I tried the best fake Christmas trees from Dunelm to Argos & Wilko… winner was best value & just like a natural spruce

FORMER GMTV host Anthea Turner knows how to keep an immaculate home.

Anthea wrote lifestyle guide How To Be The Perfect Housewife and regularly keeps her Instagram followers up to date with tips on interiors.

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So who better to turn to for advice when buying an artificial Christmas tree?

“Homes are my passion,” she says. “I’m a shortcutter.

“I think, ‘How can you make something look nice quickly?’ And I don’t believe you should spend a lot.

“I’m a big supporter of fake Christmas trees.

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“I bought two three years ago and they’re bang on.

“They’re big and beautiful and I’m not finding pine needles in July.”

Here, Anthea leaves no branch unturned as she gives Kirsten Jones and Sarah Robertson her verdicts on the best 6ft pre-lit artificial trees on the high street costing £50 or less, giving each a star rating out of five.

ARGOS:

★★★★★

THIS one has the nicest display of branches of all those I tried.

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Cute touches such as a dusting of fake snow and pine cones give it that Scandi forest feel, which is exactly what you want.

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It’s brilliant value for money because you get lights and cones.

Plus it’s got a good sturdy stand.

And it’s a good size as well.

This is my overall winner, a beautiful, bushier tree with fluffier branches.

It is a fantastic substitute for a natural tree - .

ASDA: White ED tree, £40

★★★★☆

THERE is always a place for a white tree in a modern flat or a kid’s bedroom.

Children can have a ball decorating it with pink baubles and ribbons.

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I always had white trees for my daughters because they are such fun.

Another plus is it is a breeze to assemble – it took two minutes to get it up and ready to decorate.

It may look a little tacky without the lights on but once all decorated it really will be a head turner.

At £40, this is very decent value for money – a stylish, shapely tree.

WILKO: Everglow LED, £39

★☆☆☆☆

THIS looks like it has been discarded in the attic for ten years, disintegrating and collecting dust.

It was easy to put up but does not look healthy. You can tell it’s artificial and it lacks depth.

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But while it’s lightweight, it doesn’t wobble or shake.

A big plus for those on a tight budget is that it comes with 100 free decorations.

Sadly, even 100 free ornaments can’t save it from last place and make up for what it lacks in terms of foliage and depth.

A washout tree.

AMAZON:

★★★★☆

WITHOUT the lights switched on, this tree is the most authentic in all its naked glory.

Trees should have glorious wide bottoms – this rivals Kim Kardashian.

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A good width, it is full with fabulous foliage and plenty of bushy branches.

When on, the coloured lights add even more charm.

It’s high quality and the branches are realistic.

But it takes longer to assemble due to its depth – around ten minutes.

Overall, a great choice which you’ll come back to year after year -.

:

★★★☆☆

WITH plenty of branches and a good shape, this is nicely full when it’s lit with decorations on.

I think you would never guess that it’s a fake tree – it looks genuine, so gets top marks for realism - .

7

It’s not too wide, so perfect for a small space such as a flat, but it has a lot of volume with nicely dense branches.

Plus its twinkly lights give that sparkly Christmas feel.

It was easy to put up quickly and is good value, but it’s not my favourite.

DUNELM: 110 LED Pop Up, £50

★★☆☆☆

TRIM and tall, this is great for a small area. But this skinny tree sadly has a wobbly bottom.

That said, I like the concertina-style base which made it easy to assemble.

7

It only took about a minute to put up. So it goes up a breeze and there’s no mess.

However, it fails the realism test and so it is not my favourite.

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Dunelm makes nice aprons and I am a fan of the brand, but not on this occasion.

I felt this tree’s lacklustre foliage did not justify the price.