I used to be no way on the fake tree. They are so fake looking! Then I had an bad injury in 2015 that made getting the real tree in and out of the house just about a nightmare (I was ready to leave it stuck in the front door).
2016 I did a ton of research and found Balsam Hill. Online and in their catalogue, their trees LOOKED pretty good. They are really expensive but they have sales, sometimes 40-50% off. So I pulled the trigger and got a 6’ Douglas fir with LED lights.
At first I was mad because it didn’t look real at all. But that’s because you have to fluff the boughs the way you want them and allow them to settle. Once that happens, it really looks very real. You also don’t have the issue you have with real trees where it looks full but then you get it home and there’s a big hole in one place.
I also feel like it’s more sustainable. I’m not taking a tree for a set period of time and then throwing it out, even if the tree is recycled. The LED lights are also more efficient than those you typically find (although you can buy those now, but they’re so expensive).
It’s also now one less thing I’m spending money on at Christmas. I spent it in 2016 and it’s guaranteed for X years (the lights). Live trees around here are pricey so it’s going to have paid for itself in 5 years.
Finally, the worst part of putting up/taking down a tree is putting up the lights. Getting one with lights on it makes it so much more pleasant and you get right to the fun part. It also comes with its own stand so you don’t need to deal with that nonsense or making sure the tree has enough water.
