A Buyer's Guide to Artificial Christmas Trees

The variety of artificial Christmas trees available can be overwhelming, but by keeping a few guidelines in mind you can wind up with an artificial xmas tree that is the envy of everyone on the block. With so many different types available, including commercial trees, pre-lit or unlit and many more, finding the right artificial Christmas tree can be much easier than you may think.

Important points to consider

• Fire safety
   
• Number of tips
   
• Size, style, color
   
• Ease of assembly and storage

Most artificial Christmas trees are fire safe, but it's always best to double check. If the tree is pre-lit or fiber optic, be sure it is also Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved. Flame retardant does not mean the same thing as fireproof. There are some excellent holiday safety tips for both real and artificial Christmas trees on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) website at http://www.nfpa.org.

The higher the number of tips an artificial Christmas tree has, the fuller and more lush it will look. Avoid trees with a low number of tips unless you want a sparse look.

You want the color and style of your artificial tree to coordinate with the overall Christmas scene. For more traditional decorations, choose a more traditionally styled tree. For a more modern look, opt for a tree that is perhaps less realistic and more stylized such as the metallics. Size is one of the biggest considerations. Artificial Christmas trees range in size from tiny to towering. What you choose will depend mostly on the dimensions of the room in which you are going to display the tree.

Consider how much time you want to spend putting your tree together. There are varieties that have to be put together branch by branch. There are also full size Christmas trees that come in sections and even those that are ready to go right out of the box.

Don't forget that Christmas will be over at some point and you will be faced with storing your artificial Christmas tree. Do you have enough space to store the 12 footer you've had your eye on after the holidays? If not, you may need to opt for a scaled down version.

You've hung your stockings by the chimney with care, put out the Nativity scene and lit your candles. Now all that's left is to finish adding your favorite ornaments and place the star on top. Then enjoy some milk and cookies and bask in the warm holiday glow of your perfect artificial Christmas tree. Just make sure you save some for Santa Clause to snack on while he's leaving gifts under that beautiful tree, and have a very merry Christmas!