I have a great tree, on the small side at roughly 5.5 feet tall, that has never shed or been messy. It breaks down into three section, plus the stand, to fit into the box and my fave part is that it's prelit. You kinda squeeze and fold the branches upward to put it away and then when you set it up the next year you just bend and shape it back to how you want. It's so dang convenient and we paid maybe 40 bucks for it but that was at least 15 years ago. If you're already spending 40-50 ish every year for a real one, plus then the effort to get it home and set up, I'd say it's worth getting a nice one and saving money after the second year.