Is your Christmas tree harmful for your children?

Real or Fake Tree

You probably have already have a preference on the type of Christmas trees you are going to get. Here is a little comparison between plastic and real trees so you are not neglecting any of the facts when you make the big decision. 

Plastic Trees

Plastic trees are going to be safer in terms of fire and water damage to the building. They appeal to a lot of buyers for their convenience in installation and maintenance. The cost is typically between $50 to $500 depending on size and features. This means it’s going to be more expensive, but its reusability over time make them cheaper in the long run. 

Most plastic trees come with pre-wired christmas light. This is going to the part that make you buy a new tree pre-maturely. When more systems are added to the trees, the chance of failure increase. Remember, you need to keep one tree for more than 5 years to break even the cost. When these pre-wired lights start to fail, you are going to want to swap them out. You might end up with a higher cost. 

For plastic trees, you need to find storage space for them, and be ready to vacuum the dust collected throughout the year. Plastics are not degradable. Depending on the temperature of your christmas lights and the location of your Christmas tree, it may release chemicals harmful to children who are more sensitive. Also, at the end of its life, plastic christmas trees are very bad for the environment. 

Real Trees

Real trees are charged by length. Depending on species and the tree lot, they can vary from $14/ft to $25/ft. The biggest benefit for having a real tree for Christmas tree is their versatility and the fresh pine aroma. Real tree’s cost is affected by the looks of the leaves, the aroma, rarity and their growth rate. If you are looking for harder wood with dense leaf and refreshing aroma, you are looking at something over $20 per foot. Other than the customizability of real trees, another advantage is the reduced demands on plastic. It is better for our environment, so it’s better for our children. 

Real Christmas tree’s disadvantage includes ongoing cost each year, messy falling tree needles, and the daily maintenance required. You have to water the tree very often because they dry very fast. The biggest concern for having a real tree in the house is the increased fire hazard of dry wood. 

If you decide to use plastic trees, you don’t have to worry about setup and accessories. All you need to worry about is the electrical load of the lighting that comes with the trees and the  environment your children live in. On the other hand, if you want that Christmas fragrance from a real tree, then you need to make sure they are properly watered so they don’t catch on fire. When a dry Christmas tree start to burn, it takes less than 30 seconds to destroy your home.