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Reviewed tested for the best artificial Christmas tree on the market Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Artificial Christmas Trees of 2024

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Reviewed tested for the best artificial Christmas tree on the market Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Editor's Choice Product image of Twinkly App-Controlled Fir Tree, 7.5'
Best Overall

Twinkly App-Controlled Fir Tree, 7.5'

Check Price at Amazon

The Twinkly Christmas tree comes in three sizes and is sturdily built to handle heavy ornaments. The pre-lit tree offers endless light customizations. Read More

Pros

  • Customizable
  • Realistic
  • Minimal fluff time

Cons

  • None we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Balsam Hill Fraser Fir with Candlelight Clear LED, 7.5'
Best Upgrade

Balsam Hill Fraser Fir with Candlelight Clear LED, 7.5'

Check Price at Balsam Hill

Gorgeous, plump, lifelike Fraser fir tree with 800 clear LED lights that's easy to move and assemble thanks to a stand with wheels and a flip feature. Read More

Pros

  • Realistic
  • Extremely easy set up
  • Seems like it will last a long time

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Heavy
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Spruce, 7.5'
Best Value

Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Spruce, 7.5'

Check Price at Walmart

For its price tag, this budget buy artificial Christmas tree fluffs up nice and full and looks great once decorated and lit. Read More

Pros

  • Big bang for your buck
  • Slim silhouette that still has a “big tree” feel

Cons

  • Slight odor straight out of the box that dissipated over 48 hours
4
Editor's Choice Product image of National Tree Company Downswept Douglas Green Fir, 7.5'
Best Unlit

National Tree Company Downswept Douglas Green Fir, 7.5'

Check Price at Amazon

This realistic-looking Douglas fir features a generous proportion of mostly PE needles. Read More

Pros

  • Good balance of cost, realism and ease of setup
  • 5-year manufacturer's warranty

Cons

  • Hard to separate sections during breakdown
5
Product image of Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine Dual Multi-Color & Warm White LED, 7.5'
Best Flocked

Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine Dual Multi-Color & Warm White LED, 7.5'

Check Price at Amazon

Fraser Hill Farm's Flocked Mountain Pine Tree has plushy snowy branches that create a cozy wonderland right in your living room. Read More

Pros

  • Easy set up
  • Magical, snowy look
  • Fun light display

Cons

  • Sheds
  • Can’t handle heavy ornaments
  • Best Overall Twinkly App-Controlled Fir Tree
  • Best Upgrade Balsam Hill Fraser Fir with Candlelight Clear LED
  • Best Value Best Choice Products Pre-lit Spruce
  • Best Unlit National Tree Company Downswept Douglas Green Fir
  • Best Flocked Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine
  • Other Artificial Christmas Trees We Tested
  • How We Tested Artificial Christmas Trees
  • What You Should Know About Artificial Christmas Trees
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

As the song goes, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. With this comes a dilemma that plays out in many households across the country: real or fake. Artificial Christmas trees have come a long way since the days of Charlie Brown-tree lookalikes, which has persuaded many households to take the plunge to shop rather than visiting tree farms to chop one down and wrangle it into a stand.

To help you in your search for the tree of your dreams, we tested popular traditional evergreens, evaluating them for ease of set-up and disassembly, stability and aesthetics, including how closely it resembles realistic trees, and how easy it is to light and decorate.

After hoisting and packing away many artificial Christmas trees, fluffing branches, hanging ornaments, adjusting tree lights, and arranging presents at their feet, one tree stood out head and shoulders above the rest: Twinkly Christmas Tree (available at Amazon) .

If you want to splurge on a tree, you can’t go wrong with a Balsam Hill Tree (available at Balsam Hill), which are hyper realistic looking and easy to assemble. However, there are plenty of great artificial Christmas trees in our guide to choose from.

Ornaments and lights adorn the  Twinkly Christmas tree
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

The Twinkly Christmas tree is one of the best artificial trees you can buy,

Best Overall
Twinkly App-Controlled Fir Tree

Of all the artificial trees we’ve tested, the Twinkly Christmas tree is the best artificial Christmas tree we've come across for several reasons. It looks and feels realistic, with sturdy branches and thick plastic Fir tree needles made from PE and PVC materials. The tree, which comes in three sections, is ready for decorating almost right out of the box (very minimal fluffing required).

One of our favorite things about this pre-lit tree is that it can be controlled via the Twinkly app where you can create custom lighting scenes and displays for a truly unique Christmas tree experience.

The app, which works as a remote control, you can choose from preset color schemes and create your own patterns, as well as choose from a rainbow wheel of colors and shades of whites to finally settle that longstanding household debate of white versus multi color tree lights. With an app-controlled tree, you also have the added benefit of remote management features like creating on/off schedules and controlling light brightness.

And, for any smart home aficionados out there, this tree is also compatible with voice assistants Alexa and Google Assistant. (A Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection is required to pair the tree with the app.)

The Twinkly tree we tested stands 7.5-feet tall but it is also available in 5- and 6-foot sizes. Included with the tree is a dark green metal stand that can easily be covered with a standard tree skirt, but a tree storage back is not.

The Twinkly tree is covered in 400 LED lights that look a bit different from the bulbs you’ll find on traditional strands of tree lights, with a flat head instead of a candle-esqe top. The power cord is long enough that you shouldn’t need to use an extension cord.

If you’re looking for an artificial tree that’s ready to go out of the box, the Twinkly tree is the one you want. From its authentic look and feel to ease of use with pre-lit, app-controlled lights, the Twinkly artificial tree is one the whole family can get behind.

Pros

  • Customizable

  • Realistic

  • Minimal fluff time

Cons

  • None we could find

Buy now at Amazon
Balsam Hill's Fraser Fir stands way ahead of its competition and wins our Best Upgrade badge for its realistic-looking PE needles, its plump shape, sturdy stand on wheels, and included packing case.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Balsam Hill's Fraser Fir stands way ahead of its competition and wins our Best Upgrade badge for its realistic-looking PE needles, its plump shape, sturdy stand on wheels, and included packing case.

Best Upgrade
Balsam Hill Fraser Fir with Candlelight Clear LED

This Balsam Hill tree is truly something special. It starts at $650, but for that steep price tag, you get an exceptional-looking tree. It’s our Best Upgrade because, if you’re willing to pay, it’s worth every penny.

The Balsam Hill Fraser Fir branch tips are lifelike in color and shape, and they require very little fluffing (especially compared to the other trees), just a little tweaking into place so that they spread out evenly. Polyethylene (PE) needles mimic the structure, texture, and color variations of natural evergreens. However, to get that realistic look, you have to pay for it.

It is one of the heaviest in our guide, weighing 103 pounds. Despite needing help while it was boxed up, once opened we could easily carry on by ourselves. We wheeled the tree out of the upright shipping carton and removed its two parts from their heavy-duty canvas duffle bag-like cases. Its ingenious flip feature easily rotates the base tree portion­ upright and then the lighter-weight top portion gets attached.

Two pairs of protective gloves come with the tree, but we didn’t need them. This tree is very easy to assemble.

It has a pleasingly plump figure and comes already set in an impressively sturdy stand that has attached wheels we could easily lock in place. Once we had the two pieces assembled, we just had to plug it in (at about 12 feet, the cord is super long) to light up the 800 clear LED lights.

It is such a dazzling spectacle both in daylight and at night that, frankly, it doesn’t need ornaments and certainly not more lights, although if you want to add a string or two there are sockets on the tree to simplify the process.

With the other trees, we dreaded the packing up stage, but our worries were unfounded this time. The tree needs minimal compressing, which makes fitting them into the canvas storage bags easy. All in all, it was a pleasurable, stress-free decorating experience.

Pros

  • Realistic

  • Extremely easy set up

  • Seems like it will last a long time

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Heavy

Buy now at Balsam Hill
Best Choice Products earns our Best Value badge. Although it features papery PVC needles, it's got full branches and fits nicely in the corner of a room, At approximately $855 less than our winner, this is an awesome budget buy.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Best Choice Products earns our Best Value badge. Although it features papery PVC needles, it's got full branches and fits nicely in the corner of a room.

Best Value
Best Choice Products Pre-lit Spruce

Artificial Christmas trees can be costly, with some running up well over a grand. If your budget can’t accommodate that kind of hit, you can still get a good-looking one for less.

PE trees, like the most highly rated on our list, cost more than PVC (polyvinyl chloride), because they are more realistic looking (especially up close), more durable, and last longer. This said, once decorated and lit, all the trees we tested look fairly magical.

Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Spruce offers great value for the price. Our initial disappointment in how it looks straight out of the box, coupled with the papery feel of its PVC needles, changed to a happy surprise by the time we fluffed all the branches. It strikes a nice balance between full branches and a restrained silhouette that fits nicely into the corner of a room.

Set up is straightforward, and while connecting the lights between the tree’s three sections is required, the process went smoothly and the entire tree lit up at once. Decorated and illuminated, this tree could pass as real.

Pros

  • Big bang for your buck

  • Slim silhouette that still has a “big tree” feel

Cons

  • Slight odor straight out of the box that dissipated over 48 hours

$219.99 from Walmart
A side by side of two unlit artificial Christmas trees
Credit: National Tree Company

If you prefer an unlit artificial Christmas tree, check out the National Tree Company 'Feel Real' Artificial Full Downswept Douglas Fir.

Best Unlit
National Tree Company Downswept Douglas Green Fir

If you want a tree that’s not pre-strung with lights, this is a realistic, mostly PE tree, and, with a maximum width of almost 5 feet across, it is generously proportioned.

Set up and break down is easy, but the fact that it weighs 50 pounds should be considered. We had a little trouble separating the top two sections during disassembly. (After the fact, we noted that this optional tip was given in the instructions: Lubricating the middle section's pole ends prior to assembly will make sections easier to separate when disassembling to store).

In appearance, the Downswept Douglas Green Fir is quite lovely. It boasts National Tree Company’s “Feel Real” technology that produces branch tips that are molded from actual branches and give the tree its lush look.

There is also ample decorating space, thanks to nearly 2,000 crush-resistant branch tips.

Pros

  • Good balance of cost, realism and ease of setup

  • 5-year manufacturer's warranty

Cons

  • Hard to separate sections during breakdown

$259.00 from Amazon

$999.99 from Walmart
On the left, a close-up of a flocked Christmas tree. And on the right, a full view of the Christmas tree stand.
Credit: Reviewed / Samantha Mangino

The Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Tree has pillowy branches that create an authentic snowy wonderland in your living room.

Best Flocked
Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine

A flocked artificial Christmas tree like the Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine Tree can create a cozy winter wonderland right in your living room. The plush snowy branches are soft to the touch and require very little fluffing.

The tree is pre-lit and has an innovative way of lighting up. Usually with artificial trees, each section has its own cord that has to connect with the others. Instead the lights plug into each other through the center pole so you don’t have to search for plugs among the branches.

The light display on the Fraser Hill Farm tree is special too. The tree comes with a series of pre-set LED warm white and colored lights that flash, pulse, and dim.

Be wary that flocked trees shed, and the Fraser Hill Farm tree is no different. Be cautious in bringing it around kids and pets. However, in comparison to other flocked trees we tested, this tree sheds far less.

The branches on this tree are weaker than others, so heavy ornaments might flop down. Luckily, this tree is beautiful as is. Just plug it into an outlet for a vibrant snowy display.

Pros

  • Easy set up

  • Magical, snowy look

  • Fun light display

Cons

  • Sheds

  • Can’t handle heavy ornaments

$340.08 from Amazon

$429.00 from Home Depot

$340.08 from Walmart

Other Artificial Christmas Trees We Tested

Product image of Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce with Clear LED, 6.5'
Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce with Clear LED, 6.5'

The Balsam Hill Premium Pre-lit Artificial Christmas Tree is a beautiful choice for a traditional-style artificial tree. We tested the 6.5-foot size, but it comes in a range of options starting at 4.5-feet up to 9-feet tall. It comes with 700 energy-efficient candle-tipped clear LED lights that create a warm and cozy holiday glow.

The power cord is long, so you don't need to worry about digging up the extension cords. The PVC-made tree has a realistic look and feel, but we had to spend quite a bit of time fluffing it in order to capture the fullness similar to a real Christmas tree.

There is a lot to love about this tree, including the sturdy stand, gloves for fluffing, extra bulbs and fuses, and large storage bag to protect it when it's not in use. The tree is fairly heavy, like most in our guide, but it easily slides together in three easy parts, assembling in minutes.

This is a full-shaped tree that looks great in any living room during the holiday season, as long as you don't mind having clear-only lights.

Pros

  • Pre-lit

  • Good shape once fluffed

  • Easy to assemble

Cons

  • Long fluff time required

Buy now at Balsam Hill

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of National Tree Company Dunhill Fir Pre-Lit Dual Color LED, 7.5'
National Tree Company Dunhill Fir Pre-Lit Dual Color LED, 7.5'

Considering that this is an all-PVC tree, it ranks high on the realism scale, especially when it’s decorated and its 700 LED lights are lit. It looks great unlit, too, as the shade of green is genuine and the “brown twigs” are visible.

Compared to other artificial Christmas trees in our guide, National Tree Company’s close-up resemblance to real tree details is higher.

There are no cords to connect between tree sections; its lights come on instantly when the main plug is inserted into the wall socket.

If lights are your thing, the light system lets you change from warm white to multi-color with 10 different functions.

Pros

  • Realistic looking in daylight and lit-up

  • 10 different light setting

  • 5-year warranty on tree and 3-year warranty on lights

Cons

  • Needles are a bit prickly

$479.99 from Amazon

$569.00 from Home Depot

$470.99 from Walmart
Product image of National Tree Company Kingswood White Fir Pencil Tree, 7.5'
National Tree Company Kingswood White Fir Pencil Tree, 7.5'

If you’re in the market for a white artificial Christmas tree, the National Tree Company Kingswood White Fir Pencil Tree is a decent choice for the money. The tree comes pre lit with warm white lights, which are hidden well within the branches of the tree thanks to the white cord.

The tree is taller and thinner than a traditional artificial tree, making it a great fit for covered patios and porches, or smaller rooms like offices and kid’s rooms. The slimmer size means it’s fairly lightweight, so it is easily movable around your home. The bendable branches are sturdy and strong, holding large ornaments well.

This tree requires ample fluff time, so be prepared to spend a while getting it ready for prime time. Be gentle while fluffing your tree, too, as we lost a branch during the process. On the upside, this tree doesn’t shed many needles.

One additional thing to know about this tree is that the power cord is much shorter than others we tested, requiring us to use an extension cord to plug it in nearby. But overall, if you’re looking to create an inviting wintery vibe inside of your home, a white artificial Christmas tree like this one offers a lot of value.

Pros

  • Good for small spaces

  • Pre-lit

  • Sturdy branches

Cons

  • Obviously fake

  • Not as full as others

Buy now at Amazon

$149.00 from Home Depot

$131.76 from Walmart
Product image of Home Accents LED Pre-Lit Wesley Long Needle Pine, 7.5'
Home Accents LED Pre-Lit Wesley Long Needle Pine, 7.5'

The first difference we noticed with this tree is its stand. It’s one of the only ones we tested that doesn’t require inserting a bolt to keep it from folding in on itself. Using a bolt isn’t difficult, but the chances of losing it over the years are pretty high.

This all PVC tree has a cluster of long pine cone needles on the branch tips, which is cool, but you don’t notice it unless you’re up close. What we notice more is that the 1,342-tips on this tree looks less full than the others, and it’s harder to hide its center pole with the fluffed branches.

Also, the top third of the tree is denser than the lower two thirds, making it look off-balance.

You can easily illuminate the tree’s 550 lights with a single plug, but be sure you read the assembly instructions first. We didn’t and overlooked that we needed to align the arrows on each pole section, so the first time around only the bottom third lit up.

The LED lights have eight functions, so if this variety is important to you, this reasonably priced tree is a good deal.

Pros

  • Sturdier stand than most

  • 8-function light system with foot control and remote control

Cons

  • Hard to fluff

  • Visible center pole

Product image of Best Choice Products Pre-lit Snow-flocked Artificial Pine Christmas Tree with Warm White Lights, 7.5'
Best Choice Products Pre-lit Snow-flocked Artificial Pine Christmas Tree with Warm White Lights, 7.5'

The Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Snow Flocked Artificial Pine Christmas Tree has snow-covered branches, covered in 550 warm white lights, which are soft to the touch, but require lots of effort.

This tree is a mess, flaking off fake snow the moment it comes out of the box and all throughout the fluffing process. Additionally, the tree requires ample fluffing—up to two hours of your time. We enlisted some special elves to help us fluff this tree faster, but it still took three of us almost an hour.

Be prepared for the tree to shed any time you touch it, including when hanging ornaments, so homes with curious pets and small children may want to steer clear of this option and check out our toppick, above. The branches are bendable but are fairly forgiving, so avoid hanging heavy ornaments on this tree.

Pros

  • Easy to assemble

  • Pretty snow covered branches

Cons

  • Heavy shedding

  • Weak branches

  • Needs lots of fluffing

Buy now at Amazon

$249.00 from Home Depot

$219.99 from Walmart
Product image of The Holiday Aisle Extra Full Flocked/Frosted White Spruce, 7.5'
The Holiday Aisle Extra Full Flocked/Frosted White Spruce, 7.5'

If you prefer the glitz and glam of a white tree, The Holiday Aisle Extra Full Spruce is a full-sized tree in bright white. This tree certainly does not look realistic, which you probably expect when purchasing a white tree. Since the tree is listed as being extra full, we expected big bustling branches, but instead they were rather sparse. On the bottom two sections of the tree, the branches are only covered in needles halfway. To cover up those bare sections, you really have to fluff the branches.

It took me an hour to set up the tree and do an initial fluff, but I needed at least another hour to get the tree looking truly full.

Overall, this isn’t a terrible option for a white Christmas tree. But if you want a white Christmas tree that requires very little fluffing and a more realistic look, check out Balsam Hill's Denali White artificial Christmas tree.

Pros

  • Easy to assemble

  • Little shedding

Cons

  • Needs lots of fluffing

  • Branches only half decorated

  • Looks fake

Buy now at Wayfair
Ease of assembly is one reason that sets Balsam Hill's tree apart from its competition. It comes in two parts, rather than three, and its base features the brand's signature Flip Tree technology, so even a one-person set-up is possible.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Ease of assembly is one reason that sets Balsam Hill's tree apart from its competition. It comes in two parts, rather than three, and its base features the brand's signature Flip Tree technology, so even a one-person set-up is possible.

How We Tested Artificial Christmas Trees

Over the span of a week, we set up artificial Christmas trees ranging from 6.5-feet to 7.5-feet-tall. Some came pre-lit with clear and/or colored lights, while others came unlit.

We lugged the trees in their shipping containers from our front porch, assembling them in a corner of the living room, hanging ornaments (and lights, if necessary), affixing a tree-topper, and placing boxes of various sizes at the base of the tree, which had been encircled with a tree skirt.

We left each tree in place for two days, then disassembled and repacked it in its original shipping carton.

We evaluated each tree for ease of assembly and repacking, stability, appearance, and special features, if any.

What You Should Know About Artificial Christmas Trees

Just like anything else you purchase online—clothing, furniture, appliances, other Christmas decorations—there’s a limit to what you can learn about it without seeing it in person. Keep in mind that when it comes to a fake tree, its retailer is going to share only the most flattering image with potential online buyers.

And, let’s face it, once a tree is laden with ornaments and brightly lit, it will likely take a good picture. So here are some things to consider before purchasing:

Size

One factor that earned Balsam Hill's Fraser Fir a spot on our list of best artificial Christmas Trees is its sturdy stand with wheels, that allows for easy movement during set up
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

One factor that earned Balsam Hill's Fraser Fir a spot on our list of best artificial Christmas trees is its sturdy stand with wheels. This trait is unique among the trees we tested, and it allows for easy movement during set up.

Once you know how tall a tree your room can accommodate, assess how wide your tree can be. Add three to six inches to the tree’s height, including a tree topper, so that it won’t appear crammed into the space.

Generally speaking, the width of the tree at its widest part will be given by the manufacturer, so you can make sure it will fit in your space.

When deciding on a size, don’t forget to consider that the bigger the tree, the harder it will be to move, store, and manage. Also, take into account how much room you need for presents underneath.

Aesthetics

Artificial Christmas tree needles are usually made from either PVC (at left) or PE (at right). PVC needles are made using cut-out PVC material, while PE needles are injection-molded and completely three-dimensional, offering a more realistic look and feel.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The material used to make artificial Christmas tree needles has a huge impact on how realistic each tree looks.

If the way a tree looks unadorned is important to you, you’ll want to pay close attention to how real its branches look.

Artificial Christmas tree needles are usually made from either PVC or PE, and in some cases a combination of the two. The feel of papery PVC reminds us of the fake grass used in Easter baskets.

Unlike PVC Christmas trees, which are made using cut-out PVC material, PE trees are injection-molded and completely three-dimensional, using branches from real trees, resulting in an instant realistic-looking Christmas tree.

Therefore, the 3D needles are much more life-like than the average flat PVC needles. Trees made from PE may be better sculpted to give them a more authentic look. If realism is what you’re after, a PE tree may be a better choice.

Of the seven trees, the number of “attached tips” was cited in each tree’s description. In general, the higher the number of tips, the higher the quality of the tree and the fuller a look the tree will have. If you can see through the tree’s branches to its center pole, you should probably avoid it.

All of these trees we tested have hinged branches, not hooked.

Meet the testers

Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy

Editor, Home

@rachel_murphy

Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.

See all of Rachel Murphy's reviews
Janice Randall Rohlf

Janice Randall Rohlf

Contributor

A longtime editor-in-chief and writer at New England lifestyle magazines, Rohlf splits her time between Boston and Cape Cod. Her most recent freelance articles have appeared in Ocean Home, North Shore Home, Modern Luxury Interiors, New England Living, and Traditional Building magazines.

See all of Janice Randall Rohlf's reviews
Samantha Mangino

Samantha Mangino

Staff Writer, Home

@

Samantha Mangino is a self-proclaimed homebody. Conveniently she is a home staff writer at Reviewed, covering cleaning, appliances, furniture, and home furnishings and décor. She knows her way around a house and has tested everything from furniture, sponges, steam irons, to Legos. She’s always on the hunt for the latest internet trends and wants to help make your home cleaner and cozier.

See all of Samantha Mangino's reviews

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