Buying an artificial Christmas tree: what to look for

November 14, 2020 (Last update: November 10, 2026)

Looking for an artificial Christmas tree? You’ll see artificial trees in more and more living rooms these days. The trend is that real Christmas trees are increasingly being replaced by artificial ones. Artificial Christmas trees have been around for decades, but they’ve never been as popular as in recent years. This is largely driven by greater awareness of the climate and the way we exhaust the earth and use natural resources. Every year more questions are raised about cutting down a tree just to enjoy it indoors for a few cosy days. As soon as Sinterklaas has left (and increasingly even while he’s still in the country) you’ll see garden centres and Christmas tree stalls filled with real trees. The Norway spruce and the Nordmann fir are still the best-selling Christmas trees in the Netherlands.

Other well-known types of ‘real’ Christmas trees are:

Norway spruce (Picea abies)
Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana)
Blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Glauca’)
Serbian spruce (Picea omorika)
Veitch’s fir (Abies veitchii)
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Noble fir (Abies nobilis / Abies procera)
Korean fir (Abies koreana)
White spruce (Picea glauca)
Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii)

These days an artificial Christmas tree is an excellent alternative to a real one. Check out the range of artificial Christmas trees at bol.com here.

Buying an artificial Christmas tree: what to do and what not to do

When you walk through a garden centre nowadays or search online for a (artificial) Christmas tree, it’s easy to lose track of all the options. Trees with long needles, trees with short needles. Blue and green trees. Trees made entirely of lights. Trees with and without snow on the branches. Mini trees just a few centimetres high, 1.50-metre trees, trees of 2.5 metres and even taller. Trees with and without built-in lights. And for example also wooden Christmas trees. So how do you choose a tree that suits your wishes and your interior? On kerstbomenwinkel.nl and kerstwinqel.nl, webshops where you can buy artificial Christmas trees, you’ll find useful tips, and below we also explain what to look out for when you want to buy an artificial tree. And bol.com also offers a very extensive selection.

Chances are you’ve never bought an artificial Christmas tree before, or not very often. So what should you pay attention to if you’re planning to buy one? How can you tell whether an artificial tree is good quality? What are some handy tips if you’re planning to buy an artificial Christmas tree? Which stores sell them?

A few online stores (webshops) that sell artificial Christmas trees are:

- kerstwinqel.nl

- kerstbomenwinkel.nl

- bol.com kunstkerstbomen

How do you recognise a good-quality artificial Christmas tree?

You buy an artificial Christmas tree to enjoy it for many years. So it’s important to choose the right tree for your budget. It would be a shame to realise too late that you didn’t pick the right one. TIP: buy your tree at kunstkerstbomen.nl and you can exchange it or get your money back within 14 days if you’re not happy with it.

A good-quality and safe artificial Christmas tree should at least meet the following criteria:

the branches have a steel core and are needle-retaining (i.e. if you bend them between thumb and forefinger, they stay intact);
the tree is flame-retardant and officially NEN-certified NEN EN 71-2, NEN EN 60-65, NEN EN 60-66;
the tree is easy to assemble and dismantle (and therefore easy to store);
the tree has a sturdy stand so you can position it safely;
and finally (not unimportant) it comes with clear instructions.

Types of branches in artificial Christmas trees

Some trees have horizontal branches, others have slightly drooping branches. The quality of the needles largely determines whether an artificial tree looks realistic and “almost real”. The needles of artificial trees are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or PE (polyethylene).

PVC needles are made by gluing 2 or 3 sheets of PVC together and then cutting them into long rectangular strips, which are attached to the branches. By gluing multiple PVC sheets together, the needles become stronger and can stay folded in storage for a long time without damage.

PE is a durable, mouldable plastic, which makes it perfect for creating life-size replicas of real Christmas trees. The production process for PE trees is complex, which is why these trees are a bit more expensive.

To strike the perfect balance between quality and price, there are also trees made from a mix of PVC and PE. This gives artificial trees a realistic look at a lower price than full-PE trees. In these trees, the outer needles are made of PE and the inner filling needles are PVC, which makes the tree look full and realistic at an attractive price.

Types of branches and needles on artificial trees

Some trees have horizontal branches, others have slightly drooping branches. There are also short-needled and long-needled branches. In nature, short-needled trees have horizontal branches, long-needled trees have slightly drooping branches (like Nordmann trees). You’ll see the same distinctions in artificial trees.

The advantage of short-needled trees is that there is more space between the branches, making it easier to hang decorations and create depth and perspective with your styling. Other trees are, for example, modelled on a Pinus or have a frosted look: a very full tree with beautiful, slightly shimmering branches. It can be really difficult to decorate such a tree because it’s so dense and the needles are so long. A short-needled tree is easier to decorate.

In short: think about what you find attractive (long or short needles) and how you want to decorate your tree. Are you just using lights and a few baubles? Then a long-needled tree is perfectly fine. Planning to use lots of decorations? Then a short-needled tree is the better choice.

Best-selling artificial Christmas tree at bol.com

This year again, garden centres and online stores such as bol.com expect to sell a record number of artificial Christmas trees. The best-selling artificial tree is from the brand RoyalChristmas and is available in several heights.

View it here on bol.com

What colour artificial Christmas tree should you choose?

The most common colours for artificial trees are blue and green. Green is the best-selling colour in the Netherlands. You can compare it a bit to the bluer Nordmann and blue spruce and the greener Norway spruce. Also think about which colours of decorations you want to use. Green trees look warmer and combine well with all colours of Christmas decorations. Blue is a bit cooler and looks great with blue, grey or white decorations, but doesn’t go as well with traditional Christmas red, brown or gold.

View blue artificial Christmas trees

View green artificial Christmas trees

View white artificial Christmas trees

Pay attention to the assembly system of the artificial tree

How do you assemble a Christmas tree easily and take it apart again without it turning into a complicated puzzle that takes ages? There are two systems for assembling and dismantling an artificial tree. The first is the hook-on system. With a hook-on system you attach the branches to the trunk yourself; this is easy to do using the colour and/or letter codes. With a hinge construction (also known as a hinged system) the branches are already attached to the trunk (this saves a lot of time).

Height of artificial Christmas trees

Artificial Christmas trees come in many different heights and sizes. The most common heights are:

With or without LED lighting

Some people love it as part of the ultimate Christmas and family feeling, others say it almost risks their marriage: putting the lights in the tree. If you buy an artificial Christmas tree you can avoid this hassle by choosing a tree with pre-fitted lights. Super convenient, right? Just bear in mind that the lighting can look a bit “artificial” if it isn’t strung criss-cross in a natural way.

View trees with LED lighting here

Can artificial trees be used outdoors?

It is possible to use an artificial Christmas tree outdoors. The only exception is artificial trees with (LED) lighting. (With the exception of a few taller models of 3 m or more that are suitable for outdoor use and have special outdoor lighting.) Artificial trees are actually designed for indoor use. They can be placed outside, but this will shorten their lifespan. The same applies to wreaths and garlands.

There are also artificial Christmas trees that are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

View all artificial trees suitable for outdoor use here

View all artificial Christmas trees for both indoor and outdoor use here

How expensive is an artificial Christmas tree?

There’s no single average price for an artificial Christmas tree. For the most realistic models you should expect to pay around € 125. Remember that you’ll enjoy the tree for many years, so in the long run it works out much cheaper than buying a real tree every year.

How big is an artificial tree when stored?

Almost all artificial Christmas trees come in a handy storage box. The size of the box naturally depends on the size of the tree. But they can easily be stored in a cupboard, attic or garage.

What are flagpole trees?

A flagpole Christmas tree is basically a string of LED lights that you hang from a tall pole or flagpole to create the shape of a Christmas tree. So from the top, several strings of lights run downwards and together they form the tree.

View them here for inspiration

Where can you buy an artificial Christmas tree online?

Of course you can go to a garden centre to buy an artificial tree, but it’s often smarter to buy your artificial Christmas tree online. You don’t have to leave the house, and the biggest advantage is that you can exchange the tree or get your money back thanks to the right of withdrawal (distance selling). There are a few webshops that specialise in artificial trees:

- kerstwinqel.nl

- kerstbomenwinkel.nl

- bol.com kunstkerstbomen

- kunstkerstbomen.nl

Top 10 best artificial Christmas trees

Quickly and easily find the best artificial Christmas tree for your home by checking out the Top 10 best artificial Christmas trees. Once you’ve gone through all the information, you can order online. Make the most of it!

Author

Carin

Van origine ben ik een communicatie adviseur. Na jarenlang in de financiële sector gewerkt te hebben als interne communicatie specialist ben ik de laatste jaren freelance schrijfster. Ik vind het leuk om een bepaald onderwerp verder uit te diepen en te onderzoeken. Dit mag zo breed mogelijk, zodat ik objectief informatie verzamelen om dit vervolgens in een bepaald artikel samen te vatten. Ik schrijf graag over nieuwe en relevante onderwerpen met als doel de consument te informeren over iets.