Christmas Tree Sizes: What Size Tree Do I Need?
Buying the wrong size Christmas tree is the easiest mistake to make and the hardest to undo. Too tall and the star bends against the ceiling. Too wide and you lose a third of the tree to the wall. Too small and the room swallows it.
This guide covers how to measure, what each Christmas tree size actually looks like in a real room, and how to get it right first time.
The short version. Measure your ceiling height, take off a foot, and check your floor space before you fall in love with an 8ft tree.
How to measure for a Christmas tree
Three measurements matter, and most people only take one.
Ceiling height, minus a foot
Measure floor to ceiling in the exact spot the tree will stand. Then take off at least twelve inches.
That foot is not padding. The stand lifts the trunk three to six inches off the floor, and the tree topper needs six to nine inches of clear air above the leader. A 7ft tree in a 7ft room does not fit, and you will end up bending the star sideways against the ceiling.
A standard UK ceiling is around 8ft. That means a 6ft or 7ft tree. If you have a Victorian house with 9ft or 10ft ceilings, you have room for an 8ft tree and it will look right.
Measure the spot, not the room. The alcove where the tree is going may be a foot shorter than the middle of the room, especially under a sloping ceiling, a stairwell or a bay.
Floor space, and the width you forgot
A Christmas tree is roughly two thirds as wide at the base as it is tall.
A 6ft tree spreads about 4ft across. An 8ft tree spreads about 5ft. That is a serious footprint in a normal living room, and it is the measurement people skip.
Measure the width of the space, then take off a few inches on each side so the branches are not crushed against a wall or a radiator. A squashed tree looks like a squashed tree, and no amount of decoration hides it.
Mark it out on the floor with masking tape before you order. It takes two minutes and it is the clearest picture you will get.
The route in
Check the doorway, the hallway and the stairs if the tree is going upstairs. A netted tree is far narrower than an unnetted one, which is why we deliver ours netted.
Cut the netting in the room where the tree will stand, never in the hall. Once those branches drop, the tree will not go through a standard door without a fight.
How we measure our trees
We measure from the base of the trunk to the leader. The leader is the vertical shoot at the very top, where the star sits.
We do not include the stand and we do not include the topper. So a tree sold as 6ft will stand taller than 6ft once it is in a stand with a star on it. Plan for that.
Pot grown trees are measured from the bottom of the pot, because the pot is part of what stands on your floor.
Not every seller measures the same way. Some measure to the tip of the leader, some to the last whorl of branches, and some round up generously. It is why a 6ft tree from one place looks different to a 6ft tree from another, and it is worth asking.
Christmas tree sizes explained
What each size actually means in a real house.
Small trees: 2ft to 4ft
Table-top territory. A 2ft to 3ft tree sits on a sideboard, a table or a windowsill. It suits a flat, a small bedroom, an office desk, or a second tree for a child's room.
Our pot grown Christmas trees live here, at roughly 2ft to 3ft. They are alive, roots and all, and they can go back outside after Christmas and return next year.
Do not put a 3ft tree on the floor of a normal living room and expect it to hold the space. It will look lost. If it is going on the floor, it needs to be 5ft or more.
5ft Christmas tree
The smallest tree that reads as a proper floor-standing Christmas tree. Around 3ft to 3ft 6in wide.
Right for a flat, a small living room, a room with a low ceiling, or anyone who wants the real thing without giving up half the room. Easy to decorate because you can reach the top without a ladder, and it takes fewer lights and fewer baubles, which keeps the cost down.
A well decorated 5ft tree beats a cramped 7ft one every time.
See our 5ft real Christmas trees.
6ft Christmas tree
The most popular size in Britain, and for good reason. About 4ft wide, and it fits under a standard 8ft ceiling with room for the star.
Tall enough to feel like a proper tree, short enough that you can top it without standing on a chair. It takes around 600 lights and 60 or so baubles.
If you are not sure, buy a 6ft. It is the answer more often than any other.
See our 6ft real Christmas trees.
7ft Christmas tree
The statement tree for a normal house. Around 4ft 6in wide. It needs a ceiling of at least 8ft, ideally more, and a decent stretch of floor.
A 7ft tree changes a room. It also needs more lights and more baubles than you think, and you will need a step to reach the top. Budget for both.
See our 7ft real Christmas trees.
8ft Christmas tree
Big. About 5ft wide at the base, and it wants a 9ft ceiling or higher. In a period house with high ceilings it looks magnificent. In a modern house with an 8ft ceiling it looks jammed in, and the star ends up bent.
Be honest about your ceiling before you order one. This is the size people most often regret.
See our 8ft real Christmas trees.
Bigger than 8ft
We supply trees well beyond 8ft, up to 60ft, for commercial spaces, hotels, offices, schools, churches and town squares. We deliver, install and decorate them, and take them away and recycle them in January.
At that scale it stops being a shopping decision and becomes a logistics one. Access, ceiling clearance, floor loading and how the tree will be anchored all matter. Trees over 20ft need machinery and often a steel frame.
If you need something on that scale, contact us for a quote.
Christmas tree size chart
Rough guide. Width varies by tree and by year, because these are grown things and not extruded plastic.
- 2ft to 3ft - about 1ft 6in to 2ft wide. Table top, desk, pot grown. Around 200 to 300 lights.
- 5ft - about 3ft to 3ft 6in wide. Flats, small rooms, low ceilings. Around 500 lights.
- 6ft - about 4ft wide. The standard UK living room. Needs an 8ft ceiling. Around 600 lights.
- 7ft - about 4ft 6in wide. Larger living rooms. Needs 8ft plus. Around 700 lights.
- 8ft - about 5ft wide. High ceilings only, 9ft or more. Around 800 lights.
Does the type of tree change the size you need?
Yes, and it catches people out.
A Nordmann Fir is broad and full, with branches in strong, well-spaced tiers. At a given height it takes up more floor than you expect, and it wants space around it for the tiers to show.
A Norway Spruce is denser and a little narrower, full right down to the trunk with no gaps. It reads as a solid green cone, so it can sit closer to a wall without looking wrong.
If your space is tight in width but fine in height, the Norway Spruce is the more forgiving shape. If you have floor to spare and you want the tiered look that shows off ornaments, the Nordmann is the better tree.
Check your stand fits the trunk
Height is not the only measurement that matters. The trunk has to fit the stand.
A 6ft tree has a trunk of roughly 3 to 4 inches across at the base. A 7ft or 8ft tree can be 5 inches or more. A stand built for a 5ft tree will not close around it, and a stand that does not grip properly is how trees end up on the floor at 2am.
The reservoir matters just as much. A bigger tree drinks more, so it needs a stand that holds more water. The rough rule is a litre of water capacity for every inch of trunk diameter.
Our Christmas tree stand has a low, wide reservoir designed for real trees, with a screw bolt system and a spill guard.
How many lights and baubles for each size?
Size drives everything else, and this is where trees get let down. A beautiful 7ft tree with 200 lights on it looks worse than a 5ft tree with 500.
Work on roughly 100 lights per foot of tree. A 5ft tree wants about 500. A 6ft wants 600. A 7ft wants 700, and an 8ft wants 800 or more.
Work the lights from the trunk outwards rather than wrapping them round the outside, so the light sits inside the tree and gives it depth.
For baubles, think in tens per foot. A 6ft tree carries 60 or so comfortably, more if they are small. Hang the heaviest close to the trunk where the branches are strongest, and the lightest at the tips. A Nordmann Fir's strong branches carry heavy glass without sagging.
Which size for which room?
A small tree in a big room looks like an apology. A big tree in a small room means moving the sofa.
In a standard living room with an 8ft ceiling, a 6ft tree is the safe answer and a 7ft is the ambitious one.
In a flat or a room with a low ceiling, take the 5ft. You lose nothing.
In a hallway or a bay window, measure the width first. These spots are usually narrower than they feel, and a wide tree will not sit right.
In a period house with 9ft or 10ft ceilings, go 8ft. Anything less will look undersized against the proportions of the room.
In an office or a shop, go bigger than feels sensible. Ceilings are higher and the space is larger, and a 6ft tree in a commercial reception looks like an afterthought.
Common sizing mistakes
Forgetting the stand and the star. This is the big one. Both eat into your ceiling height and neither is on the label.
Measuring the room, not the spot. The corner where the tree is actually going may be a foot shorter than the middle of the room.
Ignoring width. Height is what people buy on. Width is what causes the problem.
Buying big because it looks small outdoors. Every tree looks smaller in a field or a car park than it does in a living room. The sky is a very large room. Trust the tape measure, not your eye.
Forgetting the tree has to get through the door.
Christmas tree size FAQs
What is the most popular Christmas tree size?
6ft. It fits a standard 8ft UK ceiling with room for the stand and the star, and it suits most living rooms.
What size Christmas tree for an 8ft ceiling?
A 6ft or 7ft tree. Not an 8ft. You need to allow around a foot for the stand and the topper.
How wide is a 6ft Christmas tree?
About 4ft at the base. As a rule a tree is roughly two thirds as wide as it is tall.
Do you include the stand in the height?
No. We measure from the base of the trunk to the leader at the top. Add three to six inches for the stand.
How many lights do I need for a 6ft tree?
About 600. Work on 100 lights per foot of tree.
What size tree fits in a flat?
A 5ft tree, or a pot grown tree at 2ft to 3ft if floor space is tight.
Can I get a tree bigger than 8ft?
Yes, up to 60ft. Those go through our installation service and we deliver and set them up.
Still deciding? Read our complete guide to real Christmas trees, or choose your tree and pick a delivery date. Delivery is free.