At first, I was disappointed, thinking it wasn't nearly full enough. But after we played with the branches a while, slanting some of them downward, some upward, and so on, the little tree began to fill out and look much more natural -- pretty close to a real fir tree! Then we plugged it in, and -- wow! -- I think our tree might be visible from space! In case anyone is wondering: 450 lights is a LOT of lights, especially on a small tree! So here's the bottom line: this is not the thickest, fullest of artificial trees, but it's also not one of the most outrageously expensive ones. This is a great tree for a reasonable price that is perfect if you want a tree but don't have a lot of space. We're pleased with it.