This article originally appeared on the Strategist.
To find the very best products that no human being would have the time to try, look to the best-reviewed (that’s four-to-five-star ratings and lots of ’em) products and choose the most convincing. You’ll find the best crowdsourced ideas whether you’re searching for comforters, bed sheets, or even wrapping paper. Below, the best artificial Christmas trees determined by the hard-nosed reviewers on Amazon. (Note that reviews have been edited for length and clarity.)
Best 2-Foot Christmas Tree
4.5 stars, 813 reviews
“We bought this for my 90-year-old in-laws who had recently moved into a retirement community and needed a compact Christmas display. The Charlie Brown tree is nostalgic to all of us who grew up waiting to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special come on the tube (back when they were literally tubes). They seem to love it, and now we’ll need to find a couple Peanuts figures to put around it next Christmas.”
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree With Blanket 24” Tall
$14, Amazon
Best 3½-Foot Pine Christmas Tree
4.5 stars, 225 reviews
“This little tree is absolutely perfect for our downsized Christmas display this year. The base is sturdy and heavy; the burlap covering is traditional and innocuous. The tree itself was fun to ‘fluff out’; we referred to the Amazon listing’s photo. Our tree looks just like the photo! There is plenty of greenery to give a realistic look, and generous spaces between the branches to hold our mercury-glass heirloom ornaments. The pine cones are sturdy and well-attached. The tree is on a small table to add height. We put some photos on Facebook, and have gotten great compliments! We’ll use this tree for years.”
Vickerman Carmel Pine Tree With Burlap Base-Unlit, 42-Inch
$60, Amazon
Best Pre-Lit 4½-Foot Douglas Fir Christmas Tree
4.4 stars, 240 reviews
“This is a lovely tree; it is so realistic-looking that it has to be touched to confirm that it’s not real. Substantial branches don’t sag, except with the very heaviest ornaments. I like lots of lights, and the way these lights are mounted gives the appearance of having more lights, even with ornaments. It was easy to assemble; though you should plan on spending a lot of time ‘fluffing’ since there are many, many branch tips! I bought this one for my mother; and we liked it so much, I’ve ordered the 7.5-foot-tall one as a gift for my daughter’s family!”
National Tree 4½-Foot “Feel Real” Downswept Douglas Fir Tree With 450 Clear Lights
$151, Amazon
Best Pre-Lit 5-Foot Alpine Christmas Tree
4.2 stars, 159 reviews
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it when I first assembled it. But it’s perfect! Now that it’s all decorated and in its special spot, it’s really pretty. I like the fact that it is not really full, as we have a very small house and a full tree takes up too much space. This one is perfect. I also like the fact that the tree trunk shows! I am thinking that I can remove the Christmas ornaments and leave it up. Will put some ‘non-Christmas’ things on it and leave it up all year! Love it.”
Vickerman Pre-Lit Natural Alpine Tree With 150 Multicolored Dura-Lit Lights, 5-Feet
$65, Amazon
Best 6-Foot Alpine Christmas Tree
4.3 stars, 477 reviews
“Great first Christmas tree! Didn’t break the bank, was delivered quickly, and it fits perfectly in my small apartment. It’s sturdy and I don’t think anyone who looks at it would think I paid less than $30 for it. In terms of needles and branches, it’s not the fullest tree in the world, but I think once I add ornaments, it’ll fill in the gaps between branch levels. All in all, if you want a big tree but don’t want to pay $50 to $100 or more, this just might be what you’re looking for.”
Homegear Deluxe Alpine 6ft 700 Tips Xmas / Christmas Tree
$37, Amazon
Best 6½-Foot Blue Spruce Christmas Tree
4.6 stars, 363 reviews
“I absolutely LOVE my tree!!! It looks 100 percent real! I was able to put it together with ease and I’m sooo excited. Most of all, my mother likes it and she is REALLY particular. Lol. I saw other trees in department stores and I got a bit scared. I didn’t think the height would be fitting, I thought that it would look ragged and I would be unpleased. I saw so many that were taller and cheaper. But when I got mine and opened the box, even BEFORE placing it together, I immediately felt the joy and happiness. My tree really brings Christmas to my home now. One of the best parts is knowing that it’ll be this way for years to come!”
6½-Foot Balsam Hill Blue Spruce Artificial Christmas Tree Unlit
$199, Amazon
Best Pre-Lit 7½-Foot Carolina Pine Christmas Tree
4.3 stars, 181 reviews
“We are so happy with this tree! It is beautiful and the picture does it no justice. I was going to put colored lights on it, knowing it only had white lights, but when I lit it up there was no need. It has plenty of lights that are distributed throughout the tree well; it was beautiful just the way it was. I am so happy with this tree, I can’t say it enough times. After the ornaments went on, it just doubled the beauty. Everyone states how beautiful it is when they see it. After fluffing the branches, the trunk does not show and it is a full tree that fluffs very well. The three-tone pine sets it off with the look of depth. Very easy to set up with three easy steps and simple to move around, not being heavy. I can’t say enough good about this tree. Worth every penny and I love, love, love it. Thanks!!!!”
National Tree 7½-Foot Carolina Pine Tree With Flocked Cones and 750 Clear Lights
$387, Amazon
Best 7½-Foot Kingswood Fir Christmas Tree
4.2 stars, 387 reviews
“Spent three years looking for the perfect artificial tree for our apartment. This was the year, and this was the tree that did the job! It fits our space perfectly, and we are VERY pleased with the fullness of the branches. Although it is not pre-lit, that allowed us to choose our own specialty lights. We used three strands of LED lights; since the tree disassembles into three sections, we anticipate being able to leave the lights on it for storage.”
National Tree 7½-Foot Kingswood Fir Pencil Tree
$99, Amazon
Best 8-Foot Spruce Christmas Tree
3.6 stars, 230 reviews
“Awesome tree for the money. Wouldn’t be able to find another for this price at this quality. You have to fan it out a bit to get it to look full, but it looks perfect when it’s done. And setup is a breeze. It just unfolds—nothing like those trees where you have to put all the pieces together.”
Best 9-Foot North Valley Spruce Christmas Tree
4.5 stars, 446 reviews
“Been waiting for years to get an artificial tree, and I chose the right brand and style! It looks fabulous when fluffed out. Granted it takes at least 45 minutes to get it from the box to fluffed out, more if you are symmetry OCD like I am, but it is well worth the time. Pack-up is very easy into the reusable box to store for next Christmas. Love it. Well-designed and well-made. Great value for the money.”
National Tree 9-Foot North Valley Spruce Tree
$225, Amazon
Best 12-Foot Dunhill Fir Christmas Tree
4.5 stars, 428 reviews
“Lovely tree—moderately complex to set up due to all the fluffing up of the branches, but well worth it. We set up the tree then waited several days to add the lights and trim. This gave us time to take small 15-minute forays into separating the three small branches at each intersection and getting it into the perfect shape. By adding our own lights, we can keep this tree forever versus having some of it stop functioning in a year or two. Well worth the purchase and the little bit of extra time and consideration that is put into setting this up.”
National Tree 12-Foot Dunhill Fir Tree
$641, Amazon
This article is published through a partnership with New York magazine’s the Strategist and Select All. The partnership is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected by New York magazine. If you buy something through our links, Slate and New York magazine may earn an affiliate commission.
