The best artificial Christmas trees of 2024, tested by AOL

Height: 6.5 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 2,144 | Needle type: PVC | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: Available with or without lights | Light count: 700 | Weight: 39 pounds | Warranty: 3 years

For an artificial Christmas tree that’s attractive, festive, and easy to set up, our top pick is the Balsam Hill Classic Blue Spruce. This tree comes in a wide range of sizes, from as small as 4.5 feet to a towering 15-foot option, and it was one of the most full and lush products we tested, with more than 2,000 branch tips on the 6.5-foot version.

Thanks to the abundant branches, this tree has no awkward gaps or holes, and it has PVC needles, which are soft and flexible, making it more comfortable to handle. (Just keep in mind that this style of needle isn’t the most realistic when you’re up close.) The tree also has more lights than similarly sized options, which made it especially bright. We love that you can choose from five different lighting options, including clear, colored, or even smart LED lights (or an unlit version, if you want to use your own), and there’s even a foot pedal on the power cord that makes it easy to turn the lights on and off without unplugging the tree.

The Blue Spruce tree also stood out from competitors thanks to its ease of setup and storage. The tree has a “Easy Plug” design that contains its electrical elements within the stem of the tree, so you don’t have to manually connect the different sections. Plus, because it's so lush, you don’t have to be as meticulous while fluffing the tree — the many branches fill in any gaps, even if they’re not perfectly arranged. The tree also comes with gloves for setup, a small storage bag for the base, as well as a bag for the tree itself, and the storage bag has large handles that make it more manageable to carry, and the tree sections fit inside it easily.

Our only major complaint about this artificial Christmas tree is that the initial packaging was heavy and challenging to move. Most large trees have built-in handles on the box, making them easier to carry, but this one lacked this useful feature. As such, you may need help to bring the package inside, especially if you need to carry it up stairs.

Height: 7.5 feet | Shape: Slim | Branch tips: 1,269 | Needle type: Mixed | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: Available with or without lights | Light count: 600 | Weight: 42 pounds | Warranty: 3 years

If you want the convenience of a faux tree but the appearance of a real one, the Balsam Hill Bellevue Spruce is a worthwhile upgrade for your holiday display. This tree has a mixture of PVC and polyethylene (PE) needles, the latter of which have a molded design that closely resembles real spruce needles. It was the most realistic tree that we tested, and you can only tell that it’s artificial if you examine it closely. However, the PE needles are more prickly than PVC ones, so you’ll likely want to use the included gloves to set up this tree.

The Bellevue Spruce tree comes in three heights — 6.5, 7.5, and 9 feet — and it has a slim profile that isn’t as wide at the base, making it ideal for smaller living spaces. It’s not quite as full as the brand’s Classic Blue Spruce design, so we did have to arrange the branches a bit more carefully to eliminate gaps. The extra effort was worth it, though — the fully fluffed tree was beautiful and had plenty of space for ornaments. While we tested an unlit option, you can also purchase this tree with clear or multicolored lights pre-arranged on its branches.

Similar to the other Balsam Hill tree, this model came well-packaged with an easy-to-assemble base, protective gloves, and a handy storage bag. It’s easy to take apart, and the brand backs its products with a three-year warranty that covers the tree frame, foliage, hinges, and stand, helping to protect your purchase. (After all, this tree is a bit more expensive than most.)

Height: 7.5 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 2,780 | Needle type: Mixed (majority PE) | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: Available with or without lights | Light count: 1,000 | Weight: 61 pounds | Warranty: 2 years

If you’re looking for a large, full, and realistic Christmas tree — and don’t mind spending more for it — the King of Christmas Royal Fir was a top performer in terms of setup and appearance. It has the most PE needles of all the trees we tested, creating a highly realistic appearance, and its high tip count made it look lush and full. It’s also a “quick setup” model, which means it’s mostly fluffed out of the box. (It does arrive in two separate packages to avoid compressing the branches.) We simply had to do a little shaping to get this tree looking its best, but it only took around 10 minutes, unlike other similarly sized trees that took an hour or more.

This artificial fir tree comes in several sizes, ranging from 6.5 to 12 feet, and you can choose from unlit or pre-lit models. It was the only tree we tested that offers dual white and colored LED lights, and you can switch between the settings using the tree’s foot pedal or the included remote control. It also has several lighting patterns if you want to create a more dynamic display. The tree also held up ornaments well, though we did have to nestle them into the branches, as the foliage is quite dense.

The major caveat with this tree is obviously its price. Retailing for $1,599 at full price, it’s the most expensive option we tested and double the price of every other tree on this list. Additionally, we did notice that there are some gaps toward the bottom of the tree. They’re not so large that they take away from the overall appearance, but for the price point, we expected the foliage to have a consistent appearance all the way to the base.

Height: 8 feet | Shape: Slim | Branch tips: 2,455 | Needle type: Mixed | Flocked: Yes | Pre-lit: Available with or without lights | Light count: 700 | Weight: 60 pounds | Warranty: 2 years

The term “flocking” refers to fake snow that’s adhered to the branches of an artificial Christmas tree, and our favorite product in this category is the King of Christmas Queen Flock Tree. It has a combination of realistic PE needles and thick, fluffy “snow” that creates a whimsical appearance, and the tree’s 2,000+ densely-packed branches make it look wonderfully full and luxurious.

This tree comes in six sizes, ranging from 6.5 to 12 feet tall, and it has a slim profile that’s 51 inches wide at its base. It’s available with pre-strung warm white LED lights, many of which are also covered in flocking for a warm, cozy glow. When setting up this tree, we found that it doesn’t require quite as much fluffing, as many of the branches are already arranged nicely, but of all the trees we tested, this one shed the most during setup and left a thick layer of white flakes on the floor. The good news is that it stopped shedding after setup, so it’s just a one-time frustration.

If you choose a pre-lit version of this tree, its electronic connections are all within the central pole, which makes it quick and easy to set up, and it also has a foot-controlled pedal to turn the lights on and off. Unfortunately, though, the lights on the top section of the tree we received didn’t work properly, and despite our efforts troubleshooting, we couldn’t get it to light up. When we contacted the brand about it, they sent out a replacement right away, and the new tree worked properly.

Height: 6.5 feet | Shape: Slim | Branch tips: 826 | Needle type: PVC | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: Yes | Light count: 250 | Weight: 18 pounds | Warranty: 5 years for tree; 2 years for lights

If you’re pressed for space, the Puleo International Fraser Fir has a slim design that’s only 30 inches wide at the base, making it easy to tuck into a small corner of your home. It’s also surprisingly lightweight for a 6.5-foot tree, so it’s manageable for almost anyone to set up. The tree comes in five sizes, ranging from 4.5 to 10 feet, and it’s strung with white incandescent lights. Unlike other options we tested, you do have to manually connect the light plugs between the two tree sections, but it was easy to do during the setup process.

This inexpensive artificial Christmas tree has soft PVC needles, and it has enough branches to create a full look with minimal gaps. The color of the tree is a bit different than it looks in product photos, but if anything, we liked the real-life hue better, as it’s a more realistic shade of green.

There are a few downsides to keep in mind before you buy this artificial tree. First, it’s not the most sturdy option and could easily be knocked over by children or pets, so you may need to anchor it upright if you have a busy household. Its power cord is also woefully short, so unless you’re placing it right next to an electrical outlet, an extension cord will come in handy. Finally, this tree doesn’t include a storage bag, so you may need to purchase one separately.

Height: 7 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 1,163 | Needle type: Mixed | Flocked: Yes | Pre-lit: Available with or without lights | Light count: 500 | Weight: 33 pounds | Warranty: 2 years

If you like your ornaments to be the star of the show, you might want to opt for a “sparse” artificial Christmas tree. These trees are specially designed for displaying copious amounts of ornaments, with more space in between the branches for your decorations to shine. The best option we tested in this category was the King Noble Flock, and it was also the only tree that was able to support extra-heavy decorations without sagging.

This tree is available in 7, 8, or 9-foot heights, as well as lit and unlit options. It has a mixture of PVC and PE needles for a more realistic appearance, and the branches are covered with a light layer of flocking for a snow-kissed look. Here’s the good news: Unlike the other flocked trees we tested, this one barely shed at all during setup, and its branches required less fluffing than other trees, making the process go a bit quicker.

The model we tested is lit with 500 warm white LED lights, which gives it a warm, cozy appearance, and all the electrical connections are inside the stem of the tree for quick and easy assembly. It has a foot pedal that lets you control the lights without having to bend over, too. This tree also comes with protective gloves for setup, as well as a storage bag for the off-season.

We did run into one issue with the King Noble Flock tree: Upon arrival the bottom section of the tree has an unattractive brown tinge on its flocking. When we contacted the brand about it, they replaced it immediately, and the new tree we received was perfectly white, as expected. Still, we think it’s worth noting, as it took away from our overall experience during testing.

Height: 4.5 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 798 | Needle type: PVC | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: Yes | Light count: 250 | Weight: 20.7 pounds | Warranty: N/A

The Best Choice Products Pre-Lit Spruce is a budget-friendly pick — you can get a 6-foot tree for just $100! While it does have a few quirks, we found that this inexpensive tree is lightweight and surprisingly sturdy, and it’s definitely a worthwhile pick if you’re shopping on a tight budget. It comes in five sizes between 4.5 and 12 feet, and you can choose between warm white or multicolored incandescent bulbs, which are evenly spaced around the tree’s branches.

While several of the trees we tested were 30 or 40 pounds, this one weighs in at just 20 pounds, making it much easier to lift and assemble. The top two sections of this tree have enough branches to create a full appearance, but the bottom section is a bit more sparse, leaving sizable gaps that are hard to fill. The tree has soft PVC needles, and truthfully, they’re the most plasticky of all the trees we tested. However, if you dress the tree up with plenty of ornaments, its less-than-realistic appearance and slightly sparse design won’t be as noticeable.

Height: 7.5 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 1,504 | Needle type: Mixed | Flocked: Yes | Pre-lit: Yes | Light count: 600 | Weight: 35.2 pounds | Warranty: 3 years

The Home Holiday Accents Sparkling Amelia Artificial Tree is beloved on social media, and we can understand why — its glitter-infused flocking sparkles in the sunshine, giving it a truly magical appearance, and its PE pine needles were some of the most realistic of all the trees we tested. However, this tree has one major flaw that keeps it from being practical: It sheds glitter profusely and makes an absolute mess of your home.

From the time we opened this tree’s packaging, we knew it was going to be a problem, as the bottom of the box was filled with loose glitter. As we feared, the tree continued to dump tiny sparkles all over the floor and our clothes during unboxing and assembly, creating a huge mess all around the room. It also continued to shed glitter as we decorated, leaving our arms and clothing covered in the metallic flocking, and it shows no signs of stopping. So however pretty the tree might be, we simply can’t recommend it unless you’re willing to deal with glitter permeating every inch of your home for the foreseeable future.

Height: 6 feet | Shape: Full | Branch tips: 798 | Needle type: PVC | Flocked: No | Pre-lit: No | Light count: N/A | Weight: 13.6 pounds | Warranty: N/A

Another option from Best Choice Products, this artificial spruce tree doesn’t include any lights, and it’s even more affordable than the other model, costing just $70 for a 6-foot tree. However, we found that the lack of lights only highlighted the tree’s plasticky appearance, and the gaps at the bottom of the tree were really noticeable. If you’re looking for an inexpensive option and don’t mind it looking fake, this might be an OK choice, but otherwise, we recommend upgrading to one of our other picks.