Best advent calendars 2026: chocolate, beauty, LEGO and more
Chocolate, beauty, LEGO, tea or dog treats: what each type of advent calendar gives you per door, what to check before buying, and when each one goes on sale.
The best advent calendar is one the person would enjoy opening even without the doors. In 2026 the range runs from a few grams of chocolate a day to a beauty calendar with 41 products, LEGO calendars of 211 to 317 pieces, and tea, coffee, seed and dog-treat calendars. Here is what each type gives you per door, what to check before paying, and when each one goes on sale.
Best advent calendars 2026 by type
Pick the type first, then the calendar. The table sets out what sits behind each door and the one thing to check before you buy.
| Type | Behind each door | Doors or items | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | 3.5 g to 12 g of chocolate, depending on the calendar | 24, sometimes 25 | Total weight divided by the doors, and allergens |
| Beauty | Makeup, skincare, haircare or fragrance, minis and full sizes | 25 products at M&S, 41 in 25 drawers at John Lewis | How many products are full-size |
| LEGO | A mini build or a minifigure | 24 | Age rating (5+ or 6+) and piece count |
| Other toys | Figures, modelling dough, gemstones, science kits | 24 | Age rating and small parts |
| Tea and coffee | A tea bag, a coffee sachet or a pod | 24 or 25 | Pods must fit the machine |
| Drinks | A spirit miniature, a can or a small bottle | 24 or 25 | Alcohol content; over-18s only |
| Snacks and savoury | Popcorn, crisps, hot sauces, condiments | 12 to 24 | Spice level and best-before dates |
| Home and garden | Scented tea lights, seed packets, small tools | 12 to 25 | Sowing season or scent strength |
| Dogs | A dog treat | 24 | Treat size against the dog’s daily allowance |
Every type in the table has its place in our advent calendars collection, from chocolate and beauty to toys, tea and dog treats.
The most popular advent calendars in the UK
Chocolate is still the calendar most people want. In a YouGov poll published in November 2025, Britons were asked which types of advent calendar they would most like to receive, with up to three answers allowed:
- 62%chose chocolate
- 18%chose a drinks calendar
- 14%chose a beauty or cosmetics calendar, rising to 23% among women
- 13%chose other food treats
Many adults buy one for themselves. In an earlier YouGov poll, published in December 2024, 33% of Britons said they buy an advent calendar for themselves every year and another 22% do so now and then.
Best chocolate advent calendars
Chocolate calendars look alike on the shelf, but the amount inside does not. Divide the weight on the box by the number of doors: across the chocolate calendars in our collection, that runs from 3.5 g a door to 12 g, more than three times as much.
| Calendar | Total weight | Chocolate per door (weight divided by 24) |
|---|---|---|
| Divine 70% dark | 85 g | 3.5 g |
| Galaxy smooth milk | 110 g | 4.6 g |
| Hotel Chocolat dark | 125 g | 5.2 g |
| Lindt milk chocolate, medium | 160 g | 6.7 g |
| Kinder Chocolate House | 234 g | 9.8 g |
| Lindt Teddy | 250 g | 10.4 g |
| Lindt Festive Selection, large | 289 g | 12.0 g |
What else to check on a chocolate calendar
- 24 or 25 doors: a few calendars, such as Tony’s Chocolonely’s Big Advent Calendar with 25 chocolates, keep one for Christmas Day.
- Milk or dark: the two dark calendars in the table are also the lightest per door.
- Wrapping: individually wrapped truffles keep better once the door is open but add plastic; moulded shapes in a tray are the plainer option.
- Allergens: assortments often carry nut warnings, so read the label before buying for a child with an allergy.
The full range, from Cadbury and Galaxy to Lindt, Kinder and dark chocolate calendars, is in our chocolate advent calendars collection.
Best beauty advent calendars
Beauty calendars hold the widest mix of products. The John Lewis 2026 calendar packs 41 products into 25 drawers, 23 of them full-size, and went on general sale on 7 September. M&S opens its 2026 calendar of 25 products on 13 October, with early access for Sparks members from 1 to 7 October.
The “worth £X” line on the box adds up the full price of every item. John Lewis puts the value of its 2026 calendar at about 4.6 times its price, and M&S puts its own at about six times. That multiple only counts if the person would use most of what is inside.
- Count the full sizes: in the John Lewis calendar they make up 23 of the 41 products, and the other 18 are deluxe minis.
- Match the brands to the person: a smaller calendar of skincare they already use beats a bigger one full of brands they avoid.
- Check the colours: makeup calendars come with set shades of lipstick and eyeshadow, so look at the product photos.
Our beauty advent calendars collection gathers makeup, skincare and bath calendars from brands such as L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline, NIVEA and Rituals, and our guide to the best beauty advent calendars goes through makeup, skincare and fragrance calendars in detail.
Best LEGO and toy advent calendars
LEGO’s 2026 range has five calendars, all listed as available on LEGO.com at the start of October: Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Princess, City and Friends, from 211 to 317 pieces and rated 5+ or 6+. LEGO’s advent calendar page lists no Harry Potter calendar for 2026. Our LEGO advent calendars comparison goes through each one, figure by figure.
Outside LEGO, toy calendars follow the child’s age: modelling-dough calendars for the youngest, mini-figure and doll calendars for primary-school children, and gemstone or science calendars for older children. Check the age on the box against the youngest child in the house, since most contain small parts. LEGO and other toy calendars share one shelf in our LEGO and toy advent calendars collection.
Best advent calendars for adults
Adult calendars have moved well beyond chocolate. The main families are food and drink, grooming and beauty, hobbies, and the home.
Advent calendars for men
Calendars for men mostly follow a hobby or a habit: 24 pairs of socks, fishing tackle, golf accessories, tools, gym kit, grooming sets such as Lynx or NIVEA MEN, tea, coffee and popcorn. A hobby calendar works when you know the kit the person already uses; socks and snacks are the safe choice when you do not.
Advent calendars for women
Beauty is the obvious choice, but candles, tea, crystals, jigsaw puzzles, seeds and jewellery calendars are good alternatives for someone who already has more skincare than shelf space. A candle calendar puts a small candle behind each door instead of a treat.
Food, drink and garden calendars
- Tea: 24 tea bags, one blend a day, as in the Pukka and Twinings calendars.
- Coffee: ground, beans or pods. Pods only work in the matching machine; ground coffee suits a cafetière or a filter.
- Drinks: spirit miniatures, beers, or alcohol-free calendars that mix no-alcohol beers, wines and mocktails. Alcohol calendars are sold to over-18s only.
- Savoury: popcorn, crisps, hot sauce or condiment calendars for people who do not eat sweets.
- Garden: a packet of vegetable, herb or flower seeds per door, with growing instructions.
How to choose the best advent calendar: 5 checks
- Count the doors. 24 doors run from 1 to 24 December; 25 include Christmas Day; a 12-door calendar covers only part of December, so decide when it starts.
- Divide by the doors. Weight for chocolate, pieces for LEGO, products for beauty: the per-door figure is the fairest comparison between two calendars of the same type.
- Check how much is full-size. Minis are fine for trying a brand; full sizes are what gets used after Christmas.
- Read the age and allergy labels. Toy calendars with small parts are not for under-3s, and chocolate assortments often carry nut warnings.
- Look at the box. Card trays recycle more easily than plastic ones, and wooden or fabric calendars can be refilled every year.
When do advent calendars go on sale?
The popular ones go on sale well before December, so the calendar you want is easiest to find in September and October.
- 7 September 2026: general sale of the John Lewis beauty calendar.
- Early October 2026: the five LEGO calendars for 2026 are listed as available on LEGO.com.
- 13 October 2026: the M&S beauty calendar, after early access for Sparks members from 1 to 7 October.
- Mid-November: a sensible time to order online for a calendar that must be ready on Tuesday 1 December 2026.
- 29 November 2026: Advent Sunday, when advent wreaths and candles start; 24-door calendars still begin on 1 December.
Bought one late? A calendar works from any date: open the doors you missed on the first day, then carry on one a day. Numbered doors do not know what day it is.
Once you know the type, compare what is in stock across our advent calendar range, where each calendar shows its number of doors and what sits behind them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most popular advent calendar?
Chocolate, by a long way. When YouGov asked Britons in November 2025 which calendars they would most like to receive, 62% picked chocolate, against 18% for drinks calendars and 14% for beauty ones. Among women the beauty figure rose to 23%.
What are the best advent calendars to buy?
The best one matches what the person already enjoys: chocolate for a traditionalist, a LEGO theme for a child who builds, a beauty calendar with brands they use, or a tea, coffee or hobby calendar for an adult. Compare calendars of the same type on what you get per door, not on the size of the box.
Which chocolate advent calendar is the best?
It depends on taste and quantity. The heaviest calendars in our range give about 12 g of chocolate a door and the lightest about 3.5 g, so check the total weight on the box. For dark chocolate fans, the two dark calendars we list are among the lightest per door.
Is the M&S advent calendar worth it?
The M&S beauty calendar for 2026 launches on 13 October with 25 products from brands such as Estée Lauder, Clinique and ESPA, and M&S puts its value at about six times its price. It is worth it for someone who would use most of those products; the value figure alone does not make it a good buy.
Is the John Lewis advent calendar worth it?
The 2026 John Lewis beauty calendar holds 41 products, 23 full-size and 18 deluxe minis, with a declared value about 4.6 times its price. That multiple is lower than the one M&S claims for its own calendar, so the deciding factor is whether the brands suit the person.
What are the best advent calendars for adults?
Beauty, drinks, tea and coffee, and hobby calendars such as golf, fishing or seed calendars. Choose one linked to something the person does every day, so all 24 doors get used.
When should you buy an advent calendar?
Early for the sought-after ones: LEGO’s 2026 calendars are already on sale, the John Lewis beauty calendar went on general sale on 7 September and the M&S one opens on 13 October. For everything else, order by mid-November so the calendar is in the house before 1 December.
