Real or fake Christmas tree? Share your opinions with Homebase for a chance to win a £300 Homebase voucher. NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

‘Tis the season once again. With Christmas on its way, Homebase is keen to get Mumsnetters’ views on the pros and cons of getting a real or fake tree.

Here’s what they have to say: “The Christmas tree is at the heart of everyone’s Christmas look but where do you stand on the annual dilemma - real or fake? Are you a fan of the fresh pine scent and traditional feel you only get from a real tree? Or do you go for a versatile artificial tree most years? Let us know if you go as far as ‘lights included’ or if your fake tree came already snow-tipped and adorned with berries and cones. Tell us all about your trees from over the years, whether you decide on authentic or artificial this Christmas and any tips you have on caring for real trees.”

So what do you think? Does the authentic smell of a real tree win you over? Or are smaller artificial trees better suited to your home? Do you get your family's much-loved tree out of the loft each year or is it a Christmas tradition to go together and choose one? Does real or fake really matter to you and your family?

Whatever your opinion, Homebase wants to know.

We’ll enter everyone who posts on this thread into a prize draw to win a £300 Homebase voucher.

Thanks and good luck.
MNHQ

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Same fake tree every year - Real trees are expensive and just can't be bothered to go out and buy a new one every Xmas.

Real - doesn't feel like christmas without that smell (o:

A fake tree - I have a lovely tall narrow one that fits into a smallish space and a massive one that takes up half the living room!

We have a fake tree that we used for ages as it was very convincing and also didn't shed! But for the past few years we have had a real one from a great independent shop near us, and I think this year, being the first 'proper' Christmas with DS (he was two weeks old last Christmas!) we will have a real tree so he can experience the smell and the feel of one. So excited!

Always real in our house, it wouldn't be Christmas without waking up to that gorgeous smell every day

My dad would always buy a real Christmas tree every year. Unfortunately we can't afford to do that so it's a second-hand fake tree with no base for us. Yay.

I love having a real tree, the smell is so Christmassy!

we try and stick with fake...last year a real one and omg pine needles everywhere....so defo fake this year

Family vote for a real tree these days, when my son was little we had a fake half tree that tucked up against the wall out the way which was more practical but it's not as good as the real thing. I won't spend too much though!

Has to be a fake - I so hate hoovering up all the fallen pine needles, and with real trees there is so much waste with all the trees ending up in the bin and the start of January

My tree is artificial, it has snow tipped branches and cones. We dress it with lights and tinsel,baubles and we always buy a new special bauble since my son was born

Fake for us. I can't be bothered with buying one every year, getting it in, needles dropping and, eventually, disposing of it. I also like a really full, bushy tree and some real ones are rather spindly for me

I bought an expensive tree years ago, it cost £140 which, at that time, was a fortune but this will be its 13th year and it still looks amazing so it was well worth paying for. The only problem is that it is a pain to assemble it but it is well worth it when done

I love that we have collected decorations over the years and the tree is now part of our family heritage

Fake for me, I prefer the perfect symmetry & the guarantee of no big gaps in my greenery! I also think it is a terrible wast to chop down a tree for a short lived decoration

A fake tree. Even though I love the smell of a real tree, I've never had much luck with them as they seem to shed their pine needles early in the month. I'm doing something wrong!

I stick with the fake one for convenience. It's a nice looking one mind.

We have to have a fake tree because we are allergic to real ones.

Fake. Real trees are so messy and expensive. :)

Ever since my father-in-law would, every year, dig up the poor tree from the garden and drag it indoors, only for it to be returned in the New Year, having delivered its load of needles all over the lounge floor, it's been fake trees for me, thank you

fake. I tried a real a couple of years ago, the branches started drooping a few days before Xmas and then the decorations started falling off and smashing - never again!

I prefer a real tree as I love the smell but with two cats and a two year old, an artificial one is better as I don't have to worry about them pulling it down or eating pine needles

A fake one this year, it's less hassle

Fake for me. There are really wonderful fake fir trees in the market. Worthwile to spend a few bobs for once and have it decorated in different ways every year.

FAKE!!! One year we bought a stunning real tree, the cat climbed up in and up, and the needles came down and off. At the time I had two children under two, and was harassed to hell and back so when I stopped crying my husband offered to hoover "for me". He took the vacuum cleaner out of the cupboard, and hoovered around the tree, and for a radius of about one foor, then put the cleaner away. When I asked why he didn't do the rest he explained that I would probably be doing that later anyway....

has to be fake. 1st year we had our own place, had a real one, and was still finding needles the following July!

Fake for us, although real of course is nicer! I couldn't do with brushing up pine needles all the time these days, so we have a lovely optical tree which is still holding up after 8 years. Each year, we have to tape one of its legs up at the bottom as it's come off, but worth it as it looks great and I don't think we'd ever find one as good ...