The tradition of decking our homes with greenery dates back to Roman times. The Romans hung wreaths on their doors to signify victory and hundreds of years later wreaths have become part of our Christmas celebrations, a sign of welcome and generosity.
These days some of us opt for artificial wreaths that we can use time and time again, while others prefer to splash out on a real one every year.
Whichever sort you choose, there’s no doubt that a Christmas wreath will get you in the festive mood the instant you place it on the front door.
If you’re worried that your real wreath won’t last the pace until Christmas, make sure you hang it outdoors and spritz it with water every few days.
If you’re lucky it should last for several weeks – until Christmas Day and beyond. Alternatively, you can buy a faux wreath, store it safely in the New Year and use it for seasons to come.
We’ve featured both real and artificial wreaths in our roundup, considering the quality and variation of the arrangement, how long the real ones lasted and, of course, the festive factor during our testing.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart Festive Charm wreath, approx 45cm diameter: £95, Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart
Type: Real
Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart is one of the best-known names in the floristry business, renowned for creating luxurious bouquets and arrangements for high profile events. This adorable wreath, decorated with dried hydrangea, apple slices, rosehip, sweet-smelling lavender, pine cones and seasonal foliage, makes you feel Christmassy the moment you set eyes on it. If you don’t want to hang it on your door you can use the wreath as a table centrepiece instead. The wreath also comes in two larger sizes – 50cm (£135) and 55cm (£195).
Buy now
Sarah Raven Snowberry wreath, 60cm diameter: £59.95, Sarah Raven
Type: Artificial
Real wreaths look splendid but they’re usually more expensive, require higher maintenance and will only last for a few weeks. Sarah Raven’s Snowberry Wreath is decorated with sprays of imitation white snowberries and is sure to impress family and friends. It’s suitable for use outdoors in a sheltered spot and even though it’s elegant as it is you can also add lights (not included) so it glows in the dark.
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The Real Flower Company Pepperberry dried door wreath, 35.5cm diameter: £95, The Real Flower Company
Type: Real
This is one of the prettiest wreaths we’ve seen. Based in Hampshire, The Real Flower Company specialises in creating wreaths and bouquets using seasonal and sustainable flowers, herbs and foliage grown on its farms. This wreath, complete with homegrown dried flowers, hydrangeas, eucalyptus, poppy seed heads and a sprinkle of pepperberry, is made on a natural base and is topped off with a festive green ribbon. It can be composted once you’ve finished with it.
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Philippa Craddock decorated wild faux spruce wreath, 70cm diameter: £165, Philippa Craddock
Type: Artificial
For a really special wreath that you’ll be using for years, we’d go for this beauty from Philippa Craddock, who designed the floral arrangements for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Made by hand and packaged in a recyclable box, it features the finest quality faux flora, including berries, ivy and spruce branches, and comes with garden twine to hang it. It looks exactly like the real thing and it’s one of our favourite artificial wreaths.
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Larry Walshe The Charlbury wreath, 40cm diameter: £135, Larry Walshe
Type: Real
Celebrity florist Larry Walshe has come up with a brilliant new idea for 2019. He has created four wreaths for his exclusive London collection, with a limited edition of 50 available in each style. Each wreath is signed and numbered and once they’re gone they’re gone. We loved The Charlbury, a glamorous confection of gold-sprayed foliage, apples and limes, cinnamon and shimmering green baubles.
It also comes with the clearest instructions: “Simply use the ribbon attached to go up and over your door and affix to a hook on the reverse. Tie a double knot to secure the wreath in place and cut off the excess ribbon. That’s it – you’re ready for Christmas!”
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Sophia Victoria Joy mistletoe personalised Christmas wreath, 27cm diameter: £38, Not on the High Street
Type: Artificial
This pretty faux mistletoe wreath, sprinkled with silver glitter, is excellent value. Sturdy and long-lasting, it includes a personalised cherry wood disc in the centre. Some customers choose to feature family names, others opt for seasonal greetings. Hampshire-based Sophia Victoria Joy sells a host of other festive items – from Christmas babygrows to personalised decorations.
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Rocket Gardens bay and chilli Christmas wreath, 40cm diameter: £39.99, Rocket Gardens
Type: Real
Cornwall-based Rocket Gardens aims to make growing food “easy, accessible and natural” and sells everything from gardening tools to organic herb plants. This Christmas the company has created a handmade wreath using bay and chillies grown on its farm. What a great idea. It looked lovely on our front door and the added bonus was that we could use the bay leaves and chillies for cooking. As the Rocket Gardens team says: “It’s so good you actually can eat (some of) it.”
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Rose & Grey Gold mistletoe wreath, 40cm diameter: £39.95. Rose & Grey
Type: Artificial
This stylish metallic wreath garnered loads of compliments when we tried it out for size. Made in India, the wreath is adorned with mistletoe-shaped gold leaves that are slightly malleable and can be gently manipulated into shape. Just attach a string and it’s good to go. It isn’t suitable to be hung outside but will look the bee’s knees on an internal door or on a wall. There’s also a 25cm version, which costs £25.
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Flowerbx Extraordinary red berry outdoor wreath, 70cm diameter: £160, Flowerbx
Type: Real
If you’re looking for a Christmas wreath with the real wow factor this is the one. Flowerbx is an international online flower delivery service that sources flowers direct from growers and delivers them to customers’ front doors. This year, the company has created a stunning range of wreaths but this chic one is our favourite. It comes in three sizes – classic (25cm diameter), premium (40cm) and extraordinary (70cm) – and is priced between £60 (no ribbon) and £160. It’s made of wood-scented pine, intertwined with sprigs of viburnum, skimmia and rosehips and finished with a cranberry or olive velvet ribbon. Hang it on your door and wait for the compliments.
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Posh Totty Designs personalised papercut Christmas wreath, 20cm diameter: £48, Not on the High Street
Type: Artificial
If you’re looking for something completely different, this handmade wreath is just the ticket. Brighton-based Posh Totty Designs specialises in jewellery and personalised gifts and has designed a brass hoop decorated with delicate paper flowers and foliage. Best of all, the wreath can be personalised so you can wish family and friends a Happy Christmas or stamp your name across the wreath in style. It’s perfect for hanging indoors, either above the fireplace or in the hallway.
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Bloom & Wild Winter Wonder wreath, 50cm diameter: £75, Bloom & Wild
Type: Real
Online flower business Bloom & Wild sends bouquets and floral arrangements all over the UK – from flowers in letterbox-shaped packages to mini Christmas trees. Its Winter Wonder wreath, inspired by a frosty winter morning, is a vision to behold. Adorned with silver ruscus and poppy seeds, pink limonium, statice, green oranges and pinecones, it’s finished with a soft pink velvet ribbon.
The company is doing its bit for the environment too. Its foliage is field-grown rather than grown in greenhouses, which reduces its carbon footprint. Our wreath was excellently packaged, which meant it arrived in pristine condition and ready to hang.
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Lisa Angel personalised pom pom wreath hanging decoration, 23cm diameter: £28, Not on the High Street
Type: Artificial
Fun and original, this multicoloured felt pom pom wreath put a smile on our faces. Norwich-based Lisa Angel prides herself on creating bespoke jewellery and homeware, much of it personalised. Her wreath can be personalised with a wooden banner, engraved with the wording of your choice. It’s simple and effective and guests of all ages will love it.
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Interflora Rocking Rose door wreath, 40cm diameter: £50, Interflora
Type: Real
Interflora has been delivering flowers for more than 90 years so you can rely on them to create Christmas wreaths that look good and offer excellent value. This wreath looks and smells delightful, featuring spruce, red roses, burgundy skimmia, pine cones and cinnamon bundles, with a traditional scarlet ribbon to finish it off. The wreath is professionally arranged by local florists (you can also click and collect) and hand-delivered to your door.
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Tregothnan Evergreen Elegance wreath, 40cm diameter: £75, Tregothnan
Type: Real
Tregothnan is the largest botanic garden in Cornwall, selling its own tea, honey and flowers grown on its estate or sourced from local growers. This year’s Evergreen Elegance wreath is a magical mix of homegrown pines, spruce and scented eucalyptus, dotted with cones, thistles and berries and finished with red and pink ribbons. The effect reminded us of a traditional Christmas celebration and the wreath would work equally well in the city or the country.
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Pod & Pip Scents of Christmas wreath kit, 50cm diameter: £55, Pod & Pip
Type: Real
If you’re feeling creative, why not have a go at making your own wreath? Wiltshire-based Pod & Pip sells three different Christmas wreath kits – Christmas scents, silver tones and pink peppercorns. We tested the Christmas scents kit and were thrilled with the result. The kit comes with everything you need – five dried oranges, 12 orange slices, six fir cones and two types of eucalyptus foliage, as well as a wreath ring, wire, moss and fir to make the base. The instructions are clear and straightforward and everything is recyclable and biodegradable.
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The verdict: Christmas wreaths
We reckon Nikki Tibbles Wild at Heart’s Festive Charm wreath is the best of the bunch – and smells gorgeous too. The Real Flower Company’s Pepperberry dried door wreath is a close runner-up and if you really want to treat yourself Larry Walshe’s the Charlbury wreath is ultra-Christmassy and will add a festive flourish to your front door.
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