How to Choose the Perfect Christmas Tree for Your Malaysian Home

When it comes to picking the perfect Christmas tree, you may be debating between an all-natural centerpiece or a hassle-free faux option. This guide is here to help you discover the ideal tree for your Malaysian home, be it real or artificial.

A real Christmas tree decorated in lights and red baubles

Real vs Artificial Trees

When planning to deck your halls for the festive season, there is always one big question. Should you buy a real or artificial Christmas tree? 

Why Choose a Real Tree

Real trees are the traditional yuletide centrepiece of the home. From the evergreen conifer family, natural Christmas trees are usually spruce, fir, or pine species from cooler climates, such as Europe and the United States. 

The draw with natural trees is that they really hit the senses. First, the majestic beauty of a real tree, no matter the height, they never fail to impress. Their intricate, dense branches, each unique and boasting luscious, forest green needles. 

Next, the scent. It's a favourite for many. That woody, earthy, fresh, welcoming pine scent fills the home when you place a real tree on display. It's an aroma that instantly makes you feel as though you've stepped into an enchanted, snow-capped Bavarian forest.

The downsides to a real Christmas tree is the cost and maintenance. Importing such beautiful trees into Malaysia is pricey, so expect to spend a little more for the real deal, around RM150 for a 4-foot tree. If you're just looking for a miniature version, however, you can get a real Cypress Conifer for only RM10 from a plant nursery. 

A natural tree needs attention, like any plant, so you will need to remember to water the trunk, spray the branches, and keep it in a shaded area of your home. And don't forget that it's normal for needles to fall while it spends the festive season indoors.

Why Choose an Artificial Tree

Artificial, fake, or faux trees are the alternative if a real Christmas tree is too high maintenance or too expensive. Unless you purchase a potted miniature real tree, a natural Christmas fir is one you will need to repurchase every year. A time-saving, hassle-free benefit of artificial trees, however, is you just bring out your tree every year. Build it, fluff it, and decorate - it's so easy.

Don't have the energy to water a real tree? A faux tree is made from plastic, either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene (PE), meaning you don't need to think about watering, misting, or keeping in the shade!

While real trees can be recycled and are compostable, an artificial tree can be reused for many years if stored correctly. And they pack down quite well. Artificial trees are made of lightweight metal and plastic parts, which are dissembled after use, to snugly pack away until the next year.

What about realism? Can an artificial tree match the natural beauty of a real fir? High quality trees from retailers, such as Mason's Home Decor, use FirTECT™ PE plastic for hyper-realistic needles and branches to carefully mimic the delicate details of a forest tree. They're flexible, moulded with precision, and use multiple tones to replicate the colours of vibrant green needles. 

What's more there's so much choice for aesthetics. You can choose long or short needles, extra wide and bushy or narrow and slim, a flocked snow-dusted tree, or even a pink, purple, or gold tree if traditional green isn't your mood!

A dense flocked artificial Christmas tree

Which Size Tree for Your Home?

For a Christmas tree that fits just right in your home, it's a good idea to take a few measurements before making a purchase. 

Measurements

Take a tape measure and note down these measurements in the room where you'd like your tree to be on display:

• Ceiling Height: measure from the floor to the ceiling

• Floor Space: measure the area where the tree will stand (length x width)

• Width of Doors and Walkways: to make sure there's space to walk around the tree

Factor in some breathing room around your tree:

• Around 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30cm) of space between the top of the tree and the ceiling, especially if you’re thinking about adding a tree topper. 

• At least 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60cm) of clearance around the tree for walkways and furniture, so everything feels nice and open.

A hyper-realistic Fraser Fir artificial Christmas tree

Choosing Tree Shapes Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the same is true for what you find attractive in a Christmas tree! You may prefer an ultra-dense tree packed full of big, fluffy branches, or maybe you like the look of a sparse, airy Scandinavian tree. To know which tree is right for you, check out the number of branch tips. You'll read this in the specifications of artificial trees when you're shopping.

A general guide for a 5 ft (1.5 m) tree:

• Full and dense varieties: 800 to 1,200 tips. These trees are perfect if you adore that rich, full-bodied Christmas tree aesthetic.
• Medium density trees: 600 to 800 tips. They strike a nice balance of not too bushy and not too sparse.
• Minimalist, sparse trees: fewer than 600 tips. For a more open and natural appearance, ideal for modern, Nordic, or rustic themes.

• .

A sparse and airy real Christmas tree

Mason's Hyper-Realistic Artificial Christmas Trees If you're keen to order a high quality, premium artificial tree, I highly recommend the Mason’s Home Decor. Although located in Singapore, their online shop ships internationally, with free deliver on orders over RM200! Plus, if you want to see the trees in person, you can visit their showroom, which is open every day.