Look for trees made of PE (polyethylene), whose needles are injection moulded in 3D, sometimes using moulds of branches from real trees to create a more life-like appearance.

You needn't worry about disposing of your artificial Christmas tree, unlike with a real tree, which must be purchased and disposed of responsibly. Get inspired with eco-friendly materials, natural colour palettes, and multifunctional furniture designs. Balsam Hill trees are easy to construct, coming in three sections that plug into each other, but they are very heavy (up to 174kg for the 12ft tree).From Christmas baubles and jewelled flowers to sparkly snowflakes and everything in between, they’re sure to add the right amount of enchanting magic to your tree. This smaller pre-lit Christmas tree from John lewis is the perfect option for more compact living spaces. The branches are made from PVC rather than moulded PE tips, but the colour is a nice, natural-looking green (albeit a flat colour compared with the more nuanced tones of the premium options).

Join Latest Deals for free and get a hand-picked list of the best deals, delivered straight to your inbox.

When space is at a premium, a slim Christmas tree or pencil trees are ideal for bringing in the Christmas cheer whilst saving your floor space. Between the branches you can glimpse the trunk, which unlike some other models, has been designed to look like a real tree trunk to add to the naturalistic look. The products or services listed have been selected independently by journalists after hands-on testing or sourcing expert opinions.

Or grab one of our fibre optics or pre-lit Christmas trees to make decorating quick and easy this Christmas. Easy to assemble, just slot the pieces together and into the base, then lower the hinged branches into place. You would need to use an artificial Christmas tree for 10 years for it to be more environmentally friendly than a real Christmas tree.

Enter the artificial Christmas tree, which these days is a far cry from the cheap-looking options of old. Designed to recreate the magic of a real tree, this natural looking upswept tree offers all the charm minus the maintenance.