While artificial trees may seem similar from afar, a closer look shows a substantial difference in Christmas tree material, fabrication, and durability. At Balsam Hill, as of 2026, we are transitioning away from PVC needles to create PVC-free options with heirloom quality, although materials may vary by model and inventory. Whether it's a realistic polyethylene (PE) Christmas tree that resembles your favorite evergreen or a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) one that offers full foliage in a range of green shades, we have you covered. Choose the style that's right for you.
What Is a PVC Tree?
Artificial Christmas trees used PVC needles when they were first introduced. This material is rolled into thin pieces, then cut into fine, rectangular, needle-like strips or extruded into round needles. For many years, whether round or flat, PVC needles have offered a popular alternative to natural trees at a more affordable price point.
What Is a PET Tree?
To replace PVC needles in trees, Balsam Hill developed a proprietary, patent-pending PET needle with full foliage in a range of green shades for depth and dimension. These branch tips have needles that are soft, flat, flexible, and papery — made with proprietary PET for a more classic and durable artificial Christmas tree. As of 2026, our Classic Needle trees are produced with PVC-free needles, available on select products and new production.
What Is a PE Tree?
Today, PE is the preferred material for replicating the look of real trees. Elaborate patterns and shapes are molded using actual conifer tree branches and injected with PE, resulting in a realistic looking needle. Unlike PVC or PET Christmas trees, the needles of PE trees have the shape, thickness, and mass of a true tree branch for a look that's closest to nature.
Balsam Hill Artificial Christmas Tree Needle Types
Inspired by various types of real Christmas trees, Balsam Hill trees use PE, PET, and PVC needles for their foliage. Learn the differences each material brings in realism and practicality.
Classic Needles
Classic Needles are now made from flat PET strips cut to resemble tree foliage with soft, flexible tips for the timeless, full look you grew up with, at our most accessible price.
True Needles
Crafted with our award-winning True Needle® foliage for our most lifelike look and feel, this exclusive technology uses PE needles with a minimum of 30% recycled content.
Pine Needles
Like real pines, these trees are currently made with round PVC needles to create thin, clustered bunches attached to the stem for a full look with foliage in a range of green shades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Is Better: PVC, PE, or PET Christmas Trees?
PE Christmas trees capture the look and feel of live Christmas trees while being durable enough to decorate and display season after season. PET trees offer shades of green for a timeless, full look at our most accessible price. Over time, Balsam Hill is transitioning away from PVC needles to offer multiple PVC-free options with heirloom quality made to last.
Is a PVC, PE or PET Christmas Tree the Best Value?
The best value depends on your preference for realism, budget, and convenience. Many customers love our 100% Classic Needle PET trees for their full shape and great value, while others love our 100% True Needle PE trees for their close-to-nature realism and signature longevity.
Is a PVC, PE or PET Artificial Christmas Tree Fuller?
The fullness of a tree depends on its shape and needles. A full Christmas tree has a classic look, while a slim tree is better for small spaces. Balsam Hill's trees are crafted with PE True Needle® and/or PET Classic Needle tips, and our PET Classic Needle or PVC Pine Needle trees offer the fullest shapes.
Is a PVC, PE or PET Artificial Christmas Tree Better for Ornaments?
Sparse styles without Classic Needle filler, like our European Fir and Aspen Silver Fir, have airy PE branches that showcase treasured ornaments. Select sparse trees, like our Alpine Balsam Fir, feature True Needle® tips made with plant-based PE for a more sustainable Christmas tree.
How Do PVC, PE, or PET Christmas Trees Compare in Sustainability?
Although affordable, PVC is less widely recycled. PE and PET are both more widely recycled and made from more sustainable materials. Our PE True Needles are made with a minimum of 30% recycled content, while select True Needle trees are made with 95% plant-based PE needles. Light strings are coated with PVC for flame retardancy, making our unlit, plant-based PE trees the most sustainable option in our current assortment.
Find Your Perfect Tree
No matter which type of tree or needles you prefer, all of Balsam Hill's reusable trees are designed to last for many seasons. Best of all, they stay evergreen without maintenance, so you can enjoy easy holiday decorating, year after year.
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