Our new tree arrived yesterday in a fairly compact box for a 9' tree. Once out of the box the tree was EASY to put together - 3 pieces with 3 connecting plugs. Set up took 10 minutes. The branches require alot of attention as they all need to be "fluffed". This took a couple of hours and was well worth the labor. This tree is GORGEOUS!!! It is very wide so be sure to have the space to accommodate a wide girth. I would highly recommend this tree.