How do the pre-lit fake Christmas trees work?

Question

I'm going out to get a tree pretty soon. I have allergies and so do my kids, so we have to get a fake tree. Almost all the trees these days are the prelit kind, and I can't figure out how that is useful in the least, after the first time it's set up. From year to year, the Christmas lights I've gotten for the tree almost NEVER work a year after I bought them, so if you buy a prelit tree, do you just have to take the lights off the next year and string them up yourself from then on? Are they a different kind of light (I bought some LCD lights for something else, and they are supposed to have a super-long life)?

Should I just get a plain tree and continue lighting it myself? Or are the prelit Christmas trees actually less of a hassle than they seem like they would be?

Answer 1

I've had the same pre-lit tree for the past 5 years. They use regular strings of lights that are wrapped around the individual branches at the factory before you buy it. They usually come in three pieces. You just plug the top piece into the middle piece and the middle piece into the bottom, then plug the whole thing in.

Probably the reason you can only use a string of lights for a year is the manner in which it's handled and stored. If you are just winding them up around your arm at the end of the year, you're probably breaking some of the wires inside the strand. You don't have this problem with the pre-lit trees because you don't ever have to take the lights off. Just unplug the pieces, fold up the branches, and pop the tree back in the box. They're really very durable!

Answer 2

I have a pre-lit tree and the lights work every year. it comes in 3 pieces and they all snap together the lights are just like any other string of christmas lights except there already on the tree. i don't think you can remove them. but i like the pre lit trees because it's nice and full and they don't make a mess.

Answer 3

I love my pre-lit tree. It comes in 3 pieces and is very easy to set up. I've had it 2 years and have not had any problem with lights not working. Just get a decent quality tree and you should be fine.

Answer 4

I have had a small(4 ft.) pre-lit tree for four years now, and have never had a problem with it. At the end of the holiday season, I fold up the branches, put it in a large trash bag, and put it in a storage closet. It takes about 10 minutes from start to finish, both putting it up, and taking it down. Hope this helps!