5 Money-Saving Artificial Christmas Trees That Look Expensive
Written by
Josephine Nesbit
Edited by
T. Woods
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Despite higher prices, Christmas tree demand is strong this year.
Nearly 21 million live trees will be sold by Christmas Day, Fox Business reported — but between the travel, sap, pine needles, expense and time, getting a real Christmas tree every year isn’t reasonable for every family.
According to a survey by the American Christmas Tree Association, 77% of people who have at least one Christmas tree this year are going artificial. Per the Association, people enjoy how easy fake trees are to set up, that there’s no maintenance and that the tree looks consistently pretty throughout the holiday season.
“Our real Christmas tree that was six or seven feet was $300, which would be an expensive annual tradition,” said social media content creator Charlene Truong Launer in an interview with The New York Times. “Our fake one was $500, and then we get to put it in storage for next year.”
However, not all artificial Christmas trees are budget-friendly, and some cost as much as $9,000, according to Consumer Reports. To help your shopping season, here are the most realistic trees that won’t break the bank.
Home Accents Holiday Jackson Noble Fir LED Artificial Christmas Tree
Size: 7.5 feet
Cost: $299 at Home Depot
Consumer Reports ranked the Home Accents Holiday Jackson Noble Fir LED as the best overall tree in their list of best artificial Christmas trees. Looking at the tree closely, Consumer Reports noted that there were discernible differences between the two materials used in the tree’s composition, but further stated it was hardly noticeable from afar and gave the tree a more dynamic look.
Costco Pre-Lit Radiant Micro LED Artificial Christmas Tree
Size: 9 feet
Cost: $600 at Costco
The Costco Pre-Lit Radiant Micro LED artificial Christmas tree was deemed a “splurge tree” in the Consumer Reports list, and that it looks very realistic. Just note that the tree comes in five pieces plus the base and weighs 125 pounds, so you may need some help during assembly.
The Twillery Co. Jack Artificial Fir Christmas Tree
Size: 6.5 feet
Cost: $139 at Wayfair
The Twillery Co. Jack Artificial Fir is one of the most popular trees on Wayfair, and Good Housekeeping noted reviewers said it was one of the prettiest fake trees they’d ever seen due to its realistic look and fullness. It takes a while to fluff, but reviewers have said it’s worth it.
National Tree Company Carolina Pine Tree
Size: 7.5 feet
Cost: $269 at Amazon
If you prefer pine Christmas trees, the National Tree Company Carolina Pine Tree is on sale at Amazon and Wayfair. The tree features flocked pinecones and pre-strung clear white lights, and was ranked the best pine artificial Christmas tree by Good Housekeeping. A helpful feature: Even if one bulb burns out, the remaining lights stay lit.
Grandin Road Pocono Pine
Size: 7.5 feet
Cost: $349 at Grandin Road
The Grandin Road Pocono Pine was voted as the most realistic-looking tree by People. The tree is pre-lit and doesn’t require much fluffing, but setup does require some patience. Heavier ornaments may cause the tree to wobble a bit, but People noted that this was a relatively easy problem to work around.
With gifts, travel and family get-togethers, the holiday season can be quite expensive. A wallet-friendly Christmas tree can prevent you from breaking your budget yet still tie your holiday decor together,
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