The 7 Best Artificial Christmas Trees for Your Home

By Corrie Pelc

Growing up, my father was the captain of Team Real Tree. Every year, he couldn’t wait to bundle us all up and go down to this favorite Christmas tree lot to pick out the perfect tree. He loved the scent of fresh evergreen every morning in the living room and how beautiful it looked all twinkly-lighted and decorated.

My mother, on the other hand, was strictly Team Fake Tree. She hated the constant trickle of pine needles she’d need to vacuum, the need to keep it watered, and cleaning up the mess my father would leave when it was time to dispose of the tree.

By my teenage years, both my parents were fully on board with an artificial Christmas tree. Not only are they easier to maintain and put up and down each year, but they are also more economical in the long run. And nowadays, artificial Christmas trees are even easier to assemble as many come with the holiday lights already built into them, plus plenty of other perks.

So what artificial Christmas trees are the best? We’re glad you asked because we’ve got the answers in this guide!

How to Buy an Artificial Christmas Tree

With literally hundreds of choices to choose from, how can you figure out the best artificial Christmas tree to buy for your home? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What Size and Shape Do You Need? Fake Christmas trees come in every size and shape you can imagine, from tiny little tabletop ones to towering mega trees. In general, the most popular size for an artificial Christmas tree is around 7.5-feet tall, as the standard home ceiling height is about eight feet. As for shape, today's fake Christmas trees range from super-thin styles to full trees that look like they were just plucked out of the forest. Take a hard look at your space — and what's already in it that you can't move — to figure out what size and shape work best for you.
• What Color Do You Want? Artificial Christmas trees come in a multitude of shades of green, plus white, blue, and honestly pretty much any color you can think of. Consider the colors in the room where you'll be placing the tree, as well as the decorating color scheme you're going for when deciding on a shade.
• Do You Want It Pre-Decorated? Today's artificial Christmas trees can be found somewhat pre-decorated, which speeds up the rest of the Christmas tree decorating process. For example, many artificial Christmas trees come pre-lit so you don't have to string lights yourself. These pre-lit trees sometimes even have multiple patterns you can set the lights to or they can change colors. And other trees may come with other decorations already on them, such as flocking (where tiny fibers are placed on the limbs of the tree to resemble snow) or tinsel.

Test Factors We Considered When Picking the Best Artificial Christmas Trees

Here’s a rundown of the test factors we used when compiling our artificial Christmas tree naughty and nice list:

• Price: As fake Christmas trees are available at every price point, cost should be an important determining factor.
• Height: Knowing how tall the artificial Christmas tree is will help determine whether or not it will fit in a space.
• Color: What color options does this tree come in?
• Branch Tips: How many branch tips does the artificial Christmas tree have for hanging decorations on? In general, if a tree is between 6.5 to 7.5 feet tall, a tree should have between 800 to 900 branch tips. For a tree between 7.5 to 9.5 feet tall, look for between 1,200 to 1,500 branch tips.
• Lighting: Does this artificial Christmas tree come pre-lit? For optimal lighting, a pre-lit Christmas tree should have about 100 lights per foot of height.
• Lighting Options: If this tree comes pre-lit, can lighting patterns or light colors change?
• Flocked: Does the tree come with flocking?
• Stand: Does the artificial Christmas tree come with a stand?
• Warranty: Does the manufacturer claim the product will last for a few seasons and if so, what’s the tree’s warranty or return policy?

Let’s take a look at our list of the best artificial Christmas trees for 2021.

Artificial Christmas Tree Care Tips

Your new artificial Christmas tree should bring you joy for quite a few holiday seasons. Here are some tips to take care of it.

• Remove All Decorations — Except for any decorations that are affixed to your tree, like pre-lit lights and flocking, all decorations should be removed before dismantling your tree. This will keep the tree and decorations from getting tangled and hooks and other sharp ends from destroying the branches and “needles” of the artificial tree.
• Unfluff the Branches — When you first set up an artificial Christmas tree, you need to "fluff" the branches of the tree to make the needles stand up. This makes the tree look fuller and more real, and gives ornaments, garland, and other decorations something to hold on to when decorating. When it's time to put the tree away for the season, you want to do the opposite and flatten the needles and "foliage" of the artificial tree so they all lay down in one direction. This helps keep them from breaking or getting damaged while they’re in storage.
• Use a Box or Storage Bag — Either keep the box your artificial Christmas tree came in or you can purchase (or make!) a tree storage bag. You want something that's not necessarily air-tight but will keep as much dust and dirt out as possible so your tree looks fresh next year. And make sure to store it in a cool, dry place that is not in direct sunlight.

Do you have an artificial Christmas tree that makes you merry? Tell us about it in the comments below!