Has anyone recently bought an artificial pre lit tree? I’m struggling?

[Wonderingwhyme]

First year buying last year and got one off amazon. 5 foot artificial pre lot. It had a lot of gaps and I wasn’t that over joyed with it. This year I’ve been round some shops that display them (not many!) and they still all have quite big gaps and don’t look nice and full and bushy. Am I asking too much? I’m thinking of maybe going for a 6 foot one? I saw one on Homebase that looked good, went to store but I didn’t like it. I’ve now seen one on Robert dyas on offer, but have no stores near by and worry if it got it, it would be no better than the one in the loft. I don’t want a real one, would like to buy one and keep it for each year. Does a decent pre lit on for under £100 exist or do I give up? X

I disagree, KristinaM, Christmastreeworld has plenty of trees within the OP's budget with lots of the realistic PE tips.

For example: The Devonshire pre-lit Fir Tree is made up of a mix of traditional PVC tips and PE plastic moulded to replicate real Christmas tree needles.

I got a Balsam Hill pre-lit last year after using a Primark one (unlit) one for almost 20 years. I do like it, but even that is a bit gappy.

What I have done is buy a few more "picks" - bits of fake greenery that you might use for flower arranging, making your garland look bigger, or to stick into the branches of your tree where there are gaps, (and I have a LOAD of decorations and lights as well), and that makes a big difference to making it seem fuller. So it doesn't mean sacrificing the tree you already have (I intend using most of my "picks" on the Primark tree this year, as that will be going up in a different place, but a couple on the Balsam Hill where there is one particular troublesome spot).

Have a look at some YouTube channels like Robseon Design (they've renamed themselves recently...something with a K?) - who do a lot of Christmas tree decorating for an idea of what I mean....

Ive just bought the pre lit majestic dew pine from xmas tree world. It arrived quickly but ive not taken it out of the box yet so cant say what its like. Ive hidden it from DP as I have bought that many artificial trees he'll have a moan. Ill just put it up when hes at work.

I think a lot of the gappy-ness can be solved with how you spread your branches. I spend ages getting my tree just right before decorating.

We got an amazing tree a few years back in the sale at Tesco's for about £50 (7ft), I've had a lot of family comment on how good it looks for a artificial tree. It's not prelit unfortunately sorry

@TrickyD . The one you refer to on that site is £140 for the pre lit 6ft tree.

Or am I missing something ?

We got ours from Littlewoods. It's fabulous!

The OP indicated that she might be ok with a 5ft tree in which case this one looks good, it has the PE tips.

I got a fantastic realistic-looking one from a garden centre in their post-Christmas sale a few years ago. It had been really expensive but was down to less than half price. Maybe check out the garden centres and wait ..........!

Piggybacking here - does anyone have the Canadian Blue Green Spruce from Balsam Hill? Tempted by the sale... Or any other recs from BH? I like a nice bushy tree so would compromise on height for girth

We usually get a real one but beginning-to-crawl DD and a house full of toys and animals means that I can't face the whole rigmarole and finding pine needles for months on end etc, so think a nice artificial one will do us for the next few years.

I've actually been really disappointed with our Balsam Hill ones. They're fine and not gappy but the lights are feeble.

If I were you I would get through this year with either the one you have or a real one but do your research and look at the really nice, big, full, expensive ones and grab one in the Boxing Day/January sales

This^ OR make do this year save more next year and spend me

This is our tree it isn't pre lit but is brilliant quality 7 foot and very bushy! Garden centre £150, Much prefer to put the lights on myself as my DD tree is pre lit and it was so tangled when I first got it out the box I could of chucked it out the window 😂

I also recommend you view any tree before buying! Amazon is great because people leave reviews with pics

Thanks all.

Yes I don’t want to buy and not be able to return free post (as will cost a lot to post back) that’s what Christmas tree world do so a little put off now with them... last year tree was amazon and reviews were fine but it isn’t... I’m also fastidious about bending and arranging the branches but that didn’t help.

I don’t mind a 5 foot one, it’s the dc that want 6 foot as they think our last one was too small. What’s the usual?! Front room is normal size and normal height?!

Rang my local garden centre and they have one 5 foot pre lit to view so will have a look.

This is basically the tree I have. It's lasting, prelit, fits in small spaces, is simple but christmassy. It comes in green or black too.

@Wonderingwhyme, try www.werchristmas.co.uk. I got one the other year with a 10% off code I found by Googling and a 6ft tree pre-lit was about £100.

Ooh thanks for the tip of WeRChristmas - I like the look of their Grand Alaskan Fir. Also it does both multicoloured lights (for when DD is up) and white for when she's gone to bed and I want a sophisticated tree

We have that one, Celebelly. It's lovely! 🎄🎄🎄

Oh that's good to know as I just bought it! Quite excited!

Balsam Hill are perfect! Yes a bit pricey but spread over 10 years it works out a lot cheaper than buying one every year.
Here a picture of my one, it’s a 9” pre-lit slim one.
If you look in January they do have sales, I think I saved 20% buying it after Xmas.

We got ours from B&Q last year. Prelit and no gaps!

Link here

www.diy.com/departments/7ft-rokua-pre-lit-artificial-christmas-tree/3663602492917_BQ.prd/gallery

Balsam Hill are doing a Black Friday sale with 50% off lots of trees currently.

Wondering, yes, I can see that the £15 charged to return a tree if you are just not happy with it is annoying, Balsam Hill charge the same. I suppose they both work on the basis that not many will be returned.

I have just seen CTW ' s Snowy Alpine Pine and am sorely tempted to get the 7ft version to replace the elderly tree we have in the dining room.