A pre-lit Christmas tree saves a whole lot of time when it comes to the setup, and it allows you to get straight to the decorations. They’re resilient around pets and kids who might be a little more excitable around the holidays. Today’s LED light options are more durable than ever, and the latest trees even allow for smarter operation through mobile apps and other tools. It's a lot easier to tell Siri to turn on your Christmas lights than digging under the tree for the switch. We’ve rounded up our favorite smart trees with a variety of options for different styles and preferences.
When it comes to pre-lit Christmas trees, the branches are typically made of PVC, so the tree “species” doesn’t mean much, but the label can be an indicator of how the branches will look. If you want shaping to go faster, grab some rubber gloves before you begin.
Freecube's smart Christmas tree boasts 314 RGBIC LEDs, six preset scenes, and four music modes to go along with all of your home's caroling. Their dedicated mobile app gives you full control over the lights and even includes the ability to program your own dot matrix patterns. Want to put the tree up outside? No problem. The IP65 rating makes it perfectly suited for your front yard.
The folks at Twinkly have been making smart lights for a long time, and they're applying their smarts to Christmas trees. Once connected to your home's Wi-Fi network, the Twinkly tree can be controlled hands-free with Google Assistant or Alexa. If you have other Twinkly lights in the house, you can have them animate in concert with your tree. This is a fun option for those dads who like to go all out on their holiday decor. The lights themselves look great, with loads of animations and colors available for experimenting.
The Goflame prelit Christmas tree has 670 LEDs strung up throughout its dense, realistic branches. There are 15 color modes available out of the box, including scheduling, so it can flip on in the evening automatically. A heavy-duty metal frame keeps everything upright throughout the holidays, and when it's all over, you can break it down into three pieces. A 6-foot version is also available, depending on your home's dimensions.
If you're looking for a small accent with a minimal footprint, Fortuning JDS has a great collapsible tree with a fully programmable set of lights. Measuring in at 5 feet, this tinsel tree has an app that lets you pick between six scenes and millions of colors. A hardware controller is included, in case you can't be bothered to fiddle with the app. The lights are IP65 rated, so you can place one or a whole row of these trees outside without worry. The lights are USB powered, so you can place them remotely thanks to the battery. To top it all off, the tree is fully collapsible, making storage a breeze.
Mr. Christmas has made a super interesting smart Christmas tree that bypasses the need for a dedicated app to control it. Instead, it pairs directly with Alexa, which you then use to switch between 40 multiple colors and animation modes. When that fails, there is a manual foot pedal that you'll use to cycle between colors.
This option is a great choice for those who want to avoid apps that lack stability. It's also a good pick for less tech-savvy folks who might not need intense customization options but still value the ease of use of voice commands.
Simon Sage is a green tech contributor at Digital Trends. He looks at all sorts of devices that can help reduce emissions through electrification, like power stations, solar panels, smart thermostats, and LED lighting. He's also keen on exploring right to repair and sustainable transportation.
Simon started journalism 17 years ago in the mobile tech space, covering the meteoric rise and fall of BlackBerry. Since then he's dipped his toe in mobile gaming, app reviews, and sponsored content. He's been to his fair share of trade shows, such as Mobile World Congress, the Consumer Electronics Show, E3 (RIP), the Game Developer Conference, and a smattering of smaller shows. He's done multiple TV interviews, the most surreal of which was explaining how Pokémon Go works on a morning show. Simon's also hosted over 100 podcast episodes.
Previous publications include BlackBerry Cool, IntoMobile, and Mobile Nations sites like Android Central, iMore, CrackBerry, and Windows Central.
Simon's based in Ottawa, Ontario, where he is constantly clawing against the gravitational pull of becoming a government drone. He studied English at Carleton University there, including a stint at Lancaster University in the UK. He has since levelled up his education in sustainability through the Climatebase platform. Simon spends way too much of his free time playing games, especially Magic: The Gathering.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.