UP TO £5

12 Christmas Crackers, £3.99, Lidl Simple shiny gold and white crackers that made a good loud bang. Came with all the essentials – two VERY cheesy jokes, cheap and cheerful hats and presents that included tiny playing cards, dominoes and plastic money clip.

Verdict: A decent cracker for the price 9/10

10 Christmas Crackers,

£5, Poundland

Extra large shiny gold and red numbers with pretty ribbon. They looked impressive but the hats were pathetic. Gifts included a mini nail file and keyring with festive, fun jokes and a quote. Verdict: Hats broke before we got them on our heads 5/10

8 Dinner Party Crackers,

£5, Wilko

Looked posher than the price tag in pretty, shiny silver and white with Joyeux Noel on the white ones. The bang was impressive, and we liked the shiny silver hats. Came with the usual jokes. Gifts included a tape measure, pencils and money clip.

Verdict: The blokes thought they were a bit girly 8/10

George Home 8 Premium Crackers, £5, Asda

Festive red, Santa and checked pattern. Made a nice satisfying bang and contained a sturdy gold hat. We liked the fact we didn’t need glasses to read the jokes and anagrams. Gifts included a mini screwdriver set for spectacles, set of marbles and a toy glider.

Verdict: Simple and traditional 8/10