Adult advent calendars – because you deserve a treat too!

Adult Advent calendars

by Arabella Horspool |
Updated on

Sure, it’s the most magical time of the year, but planning a Christmas your tot will love can also be a little stressful, so sometimes, we parents must treat ourselves with one of these special adult Advent calendars to get us through the seemingly endless nativity plays and Christmas gift shopping.

Sure, chocolate advent calendars are fun and great for the kids, they just don't quite cut it for everyone (although, if you have a sweet tooth, we have included some decadent ones below). Therefore we’ve rounded up the best advent calendars for mummies (and daddies) on the market – from bath bombs and candles to coffee advent calendars and beer; we’ve got it covered. Enjoy!

Editor's choice:

Best for coffee advent calendars: The Brew Company Coffee Advent Calendar - View offer on Menkind
Best stationery advent calendar: Papier 24 Doors of Desk Delights Advent Calendar - View offer on Papier
Best skincare advent calendar: The Body Shop The Advent Of Change - View offer on The Body Shop
Best for a chocolate advent calendar: Tony's Chocolonely Countdown Calendar - View offer on Amazon

Remember, it's never too early to buy your family Advent calendars, as many big brands have released theirs months before December, so to ensure you get the ones that you want, it's best to purchase them as soon as you can.

The best adult Advent calendars 2023:

Best for coffee advent calendars

Description

With 25 days worth of coffee, your December will certainly be full of beans this year! It certainly contains enough caffeine to see you through the festive period. Each bag has been numbered clearly and features the name of each country the coffee is from.

One happy reviewer wrote: "This thoughtfully curated Christmas set for coffee lovers comes with a unique coffee brewer concept and a selection of 25 organic and gourmet ground coffees, making it a delightful gift idea for any coffee enthusiast. The standout feature of this gourmet coffee gift is the diverse selection of coffees from around the world. Each coffee represents a unique flavour profile and brings a taste of different coffee cultures. From rich and bold dark roasts to aromatic and nuanced light roasts, this gift set has expanded my appreciation for the artistry behind each coffee blend."

Pros

  • 20-22 grams of coffee per bag
  • CO2 and plastic neutral packaging

Cons

  • Brew bags can seem complicated to use to begin with

Best stationery advent calendar

Description

Whether you're looking for stylish office supplies to spruce up your desk, or a gift for a stationery-obsessed friend, this Papier Doors of Desk Delights is worth the investment! Tucked away in 24 boxes is every piece of equipment you could ever think of.

Reviewed by Arabella Horspool, our Commercial Content Writer: "Combining stationery and surprise, this calendar is certainly full of practical but pretty treats, including notebooks, a bookmark, index tabs, stickers and a fountain pen to name a few. The design itself is beautifully executed; the glittery box opens up at the top and the drawer slides out to reveal a second layer of goodies."

Pros

  • Contains exclusive designs as well as bestsellers
  • Completely plastic-free recyclable packaging

Cons

  • The numbers on the boxes aren't always clear on first glance

Best for a cheese calendar

Description

For the cheese addicts amongst us, you’ll be thrilled with this Cheese advent calendar this Christmas. Packed with 24 different cheeses, dig out the crackers in the run-up to Christmas Day. Yum. If you’re pregnant and worried about the cheeses you can indulge in, double-check with a health professional.

A reviewer said: "We really enjoyed sampling the different types of cheeses. They were all delicious and the packaging was attractive. We paired the cheese Advent calendar with a wine Advent calendar and really looked forward to opening each daily offering. The cheese and wine Advent calendars have become a holiday tradition in our life."

Pros

  • Individually wrapped
  • Can be ripped in half to fit in the fridge

Cons

  • Takes up fridge space

Best for marshmallow advent calendars

Description

If you’d pick marshmallows over chocolate any day, FINALLY your prayers have been answered with this marshmallow advent calendar. With 25 different flavours, including Strawberry Cream, Mint Choc Chip, Rhubarb & Custard and Fizzy Watermelon, what more could you want on a winter morning?

One reviewer said: "The marshmallows themselves are the perfect size- think large to giant roasting marshmallow size -so you aren't ripped off. Taste wise I can't say much as I am only a few doors in but it definitely for those with a sweet tooth from what I've had so far."

Pros

  • Spans 25 days
  • Discount codes behind some of the doors

Cons

  • This option comes without the marshmallow toaster

Best skincare advent calendar

Description

Beautifully presented, the Body Shop Advent Of Change contains 24 bath and body products (such as soap, shampoo, scrubs and face masks) for you to discover and use every day and night in the lead-up to Christmas day. We love that they use Fair Trade ingredients.

One reviewer said: "I haven't opened it yet, but the packaging is beautiful! It arrived quickly with no issues, I have used some of the products inside this in the past and loved all of them. Would 100% recommend!"

Another reviewer said: "Gorgeous as ever, quality items that are definitely going to be used by my daughter (maybe me too!) excellent value for your money and of course, kind to the world!"

Pros

  • Fair Trade ingredients
  • Packaging is more recyclable than before

Cons

  • Boxes can be fiddly to take out

Best for beer advent calendars

Description

Beer fans rejoice, Brewdog have put together 24 of their hand-picked Craft Beers from their range of cans, including IPA's, Blondes, Pale Ales, Lagers, Stouts and Seasonal Specials and there's also a glass in there too. It's available for pre-order now.

One happy customer said: "I brought the beer advent for my husband as he loves BrewDog. It contains a good choice of beers. He kept a list and scored them out of ten. He now has tried all the beers and he has some new favourites."

Pros

  • 19 cans are suitable for vegans
  • Plain outer packaging so it won't spoil the surprise (if gifting)

Cons

  • Quite heavy

Best tea advent calendar

Description

Another perfect treat for those mums-to-be this Christmas – Bird & Blend is back with their tea advent calendar. Featuring 48 (enough for you and your other half!) of their award-winning teas, including Apple Strudel and Hazelnut Rocher to warm you up this winter.

Arabella Horspool, our Commercial Content Writer reviewed this and said: "Filled with plenty of festive flavours, the Bird And Blend Tea Advent Calendar is great for sharing. There are plenty of warming and seasonal flavours to enjoy and as soon as you open the box up, it instantly smells like Christmas. There are nice extra touches including information on how long to brew each blend for and a list to write down your top five flavours."

Pros

  • Two teabags per day
  • Option to go regular or caffeine free

Cons

  • Only teabags included - no other tea related products

Best for a chocolate advent calendar

Description

What's better than chocolate? Ethically made chocolate of course! There's plenty of shocking and surprising facts about the chocolate industry inside, as well a a rainbow of yummy individually wrapped Tony's Chocoloney treats for you to enjoy.

Reviewed by Arabella Horspool, our Commercial Content Writer: "Wow! This advent calendar is huge! It features 10 delicious flavours, making it a great gift for people who have never tried Tony's Chocoloney before. Plus, it makes a fantastic calendar to share as there's bound to be a flavour that everyone likes (if you're feeling generous, that is)."

Pros

  • All natural ingredients
  • White, milk and dark chocolate

Cons

  • Quite big so could be hard to store

Best candle advent calendar

Description

Create a calming atmosphere this Christmas with a selection of Yankee Candles, hidden inside an enchanting advent calendar book. Behind the doors on the shimmering constellation of stars, you'll find a mixture of small candles and tealights.

One happy reviewer said: "Christmas isn't Christmas without a Yankee candle advent calendar and I treat myself to one every year. It arrived in perfect condition and it smells divine. I like this years' colour of the package and of course, the candles themselves. A nice mix of tealights and filled votives and I can't wait to undo the bow on Dec 1st to start the countdown."

Pros

  • Broad collection of scents
  • Tealight holder accessory included

Cons

  • No full-size candle

Best for a luxury advent calendar

Description

Any chocholics out there will adore this calendar. As well as a broad selection of popular treats and festive favourites, you'll also find cacao vodka and gin, as well as Velvetised Chocolate Cream and a Honey Chocolat Lip Balm - delicious!

One reviewer wrote: "I was very lucky and bought this as an absolute bargain. The Calendar is enormous and the contents are amazing. I couldn’t believe the size of the Chocolate Wreath, it was huge. Absolutely delighted with this Calendar."

Pros

  • Extensive range of milk, white and dark chocolate
  • Decently sized products

Cons

  • Not suitable for vegans

Best couples advent calendar

Lovehoney - adult advent calendars
Price: £100 (was 207.99)

www.lovehoney.co.uk

Description

Behind each mystery door of this adult's advent calendar is a carefully selected toy, gift, game or bondage item, for him, her or both of you. Definitely one to keep away from little eyes!

One reviewer wrote: "I was extremely excited to get this advent calendar. I liked they way the gifts are linked and that they are Christmassy. Most toys are red. You get a good variety of things to try and I was excited by the surprises."

Pros

  • Red theme
  • Big selection of items

Cons

  • Not the most festive box design

Best for popcorn advent calendars

Description

If you've got a sweet tooth but you're bored of the usual chocolate Advent calendars, it's time to give this Popcorn Shed countdown a try. Behind the 24 windows are bags of gourmet popcorn in various flavours to tantalize your taste buds.

Reviewed by Arabella Horspool, our Commercial Content Writer: "As a popcorn fan, the Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar from Popcorn Shed ticks all the boxes. The box design is so festive and I love the six flavours (the standouts being Pop N Choc, Cookies & Cream and Berry-licious); you get just the right amount for an afternoon snack or you can save some of the bags up and munch on them whilst watching a film."

Pros

  • Vegetarian recipes
  • Jokes behind the doors

Cons

  • Not suitable for those with a nut allergy (contains peanuts)

Best for a chocolate truffle advent calendar

Description

Chocolate is obviously Christmassy and Baileys is one of those deliciously festive drinks, so what better way to celebrate the run up to t big day than by combining the two into terrifically tempting truffles? Behind each flap you'll be treated to either a salted caramel, heart or twist-wrap truffle.

One customer wrote: "Packaged well, delicious, if you like Bailey's you must try their truffles. Thank me later!"

Pros

  • Bite-sized pieces
  • Three chocolate shapes

Cons

  • Some reviewers say the box could be more durable

Best for a beauty advent calendar

Ciaté London
Price: £28 (was 65)

www.ciatelondon.com

Description

Ciaté London's Mini Mani month advent calendar is bursting with 23 mini nail polishes and one full size polish, designed to keep your nails ready for any occasion. Not only is this guaranteed to keep you on the top-end of style during the festive season, the polishes are also environmentally friendly, with the polishes made from recycled and recyclable materials.

One customer wrote this review: "Whilst I'm not keen on all of the colours, it's good fun trying the choices. They are pretty long lasting and easy to apply, plus it doesn't take too much spread onto skin. At under £1.50 a pot in the sale, really good value."

Pros

  • Bottles made from recyclable materials
  • Month-long advent calendar

Cons

  • Doesn't come with a nail file or any other nail accessories

Best milk chocolate advent calendar

Lindt LINDOR - Adult advent calendar
Price: $11.99

Description

Who doesn't love Lindt LINDOR? This advent calendar is in their iconic shade of red. It contains 24 wrapped truffles, hearts and squares with a smooth melting filling to make December utterly delicious.

One reviewer said: "It's become a tradition that I send these to family and friends at Christmas, well November to be precise, it would be rather silly to send them to arrive on the 31st December, although the taste is so good you could easily eat all of the chocolates in one go, as my diabetic father-in-law did! First class quality, a brand name you can trust to deliver delicious chocolate to the favourite people in your life."

Pros

  • Easy to open
  • Lightweight box

Cons

  • All one flavour

Best for a food advent calendar

Description

Yep that's right, a CAKE advent calendar! Behind each door hides a bite-sized chunk of either chocolate truffle cake or a decadent fruit cake. The cake selections are dispersed randomly throughout the calendar, so each new day is a  surprise. The calendar has a minimum shelf life of the end of January 2024 but we're pretty confident it won't last you that long...

One customer said: "My husband loves this advent calendar as it's so different. I've just ordered one for this year (this one will be his third one) and he says it makes his run-up to Christmas."

Pros

  • Moist sponge
  • Handmade and hand-decorated

Cons

  • Short shelf-life

Best for a classic advent calendar

Description

The Best of Thorntons Advent Calendar brings together some of Thorntons' tastiest chocolate creations to enjoy during the countdown to Christmas. From their much-loved Continental chocolates, inspired by travels across Europe, to their Classic range and Thorntons Pearls with their delicious centres, this calendar offers a great variety you'll forward to opening daily.

One reviewer wrote: "I have bought Thorntons chocolates for years (only as a treat), so I had to try the Advent calendar. These are some of the best advents I have bought, the selection of chocolates with the chocolate pearls were great."

Best alcoholic advent calendar

Description

Officially licensed, this Star Wars Stormtrooper calendar is brew-tastic for any film and beer enthusiasts. They can expect to receive Galactic Pale Ale, Lightspeed Pilsner, S.N.I.P.A, Shadow Stout, Goon Squad and Space Hopera and Hoppy Christmas drinks, as well as snacks and a fun Stormtrooper glass.

Pros

  • Brilliantly packaged
  • Twelve different flavours of beer

Cons

  • Doesn't look very festive

Things to consider when buying an adult advent calendar

When purchasing advent calendars for adults, there are a few things you should think about, particularly if you're buying them as gifts.

Preferences - Obviously, the most important thing to consider when buying Christmas calendars is the recipient's favourite things, whether that's chocolate, sweets, gardening, beauty etc.. Nowadays, there seems to be an infinite number of advent calendar ideas to go for, so you can really go as generic or niche as possible.

Size - Most advent calendars come with 24 doors whilst others have 25; sometimes they will have 12 doors or boxes (to represent the twelve days of Christmas). So, it's a good idea to think about where you're going to store it for the month, particuaruly if it's a large advent calendar.

Allergies - No matter whether it's a food calendar or a beauty advent calendar, it's important to check the ingredients for potential allergens or elements that they may have an intolerance too.

Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby and Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who enjoys cooking and spending time with her many pets.

Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us
How we write our articles and reviews
Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.