Hey everyone,
I’ve been researching the best 6ft pre-lit Christmas trees over the past few days because I’m planning to get a slightly smaller tree for my apartment this year. I’ve been going through reviews from Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens, and The Spruce, and these two models seem to come up consistently as top-rated for their quality, lighting, and realism:
National Tree Company Feel Real Nordic Spruce Pre-Lit Tree
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3Q9EJZ
Balsam Hill 6ft Vermont White Spruce Pre-Lit Tree
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O9Z61OO
The National Tree Company Nordic Spruce is getting great feedback for its realistic branch tips, full look, and evenly spaced LED lights. It’s also easy to assemble, which is perfect if you don’t want to spend hours setting up. On the other hand, the Balsam Hill Vermont White Spruce looks a bit more premium with its True Needle foliage, built-in Easy Plug lighting system, and clear LED bulbs that create a warm, cozy glow.
I’m mainly looking for a tree that looks lifelike, has durable LED lights, and fits comfortably in a medium-sized living room without taking up too much space. Since I don’t need anything taller than 6 feet, I want something that still feels full and festive without compromising on quality.
If anyone has bought either of these or found a good 6ft pre-lit tree elsewhere, please share your experience. I’d also love to know if there are any current deals or sales going on since prices tend to spike closer to December.
Any tips or recommendations would be really helpful. Thanks in advance, and happy decorating!
It’s important to remember that inflation is an issue and that US dollars trees go up in price The same goes for artificial trees I bought my artificial tree for 1,000 at Balsam Hill, and they’re now selling for about 1,500 To answer your question, an unlit tree can last forever if properly cared for Sometimes branches break and need to be secured with wire, but that may have happened to my mom’s tree because she kept it in a box Since she’s had a bag, we haven’t had that problem My mom’s tree has lasted since the 1990s or early 2000s, according to what my grandmother and mother told me, but given its age and when she bought the house, it seems like she’s had it longer Mine is 2 or 3 years old and shows no signs of wear When I see people forced to replace their tree, it’s mostly because of the lights If you buy an unlit tree, you don’t have to worry about this just change the lights However, some people buy a prelit tree to simplify setup I simply attach the arrows and the lights glow without having to hang them The problem is that not all lights are created equal My lights flicker, and their lifespan is estimated at 30,000 hours I did the math 5 hours of lighting per day x 2 months NovemberDecember divided by 30,000, which gives a lifespan of 9870 years There’s a reason Balsam Hill calls its lights “forever lights” in its industry However, some people aren’t willing to pay that high a price As mentioned above, not all lights are created equal As mentioned above, the main problems with your tree will be the lights and the possibility of broken branches due to improper storage or setup Another problem I’d never heard of, but have noticed with trees, is that it’s like video games the graphics are much better today than they were in the 90s My mom paid a lot of money for her tree, which back then was considered the best I think she paid 200 in the 90s Today, like I said, there are lighting options, and my tree looks US dollars thanks to realistic branch tip technology So, if you want a realistic tree, my mom’s doesn’t compare to mine If you prefer a very realistic tree for 800 and no lights, it better be very realistic, be careful not to break any branches In that case, if you don’t have a problem with string lights, this might not be an issue Some manufacturers, like Balsam Hill, now offer accessories like stands, storage bags, etc, because they’ve found that the trees were damaged when they were packed in boxes
Almost all tree stores already install them, so it’s a good idea to check in person if a less expensive tree fits your needs or a similarly priced one with more features Garden centers often have more luxurious trees, but Home Depot and Lowe’s also have a good selection I always buy “skinny” trees, usually 44 to 46 inches wide However, if you want a standardsized tree 48 inches or larger, make sure it will fit well in your home Practical features include pole power, realistic branches that hide the inner pole, and lightingincandescent or LED Standard, micro, twinkling, colorchanging Does it have a remote control Personally, I find LEDs much more reliable, but some incandescent trees are good quality, and others have string lights that prevent them from going out if a string falls or breaks Another point colors Make sure the white matches, and if it’s red, blue, green, or yellow, is there a fifth color like purple or orange Does it matter Do they need to be fluffed If so, it’s a little more complicated, but these trees are more compact and easier to transport and store I’m sure Balsam Hill trees are very good quality, but prices can vary It’s surprising, so shop around first and decide by early November
I bought an unlit tree from Balsam Hill and I’m delighted with it I installed the lights in sections it’s much easier to wrap the branches and place many lights in each section than to scatter them all over the tree The sections fit together perfectly, so there are no gaps