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20 of the Best Artificial Christmas Trees to Make Your Season Merry and Bright

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There's no doubt that a twinkling Christmas tree on a dimly lit winter morning feels like pure magic. While many people are die-hard fans of the real deal, we totally understand if you're wanting to forgo sticky tree stumps and messy pine needles this year in favor of the no-muss-, no-fuss setup of an artificial Christmas tree—and with less than a month to go until the big day, the time to buy is now.

Since you'll likely be using it for years to come, you'll want to invest in a tree that will fool an onlooker as to its faux build, be a breeze to put up and suit your space to a tee. We've rounded up the top contenders for the best artificial Christmas trees of them all. But first, you'll want to know what you're looking for to go about picking the perfect one for your home.

Types of Artificial Christmas Trees

  • Pre-decorated: If you're too busy (or tired!) to concern yourself with all the trimmings on the tree, you can skip the hard work with a pre-decorated model that will not only arrive with the lights already strung, but with the ornaments, garland and accents placed on just so, too.
  • Pre-lit: These little beauties come pre-wired with Christmas lights that have been embedded into the artificial branches, eliminating the need to string your own. Most of these trees come in three sections that may have small light connectors between them. There may also be separate plugs for each section that need to be connected to an extension cord at the bottom.
  • Quick-set: Like a pre-lit tree, the lights come built into these models, but are strung together through the trunk, so all you'll need to do is snap the tree together and plug it in using one single cord.
  • Unlit: For those who revel in creating their own light show magic, an unlit artificial tree, which will arrive naked except for the branch tips, will be your best bet.
  • Flocked: If it's a white Christmas you're dreaming of, a tree that's flocked (a process that involves attaching tiny faux snow fibers to the branches) is designed to look like it's just been brought in after a freshly fallen dusting.

What Are the Best Artificial Christmas Trees?

Virtually every artificial Christmas tree uses flame-retardant polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to mimic the look of real trees. Lower-quality options tend to use the material exclusively, which makes them highly durable, but a high-quality tree will often also use polyethylene (PE) for carefully molded, individual branch tips. The more tips you have on a fake tree, the fuller and more realistic looking it will be (and the sturdier for all your decorations). According to Realtor.com, you should opt for a faux tree with at least 800 or more tips if it's 6-feet tall, while 1,200 to 1,500 tips are recommended for a 7-footer.

Where to Buy Artificial Christmas Trees

While most home improvement and craft stores carry artificial trees (think Amazon, The Home Depot and Michaels), you can also find quality artificial trees from stores like Pottery Barn and West Elm, as well as mega-stores like Target and Walmart. Regardless of where you're buying from, you'll want to check out the delivery times for your tree to ensure the outlet can expedite shipping for on-time arrival.

How to Shape an Artificial Christmas Tree

Once you’ve taken an artificial Christmas tree out of the box or storage and set it up on its base, it’s time to shape it so it looks as close as possible to a real tree. To shape it, simply “fluff” the tree by pulling out the side branches and fanning out the tips. You'll want to angle them up or down, depending on whether the tree has upswept or down-turned branches (take a look at the photo to see how it’s supposed to look if you aren’t sure). Do this bit by bit, working your way up and around the entire perimeter of the tree—it’s best to start from the bottom and work your way up. A pro tip? Do the top part before placing it on the tree, especially if it's taller, so you don’t have to stretch or use a stepladder.

You’ll want to get the whole family or some friends involved in the process to get it done faster (don’t forget the music!). While fluffing a tree can take upwards of an hour or more the first time you do it, the process will become easier in future years.

How to Clean Artificial Christmas Trees

Nothing throws off the illusion of a real tree like dusty branches. Keeping your tree clean—especially if you’ve just pulled it out of storage—will help ensure it looks freshly cut all season long and elongate its life span, which, according to Old World Christmas, should be about six years with proper care. To do so, give it a good dusting with a cleaning brush or a handheld vacuum before adding ornaments and decor. Throughout the season, brush off areas that become dusty overtime.

The Best Artificial Christmas Trees at a Glance

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Best Overall Artificial Christmas Tree

1. KI Store Artificial Christmas Tree

  • Why We Love It: Comes with trimmings, base and remote with timer

Sure, having a pre-lit tree is great, but you still need to head out to the store to find all the trimmings, including tinsel and a glorious, show-stopping topper. That isn’t the case with this tree. In addition to its USB-compatible LED string lights, it also ships with a selection of ornaments, so you can set it up right out of the box. Its non-toxic PVC branches assemble atop a sturdy metal base, and once the tree is up and the lights are strung, you can add the included decorations (you'll also get ribbon, flowers, wooden word signs and the topper). It even comes with a remote and timer for the lights, which come on silver strings to nicely conceal within the branches. It's perfect for a last-minute buy or for those who are pressed for time but still want to show their holiday spirit.

Best Pre-Decorated Christmas Trees

2. Best Choice Products Spruce

Best Choice Products

  • Why We Love It: Comes fully decorated, tall option for homes with high ceilings

Tight on time but still want all those holiday vibes? Look no further. This pre-lit, pre-decorated spruce tree by Best Choice Products has already done all the heavy lifting for you. It features built-in lights (250 to 900, depending on the tree size you choose), pine cones and berries for a festive-yet-not-overdone aesthetic. Plus, it has tons of tips (1,346 to 2,128), so it won't look ultra-fake in your living room. It comes in 6-, 7.5- and 9-foot options.

Best TikTok-Approved Christmas Tree

3. Balsam Hill Fraser Fir Flip

Balsam Hill

  • Why We Love It: Super easy setup, customizable lighting, storage bag, fluffing gloves

It doesn’t get much better than a TikTok-tested Christmas tree. This one, which is featured in an unboxing video, clearly shows how easy set-up will be with the brand's patented Flip Tree system—TikToker @taxlawprof got the job done in four minutes flat. Just flip each piece over, mount it, rotate it, fluff it and boom—you’re done. Each tip variation is molded from real Fraser fir branches, making it one of the most realistic of the bunch, and it comes pre-lit with twinkly LED lights that not only illuminate it, but create fun and festive light shows that can be programmed from a mobile app. Better yet, it comes packed in a storage back with two gloves that make it easier to fluff the tree without getting poked.

Best Remote-Controlled Tree

4. Home Accents Holiday Jackson Noble Artificial Christmas Tree

Home Accents Holiday

  • Why We Love It: Eight different light modes, more than 4,000 branch tips

This simple-yet-stunning tree has 1,200 color-changing LED lights and eight modes you can control via a remote, so you can enjoy the light show without losing your primo A Christmas Story viewing spot on the couch. With thin, hidden wiring, the light string's patterns will be the only thing catching your eye, and it's made of a mix of PE and PVC to make for a more realistic-looking noble fir.

Best Quick-Set Christmas Tree

5. Home Decorators Collection Eastcastle Balsam Fir

Home Decorators Collection

  • Why We Love It: Foot pedal for easy light operation, luscious, full look

This pre-lit tree not only features 1,300 white micro-dot lights, which cast a soft, warm glow, it's equipped with quick-set technology, so you'll barely have to lift a finger to make sure it's properly illuminated. Beyond that, it has a full, unique shape with a rounded bottom that looks like it could've been brought in straight from a swanky tree farm.

Best Unlit Artificial Christmas Tree

6. Birch Lane Norway Green Tree Spruce

Birch Lane

  • Why We Love It: Looks real, five-year warranty, includes stand

This hyper-realistic tree will provide a great blank canvas for the household that likes to decorate as a family. Molded from live tree branches using both PVC and PE, it really looks like the real deal—no flimsy plastic-looking tips here. There are plenty of them, too—between 1,793 and 4,488—for a fully fleshed out look. The foldable metal stand is included, and the tree comes with a five-year warranty to boot, so it's sure to last you a good long while.

Best Flocked Christmas Tree

7. Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine

Fraser Hill Farm

  • Why We Love It: 10-foot option for tall ceilings, easy, one-click connection to light the entire tree

This flocked tree by Fraser Hill will turn your home into a winter wonderland thanks to the copious 1,000-plus lifelike snow-covered tips. It also comes with 550 pre-lit LED bulbs with a quick setup (meaning there's one plug for the whole shebang) with multiple light settings. You can choose between colored string lights or warm, clear ones to suit your taste—all you'll need to do is add the ornaments and tinsel. Get it in up to 10-foot size.

Best Unlit Flocked Artificial Christmas Tree

8. Yaheetech Flocked Artificial Christmas Tree

Yaheetech

  • Why We Love It: Unique color options, foldable stand included, bendable tips

If you dig the snowy vibe but prefer to string your own lights, this tree is a great option. Unlike others on the list, the tips are bendable, so you can position the branches and their snowy coverings (there's more than 340 of them!) just so. You won't even need to buy a stand, since a foldable one comes with your purchase. In addition to the larger 7.5-foot version, it also comes in smaller 4.5-foot and 6-foot sizes for those with limited space.

Best Artificial Christmas Tree Branches

9. National Tree Company Feel Real Dunhill Fir

National Tree Company

  • Why We Love It: Realistic-feeling branches, included stand

Sure, an artificial tree might look like the real thing in photos—but the second you brush up against it, you're often reminded that it's faux. Not so with this baby. Equipped with "feel real" branches that are meant to not only look, but feel like, a true blue Douglas blue fir, this tree's tips are molded from the real deal for authenticity. It's got 600 white lights that are designed to stay on even if a bulb goes out, and the stand is also included in the price.

Best Smart Christmas Tree

10. Mr. Christmas Artificial Christmas Tree

Mr. Christmas

  • Why We Love It: Alexa voice control, pole-to-pole connection

Welcome to the future, folks: You can now control your Christmas trees with your voice. This Mr. Christmas tree is pre-lit and works with Alexa, so you can turn it on and off, change the color of the lights and even set them on a schedule all by speaking a command (note that you'll need an Echo Dot to make it work). And while the smart features are of course cool, it doesn't skimp in the looks department, either: This faux pick has nearly 2,500 realistic-looking branch tips that help to create a full, lifelike feel with a pole-to-pole connection, so you'll only need one plug for the lights.

Best Small Christmas Tree

11. National Tree Company Artificial Christmas Tree

National Tree Company

  • Why We Love It: Branches fold in for easy storage, also available in larger sizes

A small space shouldn’t stop you from celebrating the holidays with a beautiful, realistic tree, and the National Tree Company makes one of the best: This short version will make a statement even from its spot in a cozy corner. It is pre-lit with 450 white lights and features full, pre-attached branches.

Best Cheap Artificial Christmas Tree

12. Costway Artificial Christmas Tree

Costway

  • Why We Love It: Affordable, thick branches accommodate heavy ornaments

While the most high-quality artificial trees tend to be on the pricier side, you don't have to settle for a cheap-looking plastic buy just to save a little dough. This Costway option, which combines PVC with PE for a more natural look, is on sale for more than half price right now. It's got 736 branch tips, which is just under the recommended 800 for a tree of its size, and it comes with a folding tree stand, too, saving you even more cash.

Best Artificial Tall Tree

13. Dunhill Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

Dunhill Fir

  • Why We Love It: Perfect for large spaces, five-year warranty for the tree, two for the lights

Talk about a showstopper! If you really want to wow this holiday, you can't go wrong with this 9-foot stunner that will be just right for large living rooms because it's extremely tall and full. It features more than 4,000 tips and has a base of 66-inches. It's also pre-lit with 900 translucent lights, so you won’t have to worry about climbing up the top to string your own. Best of all, you can get it for nearly half off right now when you use coupon code LETSGO20 at checkout.

Most Realistic Artificial Christmas Tree

14. Feel Real Fraser Grande Artificial Christmas Tree

Feel Real

  • Why We Love It: 10-foot cord for hard-to-reach spots, feels real

If you're not fully sold on the idea of an artificial tree, consider the Fraser Grande. Its long, artificial branches with more than 2,000 tips offer a bit more of that "cut-down-in-the-forest" vibe you may be seeking, according to the Kohl's shoppers who love it. "Can barely tell it's fake," one writes, with another adding, "This tree is as realistic as they get." It also has 800 dual LED lights. Use code LETSGO20 to save $450 on it.

Most Elegant Artificial Christmas Tree

15. Home Decorators Collection Grand Fir

Home Decorators Collection

  • Why We Love It: Clean, simple look, subtle lighting, comes with a timer, TikTok-approved

Another TikTok user-approved Christmas tree, this one stands out thanks to its 2,500 LED micro dot white lights, which are not only warm, subtle and inviting, but are also mounted on very thin wires wrapped around the branches so you barely notice them. Use the built-in timer to automate them so they go on and off as needed across the 9,503 tips. Named the best tree this TikToker could find after hunting from store to store, it looks full, real and will be a stunner once it's fully decorated.

Best Tabletop Christmas Tree

16. West Elm LED Tabletop Christmas Tree

West Elm

  • Why We Love It: Runs on battery power, fits on the counter

Don’t have room (or the heart) for a full Christmas tree this year? A small tabletop Christmas tree is a good solution, and this one is just 2 feet tall: small enough to position on a counter but also large enough to throw a few decorations on it. It even comes with 20 pre-installed white LED lights, so you can literally plug and play. Made of plastic and iron in green with a burlap-wrapped base, it’s battery-powered by three AA batteries (sold separately), so you won’t even have to worry about running a cord to an outlet to power it up.

Best White Christmas Tree

17. Goplus Artificial Christmas Tree

Goplus

  • Why We Love It: Indoors or outdoor use, unique look, quick setup

Don’t we all wish for a white Christmas? Having a white tree is a good way to start, and this one is beautifully crisp and just itching for some silver or gold ornaments. It's designed to be used both indoors or out, and you can reportedly set it up in just three steps.

  • Why We Love It: Fits in tight spots

Whether you’re constrained by the size of your room or the spot where you want to put the tree, sometimes, a narrow Christmas tree makes the most sense. This faux pine tree is ultra-slim and even comes pre-lit with incandescent lights. It also comes with a limited two-year warranty that will help to give you peace of mind in your purchase.

Best Christmas Tree with Pine Cones

19. Noble House Artificial Christmas Tree

Noble House

  • Why We Love It: Sturdy metal base offers good support,

Not only does this pre-lit Christmas tree come with pine cones, it also has faux red berries for a subtle-yet-festive look that will look lovely, even if you don’t add much more. Filled with 450 multi-colored lights on its 1,219 branch tips, it’s easy to assemble using the hinged branches. The reinforced metal stand also means the tree can withstand a few knocks from toddlers and rambunctious dogs and cats, too.

Best Silver Artificial Christmas Tree

20. National Tree Company Silver Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

National Tree Company

  • Why We Love It: Unique look, easy to store

If you love to buck traditions and march to the beat of your own drum, so to speak, this non-traditional National Tree Company pick will be a great option to showcase your personality. Its silver branches give off an air of decadence, and with 2,000 branch tips, you'll have plenty of room for all of your favorite decorations. It ships with four sections and a hinged design, making setup and storage a breeze, too.

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Paige Doepke Liwanag lives in Chicago and has been working as a freelance writer since 2016. She's a bit of a jack of all trades when it comes to subject expertise. She's written about everything from how to create the perfect resume to choosing the right cleaning method for your tile grout (yep, you read that correctly). When she's not writing, you can find her snuggled up to her pitbull, Clementine and her baby boy, Nathan.

Christine Persaud has been in the business of writing and editing for close to two decades. With a passion for cooking, fitness, fashion, TV entertainment and tech, she has written about all of the above, plus plenty of other home and lifestyle topics, too. Her favorite way to unwind after a busy day of writing and reviewing products is to chill with her feet up and glass of wine in hand (always red!), to binge-watch TV.