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Original poster

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!

136 replies

girlcrushonvillanelle · 05/12/2020 20:41

For the past few years I have wanted a balsam hill tree. I had read so many good things about them and had often spent £50-£70 on a real tree to then dump in my compost bin in January.

I didn't want to splash too much cash so I bought one that was £200.

Well it was rubbish!!! It's going straight back on Monday. I have replaced it today with a £40 real one.

Anyone else not pleased with theirs?

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
OP posts:
Thread gallery
38
Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 05/12/2020 22:25

I've been looking at them for a while and couldn't decide whether they would be worth the money but after seeing everyone's here I'm definitely getting one. When is the best time to catch one of their sales?

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 05/12/2020 22:31

It is clear from the photo that you haven't separated out the branches so of course it looks bad. There are videos by Balsam Hill about how to fluff their trees so in that respect you are wrong to blame the tree.

They are moulded using real tree branches, considering massive venues and tv shows use them I think they look really good.

I do have a BH tree but I have a spruce so a big fluffy one, it does take some fluffing but looks exactly like the photo on the BH website when I am done. No gaps, just a beautiful looking tree.

flowery · 05/12/2020 22:38

Ours is brilliant, love it. Goes up really quickly.

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
PrimalLass · 05/12/2020 22:41

I like mine - it's a Fraser Fir. It took me ages to sort out the branches the first year.

Horsemad · 05/12/2020 22:49

I like the White Company trees, they are very realistic. We have a real one every year but I keep threatening to get a WC one.

studychick81 · 05/12/2020 22:57

Yes, sent ours back straight away, it felt too plastic and didn't look good. I think you have to spend big to get a good one and only get one of the really bushy ones.

Belindabelle · 05/12/2020 23:05

@flowery I love that tree. What type is it?

flowery · 05/12/2020 23:30

[quote Belindabelle]@flowery I love that tree. What type is it?[/quote]
I love the shape! I’ve checked back, and it’s a 7.5’ European fir. www.balsamhill.co.uk/p/european-fir?sku=2807885

We didn’t pay as much as that for it though, I’m sure we didn’t.

shinynewapple2020 · 05/12/2020 23:58

Oh dear - we have one of these on order . I had a feeling it wasn't going to be worth the money Sad

alfagirl73 · 06/12/2020 00:33

I love mine! Easy to put up, you do have to spend the time on "floofing" it and just working on it but it's worth it. To be fair if you choose a tree that is advertised as "sparse" it's never going to look like the real one you bought - it's a totally different shape/look.

I can't complain about Balsam Hill - my tree arrived really quickly and I'm made up with it!

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
Bluntness100 · 06/12/2020 05:26

@shinynewapple2020

Oh dear - we have one of these on order . I had a feeling it wasn't going to be worth the money Sad
One of the sparse alpine ones? I think you can see from treets image that it’s lovely, even the ops image shows it’s good quality, the issue is hers hasn’t been shaped like treets or the website image, the branches are all sitting wrong. The first year you’ve got to pull the branches into position, like you do with many trees.

It depends what you’re going for, if you want a really full bushy one then you’re not going to be remotely happy by the sparse realistic alpine one. It’s a very specific design. But the image and description is very clear on that.

If you want a really full bushy one you need to order that obviously.

Op, it reads like you thought you wanted a thin sparse one, when in reality you wanted a thick bushy one.

Mybedislisting · 06/12/2020 06:38

So many pretty and very tasteful trees Wine

Indoctro · 06/12/2020 08:34

@VanityWitch

It's fine, but not worth £200 imo. That's 5 years of real trees. How long do they last?

We want to do the adopt a tree thing next year. See how that goes. My parents used to have a nice fake tree and it was a bit of a faff to put up tbh, as you had to find all the branches and slot them in, then floof. Is that similar to BH?

Mine has a 10 year warranty with it
TrickyD · 06/12/2020 08:51

Ours is a three year old Christmas Tree World Woodland Pine. Fluffing is key to artificial trees looking good. This time I still found the odd un-fluffed branch lurking.
I am going to sort out that low down dark area.

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
FrangipaniBlue · 06/12/2020 09:29

I've been covering a BH for a couple of years and opened this thread thinking I'd have changed my mind by the end....

Nope.

All these beautiful trees have just re-affirmed my need for a BH tree!!!

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 06/12/2020 11:19

Same frangipani

I wish you could go somewhere and actually see and feel them though (i know you can get the branches)

And i agree the White company ones look fabulous...and they are usually instore

JovialNickname · 06/12/2020 16:14

That's a beautiful Christmas tree Bluntness - plenty of floofing has gone on there!

Bluntness100 · 06/12/2020 16:27

Thank you. I went over board on the bows this year but I swear in real life it looks fine 😃😞

shinynewapple2020 · 06/12/2020 18:07

@Bluntness100

No the one we have on order is a 4 ft bushy tree.

My comment was just in response to posters saying they weren't worth the money. I'm hoping I won't be disappointed in it - but I'll remember I need to fluff it up.

MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 06/12/2020 20:14

My kids have said that my alpine looks like a cactus, but the more I look at it, the more I like it - I think it's quite realistic looking and so far the very chubby cat hasn't been able to sit in it, so that's a win for me!

Bluntness100 · 06/12/2020 20:30

I like the alpine one as well, it’s different, and very stylish.

Belindabelle · 06/12/2020 20:43

I have the 8ft Norway spruce.

To be honest I don’t love it but that is my fault for choosing the wrong tree. We have a Victorian house with a large bay window so I should have gone for a fuller tree. The height is good but it’s just the wrong shape for the space. I went for the Norway Spruce as I love the real ones but they don’t last very long in our house before the needles start to drop.

I do love that Alpine tree. It would look great in our family/dining/kitchen space decorated in natural, red and white for a Scandi vibe.

Iseeyoulookingatme · 06/12/2020 20:50

I have an alpine bh tree and it is a sparse looking tree but it looks lovely when you fluff it and pull all the branches out. I also have a real tree. I prefer my bh tree.

Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
Balsam Hill tree - Rubbish!!
madcatladyforever · 06/12/2020 20:53

I wanted a twig tree this year because I haven't got room for anything else. i bought three from various places and sent them all back as they were awful rubbish.
Bought one from Balsam Hill, £100 or thereabouts, awful. It'll do but that's all I can say abut it. Obvious wires wrapped all over every branch and so bright you can see it from space.
I think I'll go back to not bothering next year.

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