Christmas Tree Buyer's Guide

With so many places to buy artificial Christmas trees, it can be challenging to find the best tree for you. This guide will help you through the buying process, so that you can find a tree that you will be proud to display year after year.

Feel free to read through the entire guide or select your area of interest above.

Find the right artificial Christmas tree size

Before buying a Christmas tree, you should decide where you want to display the tree. Which room will it be in? Is it intended to be the centerpiece of a room? Or, is it a second tree that will go in a family room or guest room? Will you put it in a corner, along a specific wall or next to a doorway?

Now that you’ve determined the location for your tree, how much space are you looking to fill? This will help you determine the ideal Christmas tree height for you. If you want the tallest Christmas tree your room will allow, we recommend buying a tree that is at least six inches lower than your ceiling height. For example, if you have a standard 8-9 foot ceiling, you should buy a 7½ foot tree. This will allow some clearance to ensure that the tip of your Christmas tree will not hug your ceiling and will allow space for a tree topper.

In terms of floor space, measure the approximate diameter of the space you plan to reserve for the Christmas tree. As you shop for a Christmas tree, look for the varieties that will fill your space. The standard tree shape is "full"; trees that fit in tighter spaces are often designated with names such as "narrow" and "slim." However, we suggest that you consider the diameter of the Christmas tree, not the shape name, to help you pick your perfect tree. This measurement is taken at the very widest point of the tree; if you plan to have a few branches touching a wall or a piece of furniture, the true space occupied by the tree will be about six inches less than the stated diameter. The other key is to make sure that the tree looks to be a natural shape — if it is "pencil shaped," it probably doesn't look like a real tree. (If you are looking for a space saving tree, we recommend our Fifth Avenue Flatback Tree, which is designed to look like a full tree while only taking up half the space.)