9 best Lindt Christmas advent calendars for a luxurious start to the festive season

Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

This calendar has it all, making it a failsafe winner whether you’re buying for children or big kids (aka yourself). We loved the traditionally festive front, in vibrant red with a sprinkling of snow and holly and a full-sized foil-wrapped Lindt teddy peeking through a clear window. Though this does spoil the Christmas Eve surprise a little, we liked knowing there was a big treat in store for day 24 – although you may prefer younger children weren’t tempted to tuck in early.

There’s not a bad door to open all month. The calendar is stuffed with all the very best Lindt milk chocolate and there’s plenty of each treat so you won’t pine for your favourite. Goodies include five chocolate squares, six mini truffles, six snowdrops with a melting double milk filling, three foil-wrapped teddys and three gold reindeers before the all-important 100g chocolate teddy on the final day.

It’s hard to believe anyone wouldn’t love opening this in December and the generous chocs makes it decent value for money too. A Christmas win-win.

Best: Budget option

Rating: 7/10

In Lindt’s classic red, this dinky calendar is ideal for anyone short on room. It even comes with a cardboard picture frame-style stand on the back so could easily perch on a desktop or shelf without taking up too much space. In fact, we reckon your overworked colleague would love you forever if you presented them with this on 1 December.

Inside, there are 24 smooth milk chocolate mini truffles that start melting the moment they’re bitten into for a satisfying chocolate hit. There are no surprises or unexpected flavours within, but we reckon you won’t look for anything else if you have this to devour each day in December.

Best: To impress

Rating: 9/10

How can you resist this giant shiny gold bear? We were totally charmed by its cute-as-a-button face and paws and the calendar’s tantalizingly chunky size that hints at the stash of goodies within. There’s even a tag on the front for you to write to the recipient if you can bear to give it away.

It’s absolutely stuffed with treats for a truly tasty December too. There are no boring one-mouthful wonders here, but a whole calendar of generously-sized Lindt favourites, all in milk chocolate to keep it child-friendly. There are four classic milk chocolate truffles in red wrappers, eight milk chocolate Snowdrops with a creamy double milk filling, six 10g foil-wrapped teddys, four 10g Santa figures and four gold reindeers. There’s even a decent sized 40g teddy and another 40g Santa for the first and last day of advent to start in style and go out with a bang.

Though it’s more pricey than most, the month-long chocolate euphoria makes it well worth it.

Best: For adults

Rating: 7/10

If the idea of opening chocolate Santas and reindeers in December doesn’t appeal then frankly, you’re no friend of ours. However, if you’d rather feel a little more grown-up scoffing chocolate with your morning coffee, then this sleek silver option will allow you to have a distinctly more adult advent.

Inside the elegant packaging, there are four different flavoured milk chocolate truffles repeated behind the 24 doors. There are twelve of Lindt’s classic red milk chocolate truffles and four each of milk chocolate truffles filled with either coconut, salted caramel and, our favourite, a melting white filling that made us swoon.

Best: For variety

Rating: 9/10

Want to be surprised every morning? This is the Lindt calendar for you. It’s packed with 24 different chocolate treats so you’ll never know which one is hiding behind the shimmering golden doors each morning.

The perfect present for any real chocolate obsessive, we loved the element of surprise that kept us guessing every day. There are all sorts of flavours within but you might find milk chocolate truffles oozing with orange, pistachio or dark 45 per cent cocoa filling or white truffles with mango and cream or cappuccino. We even had a divine champagne truffle and one with a melting amaretto biscuit cream inside, making this calendar strictly for adults who need spoiling.

Best: For gifting

Rating: 8/10

Keep things simple and guarantee milk chocolate heaven every day in December with this distinctive red calendar brimming with Lindt’s truffles, hearts and squares. There are no huge surprises waiting in store behind these doors, but we would still be thrilled to know we had a chunk of this irresistible milk chocolate waiting for us every time we finished our cornflakes during advent.

We especially enjoyed the heart-shaped treats for a little variation, but every chocolate was outstanding so this would prove a safe bet if you were buying for someone and weren’t sure of their preferences. Just keep it in a cool place until you hand it over as, like all Lindt chocolates, the contents can melt very easily.

Best: Classic option

Rating: 8/10

We loved the cover of this midnight-blue calendar that features three Lindt chocolate reindeers pulling a chocolate Santa. There’s also a handy spot to write in who the calendar belongs to which is handy for anyone with more than one child in the family.

There’s a great selection of milk chocolate goodies inside too making it a great option for kids who prefer something other than truffles. Alongside nine of those, there’s also six milk chocolate Snowdrops with a double milk filling, seven milk chocolate squares with appealing festive wrapping and a golden foil reindeer. You won’t feel too sad when the end’s in sight on Christmas Eve either, as there’s a decent-sized chocolate Santa waiting to be devoured when you get there.

Best: For kids

Rating: 8/10

It’s not always easy stopping the kids exploding with Christmas excitement during December, so anything to distract them for even a minute gets a thumbs-up from us. This lovely calendar has plenty of youthful appeal, with packaging featuring Lindt’s amiable golden bear alongside a sparkly Christmas tree, stocking-decked fireplace and a sack stuffed with presents. On the back, there are three puzzles to add festive fun including a spot-the-difference and a dot-to-dot, which our mini-tester thoroughly enjoyed tackling.

We loved the fact the numbers on the doors are in bold type and easy to spot too, so a younger child can find them on their own without help. Inside, there’s a range of milk chocolate treats with special child-friendly wrappers featuring Santa and a scarf-wearing teddy. The truffles and teddies are all mini-sized too, which is helpful if you’re trying to keep an eye on your little one’s sugar intake.

Just be warned, the calendar does include three hazelnut cream truffles which fussier children might not appreciate.

Best: For generous treats

Rating: 9/10

Size might not matter but there’s something undeniably exciting about a huge advent calendar you know is bursting with choccy goodness. This is the biggest of all the Lindt calendars we tested and should make even the hardest-to-please smile this December.

The chocolates inside are also a little more unexpected than those in other Lindt calendars, and are all amply-sized so you can look forward to a proper sweet treat each day. Alongside the usual milk chocolate truffles, snowballs, teddys and reindeers, the more surprising offerings include four elves with a hazelnut cream filling and crisped rice, two soft nougat chunks with hazelnut pieces and even a chocolate icicle with ground hazelnuts. With its cheery packaging, super-sized chocs and the sheer variety on offer, this calendar definitely feels like a real Christmas treat.