By Jim McCausland, Sunset senior garden writer
Last year I found the most innovative Christmas tree stand I’ve ever used. Called Swivel Straight (model XTS3), it has two features I like very much. The first is a receptacle that slips over the cut end of the tree’s trunk. After you clamp it on, you lift the tree and slip its receptacle-covered base into a hemispherical stand.
The stand’s second great feature is its adjustable top. It swivels and rotates freely, so you can make the tree perfectly vertical in about 5 seconds. Then you lock it in place by touching an ingenious foot pedal. After you've filled the stand’s reservoir with water, you’re done.
The Swivel-Straight XTS3 stand can hold up to a 10-foot tree. It's $75 at LL Bean, or as low as $53 at Amazon.com; or you can pay $99 for the XTS1, a larger model that holds a tree up to 12 feet tall.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have no relationship with the company that makes these, they don't advertise with Sunset, and I bought the stand outright at full price before I ever even considered writing about it.
