The Montrose Douglas Fir brings something a bit different to the budget tree category: actual Douglas fir styling with upward-facing needle tips. While most artificial trees mimic Fraser firs or generic "spruce" profiles, this one commits to the fir look - and from across the room, those dense PE needle clusters at the tips genuinely resemble the premium Balsam Hill fir models.

Up close, though, the 20% PE coverage reveals itself. The outer branch tips get the full PE treatment with dense, realistic needle clusters, but move 6-8 inches toward the trunk and you're into standard PVC territory. This is where the fluffing comes in - you'll need to spread and separate those interior PVC branches to fill the gaps and create the illusion of fullness. Reviewers mention this process being relatively easy compared to some trees, but it's still a time investment. The upside is that once fluffed properly, the tree achieves a wispy, natural look that doesn't feel overly dense or fake.

The lighting system is where the Montrose punches above its price point. You get 650 micro fairy LEDs (on the 7.5-foot version) with 11 different function modes - that's more variety than many trees costing twice as much. The warm white mode is a true warm tone, not the harsh cool LED blue, and reviewers consistently praise how it looks.

Beyond the standard steady and twinkling modes, you get fading effects, alternating patterns, and even a dimming function with 4 brightness levels. That last feature is legitimately useful for late-night ambient lighting when you don't want full brightness. The dual control system (remote + foot pedal) matches what you'd find on pricier trees. The Quick Set trunk wiring means no plugs to connect between sections - just stack and go.

Let's address the elephant in the room: multiple reviewers report PE tips falling off during initial setup, with one reviewer collecting 10-15 tips after fluffing just a quarter of the bottom section. The tips appear to be glued rather than mechanically attached, and some arrive with glue barely holding.

This isn't universal - plenty of reviewers had no issues - but it's frequent enough to be concerning. If you're unlucky and get a bad unit, Home Depot's 90-day return window should cover you, but discovering this after decorating the tree is frustrating. Some reviewers also mention general shedding during setup, requiring gentle handling to minimize tip loss. This is the trade-off with budget pricing: quality control can be inconsistent.

At $199, the Montrose Douglas Fir sits at the lower end of Home Accents Holiday's range, well below the Jackson Noble Fir and miles below the Home Decorators Collection trees. For that price, you're getting a tree with genuinely distinctive styling and a surprisingly robust lighting system, but you're also accepting quality control risks and the reality of 20% PE coverage.

Reviewers who compared this to much pricier options (including mentions of King of Christmas and Balsam Hill) felt it held its own for the price, particularly praising the lighting. One reviewer called it a "great alternative to the Grand Duchess" while saving $200, noting it has everything except the same light count. That's probably the right frame of reference - this is for someone who wants the look and features of a $400 tree but accepts compromises to hit a $200 budget.

This tree is for you if: You want distinctive Douglas fir styling that looks different from typical retail trees, you value extensive lighting functions, you're willing to gamble on quality control, and you don't mind spending time fluffing to achieve fullness.

Skip this if: You've had bad experiences with tips falling off cheap trees, you need higher PE coverage for close-up realism, or you don't want to spend significant time on initial setup and fluffing.