IT’S not even December yet, but thousands of homes across Britain are already showing off their Christmas trees.
So it’s no surprise that as we clamour for a bit of festive sparkle, the best artificial trees often sell out way ahead of time.
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These days, fake firs are so convincingly made that many now look almost identical to the real thing, and a good one can save you money in the long term.
But which Christmas tree will give your home that extra special festive feel?
Lynsey Hope tested nine artificial trees costing £100 or less. Here, she reveals her favourites, based on set-up time, realism and style.
B&M Geneva Frosted 5ft Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
Many of us don’t have space for a huge tree and what we need is one that will fit the available space, whether that’s a tight corner or a gap beside the telly.
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This is perfect for those tricky areas.
To boot, it is pre-lit and decorated with red berries and pine cones so once it’s up, it looks full and whilst you can add your own decorations, you don’t really need to do anything else to it.
Great for anyone short on space, time or budget.
Rating: 9/10
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Veylin 6ft Christmas Tree
10
Easy to assemble but it does take a bit of time to put all the branches in and fluff them out.
Even after spending some time doing this, there were still quite a lot of gaps.
It looked very fake and a few of the needles fell off as I was assembling it.
I also felt the stand wasn’t particularly sturdy. All that said, it is a good size for the price.
Rating: 3/10
Asda George 7ft Flocked PreLit Christmas Tree
10
A huge statement of a tree. It was easy to assemble, you simply unfold the branches and plug in the lights and it’s ready to go.
The snowy effect meant it didn’t look sparse at all and whilst I’ve never gone for a snowy tree before, the kids were really taken with it.
The only downside is the huge amount of snow you end up being covered in as you try to put it up.
Lots dropped on the carpet too creating a real Winter Wonderland – but might not be for you if you keep your floors polished.
Rating: 8/10
The Ultra Mountain Pine
10
A classic shape and super life-like branches, this was the most realistic of all the trees we tested.
The branches were sturdy and there was plenty of space to hang decorations.
It was still quite sparse compared to a real tree but once decorated, it didn’t notice too much.
It seemed high quality for the price and I’d expect it to last many Christmases to come.
Rating: 7/10
Habitat 6ft Mixed Cashmere Christmas Tree
10
A classic Christmas green and a lovely shape, this Habitat tree is easy to assemble.
Simply slot the pieces together and into the base.
Once it’s built, you need to spend a little time tweaking the branches to make it look thick and full but once completed I really loved how this looked.
It looked perfect once covered in tinsel and decorations. For £60, you’d be hard-pushed to find better.
Rating: 9/10
Robert Dyas 7ft Victoria Pine Tree
10
A good-sized tree with a lovely traditional shape but it did look a little sparse, even after I’d spent the recommended 45 minutes arranging the branches.
I’d say it takes a lot longer to get it looking good.
You simply connect the base and pole provided, then assemble the three segments from bottom to top to get it up and the hinged branches are easy to unfold.
It’s time-consuming but good value for a 7ft tree.
The narrow base is neat and doesn’t take up much room and there is plenty of room for presents underneath.
Rating: 7/10
North Valley Spruce 5ft Christmas Tree
10
A brilliant tree for the price.
The manufacturer does warn ‘primping and fluffing’ may be required and the branches did take quite a while to unfurl and twist into shape.
You had to decorate it quite heavily to disguise the trunk and branches but once up it looked fab and at just £60, it’s a good budget option.
Rating: 7/10
The Range 6ft Newport Christmas Tree
10
Incredibly sturdy and robust, this tree has a strong metal base to keep it in place.
It has a mix of green colours to make it look more realistic, though it was still quite obviously a fake.
A good size for the price and whilst it wasn’t my favourite before the decorations went on, it was easily spruced up.
Rating: 6/10
B&Q 6ft Snowy Full Artificial Christmas Tree
10
One of the fullest-looking trees with a snowy effect.
It’s easy to assemble, literally goes up in minutes and looks fuller than some trees with a significantly higher price tag.
It’s a good shape and size, without being too overbearing.
You may want to invest in a skirt to hide the wiry base. Loved it so much, this one will be going back up in December.
Rating: 10/10
