In my house, finding the best Christmas crackers for the table is no joke (or paper crown). Chosen carefully, this simple table favour can be a beautiful ornament, a source of hilarity, and the foundation for a lovely little extra gift around dinner. I've tested all the best on the market, to bring something to every table.
Fifteen years ago, my family decided that we needed to take Christmas crackers seriously. We moved away from the sets of plastic mini screwdrivers and thimbles and we started making our own. Whilst that was a lot of fun, there's also been an immense amount of innovation since. The likes of Jo Malone and Hotel Chocolat have infused the industry with a touch of luxury. Following suit, ASDA, Tesco, Lakeland and John Lewis have upped their game too. And now, my family has outsourced the crackers back to the high street.
You can buy crackers that help you to decorate for Christmas as well as eco-friendly Christmas crackers; plantable seed-paper crackers; musical crackers; chocolate crackers; beauty crackers; boozy crackers; board game crackers; special crackers for the little ones; and more sophisticated options for adults. I've pulled them all, worn the crowns, and told the jokes. Now, I'm here to share the very best of them with you.
The best Christmas crackers of 2024
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You'd be surprised at just how many people make different kinds of Christmas crackers. To help you work out what you want, I've split these crackers into some specific categories and opted for the three best on the market. Here's a little more information about each one:
- Eco-friendly Christmas crackers: lots of brands (even supermarkets) are opting for recyclable, plastic-free crackers, but some take it one step further. You can find plantable, FSC-certified crackers packed with gifts from sustainable, independent businesses.
- Game Christmas crackers: rather than give a gift, some cracker sets are offering up games, whether that's a murder mystery, bingo, or a guess who. This can be a really fun way to keep the table occupied, especially if you're a competitive family
- Luxury Christmas crackers: arguably, a lot of these crackers are luxury options, but my section of this list is the super premium ones. These are hand-crafted, designed to adorn the table, whilst looking too good to pull. Inside, don't expect a real crown, but something close
- Supermarket Christmas crackers: you're most likely to remember to pick up crackers when you're doing the food shop and, rather shockingly, some of my favourite cracker shops came at the lower pricepoints. I'm not complaining
- Gift Christmas crackers: buying crackers individually can make it really easy to tailor the gift to a specific person. Lots of luxury brands do this really well, such as Jo Malone and Hotel Chocolat. You'll have a good idea of what you're getting inside and the gift will be very welcome.
- The Christmas crackers that I couldn't miss: my final category takes a little from everything. I've got some cocktail crackers (always a hit with the grown-ups), a sleigh game (which makes for a lovely ornament, and musical crackers (that you'll bring out year-after-year).
Eco-friendly Christmas crackers
Back in the day, the best Christmas crackers were packed with single-use plastics and films. If that's weighing on your conscience, or you want to make some sustainable swaps this Christmas, you're in luck. Some of my favourite Christmas crackers this year have come from places that put eco-credentials first. The RHS and The Little Green Cracker Company are both great places to go if you want really responsible crackers. The three below are just a small selection of what they have to offer. And, if you keep scrolling, you might be surprised that lots of the other categories can boast some impressive eco-credentials too.
RRP: £19.99 No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke| Recyclable? yes and plantable | Plastic-free? yes
The best thing about these crackers is that they’re crafted from special plantable paper that's embedded with wildflower seeds. Aside from enjoying the bang, joke, and hat on Christmas day, you'll get to watch your beautiful flowers bloom all year round.
RRP: £45 | No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: paper crown, joke, luxury gift| Recyclable? yes | Plastic-free? yes
These luxury crackers are crafted with FSC cardboard, and recycled ribbons, and you can recycle them after use. Each cracker hides a special, truly unique gift from small, UK businesses (think a St Eval scented tealight; a travel soap bar from Cole and Co; as well as bee-friendly wildflower seeds). I’d happily have any (or all) of them.
RRP: £35| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, gift from eco-company| Recyclable? yes | Plastic-free? yes
This set is more affordable than the one next door, but there isn't any compromise. The FSC-carboard and vegetable inks keep a whole host of UK-based treats soured from small companies inside. Bee-friendly wildflower seeds; a Natral Spa bath bomb; The Wee Tea Company Coffee or a little pot of Tipress Jam, anyone?
Christmas cracker games
I love a bit of Christmas competition, whether it's a silly game, a board game, or some family fun. The three sets below have a little something to offer all three. I thought the Lakeland Racing Gonk set would go down well with the really tiny people in my family, but they ended up getting hogged by the men. The Whodunnit and Character Crackers are very on trend for this Christmas (have you seen the Waitrose advert?). I've got some more games and family-friendly Christmas crackers further down, so if you want more than these three, keep scrolling. There's a musical set waiting for you.
RRP: £24.99| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, gonk, racing track, storage bag | Recyclable? yes
This is the cracker for little ones and the big kids (I'm looking at you, grandpa) at the table. Each cracker comes with a wind-up gonk, ready to race down the recyclable cardboard track towards reach the finish line. Once the jokes are read, hats are on, and the races are over, all these can be neatly packed away into the handy storage bag too.
RRP: £8| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, snap, motto| Recyclable? yes
If you don’t want all the plastic trinkets that come with traditional crackers, these fun characters are a great alternative. You’ll still get a joke, but instead of a paper crown, you’ll get a ‘who’s who’ game to play over the table. When all the fun's over, everything is recyclable.
RRP: £19.99| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, whodunnit hames| Recyclable? yes
This set of six crackers is an all-in-one cracker set and murder mystery party game. The set comes with the traditional snaps, hats and jokes inside, as well as character profiles, props, clue sheets and a solution envelope, so you can fully immerse yourselves in the game straight away.
Luxury Christmas Crackers
I mentioned earlier that I'm particularly excited by the luxury Christmas crackers on the market. These crackers make for a nice change in your Christmas tablescape. Rather than trying to style them, these look classy and elegant completely effortlessly. As with other categories, I've sprinkled luxury Christmas crackers further down (Toast's set are particularly lovely), but these are my top three.
RRP: £65| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, printing stamp| Recyclable? yes
These crackers win the award for style. Hand marbled with non-toxic paint, they look every bit the luxurious set that they are — and possibly even better. Each one comes with a unique joke, thick hat, and stamp.
RRP: £45| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: paper tree decorations| Recyclable? yes
Of course, Toast had to make it into our collection of the best luxury Christmas crackers. Their Fair Trade lokta paper is artisanal, plant-based, and hand dyed. Each cracker comes with a sturdy hat, a motto, and a tree gift.
RRP: £28| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: enamel sausage dog pin, hat, joke| Recyclable? yes
I thought that these sausage dogs, with their pom pom noses and kraft design, were too cute to pull. However, the rest of my family were eager to see what lay inside this adorable set. When you pop these luxury crackers, you'll find an enamel pin, hat, and joke. It's a very classic take on classic crackers.
Gift Christmas crackers
One of the great things about making your own crackers is that you can tailor the gift to suit the person who's pulling it. If you like the personal aspect, but you're not excited at the prospect of another task on the Christmas to-do list, don't worry. These crackers can be bought individually and they'll have gifts inside that would please anyone around the Christmas table (especially me, if any of my family is reading this).
RRP: £38| No of crackers: 1 | Gift selection: mini perfume, 30ml wash 15ml hand cream| Recyclable? yes
Nothing says the perfect Christmas like a spritz of Jo Malone. This lovely little trio would make any bad cracker joke quake and shake. The fragrance is Jo Malone's classic English Pear & Fressia (a fan favourite) and you'll get some woody and musky notes in the other two.
RRP: £33| No of crackers: 1 | Gift selection: 5 mini body washes| Recyclable? yes
Whilst you can pull this Christmas cracker, it’s as much a gift as it is a tabletop treat. Filled with nine body washes that are inspired by the English garden, this is perfect for gifting every member of the Christmas celebrations a little something to take on their travels.
RRP: £5.95 each| No of crackers: 1 | Gift selection: 3 chocolates, hat, joke| Recyclable? yes
If I can eat any part of my Christmas cracker, you know I'll be having a jolly time. Hotel Chocolat's elegant alternative to single-use gifts offers a trio of delicious dark, milk, and white chocolate. They're alcohol-free and perfect for all the family. There is, of course, the obligatory joke and hat too.
Supermarket Christmas Crackers
Sometimes, it's nice to just deliver on what people expect. When you think of Christmas crackers, you think of a pretty pattern, a good paper crown, a cheesy joke, and a simple gift. These tree are timeless and desirable, offering a range of gifts, from your typical trinkets through to a whistle symphony for some music around the table. I had some bell Christmas crackers (still available on Amazon) one year and we still get them out for the table, over seventeen years later.
RRP: £6| No of crackers: 8 | Gift selection: hat, joke, bingo game| Recyclable? yes
Dunelm stepped away from the nail clippers and screwdrivers, instead delivering a bingo game card, and a sticker sheet (as well as a hat and a joke sheet, of course). It's a fun way to keep everyone around the table busy and merry (although the cocktail crackers further down this list can do the same job).
RRP: £8| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: hat, joke, classic trinkets| Recyclable? yes
I was intrigued to test these crackers because they don’t look quite like anything else. These stylish diamonds had the best pop, most unique style, and you still get all the classic cracker trimmings (hats, jokes, trinkets). These won’t disappoint.
RRP: £15| No of crackers: 12 | Gift selection: hat, bottom, trinket| Recyclable? yes
You can’t beat a classic set of crackers. These look and feel really premium, with thick FSC-certified cardboard and a satisfying snap. You’ll get the classic Christmas trinkets inside (bottle openers, nail clippers, cards etc) alongside a hat and a joke. It's all beautiful and plastic-free too. Very pleasing.
The Christmas crackers that I couldn't miss
If you know you're a family that can't get competitive (we had to stop Monopoly years ago), these Christmas crackers can make a nice change. Whether you use them for something extra on the tree, or for an extra piece on the mantle. The big benefit of these Christmas crackers is that you'll get to use the gifts year after year.
RRP: £19.99| No of crackers: 8 | Gift selection: hat, joke, whistle, music sheet, conductor's baton| Recyclable? yes
Even the least musical family will get hours of fun from this. In fact, I'd argue that they'd get more fun from the whistle chaos these crackers promise. Complete with hats, jokes, and differently-tuned, eco-plastic whistles, you can work your way through 24 different songs. If you have a spare person, they can become the conductor with their necessary stick. It’s fantastic.
RRP: £20| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: a can of cocktail| Recyclable? yes
Eat, drink, and be merry is the motto of Christmas and MOTH: makes the most of the 'drink' part of the phrase. Their selection of six classic cocktails is perfect for the adults round the table. Canned cocktails don't get better than these (and arguably, neither do crackers).
RRP: £24.99| No of crackers: 6 | Gift selection: wooden sleigh, 2 stackable presents per cracker, hat, joke, motto, storage bag | Recyclable? yes
Christmas decoration, table entertainment, and cracker, these can really do it all. You’ll be given a big wooden sleigh and then each cracker has two wooden parcels that need to fit in it. The more people add, the harder it gets. This was a huge success at my table and is one we reach for every year
FAQs
Which Christmas crackers does the King use?
According to the internet, Tom Smith Ltd has held the Royal Warrant as the supplier of Christmas crackers to the monarchs since 1906. They're credited by some as the original creators of the Christmas cracker, so it's no surprise that they're his majesty's choice. The extra piece of good news is that these are not too expensive; you could pick up a pack for £14.99 on Amazon, for example.
Which supermarket has the best Christmas crackers?
Having tested them all, ASDA makes the best. Their diamond-shaped crackers add something special to the table; they have a wonderful snap; and the gifts are exactly what you'd expect. For the price, they're great.
What are the best luxury Christmas crackers?
It depends on what you're after. Graham & Green's hand-marbled crackers are the most beautiful crackers that I've seen. They certainly deliver on the festive-wow factor. However, for those who like the sweeter things in life, Hotel Chocolat's crackers are a delicious treat for the table.
Which Christmas crackers are the most sustainable?
The RHS and The Little Green Cracker Company have flawless sustainable credentials. If you want to minimise your carbon footprint and have some guilt-free fun, these will more than deliver. They're plastic-free and made from seed papers, or FSC-approved carboard, recycled materials where possible, and the RHS crackers are plantable.
How I tested the best Christmas crackers
Siobhan tested all the products featured in this guide to find the best luxury Christmas crackers of 2022
If it were up to me, I'd launch Christmas in September (yes, I'm one of those people). So you can imagine my excitement when I got to test all the best Christmas crackers. I've been pulling and popping these sets for months, rating them to choose which would go in this guide.
The collection might look simple, but to get a covetable spot in the guide, the cracker had to score top marks. I rated the box that they came in, how festive the crackers looked, and whether I would be happy to add them to my Christmas table on the big day.
I also made careful notes on the quality of the snap and bag (ASDA was the best), as well as the hats, jokes, and gifts. I don't want to sound like a snob, but I think it's reasonable to expect a decent little extra in these Christmas crackers, not something that'll be relegated to piles of rubbish in an instant. In this day and age, I also recognise that sustainability plays an important role. So, I checked whether the crackers were plastic-free, plantable, recyclable, and sustainable. You'd be pleasantly surprised at how many are.
Whilst some of these are firmly in the 'luxury Christmas crackers' band, I made sure to keep a careful check on the value of the crackers. Prices have been creeping up and I wanted to check whether they were genuinely good value for money or not. Christmas is an expensive time of year, so you will want to save money where you can.
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