How to Choose an Artificial Christmas Tree: Size, Shape and Fullness

An artificial Christmas tree is one of those purchases you live with for years, so it pays to get it right. The perfect tree isn't the biggest or the fullest. It's the one that fits your room, your ceiling and the way you like to decorate.

This guide walks through the five things that matter most: height, width, shape, fullness and the base. If you're still deciding whether you want lights built in, our pre-lit vs unlit Christmas trees guide covers that part.

1. Start With Your Ceiling Height

Measure from the floor to the ceiling where the tree will stand. Then subtract room for two things: the stand and the topper.

A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 6 to 12 inches between the tip of the tree and the ceiling. That space gives your star or bow room to sit upright without bending, and it keeps the tree from looking jammed in.

Here's a quick guide:

• 8 ft ceilings: Look at trees around 6 to 7.5 ft.
• 9 ft ceilings: A 7.5 ft tree is a comfortable fit, and some rooms can handle 8 ft with a small topper.
• 10 ft ceilings and up: Now you can have fun with 8 and 9 ft trees.

Tall rooms deserve a tall tree. The 9 ft Unlit Artificial Pine Christmas Tree has 1939 realistic branches with 2 kinds of tips, auto-open hinged branches and a steel base. For a slightly smaller showpiece, the 8 ft Hinged Artificial Christmas Tree with Memory Wire Branches is about 51 in wide, and its memory wire branches unfold and hold their shape right out of the box.

Nine Feet of Pine, No Needles on the Rug

9 ft Unlit Artificial Pine Christmas Tree with 1939 Branches

$244.99MSRP $295.85

Eight Feet of Green That Fluffs Itself

8 ft Hinged Artificial Christmas Tree with Memory Wire Branches

$131.99MSRP $211.98

Big-Tree Drama for That Empty Corner

8 ft Pre-Lit Corner Christmas Tree with 360 Warm White LEDs

$161.99MSRP $246.98

2. Measure the Width (People Forget This One)

Height gets all the attention, but width is what decides whether you can still walk around the living room. Measure the floor space you have, then compare it to the tree's widest point at the bottom.

Leave room to walk past the tree without brushing ornaments, and keep it a safe distance from fireplaces, heaters and vents. Check that it won't block doors, windows you open or the path to the couch.

To picture it, lay painter's tape on the floor in a circle the size of the tree's base width. Live with it for a day. If you keep stepping on the tape, size down or go slimmer.

3. Pick a Shape: Full, Slim, Pencil or Corner

Artificial trees come in a few basic silhouettes, and each one suits a different room.

Full Trees

Full trees have the classic wide, cone shape. They're the traditional choice for living rooms with open floor space, and they give you the most room for ornaments.

The 7 ft Hinged Artificial Christmas Tree with 1,348 Tips measures about 53 x 53 x 84 in, with a thick pole and foldable metal base. The 7.5 ft Unlit Hinged Christmas Tree with 2,155 Mixed Branch Tips mixes PVC and hard needle tips for a layered look. If your space is a bit smaller, the 6 ft Unlit Green Christmas Tree with 500 Tips is about 38 in wide and comes with a folding metal stand.

A Blank Canvas for Your Ornament Collection

7 ft Hinged Artificial Christmas Tree with 1,348 Tips and Metal Base

$191.99MSRP $300.69

2,155 Tips of Full, Green Holiday Cheer

7.5 ft Unlit Hinged Christmas Tree with 2,155 Mixed Branch Tips

$160.99MSRP $258.56

A Classic Green Canvas for Your Ornaments

6 ft Unlit Green Christmas Tree with 500 Tips and Folding Metal Stand

$52.99MSRP $79.65

Slim and Pencil Trees

Slim trees keep the height but trim the width. Pencil trees go even narrower. They're a smart pick for apartments, entryways, dining rooms or the spot between the sofa and the window.

• The 7 ft Slim Artificial Christmas Tree measures about 41 x 41 x 84 in and mixes real-touch PE needles with PVC.
• The 7 ft Unlit Pencil Christmas Tree with 499 Tips is only about 21.75 in in diameter.
• The 7.5 ft Slim Pencil Christmas Tree with 1218 Branches has auto-open branches and a steel base.

A Full-Height Tree for a Half-Size Corner

7 ft Slim Artificial Christmas Tree, Unlit, with Hinged Branches

$109.99MSRP $170.63

Seven Feet Tall and Skinny Enough for Any Corner

7 ft Unlit Pencil Christmas Tree with 499 Tips and Plastic Stand

$53.99MSRP $64.02

Tall, Slim and Ready for Your Tightest Corner

7.5 ft Slim Pencil Christmas Tree with 1218 Branches, Unlit

$139.99MSRP $168.66

Corner Trees

A corner tree is shaped to tuck back into a corner while still looking full from the front. The 8 ft Pre-Lit Corner Christmas Tree has a space-saving 270° shape, 1,137 branch tips and 360 warm white LEDs, plus hinged branches, a metal stand and 2 pairs of gloves. It's a great way to get a tall tree into a room that can't spare the floor space.

4. Understand Branch Tips and Fullness

Branch tip count is the number of individual tips on the tree. More tips generally means a fuller, denser look. But tip count only makes sense when you compare trees of a similar height and shape. A 7 ft pencil tree will always have fewer tips than a 7 ft full tree, because it's much narrower.

What to think about:

• Love lots of ornaments? A tree with fewer, more open branches leaves space for ornaments to hang freely and be seen.
• Want a lush, minimal look? A higher tip count looks full on its own, with just lights and a few accents.
• Check the tip material. PVC tips are the classic artificial needle. PE tips are molded to look more like real needles. Many trees mix both, like the 7.5 ft tree above.

Whatever you choose, plan to fluff. Separating and shaping every tip is what makes an artificial tree look full, and it takes time. For example, the 5 ft Unlit Slim Pencil Christmas Tree notes about 30 minutes of fluffing.

5. Don't Overlook the Base and Setup

The stand keeps your tree straight all season, so give it some attention.

• Metal stands tend to feel sturdy and are common on larger trees. Many fold for storage.
• Plastic stands are lighter and show up on many slim and pencil trees.
• Floor protection matters on hardwood. The 4.5 ft Pre-Lit Hinged Christmas Tree has an iron stand with plastic foot caps to protect your floors.

Setup style matters too. Hinged branches are attached to the pole and drop into place when you assemble the sections, which saves a lot of time. Some trees, like the 9 ft pine and 7.5 ft pencil above, have auto-open branches, so your main job is fluffing. Trees without hinges usually have branches you attach by hand.

Small Trees for Small Spaces

Not every room needs a 7 footer. Bedrooms, offices and small apartments often look best with something shorter.

The 4.5 ft pre-lit tree above has 398 PVC branch tips and 200 warm white LEDs already strung on. The 5.5 ft Unlit Artificial Christmas Tree has 850 PVC branch tips, measures about 65.4 x 37.8 x 37.8 in and sets up in three steps. And the 5 ft slim pencil tree is about 19.75 in wide including the base.

Small Room, Full-Size Christmas Glow

4.5 ft Pre-Lit Hinged Christmas Tree with 200 Warm White LEDs

$87.99MSRP $132.98

850 Branches Ready for Your Favorite Ornaments

5.5 ft Unlit Artificial Christmas Tree with 850 Branch Tips

$45.99MSRP $70.74

Skinny Enough to Squeeze Between the Sofa and the Wall

5 ft Unlit Slim Pencil Christmas Tree with 294 Branch Tips and Stand

$47.99MSRP $55.49

Your Quick Tree-Shopping Checklist

1. Measure your ceiling and subtract 6 to 12 inches for the topper.
2. Measure the floor space and compare it to the tree's width.
3. Choose a shape: full, slim, pencil or corner.
4. Compare tip counts only between trees of similar size and shape.
5. Check the stand type and whether branches are hinged.
6. Decide on pre-lit or unlit.
7. Plan where the tree will live in the off-season.

Find Your Tree

Browse all our Christmas trees, or dreaming of a snowy look? See our flocked Christmas tree decorating ideas. Wondering when to set it all up? Read when to start decorating for Christmas.

Orders ship from US warehouses and usually arrive in 5-10 business days, with free shipping on orders over $75 in the lower 48 and 30-day returns. Happy tree hunting!