Black Friday
Christmas tree deals

01 What to expect at this price

Black Friday is the cheapest time of year to buy an artificial Christmas tree, and searches for tree deals jump in the week before Thanksgiving.

We look at tip count, hinged branches and light type before the discount, because a cheap tree that looks thin is no deal.

Every pick here has a real discount on Amazon right now, and the list refreshes every six hours until Cyber Monday. We note the catch on each, so you can tell a good deal from a big percentage.

02 What to check before you buy

• Check the price historyCompare with October prices. Inflated list prices are the most common Black Friday trick.
• Measure firstMantels, doors, trees and tables come in every size. Check the listed dimensions against yours before ordering.
• Do not wait for FridayAmazon's sale runs for about a week and popular items sell out first.
• Sort reviews by most recentA high average built years ago says nothing about the unit shipping today, especially where sellers swap suppliers.

03Which artificial Christmas tree to buy on Black Friday

Decide on lit or unlit first. Pre-lit trees cost more but save an hour every year; check that the lights stay on if one bulb fails, which most LED trees now handle. Unlit trees are cheaper and let you choose your own lights.

Tip count tells you how full a tree looks, more than its height. A 7.5 foot tree with under 1,000 tips looks sparse; 1,500 or more looks full in photos.

Hinged branches fold down in seconds; hook-on branches take much longer to set up. Slim and pencil trees suit apartments, and flocked trees shed a little white powder in the first week.

04How to tell a real Black Friday deal from a fake one

A Black Friday discount is only real if the price is lower than what the item actually sold for in October. Many listings raise the list price in early November so the percentage looks bigger. We filter on Amazon's own saving data and still suggest checking the price history before you buy.

Early deals are often as good as the day itself. Amazon now runs its Black Friday sale for about a week before Thanksgiving, and popular sizes and colours sell out first.

This list updates every six hours from now through Cyber Monday (November 30), so prices on this page move as the sale goes on.

05Before you buy: the boring checks that save money

Confirm who is actually selling. 'Ships from and sold by Amazon' or 'Fulfilled by Amazon' from an established seller gives you Amazon's returns process. A third-party seller shipping directly may have their own terms, and recovering money is slower.

Look for a clippable coupon under the price. It is a checkbox that takes a further amount off at checkout, it stacks with the discount already shown, and it is the single most commonly missed saving on the site.

Sort the reviews by most recent rather than reading the top ones. A four-and-a-half star average built three years ago tells you nothing about the unit shipping today, particularly in categories where sellers change suppliers between production runs.

06 Common questions

Prices are pulled live from Amazon and change often. How we pick deals · More buying guides.