8 best luxury Christmas crackers: From L’Occitane beauty to Fever-Tree tipples

The best luxury crackers have to be the ones that will bring the whole family joy this Christmas, and we think we’ve found them in these handmade Harvey Nichols go crackers. There really is something for everyone, from the adult gin and champagne stopper to the classic slinky spring that will keep little ones entertained. There is, of course, a joke and a gold or silver crown in each. The design is pretty minimalist with monochrome and silver Harvey Nichols branding, but that does mean they will sit pretty on the table however you decide to dress it. The packaging was predominantly recyclable cardboard, except for the bows, but we’ll be reusing these to decorate next year’s gifts.

Among the most important factors to consider when buying crackers is the usability of the gifts inside to ensure glee from those pulling them, and so that we don’t add a load of plastic to landfill. These crackers tick both boxes. Inside the cute cardboard crackers are two beautifully fragrant L’Occitane products, including shower gels and oils and hand creams. These don’t snap like traditional crackers, but they will be a hit with whoever receives them. This set is also excellent value for money because the products inside are worth £25.

Recycling your Christmas crackers is great but reusing them year after year is even better, and these are the crème de la crème of reusable crackers and your new festive family heirloom. Made in a fine velvet fabric for that luxe look, these crackers are available in six fabulously named designs, including furrytail of New York and lord of the wings. We tested out the tartan Glen Coe-co variety, which was ludicrously festive with green, red and gold hues.

The crackers come with enough snaps and gold paper crowns for three parties and are ready to fill with gifts of your choice. There’s also a black chalkboard tag so that you can personalise each for your guests with chalk or use the gold sticky letters that come in the box. On the reverse of the tag is a QR code that takes you to a joke and a challenge that will have everyone around the table in fits. We love that these come in a robust presentation box that can be used for storage until next year to keep these beauties in perfect condition. Plus, 10 per cent of Kaneo’s sales go to the Salvation Army.

These handmade crackers give us luxury vibes without the unaffordable price tag. The thick recyclable paper crackers feature a pretty mistletoe illustration design, which is printed using vegetable-based inks, and green silky bows. Inside is a selection of plastic-free gifts for everyone in the family, including a wooden yoyo, a faux leather keyring and a mini jam, that we think will get plenty of use. And, of course, there are the hats and jokes for chuckles around the dinner table. As well as using sustainable paper to make these crackers, Nancy & Betty Studio plants one tree for every box sold to make these a genuinely sustainable buy.

Does Christmas, for you, mean switching off from life’s worries and to-do lists? Or perhaps it’s hectic as you cram in lots of travelling to visit loved ones. Either way, this cracker is for you, or the perfect gift for that crazy-busy relative. The calm traveller from the high-end CBD brand is a wonderful treat that offers a chance to find a sanctuary of calm to reset. Inside the dreamy cardboard cracker is a trio of OTO’s finest naturally derived, UK-made products: a CBD lip balm, a hand balm and a roll-on. As you’d expect from the brand, the packaging is gorgeous and features recyclable glass. The cracker itself is also 100 per cent recyclable.

Bring festive cheer to your table this Christmas with these boozy crackers. They may have no snap, but they’ll be sure to set your party off with a bang. Each cardboard cracker contains a mini bottle of spirit and a perfectly paired Fever-Tree mixer – enough to get merry but not too merry.

We tried out the ultimate golden rum, duppy share aged rum, to be specific, and ginger ale (£8.50, Johnlewis.com), and the ultimate Mediterranean gin, Tarquin’s, and tonic (£8.50, Johnlewis.com). The rum and ginger ale is a warming tipple full of festive feels, while the G&T is the ideal palate cleanser after a heavy meal. Besides these two pairings, there are many others, such as vodka, whisky and a whole array of gins, to enjoy – just not all at once.

While some of the crackers in this round-up include gifts for children, we can imagine some adults being reluctant to share, so we’ve included these especially for little ones this Christmas. And they’re not your standard cracker either. Instead, they are shaped like candy canes and printed appropriately with a red and white stripe design brought to life with environmentally friendly glitter.

Kiddies will also love what’s inside, whether they get a cute animal eraser, paperclip, sparkling star brooch or puzzle – our young testers approved. They’ll also be keen to don their special party hats and share the rib-tickling jokes around the table. These are suitable for children aged eight and above.

These crackers contain beautifully wrapped bonbons, which was inside the first-ever crackers made in 1847, and is a detail which had us charmed. Having these on the Christmas table means we can do away with separate chocolate favours on the big day, as the three richly indulgent titbits inside are more than enough after what’s often the heaviest meal we’ll eat all year.

The handmade chocolates are some of the best we’ve tasted – we’ve come to expect nothing less of Melt London – and our testing duo’s favourite was the seasonal white chocolate and cranberry. The dark soft centred gianduja bonbon and Christmas-spiced milk chocolate were also delicious. The design of the crackers could be a bit more festive; thank goodness for the shiny silver snowflakes to bring these into the season, but we can’t argue with the fact that they are plastic-free and recyclable – just be sure to reuse the ribbon bows.