Artificial Christmas Tree: 6 Tips Before You Buy

Are you team real or artificial Christmas tree? I’ve been team real Christmas tree for most my adult life. I love the scent of a fresh cut tree but after the holidays are over and I see that big pile of trees at our drop off center – I feel a little guilty. Not to mention that every year trees seem to be more expensive than the previous year. As for artificial Christmas trees, I never was a fan. My only recollection of them were helping my mom separate the color coded branches and placing them in their corresponding holes. After it was assembled it didn’t smell like anything and it looked really fake. But friends, that is just not the case anymore especially if you invest in a good quality tree. I’ll admit they can be pricey but you’ll save in the long run. You can get $25 off your first King of Christmas Tree order by clicking here.

I’ve been eyeing the King of Christmas Trees for a while on Instagram. They look amazing but the price was a little out of my comfort zone. I tried to find a comparable tree but King of Christmas always came on top. So, if you are looking to replace a worn tree or jumping on the artificial Christmas tree express – here’s some tips I learned from buying my artificial tree.

Table of Contents

How To Buy An Artificial Christmas Tree

#1 Determine Height

Your tree height should be 1 ft below the height of your ceiling. So, if your ceilings are 9ft high (like mine) you want to go with an 8 ft tree. Trust me, you don’t want to go below that because your tree no matter how stunning will look miniature in your space. If you’re going to make a big investment you want to do it right the first time. This was enough room for my tree topper but if you have an elaborate topper you may want to take that into consideration when measuring. On the flip side you don’t want your tree to be too tall either because unlike a real tree you can’t cut the tip.

#2 Select Width

Artificial Christmas trees come in different width sizes just like real trees. There’s full, medium, or slim. The full is the most realistic, but the medium tend to fit in most places. Slim trees are slender and fit in tight spaces or apartments with little space.

#3 Needle Type

There are two types of plastic used to make artificial Christmas trees, PE and PVC. The most realistic trees are made from PE that is high density with rounded points that make it look and feel like a real evergreen. PVC is a classic and affordable option cut into fine strands to resemble evergreen needles.

#4 Species

Spruce, fir and pine are the usual options. Spruce tends to have sharper points. Fir has rounded needles and dense branches. Pine branches are more sparse and needles are attached in clusters.

#5 Pre-Lit or Unlit

This really just comes down to preference – Pre-lit trees are easier to set up but sometimes they aren’t what you’re looking for. For example, I bought the lit Queen Tree from King of Christmas but didn’t like the blinking style. I prefer twinkling over blinking but that’s just me. I also like a warm white light over a bright white light.

#6 Flocked or Unflocked

This is also a matter of preference. A flocked tree has a snowlike appearance. Unflocked is just a green tree without the fake snow. Some people hate flocked trees because they are messy and stay in the air and hard to clean when spreading out tree branches. Many influencers boasted that King of Christmas trees were mess-free. My experience wasn’t messy but it wasn’t exactly mess-free. I had flocking all over my sweater from spreading the inner branches (maybe wear a t-shirt) . On a good note the little bit of flocking that did come off didn’t stay in the air and dropped to the floor for easy clean up.

I hope this guide helped you and that you find your perfect tree. Feel free to share a pic of your tree – I’d love to see it!