Buying guides
Short, factual guides to choosing a tree and the lights to go on it. Each one is written from the measurements on the listings, not from opinion.
- Christmas tree height guide: which size fits your ceiling A ceiling-to-tree table, the width each height needs, and how much room to leave for the topper. Read the guide
- How many baubles does a Christmas tree need? Bauble counts and sizes by tree height, topper proportions, and the order to put everything on. Read the guide
- How many lights does a Christmas tree need? LEDs by tree height, string or cluster, lit length versus lead length, and what a month of lights costs. Read the guide
- Outdoor Christmas lights: IP ratings, transformers and keeping it safe What the IP numbers mean, where the plug has to go, and how to fix lights outside so they survive the season. Read the guide
- Pre-lit or unlit: which Christmas tree should you buy? The price gap, the wrapping time, how factory lights are spaced, and what happens when a section fails. Read the guide
- Real or artificial Christmas tree: the cost over ten years in 2026 The year-by-year sums, with 2026 UK prices for cut trees, disposal and the electricity for the lights. Read the guide
- Storing an artificial Christmas tree for a ten-year life How to take a tree down, what to store it in, where to keep it, and the mistakes that ruin a tree in two seasons. Read the guide
- Tip count, PE and PVC: how to judge how full a tree will look The one number that tells you how dense a tree is, and what the branch material does to realism. Read the guide