For years, I was a Fraser fir girl. Growing up in the Midwest, my family always had a real Christmas tree, so when I moved to New York City 20 years ago, I continued the holiday tradition. The notion of there being some most realistic artificial Christmas tree seemed laughable to me so I happily hiked to my local “New York State of Pine tree stand and hauled a five-foot fir home. These days, technology has come a long way, so realistic artificial Christmas trees do exist. When my mother became ill a few years ago, I began spending my holidays with her so it didn’t make sense for me to put up a real tree, which would be dry, crispy, and painful to take down by the time I got back to New York several weeks later.
I refused to go another year without a tree in my apartment so this month, I decided to check out the best artificial Christmas trees. I decided on an artificial tree with lights because I didn’t want to have to worry about stringing (and then unstringing) them myself. The point of an artificial Christmas tree is for the process to be easy, so already having the lights attached was a big selling point for me.
I checked out where to buy artificial Christmas trees online and came across Balsam Hill, which is known for higher-end artificial Christmas trees. I decided on the 6.5-foot Balsam Fir artificial Christmas tree with a slim build and both colored and clear lights. Here’s what I thought about the tree.
Balsam Hill
Balsam Hill Balsam Fir Artificial Christmas Tree
Easy-to-Use: Can set up in under 30 minutes
Space-Saver: Packs up into a single storage bag
Customizable: Comes in lots of heights, and widths, plus light and set-up options
Buying an artificial Christmas tree online
The best artificial Christmas trees cost quite a bit of money so if you’re going to make that investment, you probably want to feel well-informed about what you’re buying, right? And you also probably want the process to be seamless. The first thing I noticed about the Balsam Hill website was that it was SO easy and intuitive to use. Once you click on the tree of your choice (the BH Balsam Fir in my case), you just select the height, shape, lights, and setup. You don’t have to flip between numerous pages since it’s all right there.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Also, as you choose between settings, you’ll also see the price change in real-time so you can immediately decide if it’s worth an extra $100 for a taller tree or different kinds of lights.
My Balsam Hill artificial Christmas tree looks so much better than my old one, even before being decorated.
How to choose an artificial Christmas tree online
Because you can’t see the tree in person, you have to go off reviews you read online (like this one), deals offered (which are especially likely around and after the holidays), and what features are available. What I loved about Balsam Hill is how many options they offered on their website.
Height
Balsam Hill artificial Christmas trees are available from 5’5-feet to 18-feet. Before you order, be sure to measure your space accordingly – including both height and width. The website offers the full dimensions of each tree so consider how much space it will take up in both directions.
Shape
Before I came across the Balsam Hill website, I had no idea that artificial Christmas trees came in so many widths. What I love about their trees is that you can choose the style you like (like the BH Fraser Fir), and then select a slim, full, or wide tree. Though I think the full and wide trees are prettiest, storage is an issue for me so I went with the slim build so it would take up less space in my closet during the year.
Lights
Instead of having to choose between colored and clear lights, as was the case in the old days, Balsam Hill offers both of these options, plus the option to have both on the same tree (though this can bump up the price a few hundred dollars, depending on how tall your tree is). They also offer funky fairy and twinkly light show set-ups and whatever lights you go with, you can easily control them with a remote.
Set-up
Until I came across the Balsam Hill website, I was also totally unaware that they made flip artificial Christmas trees, which basically fold down and make breakdown a bit easier. I really wanted to try this option but I spoke with their customer service team, which informed me that they do take up more space when stored since they are intended to be moved around on a wheeled base instead of being broken down and boxed. The flip artificial Christmas tree is best for homes with a garage or dedicated storage space on the same floor, not for apartments like mine where the tree will be stuffed into the back of a cramped closet.
Balsam Hill tree in its box
What’s so special about Balsam Hill Christmas trees?
Balsam Hill is known for making some of the most realistic artificial Christmas trees on the market but, as mentioned above, I also really love how helpful and easy-to-use their website is. Here are some other things I like about my Balsam Hill Christmas tree.
Easy to set up
Everything came in a single box (unlike my sister’s larger artificial Christmas tree which came in and is still stored in multiple boxes). There were very clear, simple directions to follow and each section of the tree was labeled. It took me about 30 minutes to set up and even less time to break down.
Beautiful Christmas lights
As mentioned, I like that Balsam Hill offers so many light options and I am very pleased that I went with the colored and clear LED light combo since the color of lights I’ll activate depends on the type of ornaments I hang.
Everything you need is included
No tools are required but you get a small bag that includes a simple tree stand, gloves to fluff the branches, and spare lights should you need them in the future.
Bendable branches
This feature is absolutely mandatory to me because I invest a lot of time and money buying Christmas tree ornaments all over the world. If they fall off a flimsy branch, it will be difficult to impossible for me to replace them, like the limited edition Grand Canyon National Park ornament I bought when I made Arizona the 50th state I visited. Because I can bend the branches upward, my ornaments are less likely to slide off and break.
Bendable branches make my holiday ornaments less likely to fall off the tree
Which Balsam Hill tree looks most realistic?
Well, it’s a bit a matter of personal preference, but in general, the BH Fraser Fir and the BH Balsam Fir tend to be considered the most realistic-looking. Personally, I think the Fraser Fir looks a bit more realistic but not by much.
Are Balsam Hill trees worth it?
That’s kind of a matter of personal opinion because even if you catch a Balsam Hill Christmas tree sale, you’re still going to be spending several hundred dollars. Personally, I think they’re worth it, but if you’re on a tight budget, you may be better off with an affordable real tree from Menards
Balsam Hill Christmas tree sale
Artificial Christmas trees tend to be discounted around the holidays so, lucky you, there’s currently a Balsam Hill Christmas tree sale. They’re offering up to 60% off their trees (plus free shipping) until January 20th but it’s possible the sale could be extended.
Balsam Hill
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
