Help me decide which tree to buy

[Scarlettpixie]

Right so I have been wanting a new realistic Christmas tree for a couple of years and have decided to go for it. My current tree is a black 6 footer which I got from Tesco 10 years ago for £40!

My absolute max budget is £300. It makes me wince a bit though, the thought of spending that after my tesco tinsel bargain!

The one I have found that I like comes in unlit or pre lit and I am looking at 6ft, 6.5 ft or 7ft. It is a snowy tree and fairly wide though not huge. Prices range from £150 for the unlit 6 footer to £300 for the pre lit 7 footer.

I can’t decide! Generally the lit ones are around £100 more than the unlit. I love the idea of not having to faff with lights but tell me is the extra dosh worth it? Bearing in mind I would need to buy lights if I buy an unlit tree as I don’t have enough.

What would you do? What should I do? Please help me decide!

I’ve been eying up 7ft unlit online from M&S, but haven’t bought yet - not sure which one to pick.

Would the pre-lit ones have the same effect as a couple/few strings of lights?? If not, you`ve saved around £100 so you could spend that saved money on more lights
Also, how does your current 6ft tree look in your room?? Do you feel as though you need to go bigger?? Have you enough room-the taller you go, does the width go wider?? It may only be a couple of inches, but it makes all the difference

Just thought I'd add that i was looking at the pre-lit trees in John Lewis at the weekend and they had added extra strings of lights - naughty! Just thought I'd add in case you had been looking in person.

I'd go for the best you're happy to afford.

Another thing to think about is if the lights on a prelit one go then you have to buy lights to put on it anyway (our cheap prelit one didn't even last one Christmas)

We replaced our ancient Tesco Christmas tree with....another Tesco Christmas tree from.ebay! DC loved it and were gutted when we had to throw it as there was more sellotape than tree. Don't bother getting pre-,lit, save difference and just get normal lights. Plain, ice blue, warm, colour flickering, flashing or static....

I prefer unlit, there's never enough lights on prelit, but then i like a lot of lights

I have this one, but 8ft. Love it, all the trees I. This range are great quality and realistic. I have found the flocking pretty hard wearing and doesn't cause too much mess. They are also good value, in lots of garden centres but often at higher prices. Photo of my tree from last year.
https://www.whitestores.co.uk/snowy-alaskan-fir-tree-6ft.html#foc=575&fook=6ecd8561159d9512926d93630f028714&fos=gplauk?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8eu9xZ6G5gIVVuDtCh3xtgeAEAQYASABEgK9ivDDBwE

I’d get pre lit, but I’d also put lights on 🤷‍♀️😂

We have a 7'6" pre lit but I add extra lights as the ones on the tree are white and I prefer colour. Costco had one which was pretty lit and alternated between white and coloured lights. Think the 6' was around £250

Thanks everyone. Lovely tree Sohypnotic.

My 6 ft one is more like 5.5 ft as the point is really long and has to be bent over to hold the topper in place. It is a little threadbare. It is a slim one so i am concious of the width of a regular one which is also a foot (and a bit) taller than mine seeming massive. Having said that, I do want a bigger tree. My old one was bought for a smaller house and on measuring, for the new one, the 7ft won't obscure the telly! I think perhaps the 6.5 ft would be best because it is an inch or two narrower and will still seem so much bigger than the old one. There is a little bit of me going - 'but for an extra £20 you may as well have the bigger one!' Decisions decisions.

I have looked at the ones at the White Company and M&S and while there are some lovely ones, I keep coming back to the one I like which is at Hayes Garden World. At least I know which one I want even if I can't decide on lights/size. Some of the Balsam Hill ones are lovely too but the ones I like most are over budget so that's that.

Intersting some of you say pre lit isn't bright enough. I was worried it may be too bright!

Look at Altons garden centre online, National Tree company trees. These are American but much more reasonably priced, and very good quality. My previous NTC one lasted 16yrs before it started to look tatty. I bought it’s replacement (different model) from Altons last December in their sale. New one has PE tips and is taller and slimmer, Bayberry spruce model, unlit. Balsam Hill are overpriced in my opinion.

I'd get the pre lit one for sure. You won't regret it! Hight, I think is only something you can decide for the space of your room. I like the star/angel to be only a little bit away from the ceiling. Not touching.

We’ve just bought a new one, 6.5 ft Lakeland Spruce unlit from the local garden centre but they are available online. It’s beautiful and extremely realistic. The garden centre had lots of prelit ones (which was what I originally wanted but was procrastinating over one in The White Company versus a John Lewis one) but the if the lights break most of them need a replacement transformer at approx £50.
Hayes Garden centre have a good choice - Vienna or Lakeland we’re the most realistic imo

The one I have gone for is the 6.5ft pre lit Snowy Dorchester. It is a National Tree Company one. It was the same price in Altons as it was at Hayes except at Hayes you get a free topper. I also found a code and got £11.20 off so total cost £268.79. Can't wait for it to arrive!.

Oh that’s great! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I’m excited too, to be putting up my new tree.

Thanks post a photo when yours is up!