Best Smart Plug NZ: Tapo, Kasa, Meross or Wemo
Four real smart plugs, real NZ prices, and the Matter and energy-monitoring details that decide which one you should buy.
What to check before you buy any smart plug
Smart plugs all do the same basic job -- turn something on or off remotely and on a schedule -- so the differences that matter are ecosystem compatibility and energy monitoring. If you already use Google Home, Amazon Alexa or Apple Home, check the plug explicitly supports it before buying, because not every plug works with every assistant out of the box. The safest long-term bet in 2026 is a plug that supports Matter, the cross-brand smart home standard -- a Matter-certified plug will work with Google, Amazon and Apple's ecosystems without needing separate brand apps or hubs, so you're not locked in if you switch systems later.
Energy monitoring is the other feature worth paying a little extra for if you're buying plugs to save power rather than just for remote convenience -- a plug that shows you actual watt-hours used lets you find out which appliance is actually costing you money, rather than guessing. See our smart plugs for saving power guide for the numbers on typical savings; this guide is about which plug to actually buy.
The picks
TP-Link Tapo P100 -- around $15 to $20
The cheapest sensible smart plug and the one we recommend for someone just trying smart plugs for the first time. No energy monitoring, but rock-solid basic scheduling, works with Google Home and Alexa, and the Tapo app is simple enough that non-technical family members won't get stuck. Suits: lamps, fans, Christmas lights, or dipping a toe into home automation without spending much.
TP-Link Kasa KP125 (with energy monitoring) -- around $32 to $40
Same reliability as the Tapo but with real-time and historical energy monitoring in the Kasa app, so you can actually see what a heater, fish tank or old bar fridge is costing you to run. Also supports Matter, so it'll keep working across ecosystems even if you switch from Google to Apple down the track. Suits: anyone buying smart plugs specifically to find and cut power costs, not just for remote convenience.
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Plug (Matter-certified) -- around $25 to $30
A solid middle-ground option, particularly for Apple HomeKit households -- Meross has been reliably Matter and HomeKit compatible for longer than some bigger brands, without a subscription or hub required. Build quality and app polish are a step below TP-Link, but functionally it does everything most people need. Suits: Apple Home users who want plugs that just work without hub hunting.
Belkin Wemo Smart Plug -- around $45 to $55
The most expensive of the mainstream options, and mostly worth it for households that value Apple HomeKit's native Home app integration above all else, plus slightly better build quality and a longer track record of firmware support than newer entrants. No energy monitoring on the base model. Suits: HomeKit purists who want as few third-party apps on their phone as possible.
A quick note on Wi-Fi versus hub-based plugs
Every plug on this list connects directly to your home Wi-Fi -- no separate hub required, which keeps things simple and cheap. The trade-off is each plug is another device on your router, and a house full of them (a dozen or more) can occasionally strain a weaker router's device limit. If you're going big on smart plugs throughout the house, it's worth pairing them with a decent router or mesh system (see our router picks) rather than assuming your existing one will cope indefinitely.
The bottom line
For most people, the TP-Link Tapo P100 is the easy, cheap answer. If you actually want to track and cut power costs, spend the extra ten dollars on the Kasa KP125 with energy monitoring -- it pays for itself faster than you'd expect once you find the one appliance quietly costing you the most.