You’ll Want To Read This Before You Buy a Balsam Hill Christmas Tree.
A first-hand guide to choosing the right Balsam Hill tree for your home: Norway Spruce, Vermont White Spruce, Silverado Slim, Nordmann Fir and more.
If you’ve been looking at Balsam Hill Christmas trees and can’t work out which one is right for your home, I understand. There are so many shapes, heights, colours and lighting options that it’s easy to choose the tree that looks best online, then realise it doesn’t suit your room, or the way you like to decorate.
I’ve owned four Balsam Hill trees, and my favourite is the BH Norway Spruce. But there isn’t one Balsam Hill tree that suits every home. The important things to compare are the tree’s height and width, how dense or open its branches are, how much shaping it needs, and how its lights connect.
My quick Balsam Hill picks
Best all-rounder: BH Norway Spruce. My favourite. It works with both contemporary and traditional decorating, is easy to put together, and has enough space between branches for ornaments.
Best for a traditional look: Vermont White Spruce. A classic, dense silhouette. Consider the slim profile if you want the look but have less floor space.
Best for a narrow, but tall traditional tree : Silverado Slim. Beautiful, but it needs more careful shaping and isn’t my easiest tree to set up as far connecting lights etc.
Best for a cottage-style room: Nordmann Fir or European Fir. Softer, more storybook shapes than the dense traditional trees.
Best to consider for a Traditional shape meets Australian coastal Summer palette: Royal Blue Spruce. Its ash-grey, slightly blue colouring gives a different feel from a traditional deep-green tree.
Cute apartment tree that feels like an American or UK Hallmark film that’s new to Balsam Hill BH Nordmann Fir Spruce - It’s got the just the right amount of charm and works perfectly for those looking for a realistic tree without the maintenance.
These are my personal impressions, not a ranking of quality. Check the current Australian Balsam Hill listings for exact names, sizes and availability.
My experience:
My background is in design and styling, and I’ve owned four Balsam Hill trees: the BH Norway Spruce 229 cm (pictured below) the Sanibel Spruce (213.5 cm), a tall Silverado Slim, and the traditional BH Noble Fir, which is now on loan to my parents. I’m speaking from setting up, shaping and decorating those trees at home; the other models I mention are ones I’d consider based on their shape, style and current listings, rather than trees I’ve personally tried.
My Balsam Hill Christmas tree checklist
Before you buy, check:
Is the tree tall enough for your ceiling, with room for a topper?
What are the exact height and width or radius?
Would a slim profile suit your available floor space?
Do you want dense branches or more room to hang ornaments?
How much fluffing and shaping will you need to do?
How do the pre-lit sections connect?
Does the tree’s colour and silhouette suit your home and the Christmas look you want?
First, measure the height and width
My preference is for a tree at least 200 centimetres tall, if your ceiling allows it. Anything shorter can leave me wishing I’d gone bigger. Measure the ceiling and leave room for the topper before choosing a height. Also consider if you got too high, you have to store that tree for 10 months of the year somewhere. So my recommendation is the 244cm height.
Then check the tree’s full width or radius. This is easy to overlook when you’re focused on height, but a full tree can take over a smaller living room or apartment. A slim Balsam Hill tree can give you a generous height without using as much floor space. Check the listed dimensions for the exact model and size you’re considering.
Branch density matters when you decorate
A tree that looks full before you decorate it may be harder to hang ornaments on. When branches are packed tightly together, decorations can sit on the surface instead of hanging into the tree. I like some space between branches because it gives ornaments room to show.
Also consider how much fluffing you’re willing to do. Denser styles can take longer to shape. The Norway Spruce is one of the reasons I like it: I find it straightforward to assemble and it needs less fluffing than some of the fuller styles I’ve tried.
Which Balsam Hill tree suits your style?
BH Norway Spruce: my favourite all-rounder
This is my definite favourite of the Balsam Hill trees I own. It works for a contemporary Christmas or a more traditional one, so you can change your decorating style without changing the tree. It has enough openness for ornaments to hang properly, while still looking good before it’s decorated. I also find it easy to put together and less demanding to fluff.
If the full, dense Christmas-tree shape is what you love, this is the sort of style to explore. That traditional silhouette has real presence, so think about the size of your room as well as the height of the tree. A slim profile may be easier to place in a smaller home.
Sanibel Spruce: an airy tree that needs shaping
I have a shorter one at about 213.5 centimetres. I wish I’d been able to buy the taller, 240cm one. It has a lighter, slightly coastal feeling.
I bend the branch tips up and out, as though they’re growing towards the sun. If you push them all straight out, the tree loses that elegant shape.
Nordmann Fir and European Fir: softer, cottage-style options
These have a different character from the dense, traditional trees. I find them charming for a cottage-style home.
The Nordmann Fir has an open-looking top that I particularly like. Check the exact version and dimensions available before choosing.
Royal Blue Spruce: a cooler, coastal colour
I like the ash-grey, slightly blue tone of the Royal Blue Spruce. It feels like an interesting alternative to a Monterey pine if you want a cooler, coastal look for an Australian summer Christmas. Balsam Hill also offers other shapes and colours, so compare the actual listing images and specifications before you decide.
Other Balsam Hill styles to explore
The BH Balsam Fir and Fraser Fir are classic, dense styles, while the California Baby Redwood’s deep green could suit a mid-century modern room. Balsam Hill also lists Monterey Pine-style trees. These are worth comparing if you want a familiar Australian Christmas look, though they aren’t my personal first choice for decorating.
For readers shopping in the US or UK, I’d also look at the Frosted Yukon Spruce and the BH Frosted Fraser Fir. The Yukon has a slimmer shape and upward-sweeping branches, while the Fraser Fir gives you a fuller, more traditional silhouette with a snow-covered finish. They bring that frosted, wintry look people often have in mind when they search for a Balsam Hill tree.
And if I lived in the US or could get them here in Australia the Grand Canyon Cedar and BH Noble Fir Narrow would be two more contenders for me. The Cedar’s more open shape is an interesting change from the classic full tree, and the Noble Fir Narrow looks like a clever way to get that traditional feel into a tighter space. I have the traditional Noble Fir and sent it off to my parents to loan so they have a gorgeous tree for Christmas. It does require a fair amount of fluffing but it is a gorgeous tree.
Are Balsam Hill pre-lit trees worth considering?
I’d consider a pre-lit tree, especially if you want to avoid adding lights yourself. But pre-lit doesn’t tell you how the sections connect. Some trees light up as you click the sections together; others have cords you need to connect between sections. That setup difference matters to me, so check the details for the exact tree before ordering.
Why consider an artificial tree in Australia?
Our Christmas falls in the middle of summer, and fresh-tree options can feel limited. Monterey pines are familiar, but I find them difficult to decorate, and a real one has the heat to stand up against. It doesn’t last that long. An artificial tree gives you more choice over height, shape, colour and the overall mood of your Christmas.
That is where Balsam Hill’s range can be useful: you can look beyond one traditional tree shape and choose a silhouette that suits your own home. The right one for you may be a dense classic tree, a slim profile, or something airier and cooler in colour.
If I were choosing again, I’d start with the BH Norway Spruce in the 229cm or the 274cm. It’s most versatile option in that it suits both a traditional and contemporary look. Not hard to fluff or set up and the pre lit system is click and go (no connecting cords etc.) But the best Balsam Hill Christmas tree is the one that works in your room, suits your style, and feels manageable to set up each year.
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