Best Artificial Christmas Trees Of 2023: Top 7 Most Recommended By Experts

Let’s face it: there isn’t a Bath and Body Works candle in the world that can fully capture the spirit of a real Christmas tree. It’s a smell like no other that evokes images of Christmas morning and spending time with family. With that said, a real tree doesn’t come without problems; from fallen needles to watering it. Maybe this is your year to try an artificial tree out. With so many on the market, we went granular and narrowed down the best artificial Christmas trees of 2023.

Speaking of Christmas decorations and cleanup, a poll of 2,000 Americans found three in four think it’s time to take down the Christmas tree before January — regardless of whether it’s real or artificial. However, more than half of those who decorate for the holidays never want to be the first ones to take down their tree.

Last year, the average American spent $213 on new holiday decorations. And that’s not even including ugly Christmas sweaters! Unsurprisingly, more than one in three (35%) say that the bulk of their decorating budget goes towards buying a Christmas tree. 

On the other hand, if you’re going for an artificial tree in 2023, StudyFinds has you covered. We visited 10 expert websites to see which brands are selling the best artificial Christmas trees based on which were most frequently mentioned across their reviews. If you have suggestions of your own, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below the post.

Christmas tree (Photo by Maria Kolchevaon Unsplash)

The List: Best Artificial Christmas Trees, According to Experts

 

1. Balsam Hill Frasier Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

You won’t be surprised to see Balsam Hill dominating the list of the best artificial Christmas trees, but make sure to go through the whole list for all great finds. “The Balsam Hill Fraser Fir branch tips are lifelike in color and shape, and they require very little fluffing (especially compared to the other trees), just a little tweaking into place so that they spread out evenly. Polyethylene (PE) needles mimic the structure, texture, and color variations of natural evergreens. However, to get that realistic look, you have to pay for it,” states USA Today.

Balsam Hill 7.5ft Pre-Lit Fraser Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

To be honest, we can’t tell the difference between Balsam Hill’s faux version and the real thing. BH’s impressive ‘true needle’ foliage features 40 variations of branch types throughout and the effect is incredibly realistic,” adds Architectural Digest.

Made for those who cherish the beauty of a real tree, this Balsam Hill Fraser fir offers a natural-looking aesthetic with molded polyethylene (PE) needles. Its abundance of LED lights accentuates the tree’s striking realism, and remote control provides easy light adjustment. To top it off, Balsam Hill’s proprietary flip technology makes setup and takedown a breeze,” boasts Bob Vila.

2. Balsam Hill Vermont White Spruce Artificial Tree

Experts say they found setting up this tree to be super simple. “You snap the sections together, plug the tree into an outlet, and then use the included foot pedal or remote to turn the lights on. He also notes that this tree appeared much fuller compared to other models in our most recent round of testing. When disassembling, there’s no need to remove the lights; simply detach the tree sections and store them away until next year,” says Good Housekeeping.

Vermont White Spruce (balsamhill.com)

“The tree is undeniably attractive, too. It’s constructed of polyethylene (PE), so the branches look more realistic — and you can really see the difference. The 1,200 white lights may not blink or do anything fancy, but they are evenly spaced on the branches, lending a very bright and attractive appearance. This tree is also very sturdy: We didn’t have any issues with ornaments making the branches dip,” says People.

The company sent us one of its branch sampler kits for review, and compared to the Balsam Fir above, the Vermont White Spruce is an ever-so-slightly darker and more olive shade of green with pointier needle tips,” from The Strategist.

3. Balsam Hill Balsam Fir Artificial Tree

Balsam Hill’s artificial trees are leaders when it comes to ultrarealistic artificial options. “In addition to their aforementioned ‘true needles,’ the trees also have upward-sloping branches and a teardrop shape that will have everyone asking, ‘Is that a real Christmas tree? Or is it fake?'” says CNN.

Balsam Hill 7.5ft Pre-Lit BH Balsam Fir Premium Artificial Christmas Tree

Mimicking both the color and texture of real branches with semi-flat needles, this tree sports a classic full shape that’s popular among consumers. Though it’s pricier than other fake trees, the expense is largely due to the brand’s proprietary ‘True Needle’ technology, which uses a PVC and polyethylene (PE) combo to provide hyper-realistic foliage that resembles real evergreen branches,” boasts Good Housekeeping.

Trolio is about to put up this tree for the third Christmas in a row — it was the first Balsam Hill tree she bought for herself (after previously inheriting a hand-me-down in a different style). Though in the end ‘a fake is still a fake,’ Trolio says she chose the ‘sparse-on-purpose, pre-lit’ design specifically for displaying certain ornaments,” adds The Strategist.

4. Balsam Hill Pre-lit Classic Blue Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree

This model of Balsam Hill is available in plenty of sizes and lighting options, making it a great choice for just about any buyer. Balsam Hill, perhaps the most popular artificial Christmas tree brand on the market, is at the top of our list for good reason. This traditional option is high-quality, long-lasting, and features classic white, hand-strung lights and realistic branch tips,” says the NY Post.

Balsam Hill Pre-lit Classic Blue Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree
Balsam Hill Pre-lit Classic Blue Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree

“Balsam Hill, a brand known for its quality, comes the Classic Blue Spruce, a lush, dense tree with blue-green and silvery hues and light brown tinted stems for a deep, rich appearance. You can order this classic Christmas tree unlit, pre-lit with white lights or multi-colored lights, or outfitted with smart lights. You can also choose from a variety of height options ranging from 4.5 feet to 9 feet,” offers The Family Handyman.

If you’re looking for a more affordable tree from Balsam Hill, we recommend this classic blue spruce. Featuring soft yet sturdy needles and a beautiful blue-green hue, it’s no surprise that this fake tree was a top performer in our Lab evaluations,” offers Good Housekeeping.

5. Twinkly App Controlled Artificial Christmas Tree

The best part of this tree is that it works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant! “You’ll appreciate how easy it is to assemble Twinkly’s App-Controlled Artificial Christmas Tree. It is the smarter way to Christmas, especially if the classic colorful lights bring you joy. You can create stunning lighting effects — thanks to the paired app — with its 400 multicolor and white LED lights,” says NY Post.

Twinkly Pre-Lit Tree – App-Controlled LED Artificial Christmas Tree

The app, which works as a remote control, you can choose from preset color schemes and create your own patterns, as well as choose from a rainbow wheel of colors and shades of whites to finally settle that longstanding household debate of white versus multi-color tree lights. With an app-controlled tree, you also have the added benefit of remote management features like creating on/off schedules and controlling light brightness,” states USA Today.

Twinkly is a clear leader in smart lighting, so much so that other tree brands (like Balsam Hill, as mentioned above) use Twinkly lights for their own smart trees. Twinkly, of course, has its own bespoke smart trees (not to mention smart garlands and wreaths),” offers Architectural Digest.

6. Best Choice Products Premium Spruce Artificial Tree

“For those decorating on a budget, turn to this Best Choice Product Premium Spruce Tree, which we commend for its quick setup and disassembly time. It took under 13 minutes to build the tree and only four minutes to take it down,” says Real Simple.

Best Choice Products 7.5ft Premium Spruce Artificial Holiday Christmas Tree

Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Spruce offers great value for the price. Our initial disappointment in how it looked straight out of the box, coupled with the papery feel of its PVC needles, changed to a happy surprise by the time we fluffed all the branches. It strikes a nice balance between full branches and a restrained silhouette that fits nicely into the corner of a room,” shares USA Today.

This is the non-flocked, non-lit version of my favorite flocked trees below. It’s easy to set up, and truly the best overall value and best-looking tree overall!” offers The Turquoise Home.

7. Puleo International Pre-Lit Aspen Fir Artificial Tree

Those who prefer a realistic-looking tree will appreciate the Puleo International aspen fir’s natural appearance. “The 7.5-foot tree we tested has sparse branches to give the tree an appealing, slightly imperfect look. Hinged branches make the tree very easy to put together, and once the tree’s three sections are assembled, it requires only a little fluffing and bending to enhance its appearance,” explains Bob Vila

Puleo International 7.5 Foot Pre-Lit Aspen Fir Artificial Christmas Tree

“This traditional, pre-lit pine tree from Puleo International earned its place as our best overall artificial Christmas tree for its robust performance in our Lab tests. With a simple, one-person assembly process, needle variation, sturdy construction, and an impressive takedown time of only five minutes, this classic tree is a streamlined solution to add festivity to your home this holiday season,” says Real Simple.

These needles are rubbery and a bit waxy feeling, which made arranging the branches without gloves no problem. They’re also incredibly sturdy, holding up heavy ornaments with no trouble. One of the most unique features of this tree was the slight variation in the PE needles’ color, which adds a bit more realism to the tree,” states Insider.

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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.

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