Artificial Christmas Trees: How to Choose Size, Lights and Shape

Choose an artificial Christmas tree in three steps. First measure the ceiling and leave at least 12 inches above the tree. Next measure the floor to pick a shape that fits. Last, decide on the lights and the foliage: pre-lit or unlit, molded PE tips or flat PVC, green or flocked. Everything else follows from those choices.

How to choose an artificial Christmas tree

An artificial Christmas tree is easiest to choose from the room outward. Balsam Hill measures a tree “from the stand to the topmost tip” and recommends leaving “at least 12 inches between the top of your tree and the ceiling.” King of Christmas suggests a 6 to 12 inch gap; the larger gap is the safer one to plan around, and Treetopia reminds you to leave enough space for a tree topper.

Then look at the floor, because shape decides how much of it the tree takes. Our Christmas tree size guide turns your ceiling height into a tree height and your floor space into a shape.

Artificial Christmas trees by type

Two less common types have their own page: fiber optic and pop-up trees, which light up from the base or fold into a box.

Pre-lit or unlit artificial trees

A pre-lit artificial tree comes with its lights already strung on the branches. Balsam Hill sells pre-lit trees with “either incandescent or LED lights, which differ in efficiency and longevity,” and says LEDs use less electricity and give off less heat. King of Christmas lists warm white LEDs on its pre-lit trees, with multicolor on some.

An unlit tree costs you an evening of stringing lights but lets you choose any color or style. Balsam Hill’s rule of thumb is “100 lights for every foot of tree height,” doubled for a more dramatic look, so a 7-foot tree takes 700 to 1,400 lights. The pre-lit tree guide compares LED with incandescent bulbs and gives light counts by height.

7.5 ft pre-lit artificial Christmas trees

Shop 7.5 ft pre-lit artificial trees→

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns.

• Warm white LEDBrowse →
• Multicolor lightsBrowse →
• Color-changing lightsBrowse →

Realistic, flocked or colored foliage

Artificial tree foliage comes in two materials. Balsam Hill describes PVC needles as thin strips cut from pressed sheets that “may appear flat,” and PE tips as cast from molds of “actual conifer tree branches,” so they have “the shape, thickness, and mass of a true tree branch.” Many trees mix the two to balance realism and price. Balsam Hill also gives a fullness guide: a 7.5-foot tree with “1,500 to 2,500 tips typically looks lush and natural.”

A flocked tree is coated with a synthetic material made to look like snow, and a frosted tree has a lighter layer of it, Balsam Hill explains. A colored tree swaps green for another color, a look that goes back at least to the colored aluminum trees of the 1960s. The most realistic tree guide covers PE and PVC in depth. For the snowy look, read the flocked tree guide; for pink or white, the colored tree guide.

Artificial tree shapes for every room

Artificial Christmas tree shapes go beyond the classic cone. Balsam Hill’s buyer’s guide lists six. The full tree is “the most popular shape, with the classic profile of natural Christmas trees.” Narrow trees are full-style trees made narrower, and slim trees are “tall, slender trees with a sleek, elegant profile designed for tight spaces and corners.” Wide trees give a fuller silhouette for big rooms and heavy ornaments, and sparse trees space their branches to show off ornaments. Flatback trees “look like a full-shaped tree but rest flat against a wall or corner.”

The narrowest of all is the pencil tree, which Treetopia puts at about 19 to 23 inches wide for a 7-foot tree. The slim and pencil tree guide compares the widths.

What to check on the box before you buy

An artificial tree’s product page tells you most of what you need. Start with the height, measured from the stand to the top tip, and the width at the base. Then compare the tip count with the share of PE tips, which King of Christmas lists on each product page. Last, look for a “Fire Resistant” label.

Warranties differ by maker, so compare them before you buy. As of 19 October 2026, Balsam Hill listed a 3-year warranty on its trees outside clearance, and King of Christmas advertised a two-year warranty; terms change, so read the current ones. On a pre-lit tree, check whether the warranty covers the lights as well as the branches.

Christmas tree sizes, toppers and skirts

The finishing pieces depend on the tree you choose. A tall tree needs a high ceiling and a well-secured topper. A tabletop tree fits a desk or a dorm. On top, a Christmas tree topper has to clear the ceiling; underneath, a tree skirt should be a little wider than the tree.