Home & living

Our comprehensive guides and product reviews help you make informed choices that suit your budget and lifestyle, so you can spend more time enjoying your home and less time worrying about whether you've made the right purchase.

Latest in home & living

Make World Cup games look better by changing 2 settings on your TV

Making two simple changes will deliver the best TV picture quality for watching New Zealand play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup on TVNZ+.

How much does it cost to run a washing machine if you’re on metered water?

New Zealanders stretched by food costs want tougher action on supermarket pricing

5 cheap products that actually make parenting easier

5 common heat pump buying mistakes

Baby & child

5 cheap products that actually make parenting easier

Make mornings, car rides, lunchbox-packing, showers and toothbrushing with kids easier with these cheap products – all available in New Zealand.

Washing machine safety regulations tightened to avoid child deaths

NZ's outdated safety laws aren't protecting kids from Temu and Shein risks

Bring your own device: how to choose a laptop, Chromebook or tablet for school

Do toys from Amazon, eBay, Shein and Temu contain unsafe heavy metals?

See all baby & child

Building & renovation

It’s the perfect time to get your home ready for winter

Find out if you’re eligible for an insulation or heat pump grant with Warmer Kiwi Homes to get your house sorted in time for winter.

Building inspections are crucial – can you trust them?

How to protect your home from flooding

Garden maintenance

Home improvements: The healthy homes standards five years on

See all building & renovation

Garden & outdoor

6 tips to keep your spa pool safe from Legionella bacteria

Learn how to keep your spa pool or hot tub safe from dangerous Legionella bacteria.

Hardest and easiest to use lawn mowers

Best and worst portable BBQs

Potting mix and compost: How to keep safe from dangerous bacteria

5 mistakes to avoid when buying a lawn mower

See all garden & outdoor

Consumer unveils four-point plan to tackle soaring power prices

Consumer is calling on 100,000 New Zealanders to sign its petition demanding government action on soaring power prices.

5 common heat pump buying mistakes

We tried Kmart’s comical heating products – which one is best?

5 ways a pellet burner is better than a wood burner

3 heaters to avoid – and 2 cheap heaters we love

See all heating, cooling & air

Home energy

Consumer unveils four-point plan to tackle soaring power prices

Consumer is calling on 100,000 New Zealanders to sign its petition demanding government action on soaring power prices.

Consumer NZ says no energy retailer deserves People’s Choice accolade

Best and worst power companies in New Zealand in 2026

Best and worst ways to heat your home on the cheap

30+ ways to make your home more energy efficient

See all home energy

Household essentials

The new Club+ vs Everyday Rewards: Which supermarket loyalty card is better?

See how the new Club+ New World and Pak’nSave loyalty card compares with Woolworths’ Everyday Rewards programme, and whether either card will save you any money.

The 3 places in your home that Legionella bacteria may be lurking

Why you need to consider the support policy when buying a security camera

3 marketing tricks to ignore when buying batteries

How to clean your windows

See all household essentials

Kitchen

Clooney’s capsules or Pitt’s beans: Which espresso machine is best?

George Clooney represents Nespresso coffee capsules; Brad Pitt prefers DeLonghi automatic espresso machines that use ground coffee beans. Find out which company makes the best machines that make the top coffee.

The most and least reliable fridges in NZ

How long will food last in the fridge once it is opened?

Kitchen appliance brand Smeg is coming back

Your wins: Nespresso subscription payment problem

See all kitchen

Laundry & cleaning

How much does it cost to run a washing machine if you’re on metered water?

Find out the real costs of owning a washing machine – and which models are cheapest to run, based on our tests.

Front loader vs top loader washing machines: Which is better?

Why we love vented clothes dryers and which ones are best

Best auto-dosing washing machines in NZ (and the detergents to use)

Best and worst cheap clothes dryers

See all laundry & cleaning

Vacuums & floorcare

2 robot vacuums to avoid

Which budget robot vacuum cleaners to avoid – and the one you should consider.

Is the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai robot vacuum cleaner worth buying?

Is the Kmart robot vacuum cleaner any good?

Will a third-party vacuum cleaner bag kill your vacuum?

Is this the best hybrid mopping robot vacuum: Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Track S?

See all vacuums & floorcare