by Isabelle Esteves

Created on: November 07, 2009   Last Updated: December 01, 2010

Choosing an artificial Christmas tree can be quite a challenge. There really is no cutting it down to fit your room size, you have to get it right the first time. Here are a few things to consider before you go out and make that all important decision.

Height

How tall do you want your tree to be? If you have eight foot ceilings, do you want a seven foot tree which will allow one foot for your tree topper or do you want a six and a half foot tree so that you will have a little space above your topper. Do you want to place your tree on the floor, on a box or on a table? All of these are very important considerations.

Pre-lit

These days another decision you have to make is do you want your tree to be pre-lit? If you want it to be pre-lit then you need to decide if you want white light or colored lights. Another option is lights that twinkle. Maybe you would prefer to string your own light and avoid the pre-lit variety. You will be living with this tree for many years, making this a very important decision.

Type of tree

Believe it or not, all artificial trees are not created equal. There are many different types of trees. Do you want a pine, a fir, a spruce or a blue spruce. Do you want a full tree, a medium tree or a slim tree? You can even choose and upside down tree.

Color

Are you going to choose a traditional green tree or do you want the bluish green of the blue spruce? Maybe you want to go completely different and chose a white tree or an aluminum tree. How about fiber optic? These great trees are all the colors of the rainbow and they twinkle and blink and especially in a table top model are a great addition to your Christmas decorations.

Once you have answered all of the questions about what you need and want you are ready to begin your search. You can find a store in your area where you can go and see the trees in person. This will help you to be sure that the selections you have made are the ones you really want. Stores such as Walmart and Target carry Christmas trees. If you live in the Northeast, Namco has one of the finest Christmas tree selections in the area.

If you want one of the largest choices anywhere, the website Christmas Trees Galore has an amazing selection of trees. If you can't find something that you like among their many choices, it probably doesn't exist.

Keep in mind that if you plan to use your tree for many years into the future it is a good idea to invest in a storage box or bag so that nothing will damage the tree in the off season. Once you have gotten your first artificial tree you can come back year after year to add more trees until you have one in every room, that is what I did.

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