11 Different Types of Artificial Christmas Trees

Artificial Christmas trees have many benefits over real trees. Not only do they cost less in the long run, but they are easy to care for and reduce the risks of a potential fire hazard. Artificial trees are better for the environment as they limit the number of real trees that get cut down, and when you purchase a Christmas tree from us at Christmas Tree World, a new tree is planted in the Borneo rainforests through the Borneo Nature Foundation. They are also great hypoallergenic options for those who can’t have a real tree.

But one of the best parts of buying an artificial Christmas tree is that there are so many different types to choose from! From pre-lit and fibre optic to brightly coloured trees that will add a touch of whimsy to your festive decor, there is something for everyone to love.

However, if you've never bought an artificial Christmas tree before, the number of available options can be overwhelming. The following guide walks you through 11 different types of artificial Christmas trees and helps you choose the one that works best for your style, home, and family.

1. Pre-Lit Christmas Trees

A significant perk of the artificial Christmas tree is that you have the option of getting a pre-lit tree. If you choose a fresh-cut Christmas tree, you’ll need to buy strings of Christmas lights and wrap them around the tree. Of course, if the lights aren't brand new, you’ll also need to plug in each string to test them for blown bulbs before you start decorating.

The entire process is time-consuming, often frustrating, and can quickly become expensive. An artificial pre-lit Christmas tree eliminates the headache of untangling old lighting, searching for replacement bulbs, and hanging them up on the tree. As the lights come pre-strung between the branches, all you have to do after you've assembled your tree is plug it in and watch it sparkle.

Considering how expensive real trees are, as well as how much it costs to properly adorn them with lights every year, a pre-lit tree makes a lot of sense for your wallet, providing you with savings year on year, with ranges from the Pre-lit Majestic Dew Pine Tree, the Pre-lit ultra mountain pine, and the Pre-lit black iridescence Pine Tree.

2. Unlit Christmas Trees

For some, part of the fun of Christmas is decorating the tree with family or friends and there’s plenty of different ways to go about the decorating process. Some prefer a tree with sparse lighting to let their ornaments and other Christmas tree decorations shine, while others like loading their tree down with layer after layer of sparkling light for a real show-stopping feel. Whatever the situation, an unlit artificial Christmas tree may be the perfect fit for your home.

Unlit artificial Christmas trees are made from the same PVC or PE material as most other kinds of artificial Christmas trees and come with the same cost and time-saving benefits. In other words, an unlit artificial tree is an excellent long-term decor option that you won't be sorry you purchased, especially when they come in various tree types like The Woodland Pine Tree, The Vivente Fir Tree or The Green Italian Pencilimo Tree.

3. Fibre Optic Christmas Trees

Fibre optic Christmas trees utilise LED light technology in place of more traditional halogen or incandescent bulbs. This results in a vivid, almost neon-like colour that looks spectacular reflecting off the tree branches. These LEDs come in different shapes and sizes, as well as cool and warm glow varieties.

By using LED lights, fibre optic trees are also highly energy-efficient. They use up to 75% less energy than other lighting products such as CFLs and incandescent bulbs and therefore cost less to run.

Also, fibre optic Christmas trees made with pre-lit LED lights emit much less heat than traditional bulbs. This is particularly important for Christmas trees which are typically left on for hours at a time.

Ultimately, the beautiful colour options (including The Multicolour Aurora Fibre Optic Tree), durability, and safety benefits that come with a fibre optic artificial Christmas tree make them a preferred pre-lit option for many seasonal decorators.

4. Realistic Christmas Trees

For Christmas tree purists thinking about an artificial tree, one with a realistic, natural shape and real-feel branches and needles is the perfect solution.

Our realistic Christmas trees look so genuine it can be hard to tell whether or not it's real just by glancing at them. Most are made of materials that imitate the colour and authentic feel of pine needles. Realistic-looking Christmas trees range from slim to medium and full shapes and can come pre-lit or unlit, depending on your preference. They’re also available in a broad range of heights, so you're sure to find something that fits nicely with your ceiling heights.

The minimal upkeep on a realistic Christmas tree is another huge bonus. There’s no need for watering or trimming off dead branches, and you won't experience drooping branches or needles falling from a drying-out tree. You get the look of a fresh-cut tree without all of the hassles. It's a win-win. Take a look for yourself at our realistic Christmas trees from the Mountain Pine Tree, the Arbor Ultima Tree, as well as the Foresta Pine Tree.

5. Snowy Christmas Trees

For many, a white Christmas is the best kind of Christmas. As the weather grows cold, snow-lovers begin to envision the world blanketed by a sea of frozen white and picture the evergreen branches dusted with fluffy white snow.

It’s possible to bring that snow-covered tree vision into your living room by purchasing a snowy Christmas tree. The artificial greenery of a Christmas tree is coated in a spray of latex paint to give it that freshly snow-covered look and glittering snow-like sparkle. This is a perfect look for those wanting to achieve a Winter Wonderland Christmas theme.

The combination of white snow, glowing Christmas lights, and shining ornaments hanging from the branches is a truly magical look. All in all, a snow-covered artificial Christmas tree is a beautiful option to consider if you want to bring the magic of fresh snow into your home. One of our Alpine Christmas trees would be great to truly finish off your snowy winter wonderland.

6. Slim Christmas Trees

Living in a small space doesn't mean you are prohibited from enjoying the festive addition of an artificial Christmas tree. Christmas trees with a base diameter of 70-100 centimetres are known as slim or pencil trees. The small footprint of this type of tree is perfect for apartments, office buildings, or other small spaces.

Our slim Christmas trees come in pre-lit, unlit, coloured, white, and metallic coloured options, so you won't have any problem finding one that fits your style. While most are made from traditional materials, some slim tree options are made entirely of brightly coloured tinsel like our Slim Gold Tinsel Pop-Up Tree.

If you aren't limited in the amount of space you have to display a Christmas tree, slim Christmas trees tucked away in a dark corner make excellent accent pieces throughout your home. For example, placing a pencil Christmas tree on either side of a fireplace or front door in a foyer makes for a charming welcome and a homely feel.

Slim trees are also lovely additions to children's rooms. It allows them to decorate their tree however they'd like without taking up too much space or overpowering the room.

7. Pop Up Christmas Trees

Another time and space-saving option is the pop up Christmas tree. These popular trees are heralded as a modern twist on the traditional artificial Christmas tree due to their easy, "pop up" setup.

Sometimes artificial Christmas trees can take a long time to assemble. However, pop-up trees have a spiral wireframe design where everything is attached in one cohesive piece. The entire low-maintenance setup process only takes a minute to complete. Before you know it, you'll be sipping cocoa beside a fully decorated tree!

The collapsible design of a pop-up Christmas tree is also helpful when it comes time to store it. Traditional artificial trees have a lot of bulk to them and typically require a significant amount of space in a loft or basement to store them.

Our Pre-lit pop up Christmas Tree has even been featured on ITV’s this morning, and is available in 6 foot or 7 foot size options.

8. Half Christmas Trees

Another incredible space-saving option is the half Christmas tree. This ingenious artificial tree is designed with branches on only one side, making them suitable for nestling flat against the wall or tucked directly into a corner.

If you don't own many ornaments to decorate with, or if decorating just isn't your idea of fun, the limited number of branches available on the half Christmas tree makes that process simple. You also don't have to worry about decorating the back of the tree, which no one usually gets to see anyway.

Most half Christmas trees come pre-lit with LED lights in multicolour or classic white like our Arbor Ultimate Half Tree.

9. Outdoor Artificial Christmas Trees

Festive decorations certainly don’t have to be relegated to the inside of your house. If you want to jazz up the outside of your home with some Christmas cheer, consider an outdoor artificial Christmas tree.

Artificial Christmas trees are specifically classified for either indoor or outdoor use. An outdoor label is essential for pre-lit outdoor trees, as one that isn't designed for outdoor use may not be adequately sealed and could become permanently damaged if it gets wet from rain or snow. Make sure to double check which type of tree you are purchasing to make sure you get one that is suitable for outdoor displays.

To avoid premature fading, rusting of the coiled wire branches, or general wear, keep an eye out for the indoor/outdoor label. Ensuring the artificial tree was designed to withstand the elements will make sure your tree lasts a long time.

When choosing an artificial outdoor Christmas tree, you’ll also want to consider how to display it. Will it sit on the porch in a decorative container, or does it need to be staked down in the front yard? What you decide will determine what kind of base and overall shape you need to get. Our Outdoor Frosted Fir is great on a front porch, or if you are looking for something that little bit extra special, look no further than our Pre-Lit Outdoor Wonderland Tree.

10. Colour Christmas Trees

No rule says a Christmas tree has to be green! This is especially true when it comes to artificial trees, which can be manufactured to be any colour under the sun. We're talking pitch black Christmas trees, brilliant white Christmas trees, luscious red Christmas trees and dazzling silver Christmas trees to amaze your guests.

Colour Christmas trees are fun, funky, and stylish ways to express your creativity. They also give you the freedom to match your Christmas tree to the colour scheme and style of the room it is in.

On top of this, the decor options are endless! Black Christmas trees could be decorated with ornaments in the same colour family for a monochromatic colour scheme or a white Christmas tree could be decorated with bright colourful lights for high contrast. These trees can also be left unadorned to play up the coloured aspect.

Most come pre-lit but there are unlit options to try if you want to craft your colour Christmas tree from scratch. Although it’s not a traditional way to decorate, colour trees are becoming increasingly popular for people interested in out-of-the-box decorating options.

11. Blossom Trees

Blossom trees, or twig Christmas trees, are a unique take on the Christmas tree. These artificial trees are modern, decorative spins on the traditional evergreen tree which can be left as they are or simply decorated with tinsel.

Pre-lit artificial blossom trees imitate flowering trees like cherry blossoms. The LED lights are shaped like minimalistic flowers that extend outward from the plain, often black-coloured tree trunk. The blooms come in a variety of colours like yellow, purple, blue, and white.

These minimalist, simplistic-looking artificial trees have plain trunks and bare, flexible branches made of twinkling lights. The type of blossom Christmas tree you choose depends on your style preferences and how minimalistic or decorating you're looking to go.

Due to their simple appearance, no more than a small handful of ornaments is necessary to get the full effect on twig trees, but usually they are best left bare. However, no matter how you choose to display them, the overall effect is something straight out of a winter fairytale.

Unlike traditional Christmas trees, which have a specific time frame in which they can be used, blossom trees can be left up all year round for an added touch of light and sparkle in any room. They are also incredibly versatile and make festive additions for New Year's Eve parties or even Easter decorations. They also make great additions to the outdoors.

Although they come in a range of sizes and colours and can even come as large as 10 foot, they have a relatively small footprint and can be enjoyed in tight spaces. Our small artificial twig Christmas trees offer a more portable option that looks great on end tables, desks, or a sideboard in a dark hallway.

How to Choose Your Christmas Tree

There are so many types of artificial Christmas trees out there that it can be hard to know if you are making the right choice. From simple to luxury Christmas trees to the shape and size of your tree, ensuring you pick the right one for your space will really add the finishing touch to your festive scene alongside other Christmas accessories and Christmas tree decorations.

Whether you’re looking for a small 3ft Christmas tree or a huge 20ft Christmas tree, you’ll find the perfect Christmas tree to make your home the most festive yet.