Best luxury Christmas crackers that will make your festive celebrations go off with a bang

Choosing the best luxury Christmas crackers can be hard, as there's so much choice and it can be difficult to decide whether you want to go for fun, style, or something a little bit unique. But we've rounded up the best ones out there to buy right now, to ensure you're prepared when the festive season rolls around.

Whatever your preference is when it comes to Christmas decorating ideas, luxury Christmas crackers are a fun and essential part of every festive celebration. And in our list there's an option for everyone—from crackers containing alcoholic or foodie treats, to those containing beauty products, or handy kitchen devices. There is also a cracker set for every budget too—from hundreds of pounds down to around £15, depending on what you've decided to spend. But, hurry, many of the best luxury Christmas crackers will sell out fast, so you'll need to buy yours ASAP.

And once you've chosen your crackers, why not get ahead on some more festive essentials, by taking a look at our guides to the best artificial Christmas trees and the best real Christmas trees?

Best luxury Christmas crackers 2021

Everyone loves a tipple during the festive season, and these Marks & Spencer crackers are perfect if your drink of choice is a cocktail. Alongside the classics you'd expect in your cracker (a hat and a joke), you'll also get a conversation starter topic, as well as the store's eminently popular cocktails in can—expect favorites such as a Passion Star Martini, a Pina Colada, a Mojito, a Gin and Tonic, a Think Pink Gin and Tonic, and of course a Cosmopolitan. Plus, they'll come in gorgeous gold and blue 'present-style' cracker boxes, to make your dinner table that little bit more special. These would go down a treat for an early friends Christmas meal, or perhaps to help you along when planning your Christmas tree decorating ideas...

If you really want to treat your guests to something special this Christmas, pick up one of these unique Floris Christmas crackers, which come complete with their signature A Rose For...eau du parfum scent, in a stylishly decorating 10ml bottle. While the cracker alone is stunning enough (with gorgeous gold ribbon and embellishment), you and your family/friends are sure to love what comes inside, as the perfume has notes of incense and Darjeeling black tea, red rose, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli. It may not be your typical Christmas cracker (there's no hat or joke), but it's definitely something a little bit special.

These oversized crackers from Cox & Cox (who also do some of the best Christmas decorations) may be among the most luxurious on our list—with a price to reflect that. Designed in an ultra-chic black and gold star pattern, they also contain gifts you'll actually want to keep too. In each cracker, your guests will receive either an orange pepper shampoo bar or a mineral gris shampoo bar for your hair, a soap bar in an amber musk or bright lime scent, or a travel tin candle, in an amber musk or sweet verbena scent. All product have been hand-poured, and the soap bars and candles are also vegan-friendly. You won't get the standard paper hat and joke in this one, but something tells us you won't miss them.

Sure, these are pricey, but luxury Christmas crackers don't come much more dazzling in design than these gorgeous Harvey Nichols ones, with a shimmery black and gold pattern and oversized ribbons! These would look amazing as the centerpiece of any table, but particularly in homes with modern decor (you can also see our guide to some brilliant Christmas centerpiece ideas here). But onto the cracker itself—each one contains a gift, snap, gold or silver crown and a joke. And the gifts speak for themselves—our favorites are the Blackcurrant Preserve jam or the Harvey Nichols Damson Gin Liquer which will likely go down a treat at Christmas. As would the champagne stopper which is also on offer in one of these crackers...

Forget mini wooden spoons or dice—what could be better than getting jewelry in your Christmas cracker? With this special option from Liberty, you can look forward to just that! This very special, single cracker contains two pieces of jewelry from Estella Bartlett—gold-plated beaded huggie hoop earrings, and a gold-plated stars slider bracelet. Both of the items altogether are actually worth £42, so you'll be saving £17 by purchasing this cracker. Never mind that it comes inside this very stylish Liberty print box, which will elevate your Christmas table at the same time.

One for those who love classic hotels/London landmarks, these Claridge's crackers are a real treat. Included in the set are six crackers decorated in a unique art-deco style, and inside, you'll find either a luxury silver or gold crown, a keepsake 'inspired by the hotel's heritage', and instead of a joke, you'll find a fascinating anecdote plucked straight from the hotel's archives about the London institution. 

For something completely unique look no further than this special crackers from Drinks by Post. Personalized from the off, you can request for each cracker to come with your guests name in hand-written calligraphy on the front. You can also choose the color of the cracker and the ribbon—you could order six of the same, or six completely different ones. And inside, it only gets better. Choose from a range of pre-mixed cocktails—or, for the non-drinkers, a no-alcohol alternative. There's even a hot chocolate stirring stick for children—they really have thought of everything. Not only that, but you'll also get the classic party hat and trivia, as well as an acorn to to grow your very own tree and give back to the environment. Plus, they are recyclable, compostable, sustainable and vegan friendly, given that they are plastic free, contain no foil, include uncoated paper and are wrapped with reusable organic ribbon. What more could you ask for?

These decadant-looking deep purple crackers, with a lovely bird design (in the style of the 12 Days of Christmas) and gold ribbon, and deeply sophisticated and will look great in homes with all adults or homes with a darker color scheme. The card these crackers are made of is fully recyclable but it's worth noting that the content is not. The Lakeland luxury Christmas crackers come with a gold hat, a joke, and one of many sustainable bamboo gift options—including a dice, spoon, honey drizzler, juicer, scoop and plant labels. This means no plastic—a win for us and a win for the environment. 

Fortnum & Mason for known for producing some really special Christmas items and these luxury crackers are no exception. In fact, they could be perfect if you are a family of keen cooks, or just keen foodies! As well as a the obligatory paper hat and a joke, also included within each of these cracker is a miniature cooking utensil (such as a grater, a honey stick, a whisk and cookie cutters) and a recipe from Fortnum & Mason's own cookbook, which is a great gift and super unique for a Christmas cracker. Just be sure not to fight over the gift with your family members...

These handmade, eco-friendly and plastic free Christmas crackers from The Little Green Cracker company not only look great (with a stylish white and blue design), but they're great for the environment too. Hand-tied with biodegradable linen ribbon, and made from recycled card, you'd be hard pressed to find a cracker more eco-conscious than this one. Plus, there are some great gifts offered inside too. Expect some luxury pampering products, such as a scented St Eval tea light, a solid shampoo bar, and two plastic-free tea bags—or some tasty snacks, including a gold-medal jam and a packet of pea shoot seeds. You'll be reaping the rewards from the cracker long after the 25th...

Christmas can sometimes seem like a season of excess, so it's good to take stock and give back to those less fortunate than yourself. The easiest (and most fun!) way to do this is with these crackers. Each cracker you pull donates £2 to a worthy charity—be it protecting the oceans to providing food and medicine for those in need. But there is some fun to be had too—each cracker also contains a hat, plus a joke written by a top celebrity. These are definitely the kindest crackers we've seen available at John Lewis—who also do some of the best Christmas tree skirts and Christmas tree topper ideas.

You'll find the perfect mix of sustainability and style in these AMARA: FOREVER CRACKERS X Baobab Collection collaboration crackers. Made of silk and linen, these are designed to be used year after year—and they're beautiful enough that you'll definitely want to! Each cracker comes with a banger and a joke inside, as well as a mini Baobab candle—the scents being 2x Aurum, 2x Platinum, 2x Cyprium. Designed to be unwrapped rather than pulled, these are great for elegant dinner parties, and will see you through year after year, so although they're expensive, they're a great investment option. 

Often Christmas crackers (even luxury ones) can be a little disappointing, with gifts we won't use again and hats that seem to disappear as soon as lunch is eaten. But who could possibly be disappointed by chocolate?! Well, that's why these mini Hotel Chocolat crackers had to make it onto our list. With 10 mini crackers coming in one pack, you and your guests can expect chocolate galore when you open them up. You'll receive either a Pecan Praline, Wafer Praline and Dizzy Praline a Salted Caramel Cream or a Caramel Cheesecake. Our mouths are practically watering at the thought...

These Little Green Cracker Company crackers available at Selfridges (where you'll also find some of the best Christmas wreaths) have a chic ivy embellished leaf design that is super stylish, so would be a great addition to the home of any decor-conscious hosts or hostess' this Christmas. Presented in a lovely box, they come tied with a dark green festive ribbon. Each cracker contains a hat, joke, and a gift, although there's no information about what the gifts might be. However, it is one of Selfridges' Project Earth products, so you can rest assured that it's one of the better products for the environment. 

Stick with us on this one! Yes, it may not be a traditional luxury Christmas cracker, but it's certainly worth your time and money. If you want to do something a little different for your guests this year, or find a fun unique cracker to give as a present in 2021, why not opt for this Molton Brown cracker filled with gorgeous skin and bodycare bits? Inside you'll find the brands Russian Leather Bath & Shower Gel 50ml, Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel Bath & Shower Gel 50ml, Re-Charge Black Pepper Bath & Shower Gel 50ml, Neon Amber Bath & Shower Gel 50ml—everything you need for a pampering morning shower! Okay, there are no festive jokes or hats, but we reckon any ladies in your life might like this a bit better...

And if you love everything beauty come christmas, take a look at our run-down of the best beauty advent calendars available to buy now ahead of 1st December.

For everyone out there who loves a delicious tea or coffee, look no further than this luxurious pack of six Christmas crackers from Fortnum & Mason. Not only do they come in an impressive shimmery gold packaging—each one contains a joke, a paper crown, and a tasty edible treat from Fortnum's. The options include Fortnum's 3-minute Tea Timer, Breakfast Blend Coffee (75g), Breakfast Blend Loose Leaf Tin 25g & Green Elderflower Loose Leaf Tin (25g), Sir Nigel's Marmalade (100g), Breakfast Blend Pocket Tin, and Honey from Shropshire—and whichever we got we'd be pretty delighted with...

Adults-only celebration this year? Then a mini bottle of gin liqueur inside your luxury Christmas cracker could be just the thing! Each one has a different flavour, which includes Parma Violet and Pink Grapefruit. We also love how each cracker is a different color—not only for your guests enjoyment, but also to add some color to your festive tablescape. Overall, we reckon these will do down a treat with guests.

And if you've got an alcohol fan in your life, why not take a look at our guide to the best alcohol advent calendars of 2021?