How to Choose the Best Artificial Christmas Tree

By Mohammad Shoaib

Updated Oct 7, 2026Published Nov 5, 20199 min read

Note (October 2026): An earlier version said a 7-foot tree needs at least 5,000 tips and that artificial trees are simply environmentally friendly. Retail listings for 7-foot trees typically show roughly 1,000 to 2,000 tips, and an artificial tree’s environmental advantage depends on reusing it for about five years or more.

To choose the best artificial Christmas tree, measure your ceiling and leave 6 to 12 inches for a topper, pick a shape (full, slim or pencil) that fits the floor space, compare tip counts between trees of the same height, prefer molded PE tips for realism, choose hinged branches for easy setup, and check for a fire-resistant label and safety-tested lights.

Christmas is, for many families, one of the most exciting times of the year. It brings quality time with family, and for many households it starts with choosing and decorating a Christmas tree. For a lot of people, putting up the tree is the moment the holiday season really begins.

Speaking of which, today we are going to talk about artificial Christmas trees and how to choose the best one to celebrate this occasion in the best possible way. Artificial trees are now the most common choice in the United States: in an Ipsos survey for the American Christmas Tree Association released in October 2025, 83% of households planning to display a tree said they would choose an artificial one.

Respondents in that survey cited convenience, safety, cost-effectiveness, durability and reusability. The environmental case is more mixed: a life-cycle assessment commissioned by the same association put the break-even point at about 4.7 years, so an artificial tree is the lower-impact option only if it is kept and reused for roughly five years or more.

On the other hand, it’s a fact that not all artificial trees are the same, and there’s quite a lot of variety out there. Trees differ in height, width, needle material, branch construction and lighting, and those differences decide how real a tree looks and how easy it is to live with.

We are going to jot down a few factors that you should consider before choosing the best Christmas tree this year. The first three factors below cover fullness, budget and ease of setup; the sections after them cover size, shape, needle type, lighting and safety.

1] High Tip Count

The number of faux needles that you see on the tree is something that requires your focus. Especially if you want to buy a tree that looks just like a real one, then opt for the one that comes with a high tip count. Tip counts vary widely: retail listings for 7-foot trees range from under 1,000 tips (one 7-foot model lists 986) to nearly 2,000 (another lists 1,971), so compare tip counts between trees of the same height and shape rather than chasing a single target number.

Slim, pencil and shorter trees carry fewer tips because they have less branch area; figures of around 500 to 1,000 are often quoted for them, though counts vary by model. For someone who doesn’t mind spending a little extra money, opting for a bigger tree with a higher tip count is a wise thing to do.

2] Budget

The second thing to consider is your budget. Prices vary widely with height, tip count, needle material and built-in lighting: basic unlit trees sit at the low end, while tall, pre-lit premium trees can run to hundreds of dollars or more, so check current prices before you shop.

Before buying, check whether the retailer has a current sale or discount, and compare the same model across more than one store.

For example, if you search on Google “Balsam Hill coupon code“, you will typically find coupon and deal listings for that brand; treat any code as unconfirmed until it works at the retailer’s own checkout, then set a budget and stick to it.

3] An Easy To Set Up Tree

Easy setup is one of the main reasons people choose an artificial tree, so construction matters. Hinged branches, which are pinned to the center pole and fold down into place, make assembly and take-down much simpler.

Most full-size trees come in several sections that stack onto the stand; fewer sections generally mean quicker setup and, on pre-lit trees, fewer light connections to join.

Measure both the room and your storage space before buying: the tree has to fit under the ceiling with room for a topper, and its sections have to fit in a closet, garage or attic for the rest of the year.

Conclusion

These are the tips that can help you choose the best artificial Christmas tree for your home. Measure first, compare tip counts within the same height and shape, check the needle material and branch construction, and confirm the fire-resistance and light-safety labels before you buy.

What Size Artificial Christmas Tree Do You Need?

The right height depends on your ceiling. King of Christmas, a U.S. tree retailer, advises leaving a 6 to 12 inch gap between the top of the tree and the ceiling so there is room for a star or angel. Tree height is measured from the floor, stand included, to the topmost tip.

As a rough guide from the same retailer’s buying guide, 6- to 8-foot trees suit standard-sized rooms, 8- to 10-foot trees suit high ceilings, and 3-foot trees suit tabletops and bedrooms. If the room needs other changes to make space, these quick decor changes on a budget can help.

Which Shape Fits Your Room: Full, Slim or Pencil?

Artificial trees are usually sold in three silhouettes. A full tree has the classic wide base and is the best choice when floor space is not a constraint. A slim tree has a narrower diameter for smaller rooms. A pencil tree is the narrowest, tapering only slightly toward the top, and suits corners, hallways and apartments.

Retailers measure width across the widest (bottom) section from tip to tip once the branches are shaped, so check that figure against the floor space you have, leaving room to walk past and to reach the outlet.

PE vs. PVC Needles: Which Looks More Real?

Most modern artificial trees are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), according to Wikipedia’s overview of the product. Budget trees use flat, paper-like strips of PVC. More realistic trees add polyethylene (PE) tips that are molded, in some cases from natural tree branches, to give three-dimensional needles with texture.

A higher share of PE usually means a more realistic tree and a higher price, so read the product description for the PE/PVC split as well as the total tip count.

Pre-Lit or Unlit?

Pre-lit trees come with lights already attached, which saves the job of stringing lights every year. Wikipedia notes that pre-lit trees have become increasingly popular and are subject to electrical safety standards, with approval from testing laboratories such as UL, CSA or ETL (Intertek).

Points to compare on a pre-lit tree:

• Bulb type: LED or incandescent mini lights.
• Color: warm white, multicolor, or switchable between the two.
• Wiring: whether the rest of a strand stays lit if one bulb fails.
• Connections: how many plugs have to be joined between sections.

An unlit tree costs less and lets you choose and replace lights freely, which suits buyers who already own lights they like.

Artificial Christmas Tree Safety Checklist

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s holiday decoration safety guide gives clear advice that applies to artificial trees:

• Many artificial trees are fire resistant; if you buy one, look for a statement specifying that protection.
• Use only lights that carry the label of an independent testing laboratory, and check every set for cracked sockets, frayed wires or loose connections.
• Never put electric lights on a metallic tree; faulty lights can charge the tree with electricity. Light a metallic tree with colored spotlights placed beside or above it instead.
• Keep the tree away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources, and do not let it block a doorway.
• Turn off tree lights when you go to bed or leave the house.

Older PVC trees can also be a lead concern. Wikipedia summarizes a 2004 study that found little general health risk but some worst-case scenarios for young children, and a 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report that found PVC in artificial trees degrades as it ages. Lead stabilizers in PVC are now prohibited under Chinese law, according to the same summary, and most PVC for trees uses tin instead.

Artificial vs. Real Christmas Trees at a Glance

Bert Cregg, a professor of horticulture and forestry at Michigan State University, has argued that both kinds of tree have negligible environmental impacts overall and that what matters most is reusing an artificial tree for many years or composting a real one. He also noted that the industry study did not count carbon stored by roots left in the soil after harvest.

How to Buy an Artificial Christmas Tree: Step by Step

1. Measure ceiling height and subtract 6 to 12 inches for a topper.
2. Measure the floor space and choose full, slim or pencil accordingly.
3. Set a budget and decide between pre-lit and unlit.
4. Compare trees of the same height and shape by tip count and PE/PVC mix.
5. Prefer hinged branches and as few sections as practical.
6. Confirm a fire-resistance statement and testing-laboratory marks on any lights.
7. Check that the boxed or bagged tree will fit in your storage space.

Once the tree is sorted, a few strategies for stress-free Christmas shopping help with the rest of the list, and if the tree must be stored off-site for most of the year, see this guide on using a self-storage unit for every season. For the evenings after decorating, there are ideas in our lists of family board games for Christmas and Christmas movies for adults.

Written byMohammad Shoaib

Mohammad Shoaib is a freelance writer who offers blogging, ghostwriting and copy-writing services. He works closely with businesses providing digital marketing solution that increases brand awareness and search engine visibility.

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