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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We have a real one that we have grown in a pot over the years. It's a bit wonky but we love it. The cats sleep on the pot outside throughout the year them wonder why we tell them off in December when the tree is decorated

Real trees always look & smell prettier but I always go for a fake one as the pine needles tend to fall everywhere & real ones are quite expensive while the fake ones will last for years.

real tree and I put in my conservatory which is cooler than the rest of the house so lasts longer, have to get a non-shed tree though, makes all the difference.

Fake - I don't like idea of all those poor trees being chopped down and thrown away every year!

Has to be real for us. Just love the smell and as we get it late we rarely have much mess.

We have a fake tree but tbh it's seen better days and a new tree is needed this year due to branch failure. I imagine that I will buy another artificial tree as I have a cat and a young DS and I can't face forever getting the vac out to clear up the needles. Plus I like to see trees in their natural setting so will string a few lights over the planted Xmas tree that my Landlady has in our back garden.

I like a real tree, because you can't beat the smell when you walk into the room-to me that is the smell of christmas from my childhood as we always had a real tree!I also love the ritual of going to choose one all bundled up in your winter garb. However, these days with 2 little ones and a not very big car we have to make do with a fake one as it's more economical! ONE day though, I will have a real one again!

has to be fake so much less mess with kids around

Real tree although I'm gutted because last year I bought a pot grown tree with the intention of having it inside for Christmas and then outside again until the following year...... it died!

I love real xmas trees but always have a fake one for convenience!

i would love a real one but my son had a really bad reaction to it & it ended up damaging his eyesight so its fake for us!

Fake so that I can put it up early without a deluge of pine needles

Having young ones, 2 cats and 2 dogs meant we have always had Fake, many years ago we had a real tree and the smell was beautiful but the needles were everywhere and put us off having a real tree again but I do love them.

For years and years, we had a real Christmas tree. It looked amazing and smelt of Christmas. However, a decent one is actually really expensive.

A couple of years ago DH suggested we invest in a decent artificial one. It was pretty expensive, but looks amazing. In a few years it will have paid for itself. Since we got it, each year I've felt a little bit sad that we're not going to dig up a real one, but each year when it comes out, I remember just how lovely it is and I'm pleased with it again. I still feel a little bit conflicted about it, but I do love our tree.

Real real real.

Thick pines, blue Norwegian spruce. Never have a problem with dropped needles if you go for the thick needles variety and keep well topped up with water every other day

Nothing better than the scent of a Christmas tree and just the twinkle of lights from a dark room when you enter it

And it HAS to be taller than me (it's the law! )

id love to have a real tree but so much tidying up afterwards, so we get the age old trusted fake one out, its done us well for 3 years so until its looking tattered and we can afford a new one its staying

I love fake trees, when I was a kid we always had real ones we found needles for months after christmas!! It was a pain in the bum trying not to stand on any needles when opening presents on christmas morning!

Fake ones are easy to put up, no mess and can go right back in the attic after christmas!

has to be Fake for us, i dont like to buy disposable items like real trees. Lets face it the fake ones have come on in the years, they are not like the sad looking silver tinsel 70's trees (which are now really collectable and expensive on ebay), they look really good now and are practically indestructable lasting a lifetime! Had ours for years and it still looks as good as the day we bought it.... but I wish my mother had kept hold of that old tinsel tree!!! haha

I love the smell of a real tree but it's just not practical especially with 2 tree climbing cats :)

Artificial as the cat seems to think it's her toy

Real for as long as we can afford it - depends on the rest of the Christmas budget tho. Love the smell, the look, the tradition. The first year I started work out of Uni I bought myself a small real tree

Would love a real but we always have our old faithful fake because a real is very pricey

It's a bit of an urban myth that fake trees are more environmentally friendly than real ones. Neither are particularly good. The best options are to have a decorated living tree, a second-hand fake tree or a tree made out of something recyclable/biodegradable which will last a long time (eg a carved wood tree, pile of books etc)

fake no mess and some really nice real looking trees in the shops