Should I choose a real or artificial Christmas tree?

It's a debate among many families every year: should we choose a live tree for Christmas or an artificial one? There are pros and cons to both options, and each type of tree has its proponents. Choose your next Christmas tree using this guide.

Which type of tree is more convenient? In this case, there is no contest.

• Artificial trees require no daily watering, no vacuuming up shed needles and you'll have no fears that the tree may not make it through the holiday season.

• The artificial tree can be put up as early in the season as you wish and taken down any time to be reused the next year.
• Choosing a size that will fit in your home is also easier, as artificial trees are clearly marked with an exact size.
• Finally, artificial trees often come pre-lit, meaning you don't need to spend the time stringing lights around it before decoration.

Which tree is actually better for the environment?

Many people used to believe that an artificial tree was better, as you could reuse it.

• However, new information suggests that unless you plan to keep and use that tree for 20 years or more, you're actually doing more harm to the environment by picking the plastic version.

Real trees are planted as a crop meant to be harvested.

• Christmas trees are replanted annually, and the forests they create are important to the environment, recycling over 28,600 pounds of pollutants a year.

On this front, the artificial and real trees are actually tied.

• Either tree can range from ten to hundreds of dollars, depending on styles, sizes and varieties of real trees.

Safety is another consideration. The artificial tree tends to win on this front.

• A real tree can dry out if not watered promptly, and electric Christmas tree lights get rather hot, possibly hot enough to cause a dry tree to catch fire.
• Artificial trees are made to be flame retardant.

Finally, there is the aesthetic of a real tree versus an artificial one.

• Real trees have that piney Christmas smell that is hard to duplicate and may bring back memories of Christmases past.
• It can be harder to recreate those memories with an artificial tree, which may be a consideration for some people.

Carefully weigh the benefits and drawbacks of both types of trees, and you'll be sure to pick the right Christmas tree for your family.