Talk to me about fake Christmas trees...

[dayslikethese1]

Thinking of getting fake tree this year as thinking it'll be cheaper in long run and also less faff every year.

Can anyone tell me about your fake tree? Where can I buy a reasonably full one for a good price? Is prelit a good option? Has yours lasted well? Any comments helpful as I don't know where to start!

We have a pre lit Balsalm hill and it’s lovely.

We got ours from the range about 5 years ago. It was £100 but we got it in the sale after Christmas so that was heavily discounted. Every year I get it out I marvel at how lovely and realistic it is. It is not prelit but I prefer it that way as I like to arrange the lights myself. I recommend looking at paying up for one but its definitely an investment and I cannot see us needing or wanting a new one for decades.

I’m keenly following this. I usually have a real tree every year but I’m worried about having a real tree with a toddler (pine needles etc.). I do love the smell though.

Sorry to interfere on your thread OP but are the Balsam Hill trees really that good?

We finally got a prelit Balsam Hill last year and it is not like other fake trees at all. Well, compared to our decade-old £30 Homebase one anyway! It is a joy.

www.balsamhill.co.uk/p/royal-blue-spruce-artificial-christmas-tree?sku=2804744

This is the one we have and we do like it.
They are the ones you see on TV and film if not real- eg on BBC Breakfast.
They are expensive but I am hoping it lasts. Our last bog standard garden centre fake tree lasted 10 years so if this one does that it’ll be £20 per year which is cheaper than a real tree.
I’m not sure on which is best for the environment but we did give our old one- which still looked ok but was losing a few needles -to a charity shop who were very pleased as Christmas trees sell well.

That's interesting anna as I was literally just looking at that one on BH website. Bit costly for me normally but I think it might be worth it as an investment. Will look at The Range as well cheese

This was ours last year that we got from a garden centre for £150! Absolute bargain it had to be squashed down a bit because it was to big for the living room 🤦🏻‍♀️ I think looking around & seeing them in person helps x

BH have a sale on that ends this evening. I’ve whittled down to these 3. I’m used to having a real tree that looks like the European fir, it looks more realistic to me than the others (just because that’s what I’m used to). I do like the chunkier trees though.

We bought a prelit (frosted) from Balsam Hill about 5 years ago and love it. Though the only downside as it is frosted you do get the little snow particles falling off so you have to hoover often 😉

Ppl who have bought from BH before, is it likely to be cheaper in January? Wondering if it's worth waiting and investing for next year...

Might try some garden centres also...I would like to see them in the flesh so to speak, it's kinda hard to tell from pics online sometimes.

We have an artificial tree that came from Home Base about 15 years ago. We stopped using it and had real trees for a few years until we got a dog that just couldn't understand that he wasn't allowed to piddle up it. I always felt a bit sorry for our fake tree, being left lonely and abandoned in the loft while his festive decoration buddies were partying downstairs each year, and was secretly quite glad that we couldn't have a real tree.

That Home Base tree is a proper part of Christmas. Yes, it's getting a little bald in places. Yes, it doesn't look or smell as good as a real tree, or even some of the newer fake ones, but it's OUR Christmas tree and I love it.

It might be made of bits of plastic but it's saved 10 little fir trees from being chopped down.

I wouldn't get a pre-lit one, though, as it wouldn't be Christmas without untangling the lights, testing the bulbs and swearing copiously.

I wouldn't buy prelit - as artificial trees last longer than decorating fads....we've had white static lights, multicolour lights and now multi colour flashing led lights....I can update the look of the tree with a new set and a few different decorations. But that's just mho.

Balsam Hill is like DFS- there’s always a sale on but it’s not as good just before Christmas. Now is probably still ok.

We have a lovely pre-lit one from www.werchristmas.co.uk. There's normally a 10% off code around if you Google.

Hi we bought a 6.5’ Balsam Hill unlit Fraser fir in Oct 2016, cost just under £200. It is a bit of a faff getting the branches just right, but last year It was easier, and did not to long to set up. The tree has a stand, and is in three sections, branches fold out, rather than slotting them into the trunk. First photo is the tree the first time I set it up undecorated, and the second one from last year. It does look very realistic, and we are pleased with it.

We bought one from our local garden centre, cost about £80 in the sale. It's a bushy one and I love it. Didn't go for a prelit one, we had one previously with berry red lights on and the lights broke after about 3 years.
I abandoned colour themes last year as I wanted a vintage look - ebay good for 1960s-70s retro decs.

We have a tacky 6ft fibre optic one for the playroom - ds loves it.

Brandalley currently have a Christmas tree sale on.

Another firm that are American are the National Tree Company, may be slightly cheaper than BH but very good quality. My NTC tree lasted 16 years before it started to look a bit worn, survived the cat climbing it, and was well worth it, I got another NTC tree in this year’s sale from a garden centre, as I wanted a slimmer one. The model I bought has ‘real feel’ outer branches, very realistic. Amazon sell them, and some garden centres in the UK.

I wouldn’t personally get pre-lit, chances are the lights will pack up before the tree does!

We got a very fake tree from B&Q about 10 years ago. It has fibre optic lights built it. We got it because real tree+ cat + toddler seemed like a recipe for a disaster. We do t pretend it’s real, it’s clearly isn’t, but it’s our tradition, it’s still looking ok after 10 years.

There was a report in New Scientist last yeR about the environmental impact of real v artificial Christmas trees, which concluded, roughly, that you needed to muse an artificial tree for 12-20 years for environmental impact to equal that of buying real trees each time.

Forgot to mention that when our old tree went to the tip for recycling, much of the trunk and branches were metal, and the guy said to DH that the plastic ‘needles’ could be stripped off and the metal would be recycled. So not such a bad impact after 16 yrs.

Another vote for BH. I have a 6ft pre lit one and I love it .

We also have the pre lit BH and it has a huge number of lights on it, which is what makes it look good IMO. It's hard to replicate that.

I got one from Woolworths about 15 years ago. It outlasted Woolworths . We maybe add the odd new decoration now and then and I think I got new lights for it about 5 years ago.
Doesn't feel any less Christmas-y in our house. It's part of our many silly rituals.

We have had a pre-lit Balsham Hill tree for a few years and are really happy with it.

If you sign up to their newsletter (UK website not US!) they always have 20% off in November. I think it’s an individual code that you are sent. That’s in addition to the rolling sale that seems to be throughout the year.