Artificial Christmas tree glossary

A listing for an artificial tree is written in shorthand: PE tips, hinged branches, UL lights, 2,000 tips. Each word below is defined in plain English, with a fact from the 75 listings we read on Amazon.com or from an official source when we have one.

The words are sorted into six groups: size and shape, branches and tips, lights and power, safety marks and rules, flocking and finish, and setup and storage. Use the search box to jump to one.

Size and shape

Listed height

The height the maker prints in the title, measured from the floor or the bottom of the tree to the top tip. Some listings count the stand and some do not, so read the fine print. The 75 listings we read run from 2 ft to 9 ft, and the middle one is 7.5 ft. Subtract the stand and the topper before you compare it with a ceiling.

Ceiling check

Our test for whether a tree clears your ceiling: the listed height plus about 4 to 6 in for the stand and 6 to 12 in for a topper, compared with the room. A 7.5 ft tree is 90 in tall, so it needs roughly 100 to 108 in under the ceiling once it is dressed. The tree size calculator runs this sum for you.

Base diameter

The width of the tree at its lowest ring of branches, in inches. It decides how much floor the tree takes, and it varies far more than height: among the listings we read, a 9 ft Best Choice Products tree is about 60 in across, a 9 ft Puleo slim tree about 49 in, and a 9 ft National Tree Company Kingswood slim tree about 35 in. A maker that prints no base width leaves you to guess.

Full

A tree with a wide base for its height, so its branches spread out at the bottom and fill a corner. Full trees carry the most tips and the most lights, and they need the most floor. A 9 ft full tree on a 60 in base asks for a clear circle of about 5 ft.

Slim

A tree that is narrower than a full tree of the same height, usually 30 to 50 in at the base. It gives up some volume to save floor. Slim and pencil are used loosely by makers, so judge a tree by its stated base width, not by its name. Our slim and pencil picks compare the real widths.

Pencil

The narrowest shape, a tall tree on a base of about 30 in or less, made to stand in a corner, a hallway or a small apartment. Its branches point up and out in a tight column. 16 of the 75 listings we read use the word pencil.

Tabletop

A tree of about 2 to 4 ft, small enough to stand on a table, a shelf or a console. Many run on batteries because a table is far from an outlet. The listings we read start at 2 ft, which is where a mini tree begins. See the small tree picks.

Downswept

A branch style where the branches hang down from the trunk and curve up at the tip, the way a real fir's lower branches do. It gives a softer outline than branches held straight out. One of the 75 listings uses the word, so it is a shape you will meet mostly in specialty lines.

Species name

The tree the artificial one imitates: Fraser fir, noble fir, blue spruce, Aspen fir or a plain pine. It is a styling choice, not a botanical claim. A species name tells you the needle color and branch pattern the maker aimed at, but two trees with the same name can look quite different, so compare tip count and the share of PE tips instead.

Branches and tips

Tips (branch tips)

The tips are the individual twigs at the ends of a tree's branches, the part you see. A tip count is the number of those twigs, and it is the nearest thing to a fullness number that makers publish. 69 of the 75 listings we read mention tips, and several print two different counts for the same tree, so we note which one a page uses.

Tips per foot

Our calculation: the tip count divided by the height in feet, so that a 4 ft tree and a 9 ft tree can be compared fairly. Among the 66 trees whose listing states a tip count, the middle value is 158 tips per foot. A tree far below that looks sparse, and one far above it is dense enough to hold heavy ornaments.

PE (polyethylene)

PE is a molded plastic. Tips made of it are cast from real branches, so they have the fork, the texture and the thickness of a real needle cluster, which is why they look most like a real tree up close. 13 of the 75 listings we read write PE, polyethylene or injection molding. The full comparison is on the PE or PVC page.

PVC

PVC is a flat plastic film cut into strips and bent to form needles. It is cheaper and softer than PE and makes a tree look full, but its needles look flatter up close. 51 of the 75 listings we read name PVC. It is also the plastic that California's toxics office points to in the wire coating of some holiday lights, covered under Prop 65 below.

PE and PVC mix

A tree whose outer tips are molded PE, so they look real, and whose inner tips are PVC, so the tree stays full. It is how most realistic trees are built. A listing that says mixed, or gives a PE share, is stating this. A listing that names only one plastic may simply not say.

Hinged

A hinged tree has branches attached to the pole by a hinge. In the box they fold up against the pole, and when you lift them they swing out and lock into place, so you do not slot or hang each branch by hand. That is all a hinged Christmas tree, or a hinged branch, means. It is quicker to set up and keeps its shape from year to year, which is why 51 of the 75 listings we read write the word, and 42 of those are also pre-lit. If one branch droops, lift it back toward the pole and fluff the tips, as the fluffing guide shows. For hinged trees by size, start with the 7.5 ft picks or the 9 ft picks.

Hook-on

A branch system where each branch carries a metal hook or a colored tab that you attach to a rung on the pole, one branch at a time. It takes longer to set up than a hinged tree and each branch is labeled by size, but a single branch can be swapped if one breaks. None of the 75 listings we read uses the term.

Sections

The pieces a tree breaks into for storage, usually two to four, stacked on one another. Each section carries its own lights, and the sections plug together. More sections make each piece lighter to carry and add plugs to check. 42 of the 75 listings we read mention sections.

Central pole

The metal pole that runs up the middle of the tree and carries all the branches. Its sections join with a tube and a pin. A pole that is straight and fits snugly keeps a tall tree from leaning, so check that the listing describes a steel pole and a sturdy stand.

Tip material

What the tips are made of: PE, PVC or a mix. A listing should say so, and 13 of the 75 we read do for PE. It is the most useful spec for how real a tree looks, and the one makers most often leave out.

Lights and power

Pre-lit

A tree that ships with lights already wired onto its branches, so you do not string anything. 63 of the 75 listings we read write pre-lit. The trade is that a failed section is harder to fix than a loose strand. Our pre-lit picks rank them by lights per foot.

Unlit

A tree with no lights, for people who want to string their own, which also lets you pick the color. 10 of the 75 listings we read write unlit. It avoids wired sections, and it means the safe number of strings is yours to work out. Our 9 ft picks without lights cover this case.

Lights per foot

Our calculation: the number of bulbs divided by the tree's height. It shows how bright a tree is across sizes. Among the 63 trees that state a light count, the middle value is 47 lights per foot, and the range goes from 16 to 133.

LED

A light-emitting diode bulb. LEDs run cooler than incandescent bulbs and draw less power. 40 of the 75 listings we read write LED. Cool bulbs matter near dry branches, which is why the NFPA fire numbers point at lamps and bulbs.

Incandescent

A bulb with a glowing filament, the older kind. It gets warm to the touch and uses more power than an LED. 20 of the 75 listings we read write incandescent. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns against joining more than three sets of incandescent lights end to end.

Warm white

A yellow-toned white, close to an old bulb's glow. It is the most common color: 45 of the 75 listings we read write warm white. Clear is a whiter tone, and both are used on trees meant to look traditional.

Multicolor

Bulbs in several colors, such as red, green, blue and yellow, on one string. 18 of the 75 listings we read write multicolor. They suit a classic look, and some trees offer them next to warm white.

Dual color

A tree whose lights switch between two colors, normally warm white and multicolor, with a foot pedal or a remote. Only 4 of the 75 listings we read write dual color.

Color changing

Lights that cycle through colors and lighting modes such as fade, twinkle and steady. 6 of the 75 listings we read write color changing. They are run by a pedal or a remote, and that control box is the part to check for a recall.

Foot pedal

A switch on the cord, pressed with your foot, that turns the lights on and off and selects a mode. 7 of the 75 listings we read write foot pedal. It is also the part that failed in a 2020 recall of Home Depot trees, covered on the recalls page.

Remote

A handheld control for lights and modes, sold with the tree. 6 of the 75 listings we read write remote. A receiver sits on the cord and can fail, which is why light controllers appear in recall lists.

Plug-together sections (PowerConnect)

A wiring design in which each section's lights connect through the pole when the sections are stacked, so you plug in once at the base instead of plugging every section into the next. Makers use brand names such as PowerConnect or connect technology; one of the 75 listings we read uses such a term. It saves plugs, and a bad contact at a joint can darken the sections above it.

Stay-lit bulbs

A wiring and bulb design meant to keep the rest of a string lit when one bulb fails. A listing that says its lights stay lit if a bulb goes out is promising this. Without it, one dead bulb on a series string can darken the whole string.

Fuse

A small safety link, usually in the plug, that melts and cuts the power if the string draws too much. The 2015 federal rule on seasonal lighting asks for overcurrent protection, which is what the fuse in the plug supplies. If a string goes dark, check the plug's fuse before you assume the bulbs are bad, and replace it only with the same rating.

Timer

A control that turns the lights off by itself after a set number of hours. 7 of the 75 listings we read write timer. It does not replace the rule to switch the lights off when you leave or go to bed, but it is a useful backup.

Battery box

A compartment that powers a small tree's lights from batteries, so the tree needs no outlet. 9 of the 75 listings we read write battery. It is common on tabletop trees and on any tree meant for a place with no outlet nearby.

Safety marks and rules

UL

A mark from UL Solutions, one of the independent laboratories recognized by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. On a pre-lit tree it means the lights were tested and certified to a safety standard. 14 of the 75 listings we read write UL; the others say nothing about it, which is not the same as having failed a test.

ETL

The mark of Intertek, another laboratory on the OSHA recognized list. On a string of lights it has the same meaning as UL: tested and certified to a safety standard. None of the 75 listings we read writes ETL, so you may find the mark on the tree's tag instead of the page.

CSA

The mark of the CSA Group, the third laboratory on the OSHA list that we meet on lights. None of the 75 listings we read writes CSA. The three marks carry the same weight, and none is better than the others.

Nationally recognized testing laboratory (NRTL)

The official name for a laboratory that OSHA has recognized to test and certify products. UL, Intertek (the ETL mark) and CSA are all on the list. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises buying lights tested by one.

UL 588

The safety standard for seasonal and holiday decorative products, which covers Christmas light strings. The CPSC's 2015 rule says a string that lacks the right wire size, overcurrent protection or strain relief is a substantial product hazard. None of the 75 listings we read names UL 588, so the standard is something to look for on the tag, not on the page.

UL 2358

A set of fire tests for artificial trees. Since July 16, 2018, the 19th edition of UL 588 requires trees taller than 30 in and shorter than 12 ft to be tested to UL 2358 as well, according to the testing laboratory Intertek. None of the 75 listings we read names UL 2358.

Fire resistant (flame retardant)

A statement that the tree's material resists catching fire, and on a tree it should appear on a label. The CPSC advises looking for a Fire Resistant label, and adds that the label does not mean the tree cannot catch fire, only that it is more resistant. 42 of the 75 listings we read write fire resistant or flame retardant.

CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that publishes product recalls and safety rules, including the 2015 rule on seasonal lighting. Its recall database is where we check each brand, and the results are on our recalls page.

NFPA

The National Fire Protection Association, a fire safety organization whose reports count home fires. For 2020 to 2024 it reports an average of 143 home fires per year that started with Christmas trees, and says electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 40 percent of them. Its figures do not separate artificial trees from natural ones.

Prop 65

California's Proposition 65, which requires a warning when a product can expose people to listed chemicals. California's state toxics office says some holiday lights with PVC-coated wire can expose you to lead and phthalates, and advises washing your hands after handling them. None of the 75 listings we read mentions Prop 65.

Overcurrent protection

A part that cuts the power if a light string draws more current than it should. In a plug-in string it is the fuse in the plug. The CPSC's 2015 rule treats a string without it as a substantial product hazard.

Strain relief

The part of a plug or a cord that stops the wires from being pulled out of the plug or socket, usually a molded collar. It is one of three things the CPSC's 2015 rule requires of a light string. If a tree's cord has frayed where it enters the plug, stop using it.

Flocking and finish

Flocked

A tree whose branches are coated with a white, snow-like finish. 17 of the 75 listings we read write flocked. A flocked finish can shed onto hands, floors and ornaments, and it hides some tip detail. Our flocked picks compare the options.

Partially flocked

A tree where the snow finish is only on the tips of the branches, or only part of the tree. It gives a frosted look with less coating to shed. Makers also say lightly flocked, with no standard for how much coating that means.

Snow-tipped

A tree whose branch ends are tinted white or dusted with white to look frosted, short of a full flocked coat. 16 of the 75 listings we read mention snow, in one form or another. Check whether the white is a coating, which can flake, or a color molded into the tip.

Realistic needles

A phrase makers use for tips with texture, color variation and thickness like a real fir. It has no standard meaning, so read it as a prompt to check the PE share and the tip count. It is one of the six criteria in our scores.

Setup and storage

Fluffing

Spreading out and shaping each tip after you open the box, from the bottom of the tree to the top, so the branches fill the gaps. A tree ships compressed, and 36 of the 75 listings we read say to fluff it. It takes longer than the assembly itself, and it is what makes a tree look full. The fluffing guide shows how.

Stand

The base that holds the central pole upright, usually metal, with feet that protect the floor. 70 of the 75 listings we read write stand. It adds the 4 to 6 in we count in the ceiling check. A wider tree needs a wider, heavier stand.

Topper

A decoration placed on the top tip, such as a star, an angel or a bow. It adds 6 to 12 in to a tree's height in the ceiling check. 5 of the 75 listings we read mention a topper, often to say it is included.

Storage bag

A bag or box for keeping the tree between seasons, sold with the tree or separately. 4 of the 75 listings we read write storage bag. A hinged, sectioned tree stores in a smaller space, and a bag keeps dust and moisture off.

To put the words to work, start with the tree size calculator, read how we turn them into scores on the methodology page, and see which trees fit your room in our best artificial Christmas trees guide. The safety words connect to the recalls page.

Sources