Best outdoor artificial Christmas trees without lights

Available in three different sizes, and all available at competitive prices, these outdoor artificial Christmas trees from Himaly are some of the best that I’ve seen in their respective price ranges.

I personally spent some time with the largest version that measures 7ft, but there are 5ft and 6ft versions available too. The current asking price for the 7ft tree on Amazon is around 60 pounds, and I would say that makes this tree excellent value for money.

When the tree arrived, it was packed very tightly into a small box and I have to admit I was a little worried about how it would look when assembled. My worry was misplaced though, and after slotting the four parts together and using the thumb screws to tighten things up, I only had to spend an hour fluffing up and separating branches to make the tree look fantastic.

This tree has two different types of branches, some made of PVC, and others of PE. This combination gives the tree more depth and adds realism to the overall appearance. Both types of branch can be adjusted, and I would say that it is necessary to do so in order to create the best effect.

There is a noticeable gap between two of the upper sections, but you can cover this by angling and fluffing of the branches, and clever use of tinsel, lights, and decorations. With a bit of work no one will ever notice.

As well as the different branches there are pine cones scattered around, and these two have two different colours for extra texture. Then there are multiple bunches of red berries to top off the look. Combined, they really catch the eye, and it gives the impression that this tree costs more than its actual price.

With 767 PVC pieces and 133 polyethylene pieces, the tree appears very full when fluffed up the right way. However, due to the design and shorter lower branches, the bottom of the tree doesn’t flare out too much so it doesn’t take up too much space horizontally.

I liked that the four-footed, metal stand got larger with the larger trees. I know it should be common sense, but I’ve seen more than a few artificial Christmas trees that had stands too small for the tree. The 7ft tree stand measures 45cm, and it is definitely big enough to keep the tree stable.

So, if you’re willing to spend a bit of time adjusting things when you first set up the tree, I would definitely recommend this product. It’s such a cracking looking Christmas tree, and available at a really good price for the quality. Yes, there are cheaper artificial trees out there, but they don’t look this good.

Pros

• Mix of PVC and PE branches adds realism
• Artificial pine cones, berries, and different shades of green, create a fantastic looking tree
• Good solid base to stand on
• Easy to assemble

Cons

• There is a gap between two of the sections, but this is easy enough to deal with. In fact, the following video is just one of many out there that show you how to do this-

Less than 24 quid for a towering, 7ft tall Christmas tree? Hard to believe, I know, but that’s what the Raxter company is offering us with this value product. For that low a price, you’re probably thinking there is some catch, but apart from one silly issue with the base, this is a great low-budget tree and a great alternative to the top pick

The issue I’m talking about is that there is a plastic cap on the part of the tree that is supposed to fit into the base. You have to remove the cap to assemble the tree, but this cap is pretty much impossible to remove unless you cut a chunk out of it, rendering it unsuitable for future use. Thankfully, this isn’t an important part and doesn’t really affect anything, but it is annoying.

Other than that, I found the Raxter outdoor artificial Christmas tree easy enough to set up. The different sections just slot together, and are then secured with thumb screws so you don’t need any tools.

You will have to spend a fair bit of time adjusting the branches to make the tree look decent and fairly full, but you soon get into a rhythm and the time passes by pretty quickly. Even after you’ve fluffed up all the branches, it doesn’t look as good as the Himaly tree, but as it costs a third of the price, you can’t complain too much.

Speaking of the Himaly product, the stand on this 7ft tree is practically identical and has the same support bars under the four feet to provide extra support. The result is the same too; you get a very stable base for your outdoor tree.

There are no pine cones, berries, or different shaded branches with this tree, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t attractive. The shape and texture of the branches have been designed well, and with some decorations and lights on there, it looks wonderful.

When a product is priced as low as this, you do have to expect some flaws and quality issues, but I’m happy to say that other than the ridiculous cap on the bottom section, and the fact that some of the branches didn’t feel as well attached as others, there wasn’t much to dislike.

Pros

• Tall Christmas tree for a low price
• Well designed, and offers good value for money
• Parts slip easily into each other and are fixed by thumbscrews
• Has good stability, even when outside

Cons

• Plastic cap on the bottom of the tree was hard to remove

Despite the Abaseen company seemingly wanting to discourage potential customers with their confusing, and often contradictory, information in their product descriptions on various sites, they are still selling well. So, we got out hands on one, and here’s what we thought.

First of all, this is not a pre-lit tree like it is sometimes advertised, nor does it have snow-flocked colouring. I was going to pass on trying this particular tree due to confusion, but I saw the photos from happy customers and realised that there have been some mistakes with the amazon page, and decided to give it a go.

I’m glad that I did. The packaging the tree arrived in was well thought out and there wasn’t any sign of damage, which was a good start. Out of the box, the sections seemed a little flat, but this isn’t my first rodeo, so to speak, and I know you can’t tell how it will look until the tree is assembled and you’ve adjusted all the branches.

Assembly was really straight forward and just needed me to connect the section together, bend down the branches and do the usual adjustments to get the look I was after. This did take longer than I expected as the branches weren’t hinged like some outdoor artificial Christmas trees, but it wasn’t especially difficult to do.

Once completed, I have to say I was very happy with the result. There weren’t any large gaps between sections, or even between branches, and the tree had a nice, chunky, look to it. There was also a realistic appearance to the branches, especially from the other side of the room, even if there isn’t any difference in colours or shades.

This 7ft tree is quite wide at the bottom, I would guess around 3ft in diameter, so it will take up a bit of space. The base is a decent size too, but this is a good thing as it keeps the tree standing like it should.

The only bad thing I can say about the Abaseen tree is that the metal rods used for the sections aren’t as thick and strong as I would have liked for the price you pay. I personally didn’t have any problems with it, but it makes me wonder if these rods will bend in strong winds. Other than that, this is a good product.

Pros

• Nice, chunky, appearance once branches are fluffed out
• Large tree with a wide bottom section, and would look good in a garden
• No noticeable gaps between the sections and branches
• Tree looks quite realistic from a short distance

Cons

• Metal rods for main sections could be made from thicker material

The Twiddlers 4ft artificial Christmas tree is a good low-budget option for people looking for something a bit more understated than the 7ft products we’ve reviewed so far.

The tree has a good deal of tips and can give a bushy look if you arrange them properly. However, the majority of the plastic foliage is towards the other part of the tree, and so, although the tree appears very full from a few feet away, if you get up close, you can see the inner part is quite empty.

Of course, this doesn’t present a problem if you’re using the tree as a garden decoration, as people won’t be jumping over your fence or hedge to stick their head through the branches, will they?

This is a largely PVC construction and is hardy and durable enough to handle the outdoors, the metal stand has been powder coated well, from what I saw, and you shouldn’t get problems with rust any time soon.

The stability of the tree in the base isn’t as good as some of the other trees we tried out, despite looking identical, so be prepared to make a modification or two to really get the stability up to the level where it can handle stronger winds. This can be as simple as using a cane or something as support, and perhaps it was just the item we got our hands on, but I thought I’d mention it.

I guess if I was to sum up this Artificial Christmas tree, I’d say it’s a bit hit and miss. On the surface, and from a distance it looks great, but closer inspection shows that it is a budget product.

This is seen in other areas too. For example, the parts of the tree connected together easily, but there was a bit too much play and needed to be supported more to be used outside. The branches themselves weren’t that strong and I think you’d be limited to decorations that aren’t too heavy.

I guess these things are to be expected from a low cost, smaller tree, and none of the flaws are anything that can’t be easily overcome with a drop of common sense, so I suppose I see why plenty of people seem happy with it.

Pros

• Compact size makes it good for porches
• Durable PVC construction makes it good for outdoor use
• Low cost outdoor Christmas tree
• Looks very full from a short distance away

Cons

• The low cost nature of the tree can be seen if you get up close to it

If you decide to go for a smaller tree, and would like some ideas on how decorate it, spend four minutes or so watching the following clip-

If you want to make a statement with your garden Christmas scene this year, and that statement is ‘look at me’, what better way to do that than with an 8ft tall, bright white, Christmas tree?

Although also available in a smaller 6ft size, we decided to go with the big boy as we saw it has 1138 tips, and thought that it would look fantastic as a centrepiece. I mean, if you’re going for a white tree, you might as well go all out, right?

When the tree arrived, and I popped open the box, I was a bit taken back and I’ll admit that I thought I’d made a mistake. The tree looked very bare, and even though I have experience with this kind of item, and I know that it takes a while to manoeuvre the branches into the place and shape, I still had my doubts.

Again though, I assumed wrong and after slipping the parts together, which was a doddle, and then spending what seemed like a very long time pulling all the branches and tips apart, I finally saw that the tree did in fact look good.

I say good, and not amazing or some other stronger word, as there were still noticeable gaps in between the branches, and it didn’t look as full as the advertising photos. However, these gaps were easily covered with tinsel, lights, and other decorations, and then I started to feel like it would impress, especially at a distance.

My main annoyance with the tree was the stand. It is undersized for such a big tree, and I’m only glad it’s made from iron otherwise I think it wouldn’t handle the weight. We were testing the tree outside, so we just anchored the base down and it wasn’t a big problem, but a slightly bigger one surely wouldn’t cost that much more to make and would make the tree so much better.

I liked that the branches were strong enough to hang some decent sized decorations on them. After all, a tree this size wouldn’t quite look right with tiny little baubles and ultra-thin tinsel on it, would it? No, we went to town with the decorations, and the tree did just fine at holding its structure.

At the time of writing, the 8ft version of this tree is actually cheaper than the 6ft one on amazon (another reason why we went for it), and I suppose when you’re paying under 50 quid for an 8ft white tree, you can’t grumble too much at a few small flaws. You want a perfectly made tree? You’d better be prepared to pay a bit more for it.

Pros

• Available in a variety of sizes
• Extra large 8ft tree has 1138 tips, making it look very bushy
• Strong branches will allow you to hang larger decorations
• The 8ft version is well priced

As I was just saying- if you want a top-quality tree, you have to be prepared to pay more for it, and the Grandis artificial tree from Kaemingk Everlands is just such a product.

Made in Europe, and available in 5ft, 6ft, and 7ft sizes, the Grandis tree offers a touch of realism that is hard to beat. A big part of its authentic look is down to the combination of PVC and PE needles, that not only look different, but also feel different too.

We, of course, chose to play with the largest version and were impressed with the density of the tree. Well, after we had fluffed up the 2326 branch tips anyway, and that was certainly not a one-man job.

It wasn’t that there weren’t gaps between the branches, because there were, it’s that the gaps didn’t go all the way to the centre of the tree, and instead of taking away from the attractiveness of the tree, they only seem to add to the overall effect. It’s a really nice layered look that can be adjusted to look incredibly realistic at a short distance.

The main branches of the tree are the fold down type that are connected to the trunk by hinges and so can’t be adjusted. But this is a good thing, as it gives them a lot of strength and stability which allows you to go to town with the decorations and lights. There’s plenty of flexibility with the smaller branches though, and it’s not hard to get them to look as you want.

There are some nice little touches with the Grandis that make quite a difference, even if you only realise it subconsciously at first. I’m talking about the branch stems being coloured dark brown to make them look more realistic, the needles of different shades, and even the trunk of the tree. Altogether, they give off a sense of quality and this was remarked upon by a few passers by over the week we had this tree in the garden.

Now, I have to say that as good as this tree looks, it is not identical to a real tree. It is as close as I’ve seen for the price range, but right up close you’ll see that it is an artificial Christmas tree. Personally, that doesn’t bother me at all, but I know there are ‘purists’ out there that will expect the tree to look 100% genuine.

For everyone else, I can see them being more than happy with the Garland if they don’t mind spending the money. I would definitely say you’ll get a few years’ worth of use out of it, and it comes in a sturdy little storage box too.

Pros

• Available in 5ft, 6ft, and 7ft sizes
• Looks incredibly realistic for an artificial tree
• Lots of small details that add to the overall effect, such as realistically coloured branches and different shades of green.
• PVC and PE needles for a lifelike appearance

Cons

• You will have to pay more for this kind of quality, but I think it’s worth it. Just take a look at this video that shows how to set it up, and you can see what I’m talking about…