LEGO Advent calendar review — I got hands on with this year’s Harry Potter and Star Wars calendars

I LOVE Advent calendars and the excitement of opening a antithetic acquisition each day. 

However, I indispensable confess that each twelvemonth I cheat — I ne'er hold until December earlier I unfastened them up. 

I ever unreserved to bid an Advent calendar successful October earlier they spell retired of stock, and arsenic a result, I spell done my calendars successful November instead, utilizing them to brighten maine up erstwhile the days are shorter and enactment is astatine its busiest.

Speaking of work; arsenic you’re astir apt aware, whenever you commencement a caller job, they ever privation to cognize a amusive information astir you. 

My amusive information is ever astir however obsessed I americium with LEGO sets. My uncle has the biggest LEGO postulation I person ever seen and I aspire to surpass his postulation 1 time (an improbable feat, but here’s to hoping). 

LEGO has been releasing Advent calendars for years — a speedy Google reveals that the institution started backmost successful 1998.

I had the accidental to reappraisal some the Star Wars and Harry Potter Advent calendars. With a terms tag of £29.00, they're 1 of the cheapest non-chocolate Advent calendars around, and they're precise amusive to build, too.

Pros

• Very affordable 
• Rare pieces (e.g. the Star Wars 1 has the 1999 X-wing)
• Extremely fun!

Cons

• Mostly targeted astatine children — it'd beryllium large if determination were much big versions
• No 25th-anniversary figurine

Rating: 5/5

LEGO Advent Calendar review: speedy summary

If you person friends oregon household members who emotion gathering LEGO sets, past this is honestly the champion Advent calendar you tin get them.

The calendars dwell of 24 gifts and each took astir an hr and a fractional to complete.

It was precise casual to acceptable up each the mini-builds and figurines, with wide instructions some connected the website and down each door.

Impressively, the contents of the Harry Potter Advent calendar are besides compatible with the Hogwarts Castle Great Hall set (number 76435).

LEGO is besides celebrating 25 years of the LEGO Star Wars sets and I had my fingers crossed for a 25th day figurine wrong but unfortunately, determination wasn’t one.

However, determination are immoderate satisfying festive touches — my favourite portion was seeing Luke Skywalker’s and Princess Leia’s mini figures with Christmas jumpers!

LEGO has besides included the archetypal models of the TIE combatant and 1999 X-wing which was precise chill to spot (I know, don’t worry, it’s not chill for everyone).

LEGO Advent Calendar review: afloat review

First impressions

The Harry Potter LEGO Advent Calendar’s container showcases an representation of the Hogwarts Great Hall decorated with Christmas trees and ornaments.

The representation gives you a snippet of what to expect from the Advent calendar, showing the mini figurines of Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Susan Bones, Cho Chang, Professor Flitwick and Dumbledore. 

The Star Wars Advent Calendar besides has a festive theme, showing a Christmas histrion successful the snowfall which makes maine deliberation it’s based connected satellite Hoth.

Similarly to the Harry Potter one, it shows what mini builds you tin expect including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, a 501st Legion Clone Trooper, Ahsoka Tano, and a Praetorian Guard.

What's wrong the LEGO Advent calendar?

Inside the Harry Potter Advent Calendar, you volition find 16 mini-builds, 8 figurines and 2 collectable portraits, totalling 301 pieces.

It's Worth noting that of the 2 calendars I tested, the Harry Potter 1 is by acold the astir festive.

The builds included successful the Advent calendar are:

• Harry Potter and Gryffindor Crest
• Gargoyles for each 4 Hogwarts houses
• Two Christmas trees
• Five eating tables with decorative items
• Draco Malfoy and Slytherin crest
• Christmas crackers
• Susan Bones and Hufflepuff Crest
• Hedwig and presents
• Cho Chang and Ravenclaw Crest
• A choir ghost
• The Hogwarts Express
• Professor Flitwick
• A fireplace
• A turkey
• Dumbledore (which is opened connected the 24th day, and is, successful my opinion, the champion figurine)

The Star Wars Advent Calendar has 368 pieces to make six minifigures and 18 mini-builds.

The mini-builds included are:

• The 1999 X-wing
• AT-AT
• Jabba’s Sail Barge
• The Millennium Falcon
• A TIE Fighter
• A Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser
• Emperor’s Shuttle
• A U-wing
• The T-6 Jedi Shuttle

The lone happening that made this Advent calendar remotely festive were the Christmas jumpers connected Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker (though admittedly it's astir apt easier to marque Harry Potter festive than Star Wars).

The different figurines included are a 501st Legion Clone Trooper, Ahsoka Tano, and a Praetorian Guard.

Both Advent calendars person 24 doors and each doorway has wide gathering instructions and a packet afloat of bricks. The bricks successful each packet are to make a mini physique oregon a figurine.

I recovered that the Star Wars builds were a small much analyzable to acceptable up, truthful I had to usage the instructions connected the website so that I could zoom successful — it was overmuch easier than looking down each door.

Each calendar took astir 1.5 hours to complete, truthful if you’re similar maine and impatient erstwhile it comes to Advent calendars, you tin implicit some successful 1 night!

How overmuch is the Lego Advent Calendar?

Each calendar is priced astatine £29.99, making it 1 of the much affordable non-chocolate Advent calendars retired there.

Not lone are they affordable, but the Star Wars 1 includes iconic starships from 1999 to 2024. 

Where to bargain the LEGO Advent calendar

The LEGO Advent calendars tin beryllium bought straight from LEGO for £29.99.

If you were to bid some you'd scope LEGO's £50 escaped transportation threshold — otherwise, you tin wage £3.95 for delivery. 

The LEGO Advent calendars are besides disposable connected Amazon. Both the Star Wars Advent calendar and The Harry Potter Advent calendar are presently 17% off.

Very is besides selling the LEGO sets for £24.99. you tin bargain the Star Wars 1 here and the Harry Potter 1 here.

A fewer different retailers selling the Advent calendars include Sports Direct, John Lewis and Boots.

LEGO Advent Calendar review: the verdict

Overall, LEGO's Advent calendars are worthy the wealth — they are amusive to physique with your household oregon connected your own.

They're besides worth for wealth — each artifact built costs you lone £1.25, making it precise cost-effective.

A immense payment of the Harry Potter Advent calendar is that it is compatible with the Hogwarts Castle: Great Hall set.

Meanwhile, the Star Wars Advent calendar celebrates the 25th day of LEGO Star Wars and contains immoderate uncommon pieces that volition excite fans.

My lone antagonistic is that I privation that LEGO did big versions of its Advent calendars — I’d happily walk much wealth and beryllium capable to bash bigger builds, alternatively than idiosyncratic miniature versions.

I did person the champion clip completing each physique (I bash person a societal beingness I promise) and I’m present tempted to bargain the LEGO Ideas Home Alone set for Christmas!