The Christmas tree debate: How much is too much to pay for a fake tree?

For many families across the country, Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a beautifully decorated tree standing proudly in the living room – but from the cheap fake trees sold on the high street to traditional real firs, the jury is still out on which is better.

While traditionalists bemoan the unrealistic plastic trees that many people haul down from the attic each festive period, others can’t stand the mess that goes hand in hand with opting to display a real tree. And now, to stir up the debate once more, one company is claiming to have created the world’s most realistic fake trees.

Balsam Hill trees claim to , and are so confident in their claims that they have even patented their ‘True Needle’ technology. Before you rush out to the shops though, be warned that they charge anywhere upwards of AU$450 for the pleasure of owning one – unless you don’t mind waiting for the sales to roll around.

However it seems the jury is still out on whether or not they are truly superior as members of online forum site Mumsnet recently debated the value of the trees, with one woman asking: “Am I being unreasonable to be a tad disappointed with my Balsam Hill tree?”

The anonymous poster wrote: “As a big treat got a Balsam Hill tree – I’ve bemoaned my other trees for years and don’t like the smell or mess of real trees. Now it’s great, and Pre-lit etc.. but for the price, I don’t know, I expected it to look amazing- it’s nice enough – but not quite as ‘wow’ as I was expecting.”

Many people replied to the poster, revealing they love their own Balsam Hill trees, with one saying: “I have a balsam Hill tree and I love it. I do remember the first year it took a long time to fluff it up enough that it looked good so maybe get the gloves on again.”

Another wrote: “I’m eagerly awaiting my Balsam Hill Order. Have always had a real tree, but last year’s cost $250, and died within 2 days of decorating it. They replaced it for free, but it made for a stressful time. I was so hoping that making the investment (it is a big price!) of one of the most realistic fakes would work.”

While a third suggested scouring YouTube for video tutorials on how to correctly ‘fluff’ the tree, writing: “Have you spent an hour or so fluffing it like on the YouTube video. The fluffing makes a difference.”

However others hit out at the “horrendously overpriced” trees, claiming that they do not look anywhere near realistic enough to warrant their huge price tag. One person said: “Even in the ‘sales’ they’re horrendously over priced. That’s got to be a factor in your disappointment I think.

“Also despite the foliage being very realistic, the shape often gives it away I think. Too triangular and neat to look real. I looked though their site and was quite relieved in a way that none of them really excited me. I can’t afford them anyway.”

Another wrote: “I do like them but to me they still look artificial, despite the fantastic design of the needles/branch structure. It’s because they are so totally regular, which trees never are in nature. They do look very glamorous but they wouldn’t work for me as I need bigger gaps between the branches for my eclectic mix of baubles and decorations.”