Artificial Christmas trees have become increasingly popular over the years, not only because of their affordability but also because it means you can store the tree away for next year’s festive season… and the year after, and the year after that… and so it goes on.

However, have you ever considered the quality of the artificial tree you’re buying? Did you know that artificial trees made using PE and PVC are completely different in look, feel and durability? Our handy little guide tells you all…

It’s no secret that the use of PVC for Christmas trees has been considered as standard for decades; until now, the majority of artificial Christmas trees available on the market have been constructed using only PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

Coloured sheets of compressed PVC are used to create realistic tree needles, by cutting the material into long flat rectangular shapes before being twisted between two strings of wire to act as tree branches. While artificial PVC trees look relatively realistic from afar, they’re renowned for looking incredibly fake when seen up close due the rectangular nature of the needles. Having said that, they are still a very popular alternative to real Christmas trees as they are so inexpensive.

PE (Polyethylene) trees on the other hand are now considered to be the only material that manages to replicate the look of a real-life Christmas tree.

Unlike PVC Christmas trees which are made using cut-out PVC material, PE trees are injection moulded and completely 3 dimensional using branches from real trees, resulting in an instant realistic-looking Christmas tree. Therefore, the 3D needles are much more life-like than the average flat PVC needles. In other words, the more PE you have, the more realistic your tree will be!

However, due to the evident quality of PE Christmas trees, they are considered to be a little more pricey than regular PVC trees, which is why PVC trees still remain so popular today.

Some artificial Christmas trees have a combination of both PE and PVC materials. PE is used on the tips of the tree for an instantly realistic look, while the PVC is used as a filler to make the tree look thick and full. This way, consumers can benefit from a life-like Christmas tree whilst not having to worry about the expense.

Now that’s the tree sorted, don’t forget to pick up your Christmas tree lights too!