Advent Calendars for Teens: 10 of the Best 2020

Advent calendars for teens can be hard to find, I think.

Sure, there are thousands of LEGO advent calendars in 2021, or those containing chocolates themed to this or that cartoon character.

At 16, my daughter is too old for those advent calendars, but still too young for the thousands of gin/wine/beer themed advents. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help her celebrate the countdown to Christmas with her own advent calendar!

So what are the best advent calendars for teens in 2021?

Today I’m rounding up 10 of my favourite advent calendars for teens, including edible, beauty and self-fill advent calendars. If I’ve missed one from the list, just let me know and I can add it in! This post may contain affiliate links. I am an Amazon Associate so Amazon links may earn me a small commission payment, at zero cost to you!

10 Best Advent Calendars for Teens

MAD Beauty Advent Calendar 

Lots of beauty calendars only have items for 12 days, which personally I think is NOT what advent calendars are about. This calendar from MAD Beauty is perfect for teens. It has 24 small beauty gifts and costs just £14. Think lip balms, pencils, blushes and nail polish. It’s also available in a version for the teen boy in your life.

 

Yankee Candle Advent Wreath 

My teen loves scented candles, and usually has several on the go in her bedroom, with another set of candles for the bathroom. So I love the idea of Yankee Candle advent calendars for teens.

There are actually several designs available, but this candle wreath is nice and neat, and comes with 24 festive-scented tea lights.  It’s available for £24.99.

 

Nativity Advent Calendar 

We were given this advent calendar by Lakeland Limited ten years ago – and it’s still brought out every year in my brother’s house, and looks good as new. I love the idea of an advent calendar that doesn’t generate huge amounts of waste, and uses natural materials.

It’s easy to think teens just want beauty products and candy, but our family loves these traditional sets, and they bring a spiritual element to the family Christmas traditions. So if you want to introduce a faith-based item to your festive celebrations, check this set out.

The figures are cute enough to entertain little ones, and the box design means it’s perfectly sturdy enough to be packed away and reused year after year. Well worth the £70 investment, I reckon.

 

Popcorn Advent Calendar 

The best thing about Christmas (apart from the birth of our Lord, obvs) is Christmas movies. A whole month of seasonal goodness, am I right? If your family is anything like mine, then, this advent calendar packed with popcorn will go down a treat. It’s currently available to pre-order and will ship in October.

This giant calendar from Joe & Seph’s costs £25. It is packed with award-winning gourmet popcorn with flavours like salted caramel and chocolate orange. It’s also available in a vegan version.

Benefit Advent Calendar 

At £59 this advent calendar is a present in its own right! But I thought it was so pretty and indulgent for a special teen. There are 12 boxes to open and it’s packed with teen-friendly favourite products including brow pencil, mascara, primer, blusher and even something called a ‘brow setter’. Costs £59 from John Lewis. 

Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar

A more affordable option for teen beauty fans, this beauty advent calendar from Amazon isn’t cheap at £60, but does contain an impressive 24 mini beauty products from brands, with a total value of more than £215! There’s a real focus on indulgent treats, so lots of creams and balms, from brands including Elemis, Espa and Philosophy.

Lynx Advent Calendar

I think Lynx is basically a cult among teens these days, with both boys and girls in thrall to these body sprays.

The Lynx advent calendar is a great option with 12 days of treats, including socks, body sprays, shower gels and hair care products. At just under £20, I think it’s great value for the teens in your family. It’s also available in the Lynx Africa scent.

 

Friends Advent Calendar

It might not have chocolates but this Friends-themed advent calendar from I Want One of Those is still pretty adorable and one of my favourite advent calendars for teenagers this year. The 12 doors reveal a host of bath and beauty gifts, including body wash, lip balm, fragrance and hand cream.

 

LookFantastic Advent Calendar 

I’ve already included one beauty calendar in this list, but if you want a slightly different or more luxe option, this beauty advent calendar from lookfantastic is one of the best advent calendars for teens I’ve seen this year. It has over 500 5* star reviews, so comes highly recommended.

With 24 boxes to open, this goodie box contains over £400 of products – available as a package for just £85. There are loads of brands your teen will recognise, like Molton Brown bath and shower gel, Neals Yard hand cream, Elemis face cream, and even a Morphe palette. Your teen will LOVE you for this advent calendar.

This one sells out FAST and as of September it’s available for pre-order – if it’s not available, try this Benefit Advent Calendar as a great alternative.

Moutopp Jewellery Advent Calendar 

This advent is SO cute for younger teens or those with a fondness for whimsical jewellery. Available from Amazon this Moutopp advent calendar contains 23 festive charms and on the 24th, there’s a bracelet and necklace to wear them on. It makes for a lovely festive gift, and each of the charms are so cute! At just £10.99 this isn’t heirloom quality but it’s a nice alternative to chocolate! Get yours here. 

Harry Potter Jewellery Box Advent Calendar 

I’m a bit obsessed with advent calendars that don’t just end up in the recycling box so I love this Harry Potter set from Merchoid. It’s £44 but your teen will LOVE the souvenir jewellery box that is left after they’ve opened the 24 boxes that contain little themed jewellery and accessory treats. The contents are valued at over £120, so it’s great value too.

24 Days of Harry Potter Stationery Advent Calendar 

My daughter is obsessed with stationery so what could be better than a stationery-themed Harry Potter advent calendar for teens?

This adorable box is packed with 24 mini packages. Each package contains a different stationery gift, including pencils, erasers, pens, postcards, memo pads, ruler, paperclips etc. All the packaging is plastic free and recyclable, to boot. Available from Merchoid at just under £20.

 

Personalised Spotify Playlist Advent Calendar 

If your teenager is a music fan, then I love the idea of this Spotify playlist advent calendar. It’s just £19.99 from Prezzybox. Bear with me, because this one takes a little bit of explaining. This calendar comes complete with a festive playlist. Each day, you open another door on the calendar, and hold your phone up to the image. It will then play that day’s Christmas hit via your phone! It’s the perfect way to wake up each morning in December with a Christmas song in your heart!

On Christmas Day, scan the image behind the door and all the songs will be collated into a perfect Christmas Day playlist. This does of course feature all the classics, from Mariah Carey to The Pogues and Michael Buble. It’s clever and perfect for your Spotify-loving teen. As an added touch, the calendar can be personalised with your child’s name. Available for £19 from Prezzybox.

 

So there you have it – ten of the very finest advent calendars for teens this Christmas. But let’s face it – some of these are good enough for us to keep to ourselves, right?