Best Artificial Christmas Tree

To find the best artificial Christmas tree you need to consider a number of factors- among them price, reputation of the retailer, quality of tree and so on. The good news is there are a bunch of retailers out there selling virtually any tree you could want.

The bad news: there are a BUNCH of retailers out there!

Decorated Artificial Christmas Tree

Two key things to look for in a good artificial tree are the quantity of branch tips and the type of plastic used in making the tree. Be sure to check out the Christmas Tree Selection Guide to read more about this.

Finding reputable companies and brands is difficult because, depending on which consumer expert you ask, you'll get a bunch of different answers.

One source to consider is Good Housekeeping magazine. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute is 100+ years old and rates everything from blenders to bed sheets. If you go to the website and type in "best artificial Christmas trees" you'll get their best bets.

If you absolutely have to "see, touch and smell" the real thing in a store before you buy, just about any good big box retailer will do. So go to your local home store and pick a good brand of tree.

But buy online if you can- you'll have access to literally thousands of artificial Christmas trees of all sizes, shapes and colors.

What are the good brands? Again, a very tough call because there are so many factors to consider. Here are some to look at:

BARCANA- if you buy the "Prestige" line, you get a 25 year warranty (vs. 10 years for most companies) on the tree. You can get them offline and online, even on Amazon.

VICKERMAN- from a family-run company that's been creating Christmas decorations since 1940. Available in many big-name retail stores and on Amazon.

GE "Just Cut"- yes General Electric even makes Christmas trees. These are highly rated by Good Housekeeping and can also be purchased on Amazon as well as at home stores like Home Depot and Lowes.

SANTA'S OWN- this southern California company is known for making sturdy trees (great for heavy ornaments) and was also favored in a recent Good Housekeeping review. Among the online retailers selling this tree is Christmas Tree For Me, which sells a PVC-free version.

If you want your best artificial Christmas tree made in America, rather than sending your hard-earned money to China, here are two good brands to consider:

MOUNTAIN KING- these are reasonably priced, well-made and can be purchased through online retailers Christmas Depot and USChristmasTree.com.

CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA- another "buy American" option. Everything's made in a factory in upstate NY. And for the health conscious, all of their trees are made from lead-free PVC.

To get your best artificial Christmas tree online, here are some merchants to look at:

Christmas Tree For Me

This company, founded in 2004, is based in Dallas, TX and offers a great selection of trees. They have an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and you will find almost no complaints online due to service or product issues. They give you 7 days to return any item
you're not satisfied with, without any restocking fee. The company website is well laid out with great online information and tutorial videos.

Christmas Trees Galore

This website is operated by the Hayneedle Company in Omaha, NE, an online merchant selling goods online since 2002. It too gets an A+ from the BBB. The tree selection is outstanding and the website is easy to get around. If not satisfied, you have up to 30 days to return the
tree for a full refund, also with no restocking fees.

Christmas Lights Etc.

This Atlanta-based online Christmas decorations retailer has been around since 2000 and has been voted the #1 Christmas shopping website for the last four years by Alexa. It has an A rating from the BBB. If you want a really great quality tree, look at one of their Red Sleigh Models with TruTip Technology. You'll have to pay more, but know you're getting one of the best artificial Christmas trees made.

Other Merchants

Some other companies to consider include:

Hammacher and Schlemmer-a high-end gift retailer that's been in business since BEFORE the Civil War. Their good are backed by a unconditional lifetime guarantee.

Balsam Hill-a California-based seller of exclusive "True Needle" trees, among the most lifelike trees made. Expect to pay extra for this "lifelikeness", to the tune of $1000 and up for some of their 7.5 foot trees. But you'll swear they're real!

Return to top of Best Artificial Christmas Tree page.