Which are The best Advent calendars? All of them, I think. There's something undeniably exciting about them. To me, they were the first example of a little treat. I'd get done with a hard day of being an 8-year-old and come home to crack open a cardboard door to eat some powdery chocolate the way a sitcom dad makes a beeline for his post-work lawnmower beer. As an adult, spending just a moment every single day with a special little treat or gift can help you stop feeling overwhelmed by all the tree trimming and gift wrapping and societal breakdowns—enough so you can start enjoying the ride.
Advent calendars are cooler now than they ever were when I was a kid, and the contents aren't limited to novelty Santa-shaped chocolates anymore. I painstakingly tore into several cardboard doors to get to the bottom of the best Advent calendars. My favorites are below. Even if you start cracking into your calendar after December 1, don’t worry; a lot of Advent calendars are just 12 days. Plus, who needs rules? Just double up on treats if you start late!
Be sure to check out our other gift guides, including the Best Gifts for Newlyweds, the Best Gifts for Bird Lovers, and the Best Gifts for Golfers.
Updated October 2025: We've refreshed this guide with new Advent calendars for 2025. We're testing many more calendars for this year's holiday season updates, ranging from coffee and alcohol to more toys (including Lego), sweets, food, sex tech, beauty products, and other little gifts and trinkets.