7 best real Christmas trees to order online

It was love at first sight with this tree, which was wonderfully bushy and well balanced, and in excellent condition on arrival. Croft & Cole claim to seek out only the finest Nordmann firs grown in the UK, and that there are multiple quality checks prior to dispatch.

It’s a claim which is easy to make, but given the lush appearance of our tree, it’s clearly more than just spin – unlike some of the trees, which arrived desperately in need of water, this one had clearly been given some serious TLC before it turned up on our doorstep.

We also love the options for customisation. It was easy to add extras such as wreaths to our order and there’s also a wide range of sizes to choose from too. There’s also multitude of delivery options, which didn’t just include named day delivery but contact-free and so-called safe space delivery.

For something a little different, we recommend this beautiful Scottish Borders-grown Korean fir, with its dusky purple cones and perfect profile – a wide, thick base that tapers to a narrow tip. The branches were sturdy enough to deal with the ornamental overload we inflicted on this particular tree. While its smaller size – Korean firs are generally shorter than Nordmanns – makes it a brilliant option if you’re looking for either a second tree or searching for one to display in rooms with low ceilings. We also loved the tree’s subtle fragrance and the brilliant needle retention, which makes it ideal for homes with pets or children.

We’re firm believers that Christmas trees aren’t just for Christmas, which is why we’re huge fans of pot-grown trees. Pines and Needles’ trees are all grown in Scotland, and our beautiful Fraser Fir had lush, thick needles and a bushy profile with that all-important feature – an ultra-rigid central stalk which effortlessly supported our supersized tree topper. We kept things simple by ordering just the tree, but we loved the wide range of options which could easily be added – we could have requested installation and decorating services, and even specified the room we wanted it delivered to.

This beautiful tree made us wonder why we’ve spent so much of our hard-earned cash on pine-scented candles – our tree smelled fantastic, and its scent quickly filled our front room with a seasonal, forest-fresh aroma. We loved its wonderful thickness, which made it easy to decorate – the sturdy branches were thick enough to hold some rather chunky tree decorations, while the depth of the foliage did a great job of keeping our endless lengths of tinsel firmly in place. Adding accessories such as tree stands and fairy lights (all of which were brilliant value) was a breeze, too.

Our well-watered Nordmann Fir, which came in a sturdy plastic pot, had clearly been well cared for prior to its arrival and we loved the profile – a fat, wide base tapering to a narrower tip. Croft & Cole’s potted trees come in one size – between 4ft and 5ft tall – and they’re all grown on UK plantations carefully vetted by owners Rebecca and Thomas. We loved the wealth of information relating to the care of our tree, which – when replanted – will apparently grow up to one foot per year.

While it’s currently unavailable, make sure to check back with us for the latest stock updates on Croft & Cole’s festive fir.

We’ll kick things off by getting our biggest gripe out the way: our pot-grown Norwegian spruce was desperately in need of water by the time it arrived on our doorstep. Luckily, after 24 hours of tender loving care, it bounced back to robust health.

The tree had a beautiful profile and a fabulousness bushiness, although two downsides are the lack of transparency – we weren’t able to confirm the tree’s origins, only that it was grown in England, Scotland or Denmark – and the fact that Fantastic Services currently only deliver to addresses within the M25. That said, if you live in this area it’s a great option – despite the initial dehydration issue, the tree was healthy and lush, and Fantastic Services offers decoration services, too.

We loved the long trunk on our Nordmann Fir, which sounds like an odd thing to get excited about, but so many trees have been sliced off incredibly close to the lower branches, making it harder to insert the tree into a pot, and for it to absorb the water it needs initially. This is another tree which can be easily ordered alongside various accessories (we were seriously tempted by the barrel-shaped tree skirt) and we were pleased to see that the tree was in fantastic health on arrival.

Retailers like B&Q must shift thousands – if not millions – of trees every year, and in our experience the bigger retailers often drop the ball when it comes to pre-delivery tree care, but this certainly wasn’t the case with our festive fir.