Review: The Christmas Tree Hugger -A genius invention?

One day last week on my daily browse around the Amazon website, I came across the most clever inventions. It’s called the Christmas Tree Hugger. 

I was immediately intrigued by this product. It claims to solve one of the most common Christmas tree decorating problems around. 

And what’s that problem you may ask? It’s how to hide the ugly metal pole at the base of your artificial Christmas tree.

Shown above, we’re talking about that disproportionately skinny, metal tree trunk covered in a scraggly layer of flimsy, plastic needles. 

There are no two ways about it. It’s ugly to look at and we all try to hide it. It’s the whole reason why Christmas tree collars and tree skirts were invented. 

This is where the Christmas tree hugger enters the arena as a new solution to cover up the base of your tree. 

In this review, I’ll break down what exactly the Christmas Tree Hugger is, how to use it, how much it costs, what I think about the quality, and whether or not I recommend it.

What Is The Christmas Tree Hugger?

So, what is the Christmas Tree Hugger exactly? It’s a thick foam wrap that velcros around the base of your Christmas tree. 

The outside is printed with a bark pattern to transform your scraggly metal pole into a realistic-looking tree trunk.

It’s also reversible with a candy cane striped pattern on the other side.

That’s it. That’s all it is.

It’s a simple, to-the-point, uncomplicated solution to a problem millions of people want to solve.

At first glance, I thought it was genius. And apparently, lots of other people did too because they were featured on Shark Tank!

I had to buy it and test it out for myself. 

So after getting it in my hands and on my tree, this is how I truly feel about this novelty item and whether or not you need it.

Review: The Christmas Tree Hugger

Where To Buy & Price

As I mentioned earlier, I found The Christmas Tree Hugger on Amazon. But you can also buy it from their main website thechristmastreehugger.com. 

Of course, prices fluctuate, but I purchased this for around $16. The price is slightly higher on their main website but shipping is free.

Also, on their website there is a second bark style (White Birch) featured, however, it was sold out at the time I’m writing this.

Quality

The main thing that I was worried about with this product was the thickness of the wrap and the print.

I’m happy to report that The Christmas Tree Hugger is made out of a thick plush foam material. It’s the same type of foam used for most mouse pads.

Because it’s so thick, it rolls smoothly without any wrinkles or dents.  It sits upright on its own without slouching.

Besides the scraggly faux tree needles, the thing that makes the bottom of the Christmas tree looks so bad is that the pole is so skinny, especially in comparison to the width of most trees. 

The Christmas Tree Hugger does a great job at padding out that base and making it look more proportional to your tree. 

Beyond that, the product wraps around the trunk very easily and velcros in place well. 

Ease of Use

This item couldn’t be easier to use. All you have to do is wrap it around the base of your tree and connect the two ends with velcro.  That’s it. 

If you find that the length of your tree trunk is shorter than the length of the Christmas Tree Hugger, there are two ways to shorten it so it fits perfectly on your tree.

Instructions and illustrations are provided for both methods on the box.

The hardest part about getting the Christmas tree hugger installed was getting all the way down on the floor to reach under the tree. 

The product itself is a breeze.

Look and Style

Another thing that I was worried about with this item was the print. From the photos on Amazon it looked a little bit cheesy. 

It looks like some of the camouflage outfits hunters wear.

I assumed it was going to be one of those patterns that don’t look good close, but from far away looks nice. 

When I pulled it out of the package I was pleasantly surprised. Here’s a close-up of how my tree looks with the Christmas tree hugger installed.

My Thoughts

7.5 ft Tree Installation

After I installed The Christmas Tree Hugger and stood up to gaze at my tree I realized that I really couldn’t see it very well at all. 

From far across the room or from the adjacent kitchen or breakfast nook I can see it.  However, if I’m standing in the living room right in front of the tree, I can’t see it at all.

For reference, my tree is 7.5 ft tall and quite full at the base. 

But I know, this is not the case for all trees, especially smaller ones. So I decided to test it on a second tree. 

4.5 ft Tree Installation

Pictured below is a small 4.5 ft tree that I put in my bedroom every year.

I’ve had this tree for about 8 years.  It’s sparse and it sheds about 100 needles every day just by looking at it.

Because of this, the base of the tree is much more visible.

Here’s what it looks like with the Christmas Tree Hugger installed.  

While I certainly prefer this look to the metal pole base, there are some issues.

Because the strips of velcro are only about ½ inch wide, you can’t adjust the overall circumference of the tree hugger very much.

Here you can see that there’s a lot of gapping that’s visible on the tree.

Earlier, I talked about how this product helped to make the trunk of my big tree look more proportional to the branches.

Unfortunately, with the smaller tree, it’s a bit of an overcorrection and makes the truck look a bit too wide for the tree.

Moreover, because the tree is so sparse without any trimmings, you can see right through to the metal trunk from every angle.

This makes the faux wood trunk from the Christmas Tree Hugger stick out like a sore thumb.

So, if you plan on using this on a smaller tree you may need to make some minor adjustments like adding additional velcro so you can cinch the tree hugger tighter around the base.

Or, make sure you trim your tree well filling in the gaps with ornaments, garland, sprays, or ribbon.

If you have a Charlie Brown-style tree, or like the sparse look with just a few lights and ornaments, this probably isn’t going to work for you.

Pros & Cons

Pro – Affordable and priced right

Pro – High quality

Pro – Easy to use

Pro – Looks realistic and upgrades your tree base

Con – May not be visible on a tree with a full base

Con – May be too loose on a small tree

Con – Doesn’t look great on a sparse tree

Conclusion

Overall, I’d give The Christmas Tree Hugger 4 stars.  It’s not a perfect one size fits all solution, but it is very nice.  Moreover, it’s affordable, easy to use, and high quality.

So, if you’re looking for a way to give your tree a more elevated look, add this to your cart.  You won’t regret it.

Here’s a link to The Christmas Tree Hugger on Amazon.

I hope you found this review helpful.  If you did, please share it with a friend and follow Dianne Decor on Pinterest and Instagram.

For more Christmas decorating ideas, check out the posts below.

• Review: Glittery Mountain 24 in Lighted Wreath
• 22 Holiday Tiered Tray Decor Displays You’ll Love
• DIY Glam Holiday Embellished Candle Holders
• DIY Holiday Decor – Dollar Tree Decoration

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Thanks for reading!