It’s arguably the best part of getting your home ready for Christmas: the tree.
While we love to hang a wreath on the front door and devise the perfect winter wonderland tablescape, there’s something about the tree that makes it the centrepiece of household decorations in December.
Whether you choose real or faux, the ritual of festooning your chosen fir with your favourite ornaments, lights and a topper is what brings the festive feeling home. But before you can crack on with any of that, the first job is to ensure the tree has a safe and steady anchor.
While fake trees come with integrated stands, fresh versions need a sturdy tree stand to hold them level and stop them from toppling over when Father Christmas comes to visit or excited pets and small children rummage for their bow-tied gifts under the branches.
They typically have a main ‘holding’ compartment, supported by legs and with pins to twist into the bottom of the trunk. It’s a two-person job, so rope in a friend to help.
Once the pins have been tightened, you can hide the lot with a pretty tree skirt, creating a setting that’s ready to receive presents. That said there are a few tree stands that are too good-looking to hide - and we’ve rounded them up for your shopping pleasure below.
From arty metal frames and elegant sculptural designs to clever self-watering stands that offer supreme practicality, we’ve found the best Christmas tree stands for all budgets.
Shop now
Best artificial Christmas trees of 2023: From pre-lit to classic styles to suit your home
Best gifts for women 2023: Christmas and birthday present ideas she will love
Best Christmas hampers of 2023 for fantastic festive food and drink
Best ready to go Christmas dinner meal boxes for 2023
Best beauty advent calendars of 2023: Which to buy and what products are included
Krinner Christmas Tree Stand - Green Line
Made from 100 per cent recycled materials, this robust base is just what you need ready and waiting before your Christmas tree is delivered. There’s no fiddling with bolts required with this one; instead, place your tree’s trunk in the stand and use the foot pedal to push the claws against the bark. Once secure, you can move on to the best bit: decorating. The tank holds 3.5L to keep the tree lush and green; good job too, as there’s nothing like dead needles to burst the holiday bubble.
Buy now £50.00, Homebase
Premier Decorations Metal Christmas Tree Stand - 46cm
Sticking to the red and green seasonal palette, this sturdy metal and plastic stand offers a superb grounding for your fresh fir. The green pot holder is deep enough to keep the tree watered while four adjustable screws are also included to keep the trunk nice and straight. Comes with a one-year manufacturer’s guarantee.
Buy now £20.00, Argos
Tom Chambers Easy Fix Self Watering Xmas Tree Stand - Medium
This practical design can hold up to three litres of water, keeping trees up to 8ft tall and looking lush all through the festivities. Three large pins are included to hold your tree in place, and the base is crafted from recycled materials, adding to its allure. It depends on how long hanging your branches are, but you could get away with not adding a skirt at all.
Buy now £20.00, Homebase
Tree Nest Christmas Tree Stand Base for Real Trees Xmas Tree
Got a five-footer for home delivery. Give your Christmas tree the perfect support with this chic stand from Tree Nest. Propped up on chic blonde wood legs, the holder features a 1.4L reservoir to keep water that will ensure your tree is hydrated all through the festive season. It’s a look for smaller table-top trees rather than giant ceiling-scrapers so best off in a smaller home or to use for a secondary tree decoration.
Buy now £39.99, Amazon
House Doctor Star Christmas tree foot
Doing things with style and grace, House Doctor presents one of the nicest-looking tree stands around. The slim holder is reinforced with three pins, the whole lot set on a star-shaped base that should fit in perfectly with whatever festive theme you have in mind this year. The look is available in an antique brown colourway but we think brass adds extra pizazz.
Buy now £79.80, Nordic Nest
Fortnum’s Wicker Christmas Tree Skirt
Fancy a skirt to match your F&M wicker hamper? Course you do. Fortnums has just the thing to coordinate your luxury decor with an F&M-stamped wicker tree skirt that should be placed around the stand before you get your tree in.
Buy now £65.00, Fortnum’s
Dunelm Wicker Tree Skirt 60cm
Available in grey, natural wicker, walnut brown and white, it’s easy to coordinate your Christmas tree skirt to your overall festive aesthetic. Made from natural wicker, it’s a timeless look to add to your decoration collection and promises to hide your stand’s legs completely from view.
Buy now £20.00, Dunelm
John Lewis Willow Tree Skirt, Espresso
Big trees need big skirts. John Lewis’s XL version measures 45cm across, giving your stand and trunk ample room to get settled. Made from willow, the skirt is naturally biodegradable - useful to know when it eventually reaches the end of its life cycle.
Buy now £28.00, John Lewis
Christmas Tree World Wine Red Wooden Tree Skirt (For 4ft-6ft Trees - Tight Fit)
Not all tree stands are made to be seen. Hide unsightly metal legs and screws from view with Christmas Tree World’s wooden skirt, offered in a wholesome country box style. The corner features a lock hinge to keep the design stable and in place, adding to your peace of mind, no matter how excited the household gets on December 25.
Buy now £34.99, Christmas Tree World
Ferm Living Christmas tree base
Sleek and stylish, yet functional - what else would you expect from Scandi-themed company Nordic Nest? Available in grey, black and brass, the powder-coated triangular design is secured with pins that are able to support trees up to 180cm high.
Buy now £54.60, Nordic Nest
Verdict
With German-engineered design, Krinner's tree stand is one so easy to use and set up that you could do it on your own. From the foot pump to the strong foundation, it's a stand to rely upon now and for many Christmases to come.
