How to Shop for a New Indoor Christmas Tree (2023)

More and more people are buying indoor Christmas trees every year. Today, they’re far more popular than their real-life analogues: in fact, of the close to 100 million Christmas trees displayed every year, experts estimate that about 84% are artificial.

With so many indoor Christmas tree enthusiasts out there, it shouldn’t be any surprise that it’s a crowded market. But if you’re in the market for a new indoor Christmas tree yourself, it can be challenging to know just how to find a good Christmas tree from all the various options.

We’re here to help. In this article, we’ll go over what you should look for in an indoor Christmas tree in 2023, what to avoid, and why you may want to skip buying one from your typical big-box store.

Key features to look for in an indoor Christmas tree

When shopping for your next pre-lit Christmas tree, there are three main characteristics you should look out for.

Quality of foliage

Obviously, the “tree” part of the indoor tree is paramount. But while most everyday Christmas enthusiasts will purchase a tree just on looks, there are many other considerations you should make for such an expensive purchase.

• Does the tree look real? Does it look like something you’d be proud to have in your home?
• Does it have thick wires for shaping and holding the form of its branches?
• Will it be able to support all your ornaments?
• Will it maintain durability across years of use? Will you be able to store and reshape it year after year?

Quality of lights

Of course, essential to any indoor tree worth its salt are the twinkling lights. Trust us—if you haven’t already before, you don’t want to hunt down and replace a bad bulb in a clunky old tree.

• Does the tree use contemporary-style LED lights, or out-of-date incandescent lights?
• Do the lights look good?
• Are the lights high quality?
• Are the bulbs durable? Do they seal out dirt and corrosive elements in order to maintain their longevity?
• Do the bulbs go out often? Do people report problems with the lighting system?

Warranty

Indoor Christmas trees don’t have to be terribly expensive, but quality options are never quite cheap. Because of this, you want to ensure that your tree will last you a decade or more. Before you buy any artificial tree, check to see that it has a supplier warranty. Not only will this protect you if something goes wrong with the tree, it shows the manufacturer’s faith in the product (or lack thereof).

Pro-grade indoor Christmas trees vs. Big-box retail grade: What’s the difference?

Many shoppers go for sheer immediate convenience when getting a new indoor Christmas tree. They simply go to a big-box store like Walmart, Target, or Home Depot, and pick up the cheapest (or maybe second-cheapest) option. But while this is easy in the short term, it’ll almost certainly cause headaches—and likely be more expensive!—in the long run.

This is because the vast majority of trees you’ll find at big-box stores are woefully out of date, of low quality construction, and lacking features you’d expect in 2023. This is less due to their lack of realism—even most shabby-looking artificial trees look decent once they’ve festooned with lights. The bigger problem is their lack of long-term durability: as you set up and pack up a cheap big-box tree over and over, it sheds needles, breaks its branches, and gets generally ragged over the years. Lights go out and need to be replaced, or entire cables go dead, presenting a much more serious problem. In the end, you end up buying another tree the following year—and so, expenses add up.

This is why, if you’re buying a new indoor Christmas tree today, our firm recommendation is to purchase a pro-grade tree from a professional Christmas equipment dealer.

The best indoor Christmas trees use pro-grade LED lights, with a sealed structure that keeps damaging debris out. These lights not only look much better, they last much longer, too. The trees also last far longer than big-box options. With proper care, a quality indoor tree can look like new for a decade or more. The best options also come with a long-term warranty that backs up your purchase.

Professional-grade indoor Christmas trees are simply superior on every front! And while they may require a larger initial investment, over the years and decades, they can easily justify their expense.

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line pro-grade indoor tree at a reasonable price, look no further than Christmas Designers’ indoor artificial Christmas tree line. All our trees are backed by a five-year warranty, and come with our renowned professional-grade LED lights factory-installed. The warranty covers the construction of the tree including base stand, framing, hinges and foliage, and LED lights on pre-lit styles.