Thanks to amazing augmented reality technology, you’ll be able tocollect golden stars, just like Zog and have the chance to take a photo with everyone’s favourite dragon at the end of the trail!

This is two-fold – as well as looking for full and realistic foliage, look at whether the branches are hinged, meaning they fall easily into place when you put the tree up or if you’ll need to hook each one in, which can take longer. Some need shaping too. If you don’t have a garden, you can still opt for this, as there are many rental services now available that will collect your tree after Christmas and nurture it until the following festive season. Some even let you have the same tree year after year. Artificial Christmas trees don’t come much more high-end than Balsam Hill, and we weren’t disappointed. This bushy, pre-lit tree looks realistic and was up in a jiffy, thanks to clear online videos explainers. Our testers liked the fact it has rubber feet, so it won’t scratch hard flooring, but it is heavy to move around should you need to reposition it, so something to bear in mind. They can be good value, too. While spending a few hundred pounds on an artificial tree may seem like a lot of money initially, if you look after it well and reuse it for years to come, it’s a worthwhile investment. This is the tree that won the coveted spot in my sitting room last Christmas, even convincing my husband - arch sceptic of artificial trees - that it was better than real. In my mind, Balsam Hill do the best luxury artificial trees (the brand was created after the founder had a family member with a tree allergy); the branches are designed based on clippings from real Nordmann Firs, with needles that are a dark waxy green on top, and gently curved to reveal a silvery underside–just like the real thing. The magic is in the PE moulded tips, and on this 7ft model there are 2,026 of them. Between the branches you can glimpse the trunk, which unlike some other models, has been designed to look like a real tree trunk to add to the naturalistic look.

Below, we've also included the number of tips (the branch ends you can hang decorations off) where possible, as this helps give an idea of the finished look and just how many baubles you can hang. Lighting Skip to: How we tested the best artificial Christmas trees | How to choose the best artificial Christmas tree | How to choose the right size Christmas tree for your space | How to choose the best Christmas tree variety | Is an artificial Christmas tree more sustainable than a real one? | What artificial Christmas trees are already available to buy? | When should you put up your Christmas tree?

We’ve tested seven of the trees below at the Good Housekeeping Institute (just look for the GHI Approved logo on the pictures). But in case they aren’t quite right (they’re all natural-looking, for a start), then our shopping editors have selected their favourite fake Christmas trees in a range of colours, styles and price points, so you can find the right one to bring your festive vision to life. We've compiled more in depth information below, but if you simply want our take ‘at a glance’, the best artificial Christmas trees to buy are: The 7.5ft Symons Tree is around 4ft wide, so feels very voluminous, and again, the key to a good-looking faux tree is in the detail: this tree has over 1,754 tips to give a full, bushy effect, which have been hand-painted in a natural shade of green to ensure the most realistic finish. Artificial trees tend to be non-recyclable and although you can reuse them each year, to avoid buying more plastic, real trees are generally the greener option. How we test artificial Christmas treesYou expect a good-looking tree from The White Company, where everything is done in a quietly chic way. New for this year, I found their artificial Symons tree was another great option with hyper-realistic branches in a very natural shade of green that really do resemble the real thing. Before anything else: measure your space. You may want a large tree that makes a big impact, but a squashed tree will look much worse than a well sized one. The average size tree is 7 feet, as this fits into the average living room. However, you can find trees anywhere between 4 and 12 feet tall. According to Mac Harman, founder and CEO of Balsam Hill the best Christmas tree variety ultimately comes down to preference and taste. It's not an exact science. Point the brand new app at special markers along the trail andaccess all sorts of exciting challenges as you go.