How to Pick the Best Artificial Christmas Tree

Are you thinking of buying an artificial Christmas tree? Here’s what to look for to make your life easier and your tree decorating more fun!

I’ve been needing a new Christmas tree for a while now, like 15 years. But I just couldn’t pull the trigger because there are so many options, and the one we had was fine… sort of. I mean, the tree itself still worked, even if the lights didn’t.

When the lights stopped working several years ago, we (meaning my husband) figured we could just remove the lights and use string lights like we used to do with real trees. Which was true, but it was such a pain.

Not only did I have to set up the tree, risking my soft, sensitive forearm skin from the scratchy faux pine needles, but then I had to battle several strings of light, only a few of which worked at any given Christmas season. Which meant a last minute trip to Walmart over Black Friday weekend, a proposition that gives me an eye twitch.

Every year, my hubby and I had the same conversation. Is this the year to buy a new pre-lit tree? No, our system works fine. (Says the man who doesn’t actually do the setting up of tree.)

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Well, this year, I’m taking matters into my own hands, literally. King of Christmas sent me a 7.5 foot pre-lit tree that has revolutionized my whole experience with setting up a Christmas tree. And while I wish I’d done this years ago, it’s taught me a few things about how to pick the perfect faux Christmas tree that I wanted to share with you, in case you find yourself in the same boat.

This post is sponsored by King of Christmas, but all opinions and recommendations are my own.

What to Look For in an Artificial Christmas Tree

Size and Color

I know this probably goes without saying, but when you’re buying a new Christmas tree, you should make sure it will fit in your room. My ceilings are standard height at 8 feet tall, which means that a 7.5 foot tree is the highest that will fit.

If you have higher ceilings, I say go for the largest one you can, while still being able to decorate it without renting a cherry picker or scaffolding to reach the top branches.

The next question is what type and color of tree you prefer. Mine is a Yorkshire Fir style tree, but I also really loved their Blue Spruce and flocked trees. It’s really up to you how you want your tree to look and fit into your home decor. I prefer a traditional green tree, but the options are endless.

Realism, unless you’re going for anti-realism

One of the biggest things I look for in an artificial tree is realism. (Ironic, I know.) I don’t want to go cut down a tree from the forest and drag it home strapped to the top of my station wagon, but I want that thing to look like I did. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the quality from online photos, but I can tell you I’ve been super impressed with how realistic my new tree looks.

Realism doesn’t have to be one of your criteria though. You could choose an ultramodern pink flocked tree, if that’s the look you’re going for. (I tried this idea out on my husband, but just got “the look.”)

Number and Color of Lights

If you’re in the market for a pre-lit tree, one thing you want to watch out for is how many lights you’re getting and what color they are. My new tree has 600 warm white lights, which is perfect for a 7.5 foot tree. A larger tree would probably need more to look full and bright. Too many might be a little overpowering, especially in a smaller space.

Choosing between white and multi-color lights is always one of the hardest decisions for me. I love both! But in the end, I decided white was more versatile, and would allow me to change the colors of my ornaments whenever I want. Maybe I’ll do pink this year?

Oh who am I kidding, I’ll definitely have a mismatch of all the sentimental ornaments I’ve gathered over the years. My favorites are the little handprints my kids made in preschool, but I also love my homemade chalk board ornaments and my faux-gingerbread house garland. Or there’s the fun concrete ornament craft. (Making decisions is not my strong suit.)

Ease of Set-up

After 15 years of wrestling with my unwieldy old Christmas tree, I’ve come to believe that setting up your Christmas tree should be part of the fun, not a burden. If you love Christmas like I do, don’t let the experience of setting up your tree put a damper on the joy of the season.

Pre-lit trees are the way to my heart, when it comes to decorating for the season. But King of Christmas has gone one step further and even taken the hassle out of plugging in the different sections of lights on the tree.

They put the connector for the lights inside the trunk of the tree, so when you put each section of the tree together, it automatically connects all the lights. Brilliant. I can’t tell you how happy this made me when I was setting up my tree.

You can ask my family. I raved about it for days.

The other new thing I learned from this experience is it’s worth getting a pair of long gloves to protect your skin while you’re fluffing your tree.

Sidenote: Did you know you always have to fluff artificial Christmas trees? I had a friend who was complaining about her new tree last year, and when I looked at it, I had to stifle a giggle. Of course it looks scrawny, patchy, and uneven. You have to pull all the little fronds apart from each other to make it look fluffy and full.

But where was I? Oh yes – gloves! King of Christmas provides special “tree-fluffing-gloves” with your tree purchase. At first I thought that was kind of superfluous, but when I used them I realized I’d been doing this wrong my whole life!

I always dreaded this part of the tree set-up because I would end up looking like I lost a fight with my cat. I just thought scratches all over my forearms were a necessary part of the process. I wish it had occurred to me earlier to just throw on a pair of long cleaning gloves to protect my arms. Oh well, lesson learned. I won’t do it again without these gloves.

Ease of Storage

Christmas trees are not small. (Groundbreaking news, I know.) That just means that you want to think for a moment about how you’re going to store your new Christmas tree before you buy it. Christmas tree bags are a great way to store your tree during the off season.

You can buy tree storage bags online or at home improvement stores, but King of Christmas supplies one with most of their full size tree purchases. That way you know you’re getting the right size for your tree, and you save yourself another trip to the store at a hectic time of year. Win-win!

Let the Christmas season begin!

I want to say a special thank you to King of Christmas for my new tree, and for the lessons I learned about doing things the hard way!

Now I’m off to decorate my new tree, and the rest of my house. I hope you are doing the same, maybe with a nice mug of hot chocolate? Happy Christmas decorating, friends!