How do I choose an artificial Christmas tree?
Choosing the right artificial Christmas tree for your home depends on your preferences. Some things to consider include; the size, price, light type, number of tips, and material.
Size: Trees typically range from 4ft to 12ft. The average-sized living room often looks great with a 7ft tree in it. Think about the size of your room and about how wide you want the tree to be.
Price: The price is always important, especially when you have other things to budget for this Christmas. We recommend you set yourself a budget and stick to it. Remember better quality trees might cost more, but they’re also likely to last longer and save you money.
Light type: Some artificial trees come with light options, so if this is something that you think will save you time and money, then it might be a good idea to get a pre-lit tree.
The number of tips: Trees with a higher tip count (the number of needles on the tree) often look fuller and give a more realistic feel.
Material: Most artificial trees are either made of PVC, PE, or sometimes a mixture of both. PE tips are often more expensive, but they do provide a more realistic look and feel. If you want a fire-resistant tree, then you should choose one made from PE or find a Christmas tree that has been treated with fire-resistant chemicals. If you suffer from bad allergies, then either a PVC or a PE tree will be much better for you than a real Christmas tree. However, they can still gather dust and allergens, so remember to dust them and air them before use. You can also find water-resistant artificial trees, for outdoor use, but these are often treated with water-repellants as opposed to specific water-resistant materials (if this is the type of tree you want, remember to research or ask a retail assistant whether the tree is water-resistant).
How much should I spend on an artificial Christmas tree?
The question of how much to spend on an artificial Christmas tree depends on two things: your budget and how long you want to keep and reuse the tree.
You can easily pick up a bargain artificial Christmas tree for under £50 however, these will either be smaller or won’t last as long. If you want to save money in the long-term and know you’ll reuse the tree, then we’d recommend spending around £100-£130.
When should I buy a fake Christmas tree?
Some fake Christmas trees can cost hundreds of pounds, which might put you off. However, there are sales, for example on Black Friday and Cyber Monday where you can usually bag yourself a bargain. Often well-loved brands can reduce their artificial Christmas tree prices quite substantially, so we recommend keeping your eye on the sales.
How long should an artificial tree last?
A real Christmas tree only lasts for about six weeks, while an artificial tree can last an average of six years. If your artificial tree is of high quality and is well-kept, you might even get 10 years or more out of your tree.
Which artificial Christmas tree is the best?
The best artificial Christmas tree to buy this year is the Very Home 7ft Cashmere Tips Christmas Tree. We love the soft tips and bushy branches, plus it comes with a sturdy stand too.
How we chose our recommendations
Honest recommendations
Finding the right artificial Christmas tree for your home can be tricky. You want to know that you’re buying a beautiful, sturdy and durable tree that will last years. That’s why we took to the Mumsnet forums to bring you the very best tree recommendations. Many of our artificial tree recommendations are tried, tested and loved by our Mumsnet users.
Expert opinion
Once we had our long list, we consulted the consumer watchdog Which? to see which brands and products they recommended. We made sure to look out for industry awards too.
Verified customer reviews
Finally, we completed our triple-check verification process by cross-referencing our shortlist against verified customer reviews on websites such as Amazon, John Lewis and Argos. We paid attention to those that were bestsellers and those with plenty of rave reviews.
About the author
Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on home care content. She writes buyer's guides, cleaning and laundry articles, and tests products out in her family home to help our readers make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies. She is a mum of two and lives in Sussex.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.