Costco Artificial Christmas tree review

Pros and cons of our Costco artificial pre-lit tree

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Review of our Costco artificial pre-lit LED Christmas tree

If you’re in the market for an artificial Christmas tree and are wanting to
know more about Costco’s pre-lit LED tree, then you’ve come to the right
place. I’m sharing everything that I love and don’t love about our 7.5′ Costco pre-lit LED Christmas tree.

We bought our tree in 2018 after having a real tree for the 12 previous years
and I have no regrets. Although I do miss the days of letting our girls pick
out the tree from the lot and the fresh pine scent of a real one, the benefits
and investment are worth it. 

The girls are grown now, and I can use a
balsam scented candle
or
Frasier fir scented diffuser
if I want the house to smell like we have a real tree. 

Costco Christmas Tree Pros

There are several reasons why I love our artificial tree. 

1. Easy to assemble. It takes about 5 minutes to put the tree
   together, and maybe another 5 to make sure the branches are all placed
   where they’re supposed to be. The tree comes in 3 parts that snap
   together.
2. It’s pre-lit. I think this is the best thing about the tree.
   When we had an artificial tree NOBODY wanted to put the lights on it.
   Getting a pre-lit tree has definitely made Christmas decorating much more
   enjoyable. Now we just add the garlands and ornaments and that only takes
   about 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Very realistic branches. One of the biggest reasons I was skeptical
   of artificial trees is because I was afraid they would look to plastic-y.
   I’m happy to say that this tree looks as realistic as almost any
   artificial tree I’ve seen at this price. You can get some that are more
   realistic at a higher price point, but we weren’t willing to spend quite
   that much.
4. The tree is very full. Although
   sparse Christmas trees and
   flocked trees
   are both becoming more popular, a full tree never goes out of style. This
   one is very full.
5. Various light options. There are 5 light settings and 13 brightness
   levels so there’s something for everyone.
6. Remote control. Say what? Yes, there’s a little remote that
   controls the lights. That didn’t really factor into our decision, but I
   gotta say I really like it. No more having to reach all the way behind the
   tree to plug in the lights!
7. Costco guarantee. One thing we love about Costco is their
   satisfaction guarantee. If you don’t like something or if you aren’t
   satisfied, simply return it to the store. 
8. It will last for years. Yes, artificial trees are expensive. But
   they last for years so it’s worth the investment. 

Here’s a closeup of the branches so you can see how realistic they look.

    

I tucked a few artificial eucalyptus branches in the tree to add more texture
to it. I did a cozy lodge theme with the tree. I’ve had the
crocheted snowflake ornaments
for years. The knitted garland and
plaid ribbon
definitely add coziness to the tree. 

Here’s how the tree looks at night. As you can see, there are plenty of lights
on it.

Now for the things I don’t like about the tree.

Cons of artificial trees

1. Not real. Obviously, they’re fake. But as I mentioned above, if you
   want the scent of a real tree you can always use a Christmas tree scented
   diffuser or pine scented candle.
2. It’s very heavy. I can’t put it together by myself because the
   sections are too heavy for me. If you’ve got good upper body strength, you
   could probably do it yourself. 
3. It takes up a lot of room in storage. We have ours stored in one of
   those
   rolling Christmas tree storage bags, which I definitely recommend. The one we currently have is stored flat
   and takes up a lot of room in our garage and lots a bit like a large body
   bag 😂. If you have the space for that style, they’re less expensive.
   We’re going to upgrade to one of these so it takes up less space → rolling stand up Christmas tree storage bag.
4. It’s expensive. Realistic arfiticial trees are several times
   more expensive than real ones. But the convenience and lifetime of the
   trees make it worth the investment.
5. Disposal. I must say, the fact that the tree is going to eventually
   go into a landfill bothers me. I’ve read arguments for both types of trees
   being more environmentally friendly that you can read here:
   Real vs Artificial Christmas Trees – which is greener?

Here’s a peek at one of our real trees from a few years ago and you can see
more of it here  Snowflake Christmas Tree Decor.

What other artificial trees did we consider?

Since this is an expensive purchase that should last for years, I did lots of
research. We considered several other trees before purchasing the one from
Costco and they’re all very nice trees too. 

Here are the other artificial trees we looked at:

• Pre-Lit Berkley Fir from Walmart (most similar)
• Fraser Grande from National Tree Company
• 7.5′ YORKSHIRE FIR from King of Christmas
• Jersey Fraser from National Tree Company
• Blue Spruce from Balsam Hill

In the end, we went with the tree from Costco because of the guarantee and
price, even though some of the others are more realistic. If you’re shopping
for a new tree I encourage you to look at all of them and decide which is best
for you. There are many beautiful ones available today.

You can get lots of great ideas for decorating with Christmas trees throughout
your home here:
12 Ways to Decorate with Christmas Trees

These trees are all realistic, beautiful, and pre-lit as well. 

Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about our tree that I
haven’t answered. I’m happy to help!