3ft Christmas trees
At 3ft (90cm) a tree is tall enough to read as a tree from across a room when it stands on a low table or a sturdy box, and small enough to carry upstairs in one hand. This is the size most people buy for a bedroom, a landing, a conservatory, a porch or a care home room. The group is split between fibre optic trees that change colour through the tips, potted trees made to stand on a doorstep, and small pre-lit pines. The 3.5ft trees are listed here too. Prices run from under £25 to about £80, delivered free.
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Festive
3ft Black Microdot Starburst Slim Christmas Tree with 438 Twinkling Warm White LEDs
3ft tall
£44.99
Three kinds of 3ft tree
Fibre optic trees make up the biggest share of the 3ft group. One LED lamp in the base lights every tip through a bundle of fibres and a colour wheel cycles through red, blue, green and white. They need a single plug and nothing else, which is why they end up in children's rooms and on landings. Potted trees come in a plastic or wicker pot, often with a frosted finish, and are built for a doorstep or either side of a porch door; most are rated for outdoor use. Pre-lit pines at 3ft are small versions of the full-size trees, with hinged branches and warm white LEDs, for a side table in the lounge.
Where to stand it
A 3ft tree on the floor is a knee-high tree and looks lost. Put it on a table, a trunk or a wide windowsill so the top sits around 1.5m from the floor. If it is going outside, choose a potted model and a sheltered spot; the pot stops it blowing over and the frosted ones look right against brick and stone.
Lights and decorations
A pre-lit 3ft tree carries 50 to 150 LEDs. An unlit one takes a 100-LED battery set wrapped in a tight spiral. For decorating, 4cm and 5cm baubles, 20 to 30 of them, and a 15cm topper are the right scale; keep tinsel off the fibre optic trees because it hides the lit tips.
Moving up a size
If the tree is going on the floor rather than a table, the 4ft trees are the smallest that stand on their own at a sensible height. If you want colour-changing light in a bigger tree, the fibre optic section includes 4ft and a 5ft half tree.
Common questions
Which 3ft tree is best for a child's bedroom?
A fibre optic tree. It runs from one low-voltage plug, has no bulbs to pull off and the colour cycle is the whole show. Choose a warm white model if the colours would keep them awake.
Can a 3ft potted tree stay outside all December?
Yes if it is rated indoor and outdoor, which the potted frosted trees are. Keep the transformer under cover and bring the tree in if a storm is forecast.
How many baubles for a 3ft tree?
Twenty to thirty at 4cm to 5cm. Fewer looks sparse at this height, more hides the tree.
Does it come with a stand?
The pines come with a small metal stand; the fibre optic and potted trees have their own base or pot.