There's now a DIY advent calendar for blokes - and we've had a peek inside

12 October 2023 , 20:00

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I've spent the entire start to autumn watching my colleagues unboxing posh fashion and beauty-related advent calendars aimed at women and, I'm not going to lie, I've felt a bit jealous.

I'm not interested in perfumes and hand cream because I'm a typical bloke. I like brown beer, car magazines and 10mm spanners. And now, the wonderful people at Halfords have created an advent calendar just for me.

There's not a hint of moisturiser in this box, and no sign of any mascara. This is an advent calendar real men can delight in opening every day in the run-up to our partners' favourite time of the year.

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Halfords sent me one ahead of the advent season and I couldn't resist jumping the gun and counting down the days. And it's such a weird concept, but it really works.

Here's the spoiler: It's basically just a posh 40-piece socket set. The packaging doesn't try to make a secret of that, and you're even given an inventory of contents on the back, so there's no surprises.

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But as you open each window you're greeted with a new item from the socket set. And it's not just any socket set, it's from the Halfords' Advanced range, which is a hand-picked crop of top-quality tools which come with a no-quibble lifetime guarantee.

There's now a DIY advent calendar for blokes - and we've had a peek inside

Let's get down to opening doors. Your first three weeks will mainly see you revealing sockets, of varying sizes. There's no chronology to it really, it's all rather random.

During this early part of December, though, you will suddenly find yourself opening one of the bigger doors and revealing yourself one of the hand tools, or perhaps a selection of smaller sockets in a block.

You're going to have to wait until day 17 before you get to the 1/4" drive ratchet handle, but it's a very nice bit of kit. Nicely weighted, and it sits comfortably in the hand.

And then, just as Father Christmas gets ready to set off on his rounds, on Christmas Eve, you'll finally get to open window number 24. And it's massive.

That's because it contains the sturdy but compact case that will contain all your shiny new sockets and tools. Finally, they won't be rattling around in a biscuit tin any longer, and you can start on all the DIY jobs that have been put off until the festive break.

A skeptic might point out that this is a pricey way to buy your loved one a new socket set, but I've checked the price of an equivalent set and it's only a few quid cheaper. While the standalone set does come with a longer extension bar and a universal joint, the case isn't as nice and, well, it's just not as festive, is it?

What the Halfords Advent Calendar will leave you with is a high-quality, compact socket set that's ideal for basic bicycle or car maintenance. Truth be told, most modern blokes will probably already have all the tools it includes, but because of its neat size it's an ideal pack to keep in the boot of a car, or you could even take it on holiday with you.

And that's why I love it. For anyone who loves a bit of tinkering, it's a brilliant early Christmas present. And it certainly beats a month of make-up.