Introduction
Christmas dinner isn't complete without a naff joke from a Christmas cracker. But which ones give you the best bang for your buck?
Environmentally-friendly Options
In an effort to be more sustainable this year, most shops are offering cheaper, environmentally-friendly options that contain games such as charades on paper instead of plastic surprises.
Testing the Crackers
We tested some of this year's Christmas cracker offerings from supermarkets and budget shops to find out which ones have the most pulling power.
Tesco Luxury 6 Crackers
Price: £10 (£1.66 each)
Score: 4/5
These crackers not only look the part with golden writing and a golden crown, but they are also totally recyclable. The prizes include a paper tape measure, bottle opener, mini magic playing cards, tweezers, and a metal clip book marker. The jokes also come with a riddle, charades suggestion, and a word riddle.
Marks & Spencer 8 Luxury Crackers
Price: £20 (£2.50 each)
Score: 4/5
These crackers are the most expensive option we tested, but they come with better quality goods. Inside these pretty silver crackers, you'll find a full pack of cards, a karabiner, mini grater, and a shopping trolley token. They are a good option for special guests.
Morrisons 8 Crackers
Price: £6 (75p each)
Score: 2/5
These crackers are cheap, but some of the trinkets are disappointing. The bookmark, in particular, looks like it's made from a piece of a cut-up cereal packet. One of the cracker prizes is just two charade suggestions, which is not as impressive as other brands.
Asda George 8 Premium Crackers
Price: £5 (63p each)
Score: 4/5
These crackers are a good budget option with an impressive bang and look. Although the crown is a bit rubbish, the prizes, including a tape measure, cookie cutter, pencils, marbles, nail clippers, and a metal puzzle, make up for it.
Sainsbury’s ‘Home’ 6 Crackers
Price: £8 (£1.33 each)
Score: 2/5
These crackers are on the small side, and the bang sounds like brittle plastic snapping. However, they contain colourful paper crowns and trinkets such as a mini-notebook, three magic playing cards, a bottle opener, a yo-yo, and two metal riddle games. The joke and charades suggestion are also included.
Iceland 10 Crackers
Price: £5 (50p each)
Score: 3/5
These are the cheapest option we tested, and while the prizes are all paper and cardboard, they are more imaginative than most. The gifts include a Sudoku book, word search, bookmark, paper snowman, and Father Christmas to stick your fingers through as their legs. The jokes were decent too.
Waitrose 12 Crackers
Price: £16 (£1.33 each)
Score: 4/5
These crackers give a really good bang, but the prizes are somewhat disappointing. Inside, you'll find a tiny sticky notebook, paper tape-measure, three 'magic cards', a springy key-ring thingy, and a golden crown with a joke and a charade suggestion.
B&M Bargains 6 Scandi Snow Crackers
Price: £8 (£1.33 each)
Score: 5/5
These crackers have a high-end appearance with pretty designs and fabric bows, but they come at a budget price. The prizes inside are really nice and include a wooden tree decoration, a full pack of cards, and a decent bottle opener. The jokes are laugh-out-loud funny and even include a 'did you know?' fact. These are the best of the bunch.
Conclusion
When it comes to Christmas crackers, you don't have to spend a fortune to get good toys. Our tests show that the budget store options can be just as impressive, if not more so, than the pricier supermarket offerings.
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