Artificial Christmas Trees: The Pros and Cons of Artificial Trees

I am a huge fan of Christmas trees, to the point that I actually put up two every year. The first is an artificial Christmas tree that I purchased one year when I was living in an apartment. The building had very strict rules about live Christmas trees, in the fact that they weren’t allowed, and although I was planning to go away for Christmas, I still wanted to have a tree in my home.

So out to store I went and purchased a fake tree. Fast forward a year and I found myself in a place where I could once again purchase my yearly live tree at Christmas. My husband was overjoyed since this was his preferred choice, and I was a little upset because I had invested the money into a tree that I was never going to use. Of course, the solution was in putting up two trees. The artificial Christmas tree was used as a decoration in the dining room or front entrance hall and the real tree was used in the family room and was the tree where all the presents went.

I have never regretted putting up two trees, well, except when I take them down, and I feel that both real and artificial trees have many pros and cons. In that regards, everyone has a list of pros and cons when it comes to artificial trees and generally, many people are avidly for them or against them.

Let’s face it, artificial Christmas trees haven’t always looked that great but over the years, artificial trees have gone from looking completely fake to looking remarkably like real trees. Aside from the debate on the looks, there is a strong debate over which is the “green” choice, real or artificial. On one hand, artificial trees means that you aren’t purchasing on a yearly basis and you aren’t cutting down any real trees but on the other, you are manufacturing them creating a larger carbon footprint.

But enough about which is eco-friendly, since that debate can go on and on, and let’s just look at the pros and cons of artificial trees.

Starting with the Cons:

1. If someone walked up to you and said, you want the good news or the bad news first, most people will ask for the bad news so I am going to start with the cons of artificial trees. Let’s get through the bad stuff so we can close on a positive note.
2. The Carbon Footprint: I know I said I wasn’t going to go into the whole “eco-friendly” debate but it is important to look at the carbon footprint as a con when you are deciding on real or artificial. With artificial trees, there is manufacturing, chemicals used during the process and the fact that they are made from a petroleum based material. Add all of that to shipping, usually from China, and you have a huge carbon footprint. If you are interested in a “green” solution to a Christmas tree, then artificial not the one for you.
3. Chemicals: In the process of making an artificial Christmas tree, there are a lot of chemicals being used such as lead. All of these can have adverse effects on a person’s health and artificial Christmas trees contain chemicals that are known carcinogens. It is important to note that majority of these toxins are released if the Christmas tree catches on fire.
4. Synthetic Looking: This is often the biggest con for many consumers, the fact that artificial Christmas trees look artificial. Over the years, artificial Christmas trees have come a long way and many of them look very authentic and real. Unfortunately, the cost of the artificial tree will greatly improve how real your tree looks and unless you are dealing with a budget of several hundred to a thousand dollars, your artificial tree may not look as good as a real tree.
5. Requires storage: Another big detractor for artificial Christmas trees is the fact that they do require some space for storage throughout the year. If you have a large house, this isn’t usually too big of a problem but a small apartment may not have the storage space available for a large artificial tree.
6. Requires set up: Every tree, whether it is real or artificial, needs to be set up but artificial trees involve a bit more than sticking it in a tree stand and decorating. Many have branches that need to be inserted into a pole and all of them will need branches spread out and needles fluffed to get rid of any flatness from storage.
7. Not degradable: Although we love to believe that once you buy one artificial tree, you won’t have to buy another one for the rest of your life, that is not true. Trees can be damaged and they do succumb to the yearly wear and tear of storage. For this reason, you will probably buy a new tree every ten years or so and the old tree will be tossed in the garbage. Again, this goes back to being “eco-friendly” but an artificial tree is not bio-degradable and it will sit in landfills for generations.

End with the pros:

1. Since we started with the cons, let’s end on a positive note and look at all the pros of owning an artificial Christmas tree.
2. Convenient: Okay, maybe the tree takes a bit more to set up but that isn’t a big deal when you look at the fact that you only have to go into your storage closet to get it. There is no strolling through tree lots or freezing as you cut down a Christmas tree at a growers. It is simply set up and decorate, none of the in between stuff involved. As an added bonus, many artificial Christmas trees come with the lights already strung.
3. No clean up or maintenance: This is probably one of the biggest draws to the whole artificial tree scene. There is no clean up. No water sloshing onto the carpet, no needles on the floor and pets are less likely to mark the artificial tree. On top of that, you don’t have to maintain the tree and keep it watered throughout the holiday.
4. Cost effective: One look in a department store and you may not see the cost effectiveness of an artificial when the price tag is in the hundreds but generally, you will spend between 25 to 100 dollars per year on a real tree. If your artificial tree, that cost you 200 dollars, last 10 years, that would mean a savings of 50 to 800 dollars, and that’s not even looking at the cost of gas to get to and from the Christmas tree lot.
5. Flame retardant: Although they are not flame proof, most artificial Christmas trees are sprayed with a flame retardant that makes them a safer choice when it comes to trees.
6. More variety: If variety is the spice of life, then the artificial Christmas tree market is hot. There are many different types of artificial Christmas trees and you can get them in an assortment of colors, sizes, shapes and tree types. You can also get them with lights, or without lights.

In the end, it is a preference choice when it comes to choosing a real or artificial tree but the decision is always easier when you know the pros and cons behind them.

-Sirena Van Schaik