowd-pleaser for peanut butter fans.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange Advent Calendar (£3)
A festive classic, this 106g calendar provides a daily piece of zesty orange chocolate and finishes with the world’s largest Terry’s segment behind door 24. Affordable and delicious, it remains a stocking-filler favourite.
Lovehoney Couple’s Advent Calendar (£149)
It’s not usually the sexiest time of the year – but this advent calendar sets out to change that. Prepare to have a very merry time indeed, with 24 days’ worth of saucy treats that will leave you with a huge collection of sex toys.
Siren Craft Brew Beer Advent Calendar (£95)
Swig your way through the weeks before Christmas with a daily dose of craft beer goodness. There’s 24 unique cans here to tickle your tastebuds, as well as a festive glass to drink them from
In 2016, Hillary Clinton insisted she carried hot sauce in her bag. Whether or not she was pandering, she was arguably onto something because having a handy little bottle of hot sauce on the go from Chilli No 5 has been great. When first receiving the calendar, you are greeted with inviting different windows to pick your daily treat.
Spanning 24 days, you’re not short of options – covering sauces, spices, chilli oil, marinades and more, this is a great gift for anyone who likes to experiment with their flavour profiles. Some of the personal standouts for me were the Chinese Hot & Sour, Louisiana BBQ, and the Limited Edition Pure Hot Sauce, which provided a fiery kick from the more classic sauces, as well as a tangier and more distinct flavour for the Hot & Sour.
While the price point may be a bit high for some, at £125, it is a great high end alternative for your foodie family or friends who want something a bit different this Christmas.