The branches are made from PVC rather than moulded PE tips, but the colour is a nice, natural-looking green (albeit a flat colour compared with the more nuanced tones of the premium options).

The winning tree for me was at the top end of the budget (although not the very top), but I reasoned that the cost could be divided over a potential 20-year lifespan. I spent some time trying out all this year’s best artificial trees and you can read my reviews further down, followed by some advice on how to tell a good artificial Christmas tree from a bad one, as well as a guide to size, weight, materials and tip count. More realistic trees (like those from John Lewis, The White Company and Balsam Hill, above) have more branches and, importantly, more branch tips. Hearst UK is the trading name of the National Magazine Company Ltd, 30 Panton Street, Leicester Square, London, SW1Y 4AJ. Look for trees made of PE (polyethylene), whose needles are injection moulded in 3D, sometimes using moulds of branches from real trees to create a more life-like appearance.If the item comes direct from a manufacturer, it may be delivered in non-retail packaging, such as a plain or unprinted box or plastic bag. This 4ft high frosted tree makes an excellent secondary addition - either in the garden or in the hall or porch. While I felt this was among the best of John Lewis offering, the brand has a huge array of choice, including the cheaper Petersberg and Fireside ranges, which have fewer tips. Line up several down the path for a luxurious festive feel, place on your doorstep or even in the porch. We all love the idea of a real Christmas tree, from the beautiful scent to the joy of heading out to select your chosen pine each year.

It causes one tenth of the damage to the environment that an artificial Christmas tree does – unless it is being imported from overseas, in which case the transport emissions have to be taken into account. A mini tree can be a great option for a secondary room: “I love to place a smaller sized tree on my kitchen windowsill – or they are great for a child’s room, guest bedrooms, bathrooms, or downstairs cloakrooms, as well,” The White Company’s Chrissie Rucker says. The branches themselves are realistic looking, made up of PE branches and PVC tips, and it is pre-lit with 100 warm white bulbs with eight different light settings.To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. The cashmere one gives your tree a soft-blurry feel whilst the twig trees are ideal for a minimalistic look. I wanted to see how closely they resembled real Christmas trees, judging them on the ease of assembly, safety features, durability (keeping an eye on any fake twigs breaking off), amount of branches, number of tips and detailing, as well as overall wow factor. Our upswept Christmas tree with thousands of branch tips is designed to give a fresh and authentic look.

This very sweet 90cm high tree has realistic-looking silvery-green branches, pre lit with warm-LED bulbs on a six-hour timer and can be kept outside. It arrives with a frosted finish for that instant snowy feel, and its quick-fit stand makes it a doddle to set up. Designed to recreate the magic of a real tree, this natural looking upswept tree offers all the charm minus the maintenance. This smaller pre-lit Christmas tree from John lewis is the perfect option for more compact living spaces. Perfect for slot top voile, blackout, and standard curtains, this tutorial simplifies the process of making stylish window treatments.Or, if you're aiming for that majestic look, we offer a great range of taller options like our 12ft Christmas tree.

Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). Join Latest Deals for free and get a hand-picked list of the best deals, delivered straight to your inbox.Set yourself apart from the rest with our range of navy or black Christmas trees for a sharp and modern feel. They're also cost-effective as you can reuse them year after year, and low-maintenance, meaning no need to water your tree or clean up stray needles. Get a full front luxe look of a traditional 6ft Christmas tree but only take up half the floor space. The frosted tips are probably not going to fool anyone that they’re actually in Narnia - especially if the ground is bare of snow - but they bring a fun and festive element to the tree. Habitat is a trading name of Argos Limited who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a credit broker (713206), and works exclusively with the lender, Home Retail Group Card Services Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority to provide credit (716148).