Best Artificial Christmas Trees for Indoors

Buying an Artificial Christmas Tree

A good artificial Christmas tree should last for at least five to ten years. So, it’s important to choose the best one for your needs. Get it wrong, and you could spend the next several Christmases cursing the day that you bought that silly tree which falls over when the cat so much as looks at it.

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This article will give you information about what to look out for when buying an artificial Christmas tree for indoors. We’ll also highlight some of the top Christmas trees that have great reviews online.

Our Artificial Christmas Tree Top Picks

Most Realistic: National Tree Carolina Pine lit Artificial Christmas Tree Includes Pre-strung White Lights

“Our pre-lit artificial branches look ultra-realistic and lifelike. With 1,399 individually crafted branch tips, this full bodied tree is as charming as the real thing.”

Easiest to Set Up: Northlight 6′ Prelit Artificial Christmas Tree Gold and Red Decorated Pop-Up

“Match your garland theme with this pre-lit holiday tree. These artificial tree twigs are strong enough to hold your great-grandma’s ornaments without breaking from an accidental fall.”

Best for small spaces: Home Heritage Half Pine Pre-Lit Christmas Tree

“Smaller tree is perfect for holiday cheer in any room in your home.”

Best eco-friendly: Oncor Eco-Friendly Premium Aspen Christmas Tree

“We use the best quality raw materials and tree parts to give all Oncor trees a minimum 40-year product life in order to make 40 or more joyful Christmases eco-friendly.”

Best for cats: Vickerman American Upside Down Hanging Christmas Tree

“Increase the beauty in your home with the Green Upside Down Unique Tree. Enjoy the elegance it will add, as well as all of the compliments it will garner throughout the year.”

Best budget: North Valley Green Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree

“Liven up the look of your living room or den with this artificial Christmas tree, an easy way to imbue your abode with holiday spirit.”

What is the best artificial tree to buy?

Here are of the best artificial Christmas trees on the market which you should buy now ready for Christmas 2020. Whether you want the best tree that looks super-realistic, want the best value tree for a tight budget or are worried about how to fit a Christmas tree in your living room, we have you covered with our top picks.

Most realistic: National Tree Carolina Pine Lit Artificial Christmas Tree

The National Tree Company has been making artificial Christmas Trees for over 60 years. Their ‘Feel Real’ technology molds the branch tips from real tree branches for an ultra-realistic and lifelike appearance.

This full-bodied 7.5-foot tree has almost 1,400 individually-crafted branch tips and comes pre-strung with white lights. The tree has outstanding reviews on Amazon with many happy customers commenting on how realistic the tree looks. It’s also very robust, making it great for hanging heavy ornaments.

Pros:

Hinged branches for quick set-up
Strong steel components
5-year warranty

Cons:

It’s recommended to take 45-60 minutes to shape the tree
If one bulb burns out, a whole section will go out
Replacement lights can only be bought from The National Tree Company

Easiest to set up: Northlight Pre-Lit Decorated Pop-Up Artificial Christmas Tree

If you really don’t enjoy assembling and decorating your Christmas tree, you’ll be pleased to learn that pop-up trees can be literally popped-up and down in a matter of seconds. This tree from Northlight also includes all the lights and decorations for the easiest assembly ever.

This easy-to-set-up 6-foot tree comes with red and gold ribbons and baubles, but other colors are available including silver and gold, purple and silver or gold and red plaid. It has 350 clear lights and is also pretty lightweight at just 17 pounds.

Pros:

Pop-up design for super-quick set-up
If one bulb burns out, the rest will stay lit
Comes with replacement bulbs and a spare fuse

Cons:

Doesn’t look realistic
The decorations aren’t to everyone’s taste
The power cord is quite short at 24 inches

Best for small spaces: Home Heritage Half Pine Pre-Lit Christmas Tree

The best tree for a studio apartment is a ‘half-tree’ which sits flat against the wall to take up minimal space. We particularly love this tree from Home Heritage which is just 5 feet tall so could also be placed on a sideboard or chest of drawers if needed.

This lifelike tree is easy to set up and has 285 branch tips and 100 pre-lit white LED lights.

Pros:

Space-saving design
Strong and foldable metal stand
Great price

Cons:

PVC branches don’t look that realistic
Not many lights
Doesn’t have the wow-factor of a big tree

Best eco-friendly: Oncor Eco-Friendly Premium Aspen Christmas Tree

Both real and artificial trees are undoubtedly harmful to the environment. Whilst fake trees are generally better than real ones, because they last for many years, many people are worried about buying more plastic in the form of a Christmas tree.

This eco-friendly Christmas tree is made from 100% recycled PVC plastic and can be used for 30 years or more. Also, the Christmas tree manufacturer, Oncor, promises to donate at least 1% of sales to environmental charities.

Pros:

Hinged branches and a three-section trunk for fast assembly
Made from recycled plastic
Product life of 30-50 years

Cons:

The base isn’t as sturdy as some other trees
The top won’t hold a very heavy tree-topper
Can be time-consuming to fluff the branches

Best for cats: Vickerman American Upside Down Hanging Christmas Tree

Plastic Christmas trees are better for cats than real ones because pine needles can damage cats’ sensitive paws. However, if your cat loves to climb trees, then he won’t care that it’s artificial. He’ll still be scrambling up there, knocking off baubles and damaging the branches.

One clever solution for cat-owners is this upside-down Christmas tree from Vickerman. It comes with a chain to hang it from the ceiling, meaning that cats are much less likely to jump up and climb it. Whilst this upside-down tree will certainly create a talking point, it’s not for everyone. Another solution would be to spray your tree with a citrus scent which will be off-putting to our feline friends.

Pros:

A unique tree that everyone will comment on
Each bulb stays lit even if some are broken or missing
Take up less space than a standard tree

Cons:

You’ll need to buy hardware to attach to the ceiling
You’ll need to think carefully how to attach the star
Curious cats could still attack the tree

Best budget: North Valley Green Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree

If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll need to compromise somewhere and look for a tree that’s the best for the price you can afford. You may need to get a smaller tree, one with less foliage or a tree with hooked (rather than hinged) branches.

One cheap and cheerful Christmas tree which has none of these compromises is this one by North Valley. This beautiful 6-foot tree has 680 branch tips, a full shape and hinges for easy assembly.

Pros:

Great price
Sturdy metal folding stand
Thick, natural appearance

Cons:

You’ll need to buy lights separately
It takes time to fluff out the branches
A few needles may drop when you first put it up

When’s the best time to buy a fake Christmas tree?

You can buy artificial Christmas trees online all year round. The best time to buy an artificial Christmas tree is often during sales such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday when you’ll find the best deals.

Prices also tend to drop straight after Christmas and into January when retailers want to get rid of excess stock to avoid having to store it for another eleven months.

The best artificial tree brands

Some of the most popular artificial Christmas tree brands to look out for include:

What to look for when buying an artificial Christmas tree?

You’ll find a huge range of artificial Christmas trees to choose from online, ranging from small, cheap plastic trees to incredibly realistic fake trees that look even better than real ones. Here are some of the things that you’ll need to consider when choosing the best faux Christmas tree for your home.

1. The right size

The first thing you should do when choosing a Christmas tree is to measure the height of your room. You’ll need to allow space not just for the tree, but also for a tree topper such as a star or an angel, as well as the tree base.

You should also leave at least six inches between the top of the tree and the ceiling if you don’t want the tree to look crammed in. If there’s a chance that you might move your tree to another room in your house at some point, then check the height of that room too.

2. The right shape

Artificial Christmas trees come in different shapes, as well as sizes. Some are wide and fluffy, where others are much slimmer. If you’re short on space or don’t have a good spot to place your tree, look out for a slimline Christmas tree which is much narrower than a real tree.

Flatback Christmas trees are in effect half a tree, split vertically down the middle. These are ideal for compact studios and apartments. You can also get trees which are shaped to fit snugly into corners.

3. With or without lights?

Some artificial Christmas trees come with lights already attached. You’ll also find fiber-optic Christmas trees which have small lights built into each frond.

Pre-lit Christmas trees certainly have their advantages in that they are much easier to set up. However, they can be more expensive. Plus, if the tree develops an electrical fault with the lights, then you may need to throw the whole thing away, rather than just buy new lights.

4. What species of tree?

Just like real Christmas trees, artificial trees can be fir, spruce or pine, amongst other types. What type of tree makes the best Christmas tree is very much a matter of personal taste. If you always had a particular type of tree as a child, you might want to look out for a similar tree to evoke those happy festive memories.

4. Flocked or not?

Flocked trees have a white coating which mimics the look of snow or frost. Whether you want a snowy effect or not is a matter of personal taste. Some people feel that the flocked trees can look a little more ‘fake’ than the plain ones. Plus, if you live somewhere like Florida where it doesn’t snow, then a snowy tree may look a little out of place in your home.

5. Hinged or hooked branches?

The branches on artificial Christmas trees are usually one of two types – hooked or hinged. When assembling a tree with hooked branches, you must take each branch, find the right spot for it and hook it on to the tree.

Hinged branches, however, remain attached to the tree at all times and are easy to fold up into place when you put the tree up. This type of tree is much easier to assemble and take down. However, trees with hinged branches are usually more expensive than their hook-branched counterparts.

Note: If you want a pre-lit tree, your only option is one with hinged branches.

6. PVC or PE?

Most fake Christmas trees are made of either PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PE (polyethylene), which are both types of plastic.

Traditionally, all plastic Christmas trees were made of PVC. This material has its advantages in that it’s relatively cheap, fire resistant and does not fade.

More recently, more and more Christmas trees are being made from PE. Unlike PVC, PE can be 3D injection-molded. This means that each branch can be made to exactly replicate one from a real tree. PE Christmas trees are the most realistic looking.

Christmas trees made with PE tend to be more expensive than standard PVC trees. A good compromise is to get a tree that’s made mostly from PVC, with PE used on the tips of the tree for a life-like tree without the extra expense.

7. Integral stand or not?

Not all Christmas trees come with a stand. It’s generally a good idea to look for a tree with an integral stand, to avoid the hassle of searching for a stand that fits your tree.

Christmas tree stands can be made of plastic or metal – The metal stands are generally stronger and sturdier. Make sure that the stand is nice and wide, particularly if you intend to place your tree on a slightly uneven surface or on thick carpet.

8. Included storage bag or not?

You’ll need to store your tree somewhere outside of the holiday season. The best artificial Christmas trees often come with storage bags which are the perfect size. Cheaper trees often just come in the box that they’re delivered in. It may be tricky or even impossible to get your tree back in the box once you’ve had it out.

If this is a problem, you can also buy special artificial Christmas tree storage bags online.

Are Artificial Christmas Trees a Good Idea?

There’s a lot to think about when buying a Christmas tree. For the best value for money and the smallest impact on the environment, you’ll want to choose a quality tree that will last for years to come. Look out for polyethylene branch tips for the most-realistic look and hinged branches for the easiest assembly.