Best men's advent calendars for 2026, ranked and reviewed

The best men’s advent calendar spans coffee, whisky, grooming, tea, chocolate and more Peter Bevan/The Standard‘Advent calendar’ used to mean a flimsy piece of cardboard filled with chocolate that tasted mostly of the box – but those days are gone. Today, it’s become a proper gift. The kind that makes you look forward to getting up every day during December – even on the days that feel more of a struggle (it is party season, after all). And, if you think about it, buying 24 presents for the price of one is a complete no-brainer on the value-to-happiness ratio. The good news? It’s not just a rinse-and-repeat situation, where every guy ends up with the same gift. There are loads out there, so you can find one that’s perfectly suited to whoever you’re shopping for. Some are packed with cocktails (the good ones, not the kind you’d find on three for two in Sainsbury’s), while others are filled with bathroom staples (cleansers, skincare, shampoo, body wash – the works). Best men’s advent calendars at a glance Then there are some which feel more unique, whether it’s for sharing tea and biscuits 25 times over or a daily protein bar, and, of course, the classics: look out for Hotel Chocolat for the latter.So, we’ve pulled together the 14 best advent calendars for men that cover loads of categories – creative types, coffee drinkers, timeless gents, gym bros, the whisky obsessed… You name it, there’s probably a calendar to match. And, trust me, none of them tastes like the box. How we choseFrom skincare staples to candles, whisky and cocktail cans, every man is catered for with this guide Peter Bevan/The StandardFirst rule of thumb: don’t judge a calendar by its box. Sure, it plays a big part – no one wants a hunk of junk sitting amongst their curated festive decor in the run-up to Christmas – but what’s inside matters more. I’ve spent years working at magazines, specifically on shopping desks that receive every kind of advent calendar you can think of [sex toy calendar joke here]. While that means I’ve opened more than I care to admit, it also means I know how to spot the good ones fast, and the ones padded out with fluff even faster.So, after passing the does-it-look-good-on-the-side test, every calendar here was judged on what’s actually behind the doors. Where I could, I got hands-on – opening doors, sniffing candles, tasting truffles and pouring the odd dram (strictly for research, naturally). The rest come from brands I’ve tried and trusted for years, and I went through the contents line by line to check the contents add up. Then, I thought about who each one’s really for, which is why every pick comes with an easy-access ‘best for’ – and, to be honest, I fit every one on the list because I’d be happy with the whole bunch. Grind Ground Coffee Advent Calendar Peter Bevan/The Standard ★★★★☆Best: Coffee advent calendarWhat we love: Grind’s trademark playful packaging, given a festive twist, and flavours you won’t find in the supermarket Whoever came up with the coffee pod advent calendar at Grind deserves a raise – has anything ever made more sense? Sure, a chocolate truffle or mini moisturiser is a nice way to start the day, but opening the door to a new speciality blend coffee every morning is what he’ll actually want at 7am – especially after a Christmas party. From the outside, it looks like a festive door, but open it up, and there’s a beautifully designed deli inside, with a little hatch for each day. He’ll work through 17 flavours, from the classic house blend to my favourite, sweet miso, so it’s a great way for him to find which he likes best – and he’ll find a fun fact on the inside of each flap, too. Consider it research for his next birthday present – as well as brain-training for the coffee round at the pub quiz. What’s inside: 26 Nespresso-compatible home-compostable pods (two on Christmas day) that span 17 speciality blends Fortnum’s Tea & Biscuits Sharing Advent CalendarPeter Bevan/The Standard★★★★★Best: Advent calendar for the proud homebody What we love: It’s Fortnum’s, so it’s already a treat, but the pairings are properly considered rather than drinking a random tea with the dregs of the biscuit tin While some guys like the social side of December, others prefer using the 4 pm sunset as an excuse to stay in – and they’re the ones who’d love nothing more than this tea and biscuit advent calendar by Fortnum & Mason. Every day, there are two tea bags and a perfectly matched packet of biscuits (for sharing, in theory). It could be mandarin green tea with stem ginger biscuits or Assam with salted caramel (a personal highlight) – either way, they’re the kind of flavours that make cancelling plans feel completely justified. If you want to go all out, though, there’s the full feasting calendar that contains everything from tea to gin, jams, chocolate and a tea towel. What’s inside: 24 tea and biscuit pairings that include two tea bags per day and 88 biscuits Pen Store Advent Calendar 2026 Pen Store★★★★★Best: Advent calendar for the creative chap What we love: Serious artist-grade brands rather than the stuff you’d find in a kids’ craft set If you’ve been to Stockholm, you might know Pen Store – it’s the Swedish capital’s go-to for artists, illustrators and designers. So, naturally, its advent calendar is for guys with a creative streak – the ones always doodling on napkins or making pieces for their own walls. Or maybe they just took art at school and would love to pick up a brush again – this is more my speed. Either way, it includes paints, markers, pencils, modelling clay and paper, so it’s a full taste test. Consider it a tasting menu for the art cupboard, just without the wine pairing. What’s inside: 24 artist-grade supplies from brands including Schmincke, Posca, Copic and Sennelier, plus three paper pads Selfridges Christmas Cottage 3D Pop-Out Advent CalendarSelfridges ★★★☆☆Best: Advent calendar for the sentimental man What we love: The nostalgia – it’s the kind of advent calendar your nan would’ve had above the fireplace, just a little chicer Not every guy wants more to eat, drink or find space for – some would rather have something that makes the home feel festive. Enter Selfridges’ old-school cardboard advent calendar. It’s an illustrated, festive Dutch house with a seasonal picture behind each of its 25 doors, plus 3D details like floral arrangements and a couple of dogs which stand up in front. At £16, you can’t go wrong. What’s inside: An illustrated 3D pop-out cardboard calendar with 25 doors, each hiding a festive picture Drinks By The Dram The World Whisky Advent Calendar Peter Bevan/The Standard★★★★☆Best: For the one who loves a nightcap What we love: The world tour of whisky before committing to the full bottle – that can be next year’s gift Any man with a whisky shelf would appreciate a dram before bed in December – which makes Drinks by the Dram’s World Whisky Advent Calendar an easy win. It comes in an understated purple box with a tonal metallic world map on the front, while inside there’s a bit of background on where world whisky’s at, plus 25 numbered doors. Behind each one is a wax-sealed sample from the big whisky nations – think Scotland, Ireland, America and Japan – so by Christmas he’ll have a better idea of what he likes best (and what to ask for next year). If he already knows his mind, there are country-specific calendars, too, as well as an Old & Rare edition (£799.95) for the serious whiskyheads. Or, for the beginner, there’s the entry level option (£99.95). What’s inside: 25 wax-sealed 30ml drams of whisky from around the globe Hotel Chocolat Everything Advent Calendar Peter Bevan/The Standard★★★★☆Best: For those with a sweet tooth What we love: The balance of a fancy feel with flavours nearly everyone likes When it comes to chocolate advent calendars, Hotel Chocolat is hard to beat. They look great, they’re reasonably priced, and they’re a real step up from the supermarket without getting so fancy that half the box goes untouched. Instead, he’ll find hazelnut praline, a spiced carrot cake and an espresso martini truffle – crowd-pleasing flavours, all of which I enjoyed, which have a side of festive fun. There’s also one that’s completely milk chocolate (£13.95) for the guys who like to keep it classic, with a reindeer, snowman or penguin behind each door.What’s inside: 24 pralines, truffles and liqueurs in white, milk and dark chocolate Barebells Holiday Calendar Barebells ★★★☆☆Best: Advent calendar for the gym bro What we love: The sweet treat without the remorse for the fitness-obsessed Advent calendars aren’t all sweet treats and alcohol – some, dare I say, are actually healthy. If he’s a gym regular, he’ll probably already know Barebells, the Swedish brand behind the protein bars that taste suspiciously like normal chocolate. Behind each door of its advent calendar is a protein treat, from a pistachio spread to a chocolate cake and festive one-offs like the chewy Santa and saffron bun bars. That means he can count down to December 25 while working out without a pang of guilt. And the argyle print and bow are a nice change from the usual black and neon gym branding. What’s inside: 24 protein treats, including Barebells favourites as well as flavours you can’t usually buy Lookfantastic The Grooming Advent Calendar Peter Bevan/The Standard★★★★☆Best: Grooming advent calendar What we love: The odd useful extra he wouldn’t usually buy himself, like pimple patches, a pillow spray or a fancy sea salt spray Lookfantastic’s Grooming Advent Calendar is basically a full grooming regime in a box: its 27 products cover everything from hair to skin, shaving, body and sleep, and there’s even a candle to top it off. It mixes trusted basics like Bulldog and Aveeno with the brands guys trade up to once they’ve outgrown the supermarket aisle – even some of my favourites like ESPA, Elemis and Murdock London are included. The cherry on top? The Dragon's Blood sculpting gel, which, alone, is worth more than the entire calendar. Now that’s value for money. What’s inside: 27 products across 25 doors, including 15 full size, from brands like Elemis, ESPA, Murdock London and Shiseido Selfridges Selection Festive Mini Mince Pie Advent Calendar 420gSelfridges ★★★★☆Best: Mince pie advent calendar What we love: The mince pie comes with heritage (it’s made to a recipe from Selfridges’ 1929 Household Encyclopaedia) and there’s a mini Christmas cake behind door 25 Every Christmas purist would welcome a mince pie a day in December. Thankfully, this Selfridges calendar has a mini one behind each door, all of which are baked in small batches in London with mincemeat made from a recipe that’s in the store’s 1929 Household Encyclopaedia. There are three flavours – classic, almond and citrus – and, on Christmas Day, he’ll find a mini fruit cake topped with marzipan, complete with a sugar sleigh. If it ain’t broke, as they say. What’s inside: 24 mini mince pies in three flavours – classic, almond and citrus – as well as a mini fruit cake behind door 25 Aesop The Aesop ValisePeter Bevan/The Standard★★★★★Best: Advent calendar for the man with expensive taste What we love: The suitcase itself, the Aesop smell you get the moment you lift the lid and, of course, every single product that’s inside I’ve tried almost every big men’s grooming brand, and Aesop is undoubtedly one of my all-time favourites. From skincare to body wash, shampoo and fragrances, I’ve yet to come across a product I don’t like – and he’ll understand why the moment he lifts the lid on the festive Valise. Even before he’s unpacked a gift, he’ll get that unmistakable aromatic Aesop-shop smell – the one that makes you linger there longer than you need to. Then there are 13 moss-green drawers to open every other day, which is ideal for a man with a busy diary (I always end up a few days behind on mine). Inside are travel-sized fragrances, a hand balm, cleansers and a candle, among a few other goodies. A word of warning, though: he’ll end up with an Aesop habit like mine come January. What’s inside: 13 skincare, body, fragrance and home products, including Tacit Eau de Parfum, Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm and the Ptolemy candle MOTH Cocktail Advent CalendarPeter Bevan★★★★☆Best: For the man who can’t make a decent Negroni What we love: bar-quality cocktails with zero effort required – add ice and a glass and you’re done You might already have an idea of what you think canned cocktails taste like – those sad G&T tins in the supermarket fridge – but Moth is in a different league entirely. Its advent calendar includes 24 cans behind 11 doors, from Paloma to Spicy Margarita and Negroni, so he can work his way through the whole range during party season. It comes in Moth’s trademark neon packaging, with a playful festive quote inside every door, and each just needs pouring over ice: ideal for impromptu guests or pre-drinks before the work party. Just bear in mind they’re 14.9 per cent: proper strength stuff that’s not for downing in one. What’s inside: 24 cans across 11 cocktails, including three espresso martinis and three margaritasCowshed 24 Day Advent CalendarCowshed ★★★★★Best: For the spa break regular What we love: Besides the stylish wicker hamper, the products inside are luxurious versions of everyday categories that every guy would enjoy using Cowshed started life as the spa at Soho House’s Somerset bolthole, Babington House – and this calendar is the closest he’ll get to a weekend there without a membership. In a black, wicker hamper, he’ll find a stack of burgundy boxes which hold a range of the brand’s bath, body, hair and hand products, as well as a couple of sandals and an eye mask. By Christmas, he’ll feel more like he’s staying in a luxury country house than his own flat – turns out he doesn’t need the membership, after all. What’s inside: 24 bath, body, hair and home products which are mostly full size, including two limited-edition candles Melt London Log Cabin Advent Calendar Melt ★★★★☆Best: For the stylish chocoholic What we love: The premium take on a chocolate advent calendar, from the hand-illustrated cabin, inspired by Ralph Lauren’s Colorado lodge, to gourmet flavours you won’t find in a high-street box If Hotel Chocolat is the crowd-pleaser, Melt is the one for the man with refined taste. The London chocolatier’s calendar is in the shape of a log cabin – the kind of place you’d get if Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch and a Swiss alpine chalet had a baby. Both sides open up to uncover 25 mini presents, each holding a perfectly formed chocolate that’s handmade in London. Flavour-wise, there’s everything from black sesame to caramelised hazelnut, dark biscoff and roasted hojicha – and he’ll find the specifics on the side of each box. Ralph Lauren Christmas, sorted. What’s inside: 25 handmade chocolates, from yuzu ganache, roasted hojicha and black sesame to gingerbread caramel and coffee and walnut Liberty Men's Advent Calendar 2026Liberty★★★★★Best: For the guy who’s hard to buy for What we love: It’s a who’s who of cult IYKYK brands like D.S. & Durga, Vilhelm Parfumerie, Bamford and Grown Alchemist Even the guy who has basically everything would come across a few things in Liberty’s men’s advent calendar that he’s never tried. From a full-size La Mer lip balm to a travel fragrance by Loewe, and even a pack of Liberty playing cards, there are 29 products packed into 25 drawers – all of which are wrapped in Liberty’s classic Evelyn Trail print. He’ll find a mix of travel and full sizes – 29 full-size products would need a calendar the size of a wardrobe, after all. And, if he’s got some festive luck, there’s a Golden Ticket worth £1000 hidden in one, too. What’s inside: 29 products across 25 drawers – 14 full size, 13 travel size, plus Pantherella socks and Liberty playing cards What are the best men’s advent calendars for 2026? For whisky lovers, Drinks by the Dram serves a new dram every day of December, while coffee fanatics will get the morning hit they need with Grind.