PE and PVC are the two plastics artificial Christmas tree needles are made from. PVC (polyvinyl chloride) needles are cut from flat sheets of film, so they are thin, slightly shiny and cheap to make, and they give a tree fullness. PE (polyethylene) needles are injection-moulded from casts of real fir and spruce branches, so each tip is three-dimensional and matt, which is what makes a tree look real. Most good trees use both: PE on the outer tips where you look at them, PVC inside for density. This guide explains the difference, how to spot each, and which of our trees use PE.

What is a PVC Christmas tree?

A PVC tree has needles made by cutting a wide strip of green PVC film into a fringe, twisting it around a wire to make a bottle-brush branch, and bending the branches into shape. It is the method used for almost every artificial tree sold before about 2010 and for most trees under £150 today. PVC needles are flat and uniform, they catch the light, and because they are cheap a manufacturer can pack a lot of them on, so PVC trees are full and forgiving of gaps. Their weakness is that every needle is the same flat shape, so close up the tree looks like a decoration rather than a plant. PVC branches also need fluffing every year because the needles flatten in storage.

What is a PE Christmas tree?

A PE tree has needles moulded in a steel die taken from a cast of a real branch, so each branch tip is a solid three-dimensional piece with needles radiating around the stem, the way a fir tip grows. Manufacturers call this “real feel”, “feel real” or “true needle”. PE tips hold their shape in storage, have a matt finish that photographs like a real tree, and are heavier and considerably dearer to make. A tree made entirely of PE tips would be very expensive and, oddly, look sparse, because moulded tips are less dense than bottle-brush branches.

Why do the best trees mix PE and PVC?

Because the two materials do different jobs. The PE tips go on the outside of each branch, where your eye lands and where the baubles hang, and PVC fringe fills the inner branches so you cannot see the trunk. The result is a tree that looks real from across the room and full from close up, at a price between the two. The proportion of PE varies: a mid-range tree might be 20 to 30% PE tips, a premium tree 60% or more, which is the main thing you pay for as the price climbs from £150 to £400. Tip count matters as much as material; a 2,000-tip PVC tree can look better than a 900-tip PE tree.

How do you tell PE from PVC in the shop?

• Hold a branch tip side-on. PVC needles are flat strips you can bend with a fingernail; PE tips are solid, slightly rubbery and spring back.
• Look at the finish. PVC is shinier under shop lights; PE is matt.
• Look inside the tree. A mixed tree shows flat fringe branches near the trunk and moulded tips at the ends.
• Lift it. A PE-heavy 7ft tree is noticeably heavier than a PVC one of the same height.

Which of our trees use PE needles?

Of the 65 artificial trees at Sapcote Garden Centre, the trees described by their makers as PE or mixed PE and PVC are the National Tree Company Carrington Fir (2m, £139, 1,886 tips; 2.28m, £189, 2,422 tips) and the Everlands Greenland Fir 2.1m (£169). The rest of the National Tree Company range (Dunhill Fir, Lawrence Fir, Newbury Spruce, Cranford Spruce, Snowy Dorchester) gets its realism from very high tip counts, 1,400 to 4,200 on a 6 to 7.5ft tree, rather than from PE, and the Everlands Imperial Pine and Premier ranges are PVC trees built for fullness and value. Our guide to the best artificial trees ranks them by budget, and all of them are lit on display in store so you can compare the needles yourself.

Does PE or PVC matter for lights, safety and lifespan?

Not much. Both materials take lights the same way, both are made to the same flame-retardant standards for sale in the UK, and both last ten to fifteen years with sensible storage. PVC trees need ten minutes of fluffing each year; PE tips come out of the box in shape. PE is a denser plastic, so a PE-heavy tree is heavier to carry and needs the box or a strong tree bag for storage. Neither material is recycled through household collections, so buy a tree you will keep.

Quick answers

Is a PE Christmas tree better than PVC?

PE needles look more realistic because they are moulded from real branch casts; PVC needles are flat, fuller and cheaper. The best trees use PE outer tips and PVC inner branches, so look for the mix and the tip count rather than PE alone.

What does PE mean on an artificial Christmas tree?

Polyethylene: the plastic used to injection-mould three-dimensional needle tips from casts of real fir branches. Sold as “real feel” or “true needle”.

What does PVC mean on an artificial Christmas tree?

Polyvinyl chloride: thin green film cut into a fringe and twisted onto wire to make bottle-brush branches. It is the traditional and most common artificial tree needle.

Are PVC Christmas trees safe?

Yes. Artificial trees sold in the UK, PVC or PE, are made to flame-retardant standards. Keep any tree away from open fires and heaters and switch lights off overnight.

Which artificial trees at Sapcote Garden Centre have PE needles?

The National Tree Company Carrington Fir (2m and 2.28m) and the Everlands Greenland Fir 2.1m, all on display in store on Hinckley Road, Sapcote, Leicester LE9 4LG.

Andrew Porwol

Andrew Porwol is an expert on gardening, plants, garden design, and outdoor furniture. He is the owner of Sapcote Garden Centre, Sharnford Garden Centre, and Garden Centre Shopping. He’s regularly featured in expert publications, like Forbes, MSN, and Better Homes & Gardens.