Where To Buy Good Artificial Christmas Trees
After hoisting and packing away seven artificial Christmas trees, fluffing branches, hanging ornaments, adjusting tree lights, and arranging presents at their feet, one tree stood out head and shoulders above the rest: Twinkly Christmas Tree (available at Amazon) . However, there are plenty of great artificial Christmas trees in our guide to choose from.
where to buy good artificial christmas trees
One factor that earned Balsam Hill's Fraser Fir a spot on our list of best artificial Christmas trees is its sturdy stand with wheels. This trait is unique among the trees we tested, and it allows for easy movement during set up.
One of the primary advantages of artificial trees is that some of them come prelit, saving the installation of a string of lights. Most use energy-efficient LED lights, which last for months or years before needing to be replaced. For the best lighting effect, look for a tree that has at least 100 lights per foot of height. Some trees have white lights, while others feature vintage-style multicolored lights. Still others have the ability to change colors or introduce flashing lighting patterns with the push of a button.
While you now know more about artificial Christmas trees, there may be a few lingering questions about how to use them. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about artificial Christmas trees.
All artificial Christmas trees are compressed for shipping, so you need to fluff the branches to make them look fuller. Watch this video on how to shape your Balsam Hill tree and this one for tips and tricks on shaping individual branches.
Whether you need a tree to spruce up a home office or one for your spacious foyer, Balsam Hill has options to suit your preferences. Shop our selection of bestselling artificial Christmas trees by height, shape, and price. Visit the resource center to get helpful and inspirational information on Christmas trees, greenery, and more.
In the U.S., around 10 million artificial trees are purchased each season. Nearly 90 percent of them are shipped across the world from China, resulting in an increase of carbon emissions and resources. And because of the material they are made of, most artificial trees are not recyclable and end up in local landfills. Not to mention the smell of new plastic is just not as nostalgic as a crisp, fresh evergreen.
Artificial trees come in all sizes, from the big trees you see in the local shopping mall to the little plastic ones on the counter at your drug store. When choosing an artificial tree, consider how much space you have. Measuring the space you want to use is a good thing to do before you choose your tree.
This is an aesthetic concern, rather than a practical one. Most artificial trees attempt to mimic some actual evergreen tree in shape and appearance. Christmas trees are beautiful, but just as you like to match the decorations on your tree to the other decorations around your house or office, you want to match the appearance of your tree to your overall decorating scheme.
Artificial Christmas trees can also come pre-decorated in a few different ways. It can be accented, meaning it can come with artificial pine cones and berries already attached. These additions can make for some nice decorations and small touches, but they are usually fixed and cannot be removed as well.
Branches on artificial trees are usually of one of two types: hinged or hooked. Hinged branches are permanently attached to the tree, and can be folded when the tree is taken down for storage. Hooked branches are not permanently attached to the trunk, and instead, are hooked on when setting up and removed when taken down.
Artificial trees are increasingly popular, as they last longer and are much easier to deal with. Depending on the artificial tree you choose, they can also be more ecologically responsible. Your artificial tree can be with you for years to come, however, so it is worth it to do some research and choose a tree that is just right for you.
There's no getting around the fact that even the best artificial Christmas trees are never going to look like the real thing, especially up close. But when fully decorated and lit, they're still lovely and festive. And based on the type of material used for branches, some look more lifelike than others.
Whether you prefer pre-lit, flocked, narrow, or white, you can find an artificial option that you can make look spectacular with lights and ornaments. We tested and researched artificial trees to find the most realistic ones that will last season after season.
Balsam Hill is nearly synonymous with realistic artificial trees, and for good reason. It makes full trees with thousands of branch tips that make a beautiful home for your Christmas ornaments and lights. The 6.5-foot Fraser Fir comes with three hefty sections chock full of faux needles. While there are some bristly PVC branches near the pole to help fill out the tree, the majority of the tips are more realistic PE. These don't take nearly as much arranging as the PVCs.
The Aspen Fir from Puleo International is a stately-looking tree that's pre-lit with 500 incandescent lights. Puleo includes instructions for how to fluff the tree and setup took about 45 minutes. There are a good number of branch tips for a tree this size and price. As with many artificial trees, there are gaps where sections meet. The branches are a mix of bristle-like PVC and more realistic PE tips.
Target: You can find many artificial tree brands at Target's online site, but in-store it's mostly its own Wondershop trees on display. These range in price from $15 for a 2-foot tall tree to $650 (10.5-foot pre-lit tree). We'll be testing some in the near future and will report back.
Safety: Pre-lit artificial trees should be tested by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) to ensure safety. You can look for UL symbol on the box and the retailers and manufacturers' product pages.
To test artificial trees, I looked at a mix of realism, assembly time and difficulty, ease of connecting lights for pre-lit trees, and how branches held up when decorated with ornaments. For untested trees, I relied on brands that I had tested and viewed in person at retailers in addition to looking at reviews and specs like number of branch tips, size, and assembly style.
Fullness: Trees with fewer branches tend to leave gaps. I looked at the trees after I fully fluffed them to look for spaces. They were often where sections fit together because you need a place to grasp the pole.
I spent a week putting up a selection of artificial trees in my living room, at a range of price points. I wanted to see how closely they resembled real Christmas trees, judging them on the amount of branches, number of tips and detailing, as well as overall wow factor. Regarding price, I found that any fake tree over 6ft high that costs less than 100 is not worth the money: I failed to find one that looked realistic enough. The winning tree for me was at the top end of the budget (although not the very top), but I reasoned that the cost could be divided over a potential 20-year lifespan.
Real Christmas trees are great and all, but you can get that exact same look without the shedding, allergens or chilly trip to your local tree farm with this attention-grabbing artificial version. This Christmas tree features hundreds of branch tips that are designed to look and feel like the real thing, while 900 white lights and pre-attached, hinged branches make for easy setup and breakdown.
Warsaw twig trees have a distinct look and a cult following among some holiday fans. This artificial tree has a primitive look with two-tone brown and green tips, along with 250 clear mini lights built in. The whole thing comes in three pieces for beyond-easy assembly.
Once last-minute shoppers picked out their Christmas trees this weekend, vendors started to tally how many evergreens they sold this year. Projections suggest it will be a smaller number than previous years, as artificial trees continue to cut into the market for real ones.
This year 82 percent Christmas trees on display will be artificial, according to an estimate by the American Christmas Tree Association, while just 17.9 percent will be real. A spokesperson from the National Christmas Tree Association estimated that around three quarters of households with Christmas trees will display the artificial variety, slightly more favorable to American tree farmers.
As with so many debates these days, this too can be seen through a partisan lens: In a recent survey conducted by NPR, PBS NewsHour and Marist, 63 percent of Republicans said they planned to buy an artificial tree this year, compared with 44 percent of Democrats. Trump supporters were even more in favor of artificial trees over real ones, with 64 percent over 16 percent, respectively.
But artificial trees are not immune from price hikes either, especially because the vast majority of them are imported from China, which has been engaged with the U.S. in a trade war. Mac Harman noted that China-imported Christmas lights, along with certain types of artificial trees, had already been hit with a 25 percent tariff this year.
We recommend an artificial Christmas tree for most people. Nowadays, many of us live busy, high-energy lifestyles and have the added responsibilities of caring for family and pets. Did you know? Some Christmas trees are poisonous and dangerous for children and pets? This is why many parents opt for faux Christmas trees to protect their families. Also, some cats have developed adverse reactions to some natural elements, and because cats are naturally curious, trees can be challenging.
Some of the benefits of artificial Christmas trees are their low-maintenance lifestyle, year after year durability, and cost-effective price. We know the holidays can be stressful for our finances, but to help ease the burden on the wallet, you can't go wrong joining team faux. In addition to being budget-friendly, plants and trees offer many health and emotional benefits. Nature helps us live longer and fuller lives, so we can spend more with the people we love. 041b061a72