Upgrade Your Christmas Countdown With These Adult Advent Calendars

Advent calendars aren’t just for impatient kids anymore. A handful of brands have come out with adult advent calendars that keep us sane while we wait out December — just like they keep the kids happy with daily candy.

These grown-up advent calendars also make great early holiday gifts, and most of them double as tasteful Christmas decorations too.

To spruce up your December countdown, we’ve rounded up 13 of the best adult advent calendars with daily surprises including booze, grooming gear, food and more. Check them out below.

1. Holiday Spirits Calendar

BEST OVERALL

Let’s be honest: booze is the best thing you could hope to find in an advent calendar. This Spirits Calendar lets you do just that, although you do have to stock the calendar yourself (with mini alcohol bottles or these mini mixers). The cardboard calendar features 12 compartments for mini bottles and Christmas themed graphics that make it a great addition to your decorations.

2. Tingletouch Love Calendar for Couples

FOR THE ROMANTIC COUPLE

This advent calendar from Tingletouch spices up you and your partners December with activity ideas for each day. When you flip open a window in the morning you’ll find three options ranging from easy (for busy schedules) to more complicated. The activities include things like giving each other compliments, having a movie night as well as fun ideas for the bedroom.

3. Man’stuff Grooming Advent Calendar

FOR THE BEST (OR WORST) GROOMED

This men’s grooming advent calendar is perfect for the guy that loves to stay well-groomed…or the guy that needs some help staying well-groomed. The box includes 12 travel-sized grooming essentials for a half-month countdown to Christmas. Inside, you’ll find a bottle of face wash, a comb, shower gel and much more. Plus, the travel size makes them great for gradually stocking up for a post-Christmas vacation.

4. D-FantiX Christmas Advent Calendar

FOR THE DECORATOR

Advent calendars and Christmas decorations, in general, can be eyesores. If you want a more chic holiday look in your home, pick up some of these advent calendar pouches to string on the wall. They’re great for adults or kids, as you can stock them with whatever you want, such as cheese, chocolate, alcohol, or personal notes.

5. Nintendo Socks Advent Box

FOR THE GEEK

The majority of Nintendo-loving geeks have all grown up by now. For the old-school gamer, go for this advent calendar filled with Nintendo-themed socks. You’ll find 12 pairs in the fun gift box, which is a pretty good deal for just $25.

6. Lindt Bear Advent Calendar

BEST CHOCOLATE CALENDAR

Adults are allowed to love chocolate too. However, if you want to indulge a loved one’s sweet tooth with a chocolate advent calendar, opt for this more grown-up set from Lindt. It comes stocked with 24 bear-shaped chocolates, including a special treat behind door 24.

7. English Tea Shop Book Style Advent

FOR THE TEA-LOVER

If chocolate and alcohol sound too unhealthy, try this Tea Shop advent calendar. The compact calendar has 25 bags of tea for each chilly day this December, and 12 variations so you get to sample some new flavors. Plus, the tea comes from English Tea Shop, meaning you’re actually getting some high-quality stuff.

8. Funko Harry Potter Advent Calendar

FOR THE HARRY POTTER NERD

Pair your yearly Harry Potter marathon with this Harry Potter Funko Pop advent calendar. Each day contains a mini character from the beloved movies, ranging from Ron to Viktor Krum. Obviously, kids will love this too, so it’s great to use as a whole-family countdown if you have Potter-fans of all ages.

9. Funko Marvel Advent Calendar

FOR THE MARVEL NERD

Another great advent calendar for adult geeks is this Funko Marvel calendar. Countdown to Christmas by discovering a new mini Marvel character behind each door, including heroes like Iron Man and Captain America, as well as villains such as Thanos. Like the Harry Potter set, this makes a great whole-family advent calendar because let’s be honest: we all love the iconic characters of the MCU.

 

10. Hot Sauce Gift Set Advent Calendar

FOR THE SPICE-LOVER

We all know that person that drenches every meal in hot sauce (or maybe you’re one of them). If you want to spice up their December (literally), get this 25-piece hot sauce gift set. The box unfolds to reveal an advent-calendar, allowing your hot-sauce lover to grab a new bottle every day. It’s very fun, and reviewers say the hot sauces themselves also taste great.

11. Hyggehaus Wooden Advent Calendar

BEST CUSTOM CALENDAR

Our favorite custom advent calendar is this one from Hyggehaus. It’s a decent-sized box (12.5” x 14.5”) and made of high-quality wood. Instead of cheesy Christmas pictures, the graphics are Nordic-themed prints that look great by the Christmas tree or on the mantle. The compartments are also quite large, allowing you to fit a variety of decent-sized gifts, or, say, five gifts for each member of the family in every box.

12. Bonne Maman Advent Calendar

MOST UPSCALE

This premium Bonne Maman calendar is about as classy as adult advent calendars get. It comes stocked with 24 jars of delicious fruit spreads or honey, including holiday exclusive flavors like rhubarb & strawberry and raspberry & lychee. Grab a new jar each morning to upgrade your breakfast experience.

13. Fifty Shades of Grey Tease Calendar

FOR THE BEDROOM

If you and your partner are looking to fill long December nights with some bedroom excitement, go for this Fifty Shades of Grey advent calendar. Each of the 24 days offers a new sex toy, ranging from vibrators to manual ticklers. It’s certainly for the adventurous couple, but if you’re up for it (and you can afford it), it’s a very fun way to heat up the winter.

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