Real or artificial tree
The question is not which tree is “better”, but what you are prepared to repeat every year.
One-off cost versus yearly
A real tree is bought anew every season. A cast-needle tree is bought once, packed into its box after the holidays and waits for next December looking just the same.
Needles
A real tree starts dropping needles in the first week in a warm room — that is what drying needles do. A cast branch cannot shed by definition: there is nothing to drop.
Fire risk
Dry real needles are a typical cause of Christmas fires: they catch quickly and burn with a tall flame. Cast polyethylene does not carry this risk.
Scent and atmosphere
Here the real tree wins: a cast tree cannot reproduce genuine pine scent. If the scent is the main reason you put up a tree, an artificial one will not replace it.
In short
| Criterion | Real | Cast-needle |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly cost | yes, bought anew | no, lasts for years — 3-year warranty |
| Needles on the floor | yes, from the first week | no |
| Fire risk | dry needles burn fast | none |
| Pine scent | yes | none |