Best Artificial Christmas Trees
We evaluated 12 fake trees to find a realistic, high-quality one that will last for years to come
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Shopping for an artificial Christmas tree may seem simple enough, but there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. The sheer number of available options can be overwhelming, and considering how expensive some of these trees can be—some can go for $9,000—it’s important to make sure your money is well-spent. Finding a quality tree that lasts is not only an economical choice but also a sustainable one, especially when factoring in the environmental impact of producing plastic.
How We Evaluated These Trees
We purchased three trees each according to the advice Anna received from experts, including Jami Warner, the executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association; Frank Skinner, director of marketing of Christmas Lights, Etc; and Noah Johnson, a buyer of trees and lights for Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. We then rolled up our sleeves, cleared a corner of our tiny New York City apartments and CR’s office, and set to work over several days setting up, looking at, photographing, and taking down each tree.
Our criteria for evaluating these trees revolved around:
• Realism. How realistic does the tree look?
• Lights. How evenly distributed, attractive, and bright are the lights? Are any of them broken, or flicker out while turned on? Are they warm/cool?
• Assembly. How easy is the tree to set up? How long does it take?
• Takedown. How easy is it to take the tree down and pack it away?
Anna and Angela both grew up with real Christmas trees, so our expectations were high for how a proper Christmas tree should look. Realism was our number one concern, but usability and overall charm were our other top priorities as we engaged in our early October Christmases. Each of Angela and Anna’s friend and family group chats have exploded over the past month: Are we Christmased out? Are we living in a three-month-long Christmas wonderland? For better or for worse, we are not; we packed up and sent away our trees to their new home at the Consumer Reports offices in Yonkers. But an artificial Christmas tree comes with one undeniable advantage: Unlike a mortal tree, whose days are numbered post-felling, a quality fake tree can deliver Christmas joy for years to come.