Approaching the Sofitel just off Pall Mall in St James, I wanted to stop…

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Why a post-pandemic trip to Zambia will give you more than you might expect.

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The government announcement of a £5,000 heat pump grant to help homeowners thinking of switching to carbon-neutral heating will make many at least consider the environmentally-friendly heating option. However, what many do not realise – and what critics of the grant have already pointed out – is that heat pump installation will require additional expenses.

While energy-saving tips can help you reduce your bills even with an existing gas boiler, heat pumps are a more energy-efficient option in the long run. But did you know that installing heat pumps will likely have to involve improving insulation – and more?

Heat pump installation may require new radiators

Namely, a heat pump system may require you to replace your old radiators with new ones, according to Chris Harvey – Central Heating and Radiator Expert At Stelrad. Chris agrees that ‘It goes without saying that heat pumps are better for the planet than today’s standard gas boilers, and this is, of course, a good thing.’

At the same time, Chris points out that installing heat pumps is ‘not just a case of replacing an old gas boiler.’ Chris says that, in his experience, ‘we would be needing to inform our customers that if they made the switch to renewables that they would need to have the correct heat loss calculations completed. This is because the size of their radiators will likely be required to be increased in size – it is great to change the heat source, but radiators are the mechanism which heat transfers into the room – a very important point that consumers will need to consider.’

Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to find radiators that are compatible with heat pumps – Chris recommends K2s (double panel), K3s (triple panel), or verticals (double panels which due to their style do not take up space on a wall as they are vertical). The only thing to bear in mind is the additional cost of replacing your radiators. If your old radiators already were due for a replacement, you may find that installing heat pumps at the same time, especially with the new heat pump grant, is a good idea. If you’ve already recently upgraded your heating system, you may want to think twice.

The post Expert warning: installing heat pumps may mean you’ll need brand-new radiators appeared first on Ideal Home.

Christmas is just around the corner, and finding the best artificial Christmas tree should be high on your to-do list for 2021. Whether you usually opt for a real tree but can’t stand vacuuming pine needles every day, or perhaps you’re upgrading your 4ft artificial tree to a 6ft one? Whatever your style, we’ve got it covered with our pick of the best artificial Christmas trees for 2021.

The best thing about an artificial tree? Apart from the cleanliness in comparison to the real thing, there’s the added bonus that you can use an artificial tree for years to come. Buy yours once and you’ll get years of use out of it. Just pack it away in a Christmas tree bag in January and sling it in the loft. You can also now buy pre-lit Christmas trees to save you from getting dizzy by walking around your tree to wrap it with lights. Artificial trees also come with a stand included in their price.

The only thing you won’t get from your artificial tree is that realistic pine scent. Not to worry, though: once you’ve selected your tree from our list, you’ll find a clever solution to this – and it truly does work. What are you waiting for? Get your artificial Christmas tree early this year to avoid disappointment, whether it’s for a living room, dining room, hallway, bedroom or even home office.

Doing some gift hunting? See our Christmas gifts under £20 to spend less this festive season

Here at Ideal Home HQ, we have rounded up – and tested a handful of – the best new artificial trees for 2021, alongside a few reigning best-sellers. All are hoping to be the tree of choice for your home for this, and many more, Christmases to come.

The best artificial Christmas trees to buy in 2021

1. Habitat 6ft Mixed Tip Natural Look Christmas Tree

The best artificial Christmas tree to buy in 2021

Image credit: Habitat

This Habitat tree is natural-looking and wrapped with LED lights to save you an extra job this December. It’s our top pick simply because of three things: it’s reasonably priced, it looks very natural and it’s a whopping 6ft in height. Essentially, it ticks all our boxes.

Easy to assemble, simply just slot the pieces together from the base. You’ll need to tease the branches to make it look in proportion before you pop your baubles on, but that’s half the fun, right? One thing’s for sure: it’s plush and will be sure to make a statement in your living room.

This PVC tree also comes with a stand, plus it’s fire retardant. In total there are 1,951 tips which is just proof that artificial Christmas trees aren’t always lifeless looking.

Dimensions: H6ft x D50.8cm

2. Dunelm 6ft Green Christmas Tree

The best affordable artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Dunelm

Because artificial Christmas trees can be admittedly expensive, and some people might think what’s the point in splashing the cash when you’re going to cover it in baubles, lights and more? This one from Dunelm is budget-friendly and sizeable.

With realistic fir tips, you’d never know that this tree was, indeed, fake – once it’s covered with decorations, that is. It may appear shiny at first appearance but after a bit of use and a sprinkle of glitter (if that’s your thing), it’s perfect. Otherwise, it’s a great second tree for an office, student pad or even a bedroom.

Coming in at less than £20, this bargain artificial Christmas tree even comes sitting on a stand. Just buy a skirt to cover said stand, or nestle your presents around it on the floor. Measuring a delightful 6ft high, even though it’s cheap, it’ll still make a statement in your living room. Just be warned: it doesn’t come with the lights included.

Dimensions: H6ft x D98cm

3. John Lewis and Partners St. Anton Potted Pre-lit Christmas Tree

The best snow-tipped artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: John Lewis & Partners

If it’s a snow-tipped Christmas tree that you are searching for this year, then look no further than John Lewis’ St.Anton tree. It even comes potted to make your life easier – and pre-lit! Oh, and it’s perfect for smaller spaces, or for nestling in a corner of a room thanks to its slim design and shape. Need we really say any more?

Its hinged branches easily drop into place whilst you needn’t buy a tree skirt thanks to the fact it sits in a pewter effect pot. With a total of 250 warm LEDs, this PVC tree though compact is definitely statement-worthy. It’s surprisingly full – thanks to a total of 616 tips – to ensure it looks the part in any room of your home. We think it’s perfect for a living room, but there’s nothing stopping you from putting it in a hallway or bedroom, either.

This tree’s lights are mains operated, so you’ll need to place the tree nearby a plug socket. The fact it sits in a china pot also means that it will be harder for inquisitive pets to touch, although we would avoid this tree if you have a small child as it could be easy for them to pull over.

Dimensions: H180 x D80cm

4. B&Q 6ft Smart Natural Looking Christmas Tree

The best smart artificial Christmas tree

In a world of smart home solutions, why not embrace a smart Christmas tree too? B&Q’s smart tree comes pre-lit with 300 multi-function LED bulbs for a traditional look. The dual coloured bulbs can be changed from warm white to multicoloured lights – taking the tree from calm and serene one minute to disco party vibes the next.

The thoroughly smart design means said lights are compatible with both Google Home and Alexa devices. In addition to the two different coloured light options, there are seven multifunction settings too. This jazzy function allows you to choose your desired look for every occasion.

We were very pleasantly surprised by how realistic this tree looked in our home. The densely populated branches are spread across three hinged sections, all of which are an even mix of moulded PE and traditional PVC tips to emulate the look and feel of a real tree. Plus, the stand is very robust, helping to ensure the tree feels very stable. When carrying out the push test this tree barely wavered.

Dimensions: H182.9cm x D97cm

5. Habitat 6ft Pre-Lit Snow Tipped Christmas Tree

The best slim artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Habitat

Small living room? Need a tree for your slim hallway? This pre-lit option from Habitat may be teeny but what it lacks in width it makes up for in style. It’s snow-tipped, too, and it comes wrapped with lovely lights around it. Whether you need a tree with a slim footprint or you’re on a budget, this one is a no-brainer.

What else do we love about this slim artificial Christmas tree? It’s lightweight at just 3kg, so would be great for someone who is less able or if you have children – you needn’t worry too much about them trying to pull it down. With hinged brackets, the branches easily fall into place so that all you need to really do is fiddle with it to ensure it looks all in proportion. It’s also pre-decorated with a total of 100 warm white bulbs to make your life easier.

This PVC tree comes atop a metal stand and it’s undeniably the perfect size for placing in a corner. It has a 2m cable to power its lights, of which is green in colour, and when switched on its lights are static.

Dimensions: H6ft x D45.72cm

6. The White Company pre-lit 1.5ft tree

The best small artificial Christmas tree

This mini but marvellous tree is compact in size but characterful enough to enter into the spirit of the season. It’s potted and perfect if you’re not really a fan of having a Christmas tree. Otherwise, it’ll look lovely placed atop a hallway console, a desk, coffee table or even a dining table as a festive centrepiece.

The slender branches are thoroughly realistic to both sight and touch. Even the base around the bottom of the tree is covered in a life-like moss earth-effect covering, adding to the realism. Plus, it stands in a decorative willow basket.

Arriving complete, ready to pop straight onto a surface for display – this tree could not be more convenient. It’s pre-lit, with a switch to control the lights neatly hidden in a compartment located in the base. The warm fairy lights, on an undetectable green wire, evenly distributed from top to bottom for a perfect finish. There are three settings for the lights – On, Off and Timer.

Dimensions: H46cm x D37cm

Buy now: Pre-Lit Mini Christmas Tree – 1.5ft, £35, The White Company

7. Hayes Garden World Yukon Snowy Pine Tree

The best realistic artificial Christmas tree

This snowy tree is the hero of alternative Christmas trees for 2021. It can set the scene for a white Christmas, whatever the weather. Standing at a statuesque 6ft tall this tree is made from a mix of PE/PVC material which creates a life-like illusion. It has a mixture of tapering and bushy branches (1,837 tips to be precise), with a smattering of large pine cones beautifully placed throughout to give the feel of a full-bodied life-like tree in a snowy wooded forest. Now if that isn’t the Christmas dream, what is?!

The hinged branches fall into place with almost no need to tease them into a more evenly deserved finish – which helped to lessen the loss of snow coverage. It comes pre-lit which is a dream. And, not with just any lights, but globe-shaped LED lights that are woven throughout the tree, warmly illuminating the frosted branches with a soft glow. The lights are long-life, energy-efficient LED lights that will last for years to come and have replaceable bulbs in case of any breakages. The branches support even the heaviest of decorations – although less might be more when it comes to this tree.

This tree wowed from the moment we got it out of the box. The snow coverage is excellent, with a soft textured feel to the touch. The branches are entirely snow-covered, with the dusting heavier on the ends – as you’d expect on a real tree out in the snow. Although the stand is only a basic fold-out model the tree felt extremely robust and sturdy when up, it certainly passed the push test.

Dimensions: H182.9cm x D112cm

Buy now: Pre-lit Yukon Snowy Pine Life Like Artificial Christmas Tree, £324.99, Hayes Garden World

8. Wilko 6ft Half Flocked Christmas Tree

The best half artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Wilko

We’ve found the ultimate tree for those with smaller spaces to fill. The half tree design is famous – and it’s easy to see why. Where full-sized would be overwhelming, this quirky half-tree design is perfect. Who really needs to see the back of the tree, anyway? We all know that it’s always the worst baubles that get hung around the back. Designed to sit in the corner of a room, this tree makes for less wasted floor space or wasted decorations, plus half the tree means half the price – what’s not to love? It’s weird but totally wonderful when you think about it.

There’s also the bonus that this tree is snow-tipped and pre-lit. It even has hinged branches to make it easier to assemble – and dissemble. Sturdy since it sits against the wall, this artificial tree, simply enough, ticks all our boxes.

Measuring a tall 6ft, this half tree is also budget-friendly, although it’s made of plastic – just an FYI.

Dimensions: H6ftx W100cm

Buy now: 6ft Half Flocked Christmas Tree, £55, Wilko

For inspiration: How to decorate a Christmas tree – Ideal Home’s definitive step-by-step guide

9. Balsam Hill Vermont White Spruce Flip Tree

The best luxury artificial Christmas tree

This tree is simply stunning. It’s SO well lit it could happily reside in the lobby of a 5-star hotel. It’s not cheap at all, and we acknowledge that entirely, but it is in a completely different league when it comes to artificial trees to keep for life. The Flip Tree’s design guarantees a super easy set up thanks to an innovative flip design that eliminates the need to lift heavy sections.

The tree is pre-lit, and the coverage is superb – plus they are remote controllable to adjust the light colour. This magnificent tree is dressed with 850 warm white LED lights – that’s enough to channel National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation vibes! This smart tree took under a minute to assemble. The base, on wheels for added ease, has a foot pedal that you press and then simply flip the bottom half over, into place. The top part is in one section, this slots into the base with ease. Fix the brakes once it’s in position, so it can’t be moved and plug in the lights. The meticulously hand-craft tree is made using Balsam Hill’s exclusive True Needle technology, beautifully replicating nature, including asymmetrical branches, subtle colour changes, and lifelike texture.

Balsam Hill are the crème de la crème in the world of artificial Christmas trees. The much-loved tree experts have expanded their range of artisan-designed, highly realistic Christmas trees to more than 250 beautiful designs! Being such a premium tree, as you might expect, it comes complete with a repair kit, a spare set of lights, bulbs, heavy-duty canvas storage bags for both sections and even gloves to protect hands from prickly branches during assembly!

Dimensions: H198cm x D137cm

Buy now: Vermont White Spruce Flip 6.5ft Artificial Tree, £1,349, Balsam Hill

10. Habitat 6ft Half Parasol Christmas Tree

The best artificial Christmas tree for pet owners

Quirky tall trees are popping up all over the place at the moment! We can totally see why they have become popular as a clever solution for pet owners wanting a Christmas tree. This tall tree comes with two poles, with one branch filled section for the top – the parasol, if you will. While the base has bolts to keep the main pole in place, the second pole section merely slots in – there is no extra securing element in place. It felt fairly unforgiving when we did the push test, purely because all the weight is in the top section.

The PVC flat bristle branches required minimal tweaking to make them perfectly spaced. The stand pole is tightly wound with a tinsel-like green material. We used just one set of fairy lights. We avoided using them on the base, as not to draw attention to it, but as demonstrated above it does work well. While this tree is a brilliant solution to stop pets and young children from playing with the decorations, we can’t help but fear the top-heavy nature could cause a potential hazard. We’d highly recommend weighing down the base to make it feel more stable and less likely to topple.

If you take these precautions or don’t have to worry about little ones or pets, then this tree is a fabulous quirky idea to elevate your decor this season.

Dimensions: H182 x D73cm

11. Argos Home 6ft Lapland Christmas Tree

The best white artificial Christmas tree

Image credit: Argos Home

Hoping for a white Christmas this year? Us too. With help from this Argos Home tree, you’ll be halfway there. If a white Christmas tree is more your style, then this one will tick all your boxes. It’s affordable, sizeable and best of all: it boasts a full look.

Easy to assemble with hinged branches that drop into place, just be sure to tease the branches to get this tree looking its best. Whilst annoyingly, it doesn’t come pre-lit, this does provide a blank canvas for you to decorate it however you like. You could go for vibrant pink lights or keep it classic with warm LEDs. Don’t even get us started on the baubles as the opportunities are endless.

This tree sits on a stand and weighs a very light 3kg in total. Like other artificial Christmas trees, it’s made of PVC – plus it’s fire retardant. Snap up this bargain now.

Dimensions: H6ft x D24.13cm

How we test our artificial Christmas trees

We’ve quite simply assembled a select few of the trees in this list. We looked at their quality and durability, getting hands-on for the best results. Like little elves, we unboxed and packed away the trees, too, to test how easy they are to both assemble and store. We also had our noses on red alert to detect if any of these trees carry an unwanted scent.

To test the branches and explore how well they withstand all manner of decorations, we hung the heaviest hanging baubles and ornaments and observed what we’re calling ‘the droop factor’. We’ve also placed tree toppers on each and every tree, to see if they fit properly. And we’ve been testing the topple-factor by pulling at the decorations, mimicking what excited children or curious pets might do!

What size Christmas tree should I get?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s best to have at least six inches between the top of your tree and the ceiling – remembering to allow for a topper.

How do you store your artificial Christmas Tree?

Of course, there’s the original box the tree came in. But will that last year in, year out? There’s also the task of how you get it back into the box – the wrestle is never an easy one. This year we’ve stumbled across several brilliant Christmas tree bags – and you can shop them below. A zip-up bag makes it more practical for transporting from the shed or loft to the front room each year.

Where to store an artificial Christmas tree to keep it looking good?

Quite simply, as long as you keep the branches flat and un-squashed, your tree should last you for years to come. Store in a cool, dry space to preserve the condition.

How do I make my fake Christmas tree smell real?

If you love a real tree mostly for its glorious scent, fear not because you can emulate the same smell with a touch of trickery. In recent years Scentsicles have become a thing. These magical sticks are soaked in seasonal scents and they cleverly hang from the branches, undetected.

If you want a more subtle hint of scent you can hang pine cones interspersed on the inner branches, attaching them using green gardening twine. A bundle of cinnamon sticks would also do the job if you’re looking for an alternative Christmas scent.

How much should I pay for an artificial Christmas tree?

There’s no real answer to this question. It all depends on what you’re looking for. You can pick up a budget tree under £50, from the likes of IKEA and Dunelm, which will do the job perfectly. Generally speaking, with artificial Christmas trees you generally get what you pay for. You can shop for cheaper artificial Christmas trees below.

What is a pre-lit Christmas tree – and should I buy one?

Pre-lit Christmas trees are simply trees that already have lights on. The beauty of buying a tree with the lights already on is firstly the saving – as there’s no need to buy extra lights. Secondly, the placement is a real bonus. As the lights are already evenly distributed throughout the whole tree, it saves you the job of fiddling about and potentially getting in a tangle over the perfect arrangement.

Never underestimate the importance of the lights on a tree, as they can anchor your whole decorating scheme – highlighting well-placed decorations and glinting in all the right places.

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