How to Select an Artificial Christmas Tree

An evergreen tree is one of the most enduring symbols of Christmas. Each holiday season, many families bring a freshly cut, real evergreen tree into their home. With it, they bring a wonderful scent of pine or fir. However, that is not all Christmas trees bring with them. They might also bring in bugs or little spiders, especially if they cut the tree from the woods or a tree farm. Once in the tree stand, the tree might also bring sap into your home. There have been several years we've opened gifts covered in sap drippings on Christmas morning. Needles will certainly fall to your floor for the 2-3 weeks your tree is in place, requiring constant vacuuming.

Certainly these are not the worst things that might happen if you bring a real Christmas tree into your home. One year our tree stand had a tiny crack in the water reservoir which was not visible to us at the time we set our tree up. We diligently kept our tree watered to prevent it from drying out. On Christmas Eve, I set our 3 boys in front of the tree so I could snap a picture of them in their new pajamas and I noticed the carpet was wet. On Christmas morning, the presents under the tree were damp too. It didn't take us long to realize that our tree stand had been leaking for 2 weeks straight. The result was a warped sub-floor and a $700 repair bill.

The following year, we purchased an artificial tree. The biggest disadvantage, for me, of owning an artificial Christmas tree is that I don't have the fresh evergreen smell in my home. Pine scented candles are slightly helpful, but bringing in a fresh evergreen wreath was the only thing to give the true Christmas Tree Smell I was missing.

Every other thing about our fake tree was a true bonus. There were no needles to vacuum up, the tree was a perfect shape and could even be reshaped to accommodate long or heavy ornaments. Our tree was pre-lit which meant we didn't have to struggle with untangling lights or even string them on the tree. There were no bugs and no sap and set up and take down was easy. The price of the tree was more than we would spend on a fresh tree, but our fake tree will easily pay for itself in a few years.

Here are some things to look for if you choose to buy an artificial Christmas tree:

Height: You should plan on getting a Christmas tree that is at least 6 inches lower than your ceiling. This will allow for a tree topper ornament. Remember, you can't simply "chop" off an artificial tree if it's too tall for your room, so measure first to be sure you know your exact ceiling height.

Width: Artificial trees come in different base widths which are sometimes called "profiles". This way, if you have a small space for a Christmas tree, you can choose a tree with a narrow base, sometimes called a "pencil tree". If space is not a problem, you can choose a tree with a wider width. Generally, trees will come in large, medium and small widths. If space is really an issue for you, you can even choose a "half tree" that stands flat against a wall.

Lights: If you are going to invest in an artificial tree, then go the extra step to get one that is pre-lit. Many pre-lit trees will also come with a foot operated on and off switch. No more bending down and crawling under the tree to unplug the lights. Light options include multi-colored and clear. When looking at light count, a higher number of lights will usually correspond with a higher price, but will look much better. A 7½ foot tree should have around 1000 lights.

Tips: A tree with more tips will look more natural, so definitely look at the number of tips when selecting an artificial Christmas tree. All of the branches and tips can be bent and arranged so that the tree looks full and beautiful. Tips can also be bent in away to accommodate heavy or long ornaments.

Assembly: Look for a hinged assembly. This means that the tree branches are permanently attached to the trunk and do not need to be inserted individually. This will save you a lot of time.

Storage: Artificial Christmas trees are best stored in special storage bags. Some Christmas trees might come with bags, but if not, you should consider buying one. It will keep your tree dust free until you are ready to use it again.

If you decide purchase an artificial Christmas tree this year, know that the trees you can buy today are even better than the trees from just 3 years ago. Web sites like Treeclassics.com sell some of the most beautiful trees, including very realistic trees with polyethelene molded branches that look so natural you would probably not know they were artificial without actually touching them. Although these polyethelene trees are expensive (a 7 ½ foot Kensington Spruce sells for $829) plenty of trees are available in a lower price range that still look beautiful.