I bought this tree, because I wanted an upgrade from my cheap 6.5 ft tree that I got years ago. I came across this tree and wanted something that didn't have a large dimension on the bottom and was taller. This one is 8.5 ft and fills out nicely. I didn't even do a detailed "fluff". I just want to set it up to make sure everything was there and no major gaps. I got this in January so didn't put everything on it. I look forward to many years with this tree.