Ask Mac: Which Balsam Hill® Tree Should I Get?

‘Twas almost Thanksgiving
and all through the house,
none of my offspring were stirring,
not even my spouse.
And while I know I should get some rest,
I can’t help but write,
a note to all of you,
before I sign off for the night.
So many friends have asked,
Hey Mac, what tree should I buy?
I can barely keep up, in providing my replies.
So here are my thoughts, lucid and true;
I very much hope, they are helpful to you!

Featured: Vermont White Spruce®

(Impatient friends who want an immediate “80/20” answer: buy one of the most popular Balsam Hill trees, the Vermont White Spruce.)

For everyone else, first, thank you for your interest in welcoming Balsam Hill into your home! I’m honored. I know there are a lot of trees to choose from. In fact, I’ve personally designed all of our 50+ tree families.

I must admit this exercise in choosing which among our Balsam Hill Christmas trees is a bit like having multiple kids and the hazard of picking a favorite. Even the trees you might find on deep discount aren’t “bad” trees—they’re just ones that apparently our customers didn’t like as much as I did!

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Which is the Best Artificial Christmas Tree to Buy?

When it comes to choosing a tree, the best type of Christmas tree is one that resonates with your personality and decorating style. It could be a replica of a tree that you grew up with, something that’s on-trend, or a tried-and-true classic.

Which Balsam Hill Tree Should I Get?

I suggest answering these three questions to help you pick out the best Balsam Hill artificial Christmas tree for your home.

1. Did you grow up with a real tree?

Featured: BH Noble Fir® | BH Fraser Fir® Narrow Tree | Frosted Fraser Fir® | BH Fraser Fir®

If so, I’d suggest buying one of our replica trees from the region where you grew up as everything about them should seem familiar to you. If you grew up on the West Coast, I’d recommend the BH Noble Fir. If you grew up in New England or the Philly-NYC corridor, I’d recommend the BH Balsam Fir. If you grew up along the Atlantic Seaboard or in Florida, then the BH Fraser Fir. Anywhere else, I’d suggest the BH Blue Spruce Flip Tree.

Featured: BH Balsam Fir® | Vermont White Spruce | BH Blue Spruce Flip Tree®

If you didn’t grow up with a real evergreen, then I’d recommend the Vermont White Spruce Christmas tree (you just can’t go wrong with this—it is full, gorgeous, and versatile) or the BH Noble Fir (note it has a green-gray color). The BH Blue Spruce (a blue-green color) is pretty awesome, too. All three of these Balsam Hill Christmas trees are terrific for hanging lots of ornaments, and are easy to “fluff” to be super full and lush.

2. Do you like to buy the latest trend?

Featured: European Fir® | Berkshire Mountain Fir® | Sanibel Spruce® | Alpine Balsam Fir®

Then check out our European Fir, Berkshire Mountain Fir, or Sanibel Spruce. These “organic” styles have a lot more space for ornaments and are very trendy right now, especially when coupled with a unique tree surround or base.

Featured: Frosted Fraser Fir

Frosted or flocked trees are making a comeback; although, we don’t sell flocked trees because the flocking falls off in chunks, leaving you with a white tree with green spots. Instead, we sell frosted trees like the Frosted Fraser Fir where it looks like snow has fallen but there are no large chunks of flocking to fall off.

3. Do you prefer a tried-and-true approach (the good old standbys)?

Featured: California Baby Redwood®

What is the most popular Balsam Hill tree? I’d say both the California Baby Redwood and the Vermont White Spruce are customer favorites. These are trees I designed back in 2006 before I even thought of the name “Balsam Hill.” With their full profiles and lush branches, you can’t go wrong with these two best-selling Balsam Hill Christmas trees!

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What Should I Look for When Buying an Artificial Christmas Tree?

When choosing the perfect artificial Christmas tree, the key things to consider are realism, ease of setup, lighting options, and height. These factors will determine the quality and convenience of your tree that you can enjoy for many years. Here are quick tips for finding your favorite tree:

Realism

I highly recommend the most realistic Balsam Hill trees. These are the best out there and are worth the premium.

Setup

If you store your tree at the same level or within half a flight of stairs from where you display it, pay the premium for the Flip Tree® version. This technology is simple and awesome for quick setup and storage. If you are hauling your tree into a basement or up into an attic, then you’re better off with a traditional tree so you can carry the sections up and down the stairs individually.

Lights

If you have kids or if you love gadgets, I’d get the Color + Clear® lighting option as it comes with a handy remote control. You can’t go wrong with this unless you don’t like colored lights. Otherwise, I’d get clear lights—classy, elegant, and always in style.

To LED or Not to LED

The rest of the LEDs in the market are tacky, in my opinion. We have worked hard to have our LEDs look just like incandescent lights—all the advantages of LED (lasts longer, lower energy consumption) with most of the advantages of incandescent (soft warm glow, true colors, crystal clear transparency, and sparkle from actual glass bulb casings vs. cloudy plastic ones). However, I know many of our customers still love the traditional incandescent lights (and they’ve been the gold standard for 40 years)! I have finally switched to LED myself, but I’m a fan of both.

Height

Get a 7.5’, 8’, or 9’ depending on your ceiling height. If you go 10’ or bigger, make sure you have a significant other or someone who is really excited to set up the tree with you. A 10’ tree is a big tree to set up and decorate, but oh such a spectacular sight!

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I often get asked what tree I have at home. It varies and I usually put up multiple trees, but my family’s favorite is the Vermont White Spruce. In years when we don’t have one, my wife wants to know why.

Featured: Frosted Alpine Balsam Fir® and Alpine Balsam Fir® Trees

We also have the Alpine Balsam Fir with LED Celestial lights in our lineup at home. It is a really fun tree for displaying ornaments and it was a breeze to set up.

I hope this has been helpful in finding the perfect Balsam Hill tree for your home!

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Find the Best Balsam Hill Tree

Let us help narrow down your tree options with our comprehensive tree buying guides below:

• Real vs Artificial Christmas Trees: Are Balsam Hill Trees the Better Choice?
• Choosing an Artificial Christmas Tree: The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide
• Christmas Tree Lights: The Balsam Hill Guide
• All About Flip Trees®: The Balsam Hill Guide
• How to Choose an Artificial Christmas Tree Using the Balsam Hill Branch Sample Kit

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