I really wanted a tree that was full, and didn't have any spaces where you could see through (like my old tree). I took my time fluffing each individual branch and I am very pleased with how it turned out. I was hesitant to spend $220 on a tree, but it was worth it. My only con is that the top isn't sturdy enough for a star; I ended up taking the top 3 branches and just wrapping them around the base of the star to get it to stay up there. So if anyone bumps into the tree, the star falls over