The 10 Best Artificial Christmas Trees
This wiki has been updated 34 times since it was first published in July of 2015. Make the most out of your holiday season without the messes, fire hazards, or allergic reactions associated with living evergreens when you choose one of these artificial Christmas trees. They may be fake and made of plastic, but that doesn't mean they have to look cheesy. Today's models come equipped with prestrung lights, reliable stands, realistic branches, and natural-looking colors. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce
2. National Tree Downswept Douglas
3. Senjie Flocked
Editor's Notes
October 16, 2020:
We've added the Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce to replace the Balsam Hill Premium Fir, which is now unavailable. Balsam Hill's highly realistic trees are at the top of the charts for appearance, durability, and price. If you're looking for an investment piece that will wow your holiday guests, the Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce may fit the bill.
The National Tree Company Pre-lit Mini is also new to the list. It's a well-made, good-looking evergreen that provides plenty of festive cheer in a small package. We wanted to include an option that everyone could enjoy, no matter how small their space might be.
We've also made updates to several items, including the National Tree Carolina Pine, the Fraser Hill Farm Foxtail Pine, and the Best Choice Products SKY5088.
December 05, 2019:
If it's your first time buying an artificial tree, you may not realize how affordable some models can be. The Best Choice Products Premium Spruce and Senjie Flocked are two great examples of the most affordable types, although they don't have any built-in lights, so you'll have to put those on yourself. The Best Choice Products SKY1954, on the other hand, is incredibly festive as well as inexpensive, and it's great if you want to decorate boldly but aren't terribly concerned with realism. We've also included the LifeFair Slim, which is neither as expensive or as wide as most others.
In the middle of the pack are the Best Choice Products SKY5088, National Tree Dunhill Fir, and National Tree Carolina Pine. The SKY5088 is one of the most heavily snow-flocked, and it really looks great, but you'll have to do a considerable amount of sweeping and/or vacuuming in exchange for its beauty. The Dunhill Fir is a pre-lit yet relatively affordable from popular brand National Tree, as is the Carolina Pine.
At the top of the category you'll find the Balsam Hill Premium Fir and National Tree Downswept Douglas. These are arguably two of the most realistic-looking, fake Christmas trees on the market, which is why they're also two of the most popular, despite their relatively high prices. And while you're at it, check out some Christmas stockings as well. Whichever decorations you choose, we at the EZVid Wiki hope you have a wonderfully merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday season.
Special Honors
National Tree Company National Tree is one of the largest artificial tree companies in America, and where they really stand out is the impressive variety of true-to-life strains of simulated evergreens they offer. They also provide a handful of interesting features like PowerConnect lighting cables that make for a very simple setup, and Infinity Lights that can create a dazzling holiday display. Our only real complaint is that their website and selection are a bit difficult to navigate. nationaltree.com
Puleo International, Inc. Puleo is a family-run company based out of New Jersey and they offer a wide range of models that look as though they're artistically inspired. Whether you prefer Fraser, Aspen, Balsam, or Douglas Fir, they've got something that will spark your eye, and they have them both lit and unlit, as well as in various sizes and widths. puleointl.com
Balsam Hill If our selection doesn't have what you're looking for, head over to Balsam Hill's website, where they lay out all of the highly realistic trees that they still have in stock -- which is likely quite a large selection. They sell the largest number of fake trees around the country, and given their products' lifelike appearance, it's not hard to see why. balsamhill.com
4. National Tree Carolina Pine
5. Best Choice Products Premium Spruce
6. National Tree Company Pre-lit Mini
7. Fraser Hill Farm Foxtail Pine
8. National Tree Dunhill Fir
9. Best Choice Products SKY5088
10. Best Choice Products SKY1954
Why Artificial Christmas Trees Are Sprouting Everywhere
Unlike what one can easily do with a real tree, you can next choose the width/circumference you want out of your artificial tree.
Though having been maligned and labeled with derogatory terms like fake tree, artificial Christmas trees are becoming ever more popular and accepted. And that goes beyond their use only in hotel lobbies or storefront display windows; many people are embracing these festive items in their homes, as well. There are many reasons that can help to explain the shift toward an appreciation for the artificial Christmas tree, but the primary reason is clear: many of them simply look great, which is to say they look very much like real a Fraser Fir, Virginia Pine, or White Spruce, just to name a few of the many varieties out there.
A few of the other reasons you might consider an artificial tree over a real conifer include price and carbon footprint. If you keep your artificial tree for at least three holiday seasons, it will prove significantly more eco-friendly than using a real tree. According to studies conducted by the British Carbon Trust, a real Christmas tree that ends up thrown into a dump can release as much as thirty-five pounds of CO2 into the environment, while an artificial tree's production creates around 88 pounds of CO2 (for reference, driving an average passenger vehicle one mile emits nearly one pound of carbon dioxide). Thus, your false tree becomes a carbon reducer before the third holiday season is finished.
Now that we have several solid reasons to get an artificial Christmas tree, we must turn to the all-important decision of which tree is best for your home, office, hotel, or other commercial location. Prices can vary greatly depending on the tree girth, the realism of boughs and needles, and whether or not they are pre-lighted. In choosing which tree suits you best, you must first decide the preferred height for the space the tree will grace.
Unlike what one can easily do with a real tree, you can next choose the width/circumference you want out of your artificial tree. There are narrow "pencil" style fake trees measuring less than three feet across and perfect for hallways, between elevators or doors, or in smaller homes, and there are thick, full trees that measure a hearty six feet across at their bottoms. In this unique category of arboreal decorations, you can choose almost the exact size specifications you want, so go ahead and be picky.
As for the decision around lighting, you can choose by balancing cost and convenience. Pre-lighted trees cost more than their "bare" counterparts, but they don't require additional lights (which of course carry some cost) or effort. (You can always add more lights if you want.) Non-lighted trees leave you free to start from scratch when decorating, but that also means that at least some effort will be required to make the tree look festive. They do afford you a blank canvas, as it were, to change the lighting of the tree as you wish.
If you are willing to spend a bit more to obtain an artificial tree that creates a genuine facsimile of a real spruce or fir, you will probably end up saving money in the long run. Many high-quality artificial trees are essentially lifelong purchases, so long as you store them away each year with care. Pick your tree well: you may just be choosing the centerpiece of your home's holiday decorations for decades to come.
Easy Ideas For Accentuating That Artificial Tree
For some people, the beauty of a pre-lit artificial Christmas tree is that you don't have to do anything to dress it up. For others, their false trees are simply a starting point for fully decked halls.
Most fresh garlands will stay green and fragrant for several weeks.
One of the best ways to spruce up a fake tree is to make it look fuller. This can be done in many ways, but one popular approach is to wrap a garland of pine needles around the trunk, adding fullness and depth to the appearance of the tree without weighing down its beaches. If you use a garland woven from natural pine boughs, you will also add a little of the lovely scent that people associate with the winter holidays. Most fresh garlands will stay green and fragrant for several weeks.
Perhaps the most classic, elegant approach to decorating a Christmas tree is also one of the most cost-effective: silver balls and red ribbon. You can find affordable sets of hanging silver spheres along with inexpensive rolls of ribbon, so you don't have to break the bank to enjoy a sparkling, pre-lit tree hung with balls and bows.
If you want to get the kids involved with another classic decorating technique, have them string garlands made of popcorn. You can use dental floss, a semi-blunt tapestry needle, and a non-flavored, non-salted popcorn to make a handsome and playful decoration that will last for the entire holiday season.
The Brief History Of The Christmas Tree
The first holiday trees had nothing to do with Christ -- they predated the Christian religion, in fact, and possibly by centuries. In the cold climes of the northern hemisphere, Pagans and Druids decorated their homes and places of worship with evergreen boughs or whole trees during the dark, short days of the winter, particularly noting the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, which usually fell near the date later fixed as Christmas: December 25th.
It was not until the 1850s that its popularity began to grow in the United States.
Romans also marked this darkest day of the year with celebrations, and all used evergreens to decorate the halls in which they feasted, while venerating their god of agriculture, Saturn. The adoption of Christianity as the religion of Rome led to its spread across much of the ancient world in the first centuries of the modern era, and many of the traditions of the conquered peoples -- Celts, Gauls, and more -- were adopted or co-opted by the Romans. Soon, the evergreens long used by many disparate religions became a part of Christian tradition.
By the late fifteenth century, Europeans were decorating their towns with conifers and referring to said trees as holiday decorations. The first confirmed documentation of such trees comes from the countries today known as Latvia and Estonia. By the early decades of the 1500s, Christmas and New Year's trees were becoming more and more ubiquitous across Europe, though they would remain outdoor decorations or be installed in large public buildings -- not in residences -- for years to follow.
Americans were slow adopters of the Christmas tree. It was not until the 1850s that its popularity began to grow in the United States. This was in part prompted by the growing number of German settlers who brought traditions with them, and partially because of the surge of Christmas tree popularity in Victorian England, a society which many Americans tried to emulate.
Shilo lives for adventures in far-away lands and reads books like it’s going out of style (which it is). Dogs are her co-pilots. She’s traveled to 60 countries and has lived in Austin (where she received a BA from the University of Texas), Maine, Paris, Seattle, New Zealand, Los Angeles, and now—Fort Worth. Before becoming a freelance writer over a decade ago, she had more than three dozen jobs, including high school teacher, record label manager, tour guide, and farmhand for endangered livestock breeds. She speaks fluent French and horribly mangled Spanish, which she is working every day to improve. Shilo geeks out over history and culture, and her areas of expertise include travel, art and design, music, pets, food, crafts, toys, and home furnishings. Current obsessions: Gobekli Tepe, tassels, and fresh lemonade.