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We’ve come a long way from the humble chocolate Advent calendar. Now, you can buy an Advent calendar filled with just about anything you can think of, from skin-care products to dog treats to itsy-bitsy toys. With the market increasingly saturated, I’ve been extra critical in my roundup this year. By this I mean, just because a brand says a calendar is worth hundreds of dollars doesn’t mean it actually is — and I’ve done the cost-benefit analysis to make sure you’re actually getting a good deal with each calendar’s contents. So whether you’re treating yourself or you plan to divvy up what’s behind the doors as holiday gifts, everything in this story will give you value for your money. I’m also partial to a calendar that can be reused, either for the next festive season or as handsome storage year-round.
As we’re halfway through December, plenty of big-name Advent calendars have already completely sold out. And as the countdown on any 24-door Advent calendar has already begun, you might be thinking, What’s the point? Well, the Advent calendars below are ones that would make for great presents to be opened in one go on the 25th — so I’ve included all of the ones still in stock here. I’ve also included ten- and 12-day Advent-calendar options for those who felt left out last week and would like to get involved for the 12 days of Christmas. (If you’re in the market specifically for a beauty-focused Advent calendar, we found the best of those, too.)
Update on December 6, 2024: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.
The Advent calendars I think are best
Now that we’re well into December, shorter Advent calendars make more sense. I found two: a ten-day option by Truly Beauty and a 12-day pick from Burt’s Bees. Inside Truly Beauty’s Advent calendar is a collection of decadent body butters and oils that each sound so delicious that they’re one of my top picks (and a rare beauty calendar that’s still in stock). I also think you can’t go wrong with the Burt’s Bees calendar as a simple yet well-received gift. Technically the LEGO countdown has already started, but it has perfected its Advent-calendar recipe so well — with items exclusive to each calendar and festive twists on classic figurines — that I still think it makes a great gift to be opened on the 25th.
Food and drink
This is my third year in a row featuring the Advent calendar from compote queen Bonne Maman. Inside the festively illustrated calendar sits 12 limited-edition miniature spreads. If you’re anything like Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio, then the final door of your calendar won’t make it to December 24 unopened. “My family and I will open the entire calendar in one go. This is our third year in a row doing it — my husband even bakes a loaf of homemade bread for the start,” she says. “Once the mini-jars are empty, my kids use them for all kinds of craft projects. My older daughter also grabs one to put under her pillow any time she loses a tooth, to keep it safe for the tooth fairy.”
Sugarfina, known for their fancy candy, have gone with a gingerbread-themed calendar for this year. Behind each of the 24 doors are appropriately festive-shaped gellies, caramels, and cookies, including their best-selling sour gummy lips. A great gift for a discerning sweet tooth.
Lindt is my favorite chocolate brand, and this has all of the hits: two milk-chocolate teddies, a tiny slab of milk chocolate, and its delicious chocolate balls in an assortment of flavors. If you’re sticking with chocolate, this is the way to go.
The Bean Box coffee subscription service is a Strategist favorite, so it was no surprise to find the — in my opinion — best 2024 coffee Advent calendar while browsing their site. It comes from the brand Onyx, and behind each door is two ounces of a different small-batch coffee blend (ideal for a 24-ounce pour-over), in both brand-classic and Advent-calendar-exclusive flavors. The intricately illustrated box is also a real delight, and could be recycled into a countertop storage container.
If they’re more tea-inclined, this inexpensive option from Pukka will brighten up their first morning brew. It features 24 tea sachets — a new flavor for each day in the buildup to Christmas — including festive cinnamon blends as well as classics like elderflower. The whole box is completely recyclable, too.
If you’ve visited (or wish to visit Japan), and long for its snacks, delights, and flavors, Bokksu delivers with its Advent calendar each year. Their theme this year is kintsugi, the art of repairing broken pottery with gold, so the calendar itself is particularly handsome. Inside is the usual mixture of snacks (behind 17 doors), and eight collectible holiday items that’s made the calendar a mainstay of this roundup year after year.
Beauty, jewelry, and lifestyle
Fore more 2024 beauty-calendar options, be sure to read beauty writer Tembe Denton-Hurst’s in-depth guide.
This is what I’d class as a great Advent calendar: 12 gifts you’d actually want (each day, a new flavor of Burt’s Bees’ best-selling lip balm) for a very reasonable, under-$25 price. I might just buy this for myself, to stock up ahead of the winter dryness.
At $515, this to me screams “main present.” But what a great present that would be: a calendar with 12 days of stunning jewelry, in either 18k-gold-plated silver, or rhodium-plated sterling silver (preference depending). Inside are earrings, huggies, and necklaces, and the calendar itself is a gorgeous jewelry box that you’ll want to reuse. Astrid and Miyu do have 24-day calendar options, but as they’ll set you back triple the price, I’ve selected this as my favorite of its Advent-calendar offerings this year.
Truly Beauty has wrapped up ten days of its best sellers in a bow — for a sweet price of $99. Minis of all of its best sellers are included, from its glazed-doughnut shave oil, to whipped berry body butters and a vanilla eau de parfum. A very sweet gift.
From a hyaluronic mask to a brightening eye cream, Origins has included the building blocks of a simple skin-care routine in its Advent calendar. There’s also a full-size tube of its spot-correcting cream.
Hobbies and interests
Discover a new rock or gemstone every day leading up to Christmas with this National Geographic Advent calendar filled with 24 specimens, including black obsidian, blue quartz, jade, and a “dig brick” that budding gemologists can chip away at to reveal a special crystal. The calendar also comes with five jewelry settings for those who’d like to transform their finds into wearable art.
I would be remiss to mention National Geographic without its classic science Advent calendar. Like the calendar above, it also features gemstones, but there are also 13 science experiments that can be completed from home, including growing a colorful crystal tree, making a test tube glow, and — on the final day — finding fool’s gold from a mini dig brick.
Its magic Advent calendar is pretty fun, too. It features all the classics, from card and dice tricks, cup-and-ball slight of hand, and wand levitating. There’s also some fun scientific spins on classic magic tricks, like “making snow” and creating a bubble in the shape of a square.
With 24 gift boxes and 24 experiments, the second volume of the Thames & Kosmos Advent calendar includes almost everything you’ll require for a month of DIY physics, biology, and chemistry tasks (you’ll just need some household items such as vinegar and baking powder).
Kids
LEGO Advent calendars are a mainstay of the holiday season, and for 2024 the toymaker added a brand-new variation. Themed after Disney princesses, the 24-day calendar contains five micro-dolls (including newer characters such as Moana and classic princesses like Ariel), as well as teeny sets from classic Disney films and a few sidekicks.
A sellout every year, the LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar looks particularly appealing this year. It contains six character minis (including a festively attired Luke Skywalker), as well as various ships from across the films and Disney+ original shows. As always, there are some exclusives inside, making it an excellent gift if you know any collectors.
My third and final LEGO suggestion is particularly interactive; it features raceable cars, five mini-figures, and a Sandman catapult to launch toys all over the living room (much to parents’ delight, I’m sure). It also features one of the best festive LEGO figures I’ve seen this year: Venom in a woolly scarf.
Christmas baking is the theme of Playmobil’s Advent calendar for 2024. Once all 92 pieces of the calendar have been opened, it creates a completed kitchen play set (that, once you minus the Father Christmas figurine, is great for playtime all year-round). There are also three cookie cutters included in the calendar, so that kids can do some festive baking of their own.
An Advent calendar with a … plot? EXIT’s Advent calendar emulates the experience of an escape room at home: Families have to answer 24 riddles, solve mysteries, and find clues over the course of December in order to escape Santa’s workshop (and, of course, save Christmas). It can also be played alone, but I think this is a great pick for families looking for a new festive-themed game for the holidays.
This Advent calendar sings! Behind five of the 25 doors, the Peanuts calendar has sound buttons to play clips of songs from the Charlie Brown Christmas special. It’s more of a keepsake, meaning no takeaway goodies but plenty of pullout ornaments, illustrations, and quotes.
A calendar for all the mini-horse girls. Schleich horse club has 24 doors, each with a new figure or accessory to create a horse farm throughout December, from saddles to stable equipment and, of course, two horses.
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