IT’S A CRACKER!
Christmas crackers can range in price from pennies to pounds, We've put some to the test to ensure your festive dinner goes with a bang
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. 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. Verdict: Simple and traditional 8/10
UP TO £10
SANTA SLEIGH GAME CRACKERS £6, Morrisons FUN and modern character crackers with Santas, penguins and reindeer. Traditional coloured paper hats inside and must-have dreadful jokes. We loved the characters in sledges racing game. Kept us occupied for hours. Verdict: Great fun for kids of all ages 10/10 HOME 6 LUXURY CRACKERS £7.50, Sainsbury’s SIMPLE and understated – looked a lot more expensive than they were. Made a decent bang and contained gold hats, jokes, trivia and sports questions. Presents included compact mirror, keyring and yo-yo. Verdict: Perfect to dress the table 7.5/10 IRRESISTIBLE 6 LUXURY CHRISTMAS CRACKERS £10, The Co-op VINTAGE 30s-style rose gold and black numbers that made a decent noise. Shiny gold hats that fit our heads perfectly, usual cheery jokes and trivia and presents that included a heart padlock, phone stylus and mini screwdriver set.
Verdict: Very classy and good quality 9/10 8 LUXURY CHRISTMAS CRACKERS £9.99, Aldi LOOKED a little old-fashioned but were made of decent quality paper. The bang was OK, not as impressive as some of the others. Fun festive jokes, charades and trivia. The gifts were good and included measuring spoons, keyring and pen. Verdict: The hats were weird 6.5/10
UP TO £20
6 CRACKERS £12, Paperchase STUNNING jewel colours with pretty silver glittery bow finish. The bang was good and as well as festive jokes they had conversation starters, which we really liked. Hats were gold paper and gifts included a cute reindeer keyring and marbles.
Verdict: Classy and bright 8/10 6 CRACKERS £20, Marks & Spencer WE loved the look of these with their distressed gold diamond shape that stood out. But our panel was split on how much they liked the design and pulling power. Made a great bang and had good quality shiny gold hats and decent gifts, including a bottle opener, bulldog clip and magnetic page marker. Verdict: Nice twist on the classic cracker 8.5/10 6 LUXURY CRACKERS £12, Debenhams VERY shiny and sparkly silver. We were impressed by the good loud bangs and the shiny silver hats. Contained the usual joke and trivia and gifts including compact mirror, mini screwdrivers and money clip. Verdict: Made our table look very glam 7/10