Best geeky and alternative advent calendars for Christmas 2020
Christmas is now within our sights. Whilst the traditional chocolate advent calendars are always nice, there are plenty more exciting options to try that are perfect for geeks, tech-enthusiasts, kids and people who are looking for something a bit different.
We’ve rounded up some of the best geeky and alternative advent calendars that are available to purchase – from fandoms such as Marvel and Harry Potter, to more niche ones such as gin-based calendars. Read on to find out more.
Black Friday is also coming up, so you may be able to bag a good deal on Christmas presents this year. Take a look at our roundup of thebest Black Friday deals.
Marvel Advent Calendar
Avengers, Assemble… for Christmas! This 24 door advent calendar features stationery and mini-gifts themed around all your favourite MCU superheroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk. You can add to your comic-themed collection all throughout December – and do it all for a very reasonable price.
£17.99 at Amazon UK
Haynes Electronic Games Advent Calendar
For those tech nerds who want a geeky advent calendar that’s interactive, this one contains all the pieces necessary to build 24 electronic games by giving you a new piece of hardware each day. You’ll be entertained for much longer than just Christmas with this – for ages 14+.
£30 at Menkind
Funko The Nightmare Before Christmas Advent Calendar
This Tim Burton classic advent calendar contains 24 Funko pop figures, each approximately 4cm tall. This is Funko’s first ever edition of this movie, and is limited worldwide, so get your hands on this festive classic whilst you can!
£44.95 at Magic Madhouse
Brewdog Twelve Gins of Christmas
Here’s one for all the gin lovers out there. Brewdog is launching the ‘Twelve Gins of Christmas’. There are twelve flavoured gins within the calendar – eight of which are brand new. In addition, the bottles and labels are designed by LOVE, with bold and striking artwork that’s perfect if you’re looking for any Insta-worthy calendar.
£49.95 at Brewdog
Harry Potter Hogwarts Advent Calendar
There’s plenty of advent calendars out there for Potterheads, but this one for Menkind is probably the best value out there. With 24 pieces of stationery including notebooks, pens and gadget decals all wrapped up in a classic Wizarding World design, you’ll be feeling the magic for the entire countdown to Christmas this December.
£25 at Menkind
Pokémon Advent Calendar
Gotta catch em all! Not only does this Pokémon Advent Calendar feature 16 of some of the most popular characters from the franchise, but you also get some festive decorations to complete a Christmassy setting for all your Pokémon. Just make sure Team Rocket doesn’t get in the way…
£35 from Argos
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar
More of a Star Wars fan? This special Lego set contains 6 minifigures, 6 figures, 12 mini builds and a code to Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga game content. You can build iconic ships from the movies including the Millennium Falcon, the X-Wing and a Tie-Fighter, plus you get to see Darth Vader in a Christmas sweater.
£25 from Argos
Nespresso Advent Calendar
What better gift for a coffee lover? The Nespresso Advent Calendar boasts 24 windows packed full Nespresso coffee pods for use with compatiblecoffee machines. Last year’s box sold out very quick, so don’t miss out!
£32 at Nespresso.
Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Advent Calendar
If you’re looking for a geeky advent calendar that’s also great for self-care, this Harry Potter one from Boots is unlike anything we’ve seen before. In it you get magical bath bombs, body washes, fragrances, key-rings, brushes and make-up. Plus the design is perfect for any Wizarding World fan!
£40 from Boots
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor’s Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She’s also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she’s written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
