The best advent calendars 2020 - All of the chocolate, alcohol and more to enjoy this year!

by Daniel Falconer | 12 November 2020

Every year around November, we start taking a look at all of the advent calendars that will be on offer for people to enjoy throughout December.

More than ever in 2020, we need things to look forward to, so advent calendars may be the perfect way to put an instant smile on your face every day in the run up to Christmas!

Bearing that in mind, we reached out to some classic advent calendar providers, as well as those who may be offering a more unique countdown than others, to see what’s on offer this year!

Chocolate, sweets and snacks

Popcorn Shed's Gourmet Advent Calendar

Enjoy six gourmet flavours across 24 days with Popcorn Shed, with flavours including Salted Caramel, Berry-licious, Butterly Nuts, Pop N Choc, Pecan Pie and Say Cheese!

Also available is the Popcorn Shed Free From VEGAN calendar, which houses the flavours Sea Salted, Sweet & Salty, White Truffle, Salt & Vinegar, Toffee and Smoky Maple.

Both cost £18 and are available from PopcornShed.com, or from other retailers including Amazon, John Lewis, Harrods and Harvey Nichols.

Niedregger Carousel Advent Calendar

The luxury 25-window Niederegger carousel calendar is packed with delicious marzipan, truffles and pralines.

Getting more than one treat a day, this is the perfect gift for any 'marzifan'!

Available at £35 from Selfridges.com.

PLAYin CHOC Drawers Advent Calendar

The award-winning PLAYin CHOC calendar is back, allergen-free, vegan and plastic-free. With 24 drawers each containing a mini chocolate, a puzzle toy to build and a fact card, this is a great purchase for kids and adults alike!

If you don't mind splashing out a little, get yours for £55 from JohnLewis.com.

Organix Advent Calendar

For those who don't want to eat chocolate every day, or want something a little healthier for their kids, Organix have released their advent calendar packed with tasty treats.

On each ay, you'll get Organix Jammie Monsters Biscuits, Organix Mini Oaty Bites Raspberry & Apple, or Organix Mini Oaty Bites Apple & Orange.

Each are tasty and packed with healthy foods. Available now for £8.99 at Organix.com,Boots, Ocado, Amazon and Love Food. Suitable for little ones aged 18 months+.

HARIBO Advent Calendar

The HARIBO Advent Calendar is back, bringing further fun to the Christmas countdown with a merry mix of bags, including HARIBO Tropifrutti, Goldbears and MAOAM Pinballs.

If you’re looking for a twist on the usual chocolate and prefer your chewy sweets to your cocoa-based products, then this is perfect for you!

Cheese Advent Calendar

The world's first Cheese Advent Calendar is back this year, with some stunning cheese that'll go well with a glass of wine this December!

Included behind the 24 doors will be one portion of either Applewood, Applewood Vintage PDO Aged for 12 months, Ilchester Derby with Sage, Ilchester Mature Cheddar, Ilchester Vintage PDO Cheddar, Ilchester Double Gloucester, Ilchester Red Leicester, Ilchester Aged Red Leicester or Mexicana cheese.

At just £8, you can get your own from Sainsbury's, Lidl, Waitrose, Morrisons, Ocado, Booths and Amazon.

Joe & Seph’s Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar

Joe & Seph's always deliver big for Christmas and despite the ongoing pandemic, this year is no different!

Their Classic Gourmet Calendar includes some incredible flavours - a whopping total of 19! - including such delights as Apple & Custard, Gingerbread and Brandy Butter.

New to this year is the Vegan Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar and the Tipsy Gourmet Popcorn Advent Calendar; so there's something for everybody!

The Christmas range is available in-store at Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, QVC, Harrods, Ocado and Boots. They're also available online at joeandsephs.com.

Barratt's Retro Sweets Advent Calendar

At just £4 from B&M, Barratt's best-selling calendar is back, packed full of your favourite retro sweets. Enjoy such classics as Wham bars, Refreshers, Fruit Salads and more.

Exclusive to B&M, you'll want to get your hands on one of these before they're all gone - they’re an immensely-popular pick!

Walker's Shortbread Advent Calendar

A sleek new design adorns the gorgeous Walker's Shortbread calendar this year, which is returning for its second outing after an incredible debut back in 2019.

Delivering a daily dose of cheer, you'll be treated to either a Pure Butter Shortbread finger, Mini Chocolate Chip Shortbread or a Pure Butter Shortbread round on each day of December leading up to Christmas.

Get yours now exclusively from the Walkers Shortbread website, priced £14.99.

Pierre Marcolini Christmas Countdown

Another stunning design comes from Pierre Marcolini, who house some of their finest chocolates behind each door of this advent calendar, styled as a children's fairytale.

Such flavours as cashew nut, praline and dark chocolate combine for a melt-in-the-mouth experience throughout December - it's hard to resist opening every single door after just one!

Priced at £49.

Reese's Peanut Butter Miniatures Advent Calendar

Peanut butter fans unite! Reese’s are back with a naughty but nice Christmas collection, including this brilliant peanut butter miniatures calendar.

Whether you like milk, dark, or white chocolate (or all three like me), there’s something for everybody here as you open up each day on the run-up to December 25th and indulge in your favourite snack.

Available now for just £5 from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrison's.

Charity

Advent of Change

If you're hoping to give back this Christmas, then the Advent of Change could be the perfect purchase for you.

Each day you open a door and discover exactly what you've given and who to, from helping out the homeless to providing dream days out for sick children.

The first-of-its-kind calendar is the perfect way to support 24 great charities, and is priced just £17.95 from adventofchange.com.

Sue Ryder

Add your own treats to this beautifully-crafted wooden calendar from Sue Ryder, with all profits from sales going towards supporting the charity's palliative, neurological and bereavement care.

Get yours from sueryder.org, priced at £24.99 - and gift to a loved one after filling with special surprises!

Oxfam Finger Puppet Advent Calendar

Donate to a different area of Oxfam's work across the globe every day with their new finger puppet advent calendar.

With a single purchase, you'll donate a minimum of 50p per day for 24 consecutive days, fighting poverty across the globe.

The calendar can be picked up for £15.99 from Oxfam stores and online at oxfam.org.uk.

Great for the kids

Toy Story 4 Minis Advent Calendar

If your kids are crazy for Toy Story, then why not treat them to this delightful advent calendar that offers up some charming mini figures, as well as stickers and other fun surprises!

Children will go wild when they discover which of their favourite characters they’ll be able to decorate the house with over the festive season, with all of the Pixar movie’s famous faces making an appearance.

The calendars are available now at £16.99 from Bargain Max - colours and decorations may vary.

Pokémon 24-pack Advent Calendar

This 24-door advent calendar is perfect for any Pokémon fan who's hoping to collect some mini figures and distinct decorations this Christmas! Every numbered door here contains one of 16 figures or one of eight themed accessories.

This officially-licensed Pokémon calendar comes from Wicked Cool Toys, and is suitable for ages four years and up.

The Make Arcade Craftvent Calendar

Adult supervision advised here!

Feeling crafty this Christmas? Get the kids involved and put together your own decorations using a few materials with this unique and fun advent calendar.

Packaged in a box, which contains 24 numbered envelopes, each packet contains a felt sewing kit containing everything you need to make a sweet decoration for your tree.

There are some quirky designs that’ll have the little ones smiling, such as the Brussel sprout that looks cute despite being a much-maligned veggie!

Available now from John Lewis.

Disney Store Mickey and Friends Holiday Cheer Advent Calendar

This free-standing train advent is a stunning piece for the mantle place this Christmas; just fill up the 25 illustrated mini sections and watch the kids' faces light up as they open the compartment each morning of December.

Iconic Disney characters such as Mickey and Minnie, Chip 'n' Dale, Donald, Goofy and Pluto are all featured in what's sure to be the standout of your Christmas arrangement in 2020.

Created exclusively for the Disney Store and available online now for £35.

Let It Sow - 12 Days of Christmas

Adult supervision advised here!

Another one that the parents and guardians can get in on with the children here; especially those little ones who love the garden and bringing new life into the world in the way of plants!

The kit includes 12 gift boxes, each containing a unique organic vegetable, herb or flower seed, certified by the Soil Association.

Great for novice gardeners and anybody with green fingers, the calendar can be found on Etsy.com, in earlybirdbotanical's store.

Smiggle Stationary Advent Calendar

Got a stationary-loving kid in the family? They’ll be over the moon with this stunning advent calendar, which offers up pencils, glitter glue and more!

A whopping 25 limited edition goodies are available in the calendar, which won't ever be sold in-store, with a value of £50.

Everybody who buys the kit also gets a chance of receiving a lucky ticket, which gives the 30 lucky winners a £500 Smiggle shopping spree.

The calendar is available now for just £28.

Perfect for the adults

Beerwulf Beer Advent Calendar

Some of the finest brewers, including Brewdog and Beavertown, have come together to offer 24 distinctive beers in this stunning Beerwulf advent calendar.

With each calendar offering the same order of beers, a month of fun activities have also been created to go along with each brew. That includes virtual events, tastings and of course, festive content!

Available now with free delivery for £61.99 from beerwulf.com.

Honest Brew Advent Calendar

More beers are on offer from Honest Brew, who are bringing together some of the finest craft beers from across the UK and Europe.

Half of those included are exclusive beers from some of the most respected factories, allowing you to not only enjoy your old classics, but maybe find a new favourite!

The calendar is available now at £64.90.

24 Days of Rum

If rum’s more your thing, give the traditional Christmas countdown a twist with this advent calendar from Skylark Spirits.

Over 24 days, you'll be given a hand-selected premium and boutique rum from a different country across the globe. Enjoy your 20ml offering with your favourite mixer, sit back and relax!

Available from Amazon at £79.95.

12 Gins of Christmas

The gin lovers amongst us can get their hands on LoneWolf's calendar from BrewDog Distilling Co., offering a juniper-laden feast of botanicals.

Surprise new flavours combine with old classics, so that every day is different.

Available now from brewdog.com at £49.95.

Craft Gin Club: The 25 Gins of Christmas with Phillip Schofield

Well-known for his love of gin, television's Phillip Schofield has this year partnered with Craft Gin Club to curate a limited-edition calendar for fans of the spirit.

25 miniature bottles of the exclusive gins crafted by some of the finest distillers around the UK come together in the collection, with Schofield's signature Christmas Gin also hiding behind one of the doors.

Priced at £99.95, the Craft Gin Club 25 Gins of Christmas calendar is available now on craftginclub.co.uk/advent.

That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar

The final gin-laden calendar making an appearance on our guide this year is my personal favourite, That Boutique-y Gin Company's Advent Calendar!

Available from Master of Malt at £49.95, this brings together 24 wax-sealed drams of delicious gin with unique flavours and varying alcohol volumes!

Friends Coffee Calendar

Festive flavours of coffee are some of our favourite things about Christmas, so why not combine that with everybody's most-loved sitcom, Friends?

Including flavours such as Caramel Toffee and Speculoos, this Nespresso-compatible-pod-filled delight is enough to warm even the coldest of Scrooges this December!

Available now from Amazon, Groupon and caffeluxe.com for just £19.99.

Kindred Fires Advent Calendar Candle

Got someone you want to surprise with an early present this Christmas? Why not gift them this advent calendar candle, which you burn for an hour each day in December leading up to the big day?

The candle is cruelty-free, and uses soy wax, which is hand-poured in Manchester. Every delivery aims to be plastic-free, with sustainability in mind.

Get it personalised with a loved one's name to really show your love this festive season!

Available now from kindredfires.com.

24 Days of Stationary Advent Calendar

Following its stellar performance in 2019, the 24 Days of Stationary calendar is back on notonthehighstreet.com.

Enjoy a whole selection of exciting stationary gifts, from erasers, to new pens, notepads and more!

Fitness, health and beauty

Mad Beauty: Warner Bros. 12 Days of Friends Fizzers

Perfect for anybody who loves the hit TV series, this calendar contains 12 different shaped scented bath fizzers, inspired by some of the show's most iconic moments!

The detachable cardboard frame can be used again, and you can rest assured all products included are cruelty-free.

Available now for £17.99.

Mad Beauty: Disney Princess 12 Days of Bath and Body

Also available at £17.99 from Mad Beauty is this stunning triangular calendar, which features 12 doors to open and contains a range of different products for the bathroom!

Intended for adult use only, there are bath fizzers, lip balm, body lotion, bath salts, body wash, hand cream, nail files and even a body puff included.

We can see this one being a top-seller this year!

The Protein Ball Co. Advent Calendar

If you're looking to avoid the chocolates in the lead-up to Christmas, then keep healthy with this calendar that offers guilt-free snacking!

Every day, an individual protein ball can be found behind the cardboard door, containing no added sugar and varying across six different flavours.

The Protein Ball Co. advent calendar is available now for £19.99 from theproteinballco.com and selected retailers.

NIVEA Advent Calendar

Always a favourite come December, NIVEA return this Christmas with their new advent calendar for her.

The Ski Lodge setting is perfect for the time of year, with a number of exciting products hiding behind each of the 24 doors.

At just £40, it's a steal! Available from Amazon and Argos.

Ted Baker Heavenly Harmony Set

Exclusive to Boots is Ted Baker's House of Blooms advent calendar, priced at £45.

If luxury is your thing, this calendar is packed with miniature body and bath treats, alongside some limited edition surprises.

Body wash, lotion, hand cream and dry powder shampoo are just some of the treats you should expect when you pick this up!

Dr. Hauschka Advent Calendar

Those wanting to keep on top of their skincare over Christmas can do so here, with this must-have calendar including 24 of Dr Hauschka's finest products.

Quince Body Milk, Facial Toner, Lavender Body Cream and Soothing Cleansing Milk are just a taste of what's available behind each of the 24 doors.

Available now at £85.

24 Days of Christmas Fitness - Virtual Racing UK

If you've been inspired or bitten by the fitness bug this year, Virtual Racing UK have got the perfect calendar for you.

Each day, peel back a door and take on one of the Christmas fitness and mindfulness mini-challenges, getting those endorphins flowing leading up to December 25th.

Available now at £25, with zero plastic.

CATRICE Advent Calendar

Available at £34.99 from justmylook.com is this DIY CATRICE advent calendar, containing 16 standard range treats and eight exclusive highlights, only available in the calendar.

Each of the paper bags included are waiting to be personally designed, so if you're buying a calendar for a loved one who's into their beauty buys, look no further!

Nourished Advent Calendar