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The festive season is officially here and for Brits that can only mean one thing: it’s time to deck your home top-to-bottom until you don’t have any wall space left.
And when it comes to the age-old debate of real vs artificial trees, fake firs have come a long way since the shiny plastic monstrosities of the years gone by. Cost-effective, non-drop and easy to store, what’s not to love?
Today’s fake trees are subtle, realistic and will have your house guests scratching their heads when they find out they're not the real deal.
So where to start? Well there’s a huge range of brands to choose from depending on your taste, budget and how much space you have to play with; here’s our pick of the best.
1) Balsam Hill Alpine Christmas Tree
This Balsam Hill 7ft dream is on sale for Black Friday (Balsam Hill)
This one really is the daddy of artificial Christmas trees.
With Balsam Hill widely regarded as having the most lifelike trees on the market, the slim, slightly sparse-looking Alpine ‘fir’ that’s available in a range of sizes (from 4ft all the way up to 7ft) and even comes with the option of built-in lights, keeping mess and wiring to an absolute minimum - ideal for those with pets and babies in the house.
It even comes with a tree stand, protective gloves and a storage box, making it easy to stash away in the attic come January.
The 7-foot Balsam Hill Alpine Christmas tree currently has £120 off (down from £299 to £179) and while that’s a hefty investment, you’ll get that back in terms of cost-per-use as this tree can be used year after year. Hell, by 2035 you’ll practically be making money.
As for whether it's lifelike? It seems people can't tell the difference, as one happy shopper wrote: "Looks very natural -my 20 year old granddaughter thought it was real when she first saw it."
2) Pure Living Realistic Christmas Tree
The Pure Living Realistic Christmas Tree is £139.95 right now (Amazon Reviewer/Pure Living)
Another artificial Christmas tree that’s a certified hit is Pure Living Interior Designs’s extremely realistic Nordmann Fir Tree.
The team behind this hyper-realistic product have utilised dense, PVC needles and polyethene-tipped, adjustable branches to make this Christmas tree indistinguishable from its living, breathing relative.
According to the company, this faux festive evergreen is durable, stable and easily assembled. It also comes with a stylish wood-look stand to boost authenticity levels.
This flame-resistant tree comes in three sizes, with the 6-foot shy product (180cm) coming in at £139.95. That’s a Black Friday steal, as the original price for the Pure Living tree was £199.95.
If you’re looking for something a bit smaller, the item also comes in 90cm and 120cm sizes. It can be purchased via Amazon, too.
3) HOMCOM Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
HOMCOM
If you’re a perfectionist then you may hate putting up a Christmas tree. So much pressure to get it right, right?
If we’ve described you then don’t worry because we have the answer to your prayers: introducing HOMCOM’s artificial 6ft Christmas tree.
Not only does this artificial masterpiece come pre-lit with 200 warm LED string lights, but its 745 branch tips also come pre-decorated with golden stars, traditional baubles and even seasonal snowflakes.
It’s worth mentioning that the HOMCOM Pre-Lit Christmas Tree is a bit heavier than usual artificial offerings (seven kilograms) but does come with a foldable metal stand to stop the pine-styled tree from keeling over.
Usually, this festive tree costs £99.99 but Amazon has slashed it down to £50.99 as part of its pre-Black Friday deal.
In case you can’t do the maths, that’s a whopping 49 percent saving. November truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
4) Curry’s premier Birch Tree
The Currys faux Birch Tree can be used to liven up outdoor spaces (Currys)
Let us remind you: there are no rules when it comes to Christmas. Some like to deck the halls with a flurry of metallic tinsel while others prefer a more muted, mature affair.
If you find yourself in the latter camp then you may find your minimalistic dreams coming true this season thanks to Currys.
As part of the company’s Black Friday deals, it’s offering £45 off a stunning, simple Birch tree.
Comprising 420 static and 140 flashing LED lights, this alternative Christmas tree stands just below 5ft and is also energy efficient.
Due to Birch’s being deciduous, we reckon you could pretend this was the real deal if you placed it outside, rather than in.
So, if you’re after something a little less traditional to celebrate a merry moment, then this £34 twinkling birch could be the answer.