64% of Brits voted in favour of real Christmas trees

With nearly one in four UK households displaying a Christmas tree each year*, research conducted by the Ideal Home Show at Christmas has settled the debate of whether Britain prefers real or artificial Christmas trees. With 64% of respondents in favour of the real tree, only 36% opted for artificial.

The survey was sent out to the Ideal Home Show at Christmas’ social media followings, reaching over 7,400 people. Comments from survey respondents indicated that although a real tree was preferred, many purchase an artificial tree due to lower costs and practicality.

The top reason for buying a real tree is the pine-tree aroma and appearance. Reasons against buying a real tree included allergies, size and shape, falling needles, cost, durability, the risk of pets damaging the tree and reluctance to cut down a tree as decoration for just a few weeks.

Contrary to popular belief, real trees have a much lower carbon footprint than artificial trees.