Best realistic artificial Christmas trees

Top pick: Balsam Hill Vermont White Spruce — the most convincing foliage of the bunch, with dense, varied branch tips and a shape that reads as a real spruce rather than a cone. It's the one to buy if realism is the whole point.

Who the others suit:

• Balsam Hill BH Balsam Fir — the classic lifelike fir look for less; best all-round value for a living room.
• King of Christmas Queen Flock — if you want a snow-dusted, magazine-cover tree; flocking hides any plastic sheen.
• King of Christmas King Noble Fir — a fuller, more formal silhouette for a big room.
• Balsam Hill Silverado Slim — narrow footprint for tight corners and entryways.
• National Tree Company Dunhill Fir — the budget route to a decent, believable fir.

Check the height you need before ordering; most of these come in several sizes.