Top 5 Places to Buy a Prelit Christmas Tree

It's that time of year, and that means dragging the tree out of the attic or up from the basement. If you're in the market for a tree this year then prelit my be the way to go. There's no light strings to mess with so taking them down is a breeze. No matter what size home you have there's a tree for you!

1. Meijer

Meijer has what seems like every type of tree imaginable! You can purchase a fir that's anywhere from 4 ½ to a whopping 12 feet tall. They have very sturdy construction with metal trunks, and flame resistant PVC needles. They have mostly traditional style trees that are as close to their real life tree brethren as possible. The list includes Southern Pines, Colorado Spruces, Lacrosse Firs, and more. They also have a nice selection of 'frosted' trees or those that look slightly snow topped.

Their trees are a fair price compared to some others on this list; not the cheapest, but certainly not the most expensive. A nice 7 ½ foot tree will run you upwards of $200. The more extravagant trees will cost you anywhere from $500 to $1500 from the massive 14 foot Colorado Spruce. The only thing that may be a downer is if you're into more colorful or 'showy' trees. The only unnatural colors they seem to have are silver, and white. The lights also tend to be plain yellow, so if you like multi-colors you probably won't find what you want here. I like the 'Good Tidings - Winter Wonderland' tree from their site.

2. Bronners

Bronners has more of a selection, but their trees aren't as eloquent as Meijer's are. They do have a couple oddly colored trees if that's your style including a 7 ½ foot black tree, and a fire engine red version. The trees are just as sturdy in construction; I just don't think they're as nice.

Their trees are much more expensive with the same 7 ½ footers running for upwards of $300. They don't seem to have anything with multi-colored lights or fiber optics either so you'll have to keep searching if you want those. I like their 7 ½ foot Colorado frost tree.

3. Tree Classics

Tree classics has the best selection so far I think! Not only can you choose from a multitude of tree types, and styles, but you can also choose the tree height. The same trees are available in 5 foot, 6 ½ foot, 7 ½ foot, and 9 foot versions. They also have a nice selection of trees with multi-colored lights. You could spend $400 to $900 depending on the type of tree you choose.

The largest trees have a dazzling 2200 lights, they come with a ten year warranty, free heavy duty storage bag, free remote control, three year light warranty, and are made of flame retardant materials. The trees are very realistic looking, and quite gorgeous. I like the English fir from their selection.

4. Christmas Trees Galore

This site offers a nice selection of flashy trees if that's what you've been waiting for! They have red, white, black, pink gold, tinsel, purple, and fiber optics available. The normal trees are beautiful, and I think they may have the best prices around with 7 ½ footers for $99 and up. They also have a rating system on their site so you can read reviews from real customers about each item.

They also have metal stands, and come with a free storage bag. The front page even has a deal for a 6 ½ foot tree, wreath, and garland packaged together for $159. They don't have as good of a warranty on them as the previous stores, but the price is significantly better. I like their Noble Pine Tree.

5. Balsamhill

This site doesn't really have anything we haven't seen before, but they do have a big selection, and a nice navigation. If you're looking for something particular this site may be easy for you to shop. Everything can be shopped by section such as tree size (6 -15 feet), light color, tree type (full, medium), price, collection, etc.

Their merchandise is again pricey - Running $99 (on sale) - $200 for a piddly 4 ½ foot tree. If you're a budget conscious shopper it's best to avoid this place. If you have money to burn through they do have some nice looking trees here. They also have some 'flat back trees' which are meant to conserve space since nobody sees the back of your tree anyway; now it can be flat against a wall. My pick from their site is the Berkshire Mountain Fir.

Happy hunting, and if you didn't find what you wanted here there are plenty other places to try. Even Wal-Mart has a fair selection if you're on a low budget.