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

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

• Best Overall Artificial Christmas Tree: KI Store Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Pre-Decorated Christmas Tree: Best Choice Products Spruce
• Best TikTok-Approved Christmas Tree: Balsam Hill Fraser Fir Flip
• Best Remote-Controlled Tree: Home Accents Holiday Jackson Noble Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Quick-Set Christmas Tree: Home Decorators Collection Eastcastle Balsam Fir
• Best Unlit Artificial Christmas Tree: Birch Lane Norway Green Tree Spruce
• Best Flocked Christmas Tree: Fraser Hill Farm Flocked Mountain Pine
• Best Unlit Flocked Artificial Christmas Tree: Yaheetech Flocked Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Artificial Christmas Tree Branches: National Tree Company Feel Real Dunhill Fir
• Best Smart Christmas Tree: Mr. Christmas Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Small Christmas Tree: National Tree Company Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Cheap Artificial Christmas Tree: Costway Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Artificial Tall Tree: Dunhill Fir Artificial Christmas Tree
• Most Realistic Artificial Christmas Tree: Feel Real Fraser Grande Artificial Christmas Tree
• Most Elegant Artificial Christmas Tree: Home Decorators Collection Grand Fir
• Best Tabletop Christmas Tree: West Elm LED Tabletop Christmas Tree
• Best White Christmas Tree: Goplus Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Narrow Christmas Tree: Pottery Barn Narrow Saginaw Spruce
• Best Christmas Tree with Pine Cones: Noble House Artificial Christmas Tree
• Best Silver Artificial Christmas Tree: National Tree Company Silver Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

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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.