![The Best Artificial Christmas Trees in 2024 [Tested and Reviewed]](https://www.tasteofhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/TOHAxFHMA23_ArtificialXMasTrees_KS_10_11_074-SS-Edit-1.jpg)
Updated on Oct. 24, 2024
Searching for the best artificial Christmas trees to put up in your home? We researched and tested the top picks for flocked, slim and full options.
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‘Tis the season to deck the halls—and if you’re as fanatical as us, the bedrooms, front yard, living room and kitchen, too! Our favorite way to pack a Christmas punch is with an over-the-top festive, tastefully imposing tree.
We researched and tested the best artificial Christmas trees out there, then sorted them by category so you can choose which one works best for your space and your squad. Based on our thorough and honest assessments, you can be certain that when the Christmas centerpiece arrives at your doorstep, it’ll be just as stunning as you’d hoped.
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Size options: 7.5 and 9 foot | Warranty: N/A | Light options: White | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, fluffing gloves, extra fuses | Price: $899 (7.5 foot with white lights)
Our team was blown away by this winning Woodside Tree from Grandin Road. In addition to standing precisely 9 feet tall as advertised, the tree measured up in every other way imaginable. (A 7.5-foot version is also available.) After assembling the admittedly hefty tree—which is four pieces plus a base—in under seven minutes, our testers just had to plug in the Christmas lights to make the rest of the magic happen. The glowy, yellow bulbs were evenly distributed on the tree, and the needles were nice to the touch and ultra-realistic, which made for easy fluffing.
The fluffing process took about 15 minutes, but we all agreed we could’ve gotten away with fluffing for half the time. Note: A few small, 3-inch branches snapped off during fluffing. The branches are pliable (somewhat of a rarity in realistic-looking trees), so you can primp the tree until it looks exactly how you please. This also comes in handy when hanging ornaments. If a heavier ornament causes a branch to droop, you can simply bend the branch upward to mitigate that effect. That being said, this tree readily handled heavy ornaments up to 5 ounces during our testing.
In sum, this tree is as high-performing as it is pretty. The setup, including the lighting and fluffing, was straightforward and fast, and the finished product is stunning enough to sway even real-tree faithfuls. One of our colleagues who falls into this category admitted, “The brown branches and realistic greens make me seriously consider switching to artificial.” It’s a substantial investment we feel is well worth it.
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Size options: 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 9, 10 and 12 foot | Warranty: 3 years | Light options: Twinkly Light Show, Unlit, Clear, LED color and clear, LED clear, LED multi | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, fluffing gloves, extra hardware | Price: $1,899 (7.5 foot with Twinkly Light Show)
If you’re Team Lights more so than Team Ornaments, this showy Balsam Hill Fraser Fir with Twinkly Light Show is the tree for you. When it comes to Christmas trees, Balsam Hill has been the brand to beat for more than a decade, and this customizable tree that comes in six sizes makes it clear why. Fitted out with more than 500 twinkly lights, it works in conjunction with a phone app to display dozens (yes, dozens) of light effects that pan, flash, shift and all-around dazzle. Our testers had tons of fun toying around with the handful of presets and could’ve kept exploring this smart tree’s capabilities for hours if time allowed. I ended up taking this tree home to continue evaluating it for my smart Christmas tree review.
Although these bulbs can’t be replaced, they’re LED lights, so they should last a long time, and if they don’t, they’re backed by a best-in-class, three-year warranty that covers the tree as well as the lights. You shouldn’t need to employ the warranty for either, though. This tree doesn’t shed, boasts one of the highest-quality bases we’ve seen and stores inside a conveniently included bag. While easy to assemble, it was a little tricky to fluff—the hyper-realistic branches aren’t very bendy—but the tree looked great after about 10 minutes of finessing.
Our main drawback is that the Balsam Hill Christmas tree didn’t hold our heavy 5-ounce ornament very well. That being said, if you put heavy decor toward the trunk and/or toward the bottom of the tree, you should be okay. But who’s looking at the ornaments amid those mesmerizing lights, anyway?
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Size options: 6, 7, 8 and 9 foot | Warranty: 2 years | Light options: LED white, Unlit | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, fluffing gloves, remote | Price: $549 (7 foot with LED white lights)
Show off your cherished ornament collection with the King of Christmas King Noble Fir. Senior Shopping Editor and holiday expert Katie Bandurski has been home-testing this option since September 2024.
It arrives in a sturdy box. And, like many high-end trees, this pick comes with a bevy of goodies like a remote to control the lights, a storage bag and arm protectors. We found setup to be a cinch, thanks to this tree’s light, 22-pound weight. It’s one of the most manageable trees we’ve come across in our testing, which makes it a good option for older adults or those who struggle to assemble fuller trees.
The lights connect via a power pole, so there’s no need to fumble through the branches for plugs. The white LED lights are advertised as warm, but Katie felt they skewed a bit cool. That’s quickly forgotten, though, when you use the remote to flip through the tree’s multitude of light features—including a dimmer setting. If you’ve ever wished you could turn your tree lights down during a holiday movie night, this feature is for you!
The sparseness of the branches make this tree easy to fluff, and they can accommodate ornaments of all shapes, sizes and weights. The only downside is we felt it wasn’t as realistic as other trees on our list. It also has a slight lean that, without a multitude of branches, is hard to disguise.
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Size options: 6.5, 7.5, 9 and 12 foot | Warranty: 1 year | Light options: White LED, White incandescent, Unlit, Multi-color | Inclusions: Stand, extra lights | Price: $499 (7.5 foot with white incandescent lights)
During our multi-day testing, this Fraser Hill Farm Foxtail Pine was the first tree we unboxed and built—and we unknowingly picked a good one to start us off. The needles are incredibly natural-looking, and though this took us nearly 20 minutes to fluff, this can look like a truly real tree with a bit of TLC. During our first pass, we felt there were still some gaps between the three separate tree segments that left the hardware around the trunk visible, but with some more aggressive bending of the branches, we were able to get it looking beautiful. And in the midst of all this futzing and adjusting, barely any needles fell off.
The easy-connect lights only add to this tree’s beauty. There are 900 warm lightbulbs to accentuate your ornaments, tinsel and, eventually, prettily wrapped Christmas presents. This tree passed our ornament test with flying colors, holding the various weights without issue. If you run into an issue with the tree, Fraser Hill Farm offers a limited one-year warranty.
Oh, and that’s not to mention the speedy (and potentially free!) shipping with Amazon. Christmas-loving procrastinators, rejoice!
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Size options: 4.5, 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 9, 10, 12 and 15 foot | Warranty: 3 years | Light options: Clear, Unlit, LED clear, LED color and clear, Twinkly Light Show | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, extra fuses | Price: $899 (7.5 foot with clear lights)
If you looked up “Christmas tree” in the dictionary, there’s a chance you’d find an image of the Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce. Available in sizes from 4.5 to 12 feet, it’s the quintessential tree, with its full shape, real-looking needles and candlelight-inspired, easy-connect lights. Because of how lush the branches are, each tree section is fairly heavy, so setup works best as a two-person endeavor. With a little help, this tree should only take about four minutes to assemble.
The fluffing, on the other hand, is a bit more of a time commitment. This 7.5-foot tree took the longest to fluff of all the trees (even longer than the 9-footers), but spending 20 minutes perfecting the placement of the branches was well worth it. The end result was a dense, head-turning tree. (S0 dense, in fact, you might not ever recover your pickle ornament!) And we weren’t worried about over-fluffing this tree because we knew that, when the time came to tear it down, we’d be able to stow it easily in the provided storage bag. If anything should go awry during the setup or tear-down process, the tree is backed by a three-year warranty.
When decorating this Christmas majesty, we recommend hanging the heavier ornaments toward the bottom or center of the tree, as the branches best support light to medium ornaments.
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Size options: 7, 8 and 9 foot | Warranty: 2 years | Light options: LED white, Unlit | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, fluffing gloves, remote | Price: $529 (7 foot with LED white lights)
Even the most expensive trees can take forever to fluff. If you want a tree that looks good without too much finagling, give the King of Christmas Tribeca Spruce a try. Editor Emily Way has been home-testing this tree since September 2024.
Like other King of Christmas trees, this option comes with a remote to control the lights, a storage bag and arm protectors. The three pieces snap together in a cinch. Emily was able to set it up without assistance, but it would be easier with two people. The lights come on right away, too, thanks to the built-in power pole tech. There are multiple light features, including a dimmer setting.
As a pet parent, Emily was impressed with how sturdy this tree feels, especially compared to budget options. She has hope it will stand up to her active cats!
The real wow factor, though, is how easy the Tribeca Spruce is to fluff. Emily admits that shaping the branches is her least favorite aspect of holiday decorating, but this tree takes a lot less time than others she’s tried. The tree is very full and the branches are intuitively shaped for easy bending. After fluffing, only a handful of needles came off. Ornaments of various weights hang securely, too, thanks to the tree’s full shape and hefty branches.
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Size options: 7.5 and 9 foot | Warranty: N/A | Light options: White | Inclusions: Stand, fluffing gloves, extra fuses | Price: $389 (7.5 foot with white lights)
Whether it’s due to spatial restraints or personal tastes, some people want a petite Christmas tree, and this Classic Slim Tree from Grandin Road delivers. Between the lightweight box, tree segments and easy-connect lights, this tree allowed for quick, one-person setup. The fluffing was just as simple. We took our time with it—about 16 minutes—which we were only able to do because of how pliable the branches are. This is a quality that our testers really valued. Additionally, the needles are made of two distinct textures: some a tissue-papery plastic with flat ends, and others a thicker plastic with rounded ends. We were actually at odds about which needles we preferred, so the healthy mix ensures both camps are satisfied.
This slender piece of decor is small but mighty. The branches, especially those with the thicker plastic needles, readily held the light, medium and heavy ornaments during our tests. The abundance of sturdy branches will make for a beautifully decorated tree in no time. All that said, this certainly isn’t the most realistic tree of the group. It’s noticeably artificial, but that doesn’t mean it can’t also look good! And thanks to its slim silhouette, it easily fits back into its box for off-season storing.
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Size options: 6.5, 7.5, 9 and 10 foot | Warranty: 3 years | Light options: Clear, LED clear, LED clear and color, Twinkly Light Show | Inclusions: Two storage bags, fluffing gloves, remote, fuse replacement kit, tree repair kit | Price: $1,699 (7.5 foot with clear lights)
The best artificial Christmas trees allow you to skip tedious, scratchy setup and skip right to the fun part: decorating! To date, we have yet to find a tree that outperforms the BH Balsam Fir Flip Tree in the “easy setup” class.
Katie has been testing a Balsam Hill flip tree at home since April 2023. It arrives in a massive, refrigerator-style box. But once it’s inside, there’s no lifting required! Simply wheel it out, take off the protective bag, push the foot pedal and pull the tree towards you. In mere seconds, the base flips into place. Attach the top piece, plug it in and voila! A fully assembled Christmas tree in less than two minutes.
While setup is the clincher, the tree doesn’t lack in other areas, either. It brings Balsam Hill’s signature realism to your living room, and while the branches are on the dense side, it’s still compatible with ornaments of various shapes and sizes. Pair with Balsam Hill garland for a true winter wonderland.
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Size options: 4, 7.5 and 9 foot | Warranty: N/A | Light options: White LED | Inclusions: Stand, extra bulbs | Price: $278 (7.5 foot)
When we rallied the on-site staff to choose their favorite Christmas tree from those we assembled, a whopping nine people voted for this snowy Holiday Living Snowy Berkshire stunner (the second-best tree had five votes). Never would we have guessed a flocked tree would generate so much fanfare. But, golly, isn’t it gorgeous? Although it’s not quite as all-purpose as our overall winner, this tree, with its wispy, natural-looking needles, cute pinecones and tasteful flocking, charmed all of us. And the modest price tag is just the angel on top.
This dazzling underdog took us just over two minutes to build and light, and only five minutes to fluff. The branches are fairly immovable, so it’s an “it is what it is” situation in terms of placement and positioning, but we were so pleased with the appearance of the tree right out of the box that this didn’t matter. The top third of the tree is the only portion that needed any real fluffing. Perhaps the most remarkable feat is that this tree didn’t shed at all—not even the flocking.
This would be the perfect tree for a rustic farmhouse or cozy cabin. And because it’s not the best candidate for ornaments due to its long needles, we even think it could be a worthy year-round addition to a space.
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Size options: 6.5, 7.5, 8, 9, 10 and 12 foot | Warranty: 2 years | Light options: LED white, Unlit | Inclusions: Stand, storage bag, fluffing gloves, remote | Price: $899 (7.5 foot with LED white lights)
Flocked trees typically fall into two camps: Snow-kissed or snow-covered. If you like the latter, we found the perfect tree. Emily also home-tested the King of Christmas Queen Flock, and it’s a holiday showstopper.
Assembly was a bit tedious, mainly due to the flocking. Emily and her floor got coated in flecks of white stuff, but she found it was still less messy than previous flocked trees she’s tried. It was also heavier and more unwieldy than expected. Assembly was possible with just one person, but it would have been easier with two.
Emily also hit a snag with the stand. The bolt popped out and wouldn’t fit back in to tighten the tree fully. We expect this was a manufacturing fluke—especially considering the other King of Christmas trees we tested didn’t have this issue—but it’s still a concern, especially for a tree at this price point.
Thanks to the built-in power pole technology, the lights turn on as soon as they’re plugged in. The Queen Flock comes with multiple light features, including a dimmer setting. And wow, once the lights are on, it’s easy to appreciate this tree’s incredible beauty. The flocking is some of the best we’ve seen; snowy and very lifelike. The thick coating on the branches makes fluffing easy, and ornaments hang securely, too.
Like the Noble Fir we tested, we noticed a slight lean to this tree. But thanks to the fullness, it’s much easier to disguise.
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Size options: 6.5, 7.5, 9 and 10 foot | Warranty: 3 years | Light options: Clear, Clear and multi-color | Inclusions: Stand, fluffing gloves and arm protectors, extra lights, extra fuses, remote | Price: $1,899 (7.5 foot with clear lights)
For some, money is no object when it comes to Christmas decorations. And if you’re dedicated to decking your halls to the highest degree, the Frontgate Classic Fraser Fir Tree should be an instant “Add to Cart.” Available in 7.5, 9 and 10 feet, this bluish beauty looks super realistic. We assembled and assessed the 9-foot model, which shipped in two boxes and was split into five pieces, plus the base. Although it’s a bit of a behemoth, the breakdown of the tree into so many parts made it easy to build. The fluffing? Not so easy.
The branches are barely maneuverable and quite scratchy. However, these negatives are canceled out by the fact that the tree is full and lush straight from the box, and arm protectors and gloves are included in the event that you want to futz with the tree. The hundreds of beautiful branches hold ornaments of all sizes and weights with ease, and the brown trunk was one of the most realistic of the bunch. Thanks to this tree’s heft and sturdiness, you can load it up to your heart’s content. The needles and LED lights both have cool undertones, so this is the perfect pick for someone looking to create an icy winter wonderland within their home. Read more in our full Frontgate Christmas tree review.
In addition to the picks above, we tested and recommended four other trees. Unfortunately, they are no longer in stock. Keep your eyes peeled, though, as there’s a chance they could come back for the 2024 holiday season.
After testing, there is only one tree we would recommend skipping:
Faux trees make decorating your space especially easy (and mess-free), but selecting which one to buy among the hundreds, if not thousands, online is dizzying. Some are too sparse, others too fake-looking and others too difficult to store. And you might not be able to tell any of this from the online listing. Furthermore, if you’re having it shipped to your home, chances are, you won’t see it until it’s unboxed.
In choosing the perfect tree for your needs, first consider the size and shape of your space. You might also want to consider the type of tree and think about how realistic it looks. Ease of setup and storage are also important, especially if you’re after a large tree. You’ll also want to consider the price point. Late fall is the best time to buy an artificial Christmas tree because you’ll have your pick of the best selection. Keep an eye on Black Friday deals, too. Black November is a great time to pick up a tree. Many major retailers are running sales.
We’re called Taste Recipes, and we consider the holidays one of the most cherished things to happen within the home. So, we’ve made it one of our missions to ensure your holidays are special year after year, whether it’s with our Christmas cookie recipes, seasonal gift guides or decoration recommendations. The most iconic decoration of all is the artificial Christmas tree, which is why we sought to find the best one on the market. Our Test Kitchen team has been testing recipes and gadgets for more than two decades and our shopping team recently joined them in their testing endeavors. Needless to say, we’re experts at evaluating popular products, running tests on them and rating them honestly and fairly, which is exactly what we did with more than 10 of the best artificial Christmas trees.
First, we researched and identified popular Christmas trees in a number of styles and at various price points. The trees in this test ranged from $128 to $2,500 and included sparse, slim, flocked and full selections from various vendors. We gathered the top contenders in our office, where we tested them for three days in October 2023. We set out with a handful of criteria we wanted to assess and tests we wanted to run. The steps for testing a Christmas tree might not be as obvious as, say, those for a kitchen appliance, but we knew we could still put these trees through the paces.
With one notetaker and two hands-on testers, we evaluated and rated the unboxing experience, setup, lights, fluffing process, realism, ornament-friendliness, takedown and price of each tree. For all of these categories, the trees received a numerical rating from one to five (five being the best), which we added together for a total tree score that helped guide our categorization and ranking of each tree. We sought to answer questions like: Does the tree end up looking like the online picture? Do we anticipate this tree lasting for many seasons? Can one person set it up, or is it a two-person job? Would it fit a standard tree skirt or collar?
Some of the aforementioned categories entailed specific tests. For example, we recorded how long it took to set up each tree, which spanned from the time the box was open to the time the last section of the tree was secured in place. Similarly, we timed ourselves fluffing each tree—a process that entails adjusting the branches and needles to add to the realism of an artificial tree. We also measured various components of the tree, including the base, as well as the height of the assembled tree to see whether it matched the online listing.
Perhaps the most tedious yet important test of all was our ornament test. To gauge the branch strength of each tree, we placed ornaments that weighed 1 ounce, 2.5 ounces and 5 ounces on a branch. On each tree, we chose a branch that was roughly 40 percent from the top and hung the ornaments, one at a time, about 3 inches inward. If the ornaments hung securely and without significant drooping, the tree would pass.
After our in-office test, we sent each of the top trees home with a long-term tester. After all, these holiday beacons are an investment! We wanted to see how the lights, construction and overall appearance held up season after season.
For 2024, we also tested four new trees from the stalwart brand King of Christmas. Taste Recipes staffers Katie and Emily evaluated these trees in their homes, following the same testing methodology as our in-office trials.
This series of tests gives a holistic portrait of the performance of each of these trees so that you can purchase your Christmas tree—the focal point of so many special memories and what should be a long-lasting seasonal staple—with confidence.
After testing over a dozen options, we liked the Woodside Christmas Tree from Grandin Road. It’s an investment, but the easy setup and incredibly lifelike branches left us in awe.
You can find artificial Christmas trees at many online and in-store retailers, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Costco, Amazon, Grandin Road, Balsam Hill, Target, Walmart and Terrain—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Some merchants only carry trees around the holidays (usually October through December), while others, like Balsam Hill, are available for purchase year-round.
The type of artificial Christmas tree you choose is entirely up to you. However, if you want something that looks as close to the real thing as possible, consider a noble fir or blue spruce. Those options tend to have a more realistic, full look with a classic Christmas tree shape.
Generally, when it comes to artificial Christmas trees, a more expensive option will mean it’s more realistic. An artificial Christmas tree is an investment that should last for 5 to 10 years. Some trees even come with a warranty to cover quality issues with the tree or the lights if it’s a pre-lit option.
Luckily, it’s easy! Simply grab a branch of the tree and pull each tip away from the center. Repeat until you’ve fluffed every branch. Some trees require minimal fluffing out of the box, while others need several hours of work to look their best. We recommend grabbing a pair of gloves to protect your hands and turning on a Christmas movie while you work.
A Christmas tree storage bag made of tarp-like plastic or canvas is your best bet for storing an artificial Christmas tree. Many high-end tree options come with a storage bag. Otherwise, they’re readily available on Amazon.
