upcycling lego packaging for advent calender

Best Lego advent calendars 2021

(Image credit: Lego)

Cyber Monday is here and it's that time of year again where the excitement for Christmas is ramping up a couple of notches, and what better way to do that than with the best Lego advent calendars. A standard advent calendar will see you wake up to a small square of chocolate every morning, why not make it a bit more exciting with a Lego advent calendar? They're a totally different (snow)ball game.

Because Black Friday is upon us, we've also included a section with all the best Black Friday Lego advent calendar deals. We've included a range of advent calendars to suit everyone and every budget so be sure to check out this section if you want to grab a deal. Check out our Cyber Monday Lego deals page for more great savings.

We've rounded up the very best Lego advent calendars just in time for December so you can pick which one you like. Hurry though, Lego advent calendars are incredibly popular every holiday season and we expect this year to be no different. Be sure to check out our Lego space deals page for more great gift ideas.

Lego advertises the sets as being a gift a day, and in fairness it certainly feels that way with a lot of the best Lego advent calendars. You never know what will be behind each of the 24 doors, and the designers really outdo themselves each year coming up with fresh and exciting calendars with new surprises behind each door. The kind of things you can expect to find are items like buildable characters, Christmas items, spaceships, vehicles and so much more.

There's a huge range of themes and styles to choose from, so it doesn't matter if you're a fan of Lego or a particular franchise, there's a Lego advent calendar for you. There's a now-infamous Lego Star Wars advent calendar, a Harry Potter advent calendar for the wizard or muggle in your life, a Marvel set with loads of recognizable heroes, a "Friends" set for fans of the sit-com and a classic Lego city advent calendar for the purists out there.

Cyber Monday Lego advent calendar deals

Lego City Advent Calendar 2021

Specifications

Price: $29.99 / £19.99

Age: 5+

Pieces: 349

Lego set number: 60303

Reasons to buy

+It's got a minifig Santa! +Builds that will fit in with most other sets

Reasons to avoid

-Minifigs here are less recognizable than with some of the other sets

If you're all-in on the traditional 'City' style of Lego, you can't afford to miss the Lego City Advent Calendar. This one's the most traditionally festive of all the Lego Advent calendars this year – you've got a Santa minifig riding a present-laden train, a wintry post box, a Christmas pudding table, carol singers, and even a robotic snowman among many other mini builds. They'll easily slip in with your other Lego sets, and the box folds out to include a fun play scene, complete with frozen lake.

Buy the Lego City Advent Calendar 2021 at Lego
Buy the Lego City Advent Calendar 2021 at Amazon

Lego Friends Advent Calendar 2021

Specifications

Price: $29.99 / £19.99

Age: 6+

Pieces: 370

Lego set number: 41690

Reasons to buy

+Five minifigs and a mini dog +Very festive builds

Reasons to avoid

-Minifigs don't match regular Lego sets

Lego Friends has become a hugely popular spin-off for the Danish toy makers, being the build-your-own playset maker's answer to the likes of Barbie. The Lego Friends Advent Calendar is a really nice addition to the line, coming complete with five minifigs, tiny cat and dog figures, a roaring fireplace, seasonal post box, snowmobile, Christmas tree, ice cream maker, and more miniature presents than you can shake a Christmas cracker at. The Friends style is a bit divisive among Lego purists as each minifig has a different head and hand style to a traditional Lego set. But kids will only see one thing when they open each calendar door – inventive, colorful, and downright fun new builds, every day of the season.

Buy the Lego Friends Advent Calendar 2021 at Lego
Buy the Lego Friends Advent Calendar 2021 at Amazon

Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2021

Specifications

Price: $39.99 / £24.99

Age: 7+

Pieces: 274

Lego set number: 76390

Reasons to buy

+Includes six excellent wizarding minifigs +Has a game printed on the calendar

Reasons to avoid

-Less imaginative builds overall

Maybe it's the magic, maybe it's the huge banquet feasts in the Great Hall, but there's something inherently Christmassy about the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Of all the sets on this list, it's a franchise best suited for transforming into a Christmas set, with each book and movie including a Christmas scene. While there are fewer obviously-Christmas builds included in the Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar, what you do get will make great additions for those with other Harry Potter playsets, from a Privet Drive road sign to a Gringotts bank minecart and a gold-filled vault. And the tiny Hedwig owl figure is just adorable.

Buy the Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2021 at Lego
Buy the Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2021 at Amazon

Lego Marvel The Avengers Advent Calendar 2021

Specifications

Price: $39.99 / £24.99

Age: 7+

Pieces: 298

Lego set number: 76196

Reasons to buy

+Hilarious festive minifigs +Great Quinjet and Hulkbuster mini builds

Reasons to avoid

-Not very Christmassy

Avengers, it's cold outside! Assemble! The Lego Marvel The Avengers Advent Calendar may not be the most overtly-Christmassy of the calendars on this list, but it's got some lovely little features to get you in the festive spirit. Thor in a scarf? Tony Stark in a Christmas jumper? Thanos on the naughty list, running way with a sack full of presents? There's loads of fun to be had here, and it includes some of the smartest mini builds of any of the sets here, from a tiny Avengers tower to an ickle Hulkbuster suit and Quinjet.

Buy the Lego Marvel The Avengers Advent Calendar 2021 at Lego
Buy the Lego Marvel The Avengers Advent Calendar 2021 at Amazon

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021

Specifications

Price: $39.99 / £24.99

Age: 6+

Pieces: 335

Lego set number: 75307

Reasons to buy

+Baby Yoda! +Clever mini build interpretations of iconic Star Wars props and ships

Reasons to avoid

-Mandalorian theme misses classic Star Wars characters

The Lego Star Wars Advent Calendars have become one of the most sought after pre-Christmas presents out there, putting witty seasonal spins on some of the most famous scenes and characters in all of pop culture. This year, the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar is themed around Disney's The Mandalorian TV show, so you know what that means… BABY YODA IN CHRISTMAS PYJAMAS! It's not all just about 'The Child' though, with Lego once again knocking it out of the park with clever miniaturized builds that include TIE fighters, ion cannons, and drone droids.

Buy the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 at Lego
Buy the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2021 at Amazon

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.