I believe you should retain access to all the content you’ve paid for when you travel, and a VPN is the key. Unfortunately, finding the right VPN for the job can be tough. To help, I’ve tested dozens of VPNs and shortlisted the 5 best VPNs to watch Netflix in New Zealand. ExpressVPN is the best VPN to watch global Netflix content while abroad. With lightning-fast servers all over the world, it’s perfect for reliable high-resolution Netflix streaming. You can even try ExpressVPN with Netflix risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Watch Netflix with ExpressVPN
Quick Guide: The Best VPNs for Streaming Netflix in New Zealand
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The Best VPNs for Watching Netflix US (and More) in New Zealand
1. ExpressVPN — Consistently Smooth Streaming on Netflix US
Key Features: ExpressVPN is the best VPN for streaming content from your home Netflix US library while in New Zealand. It has a huge global server network with 3000+ high-speed servers in 94 countries, ensuring reliable connectivity to your home streaming library. I ran a series of speed tests with ExpressVPN servers from around the world (New York, Paris, Frankfurt, and Melbourne), and was impressed to see an average speed of 300Mbps. These speeds led to a brilliant viewing experience — since Netflix 4K streaming requires just 15Mbps I was able to watch Stranger Things in 4K without buffering. This leaves you with plenty more bandwidth to browse or download other content on the side without affecting the stream (depending on your baseline connection speed).
Besides Netflix, ExpressVPN can also reliably connect to the following platforms: You can also be sure that your data and device are secure while streaming with ExpressVPN. It features:
The latest 256-bit AES encryption to hide your traffic Leak protection A reliable kill switch so your original IP address is never visible
ExpressVPN positions itself as a premium VPN and its pricing relative to other competitors reflects this. As such, I recommend the 1-year + 3 months plan which is a monthly price of $6.67, giving you a 49% discount relative to the standard monthly plan. You can even try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days. This money-back guarantee is no-questions-asked so you can easily get a refund if you’re not fully satisfied. I’ve tested this myself and can confirm it works without a hitch — my refund request was approved within a couple of minutes and the money was back with me 5 days later. Access Netflix US with ExpressVPN
2. CyberGhost — Easily Find the Best Connection for Netflix US With Optimized Netflix Servers
Key Features: CyberGhost has a number of optimized streaming servers for Netflix and several other streaming services. The IP addresses of these servers are kept more frequently updated to ensure continuous access to the respective Netflix region. In the case of Netflix US there’s a regular Netflix US servers, as well as Netflix US servers specifically for the Fire Stick and Android TV.
Interestingly, when my team and I tested CyberGhost we found that the optimized streaming servers were faster than regular servers! Overall, my global average speed test showed a drop from my baseline of 120Mbps to 71Mbps (a 41% drop). This is multiple times the minimum for Netflix 4K streaming and will leave you with plenty of additional bandwidth. You can expect reliable access to the following streaming services with CyberGhost: CyberGhost also has a host of security features that guarantee your complete anonymity, which include:
An always-on kill switch Military-grade encryption Data leaks monitoring
If you’re planning to travel to a place with more restrictive internet regulations, such as China or Turkey, you’ll be better served with ExpressVPN. CyberGhost doesn’t offer any obfuscation techniques and therefore is unable to bypass blocking techniques like China’s internal “Great Firewall”. Nonetheless, the 2-year + 2 months-year plan that works out at $2.19/month is highly affordable for those who don’t require a travel VPN of this sort. You can try CyberGhost’s Netflix-optimized servers for 45 days with its money-back guarantee. It’s a generous policy, taken up a level further by being fully no-questions-asked (like ExpressVPN). My own refund request was accepted in under 5 minutes and I received the money back 6 business days later. Access Netflix US with CyberGhost
3. Private Internet Access — Vast US Server Network For Dependable Netflix US Access
Key Features: With 35000+ servers worldwide and servers in all 50 States in the US, PIA is an ideal VPN for accessing US-based Netflix content from New Zealand. It also heavily employs virtual servers, which can be quickly created or destroyed in order to generate new IP addresses. This poses a problem for streaming services that can’t keep up with IP blocks.
PIA also has some streaming optimized servers around the world, including a “US East” and “US West”. Depending on which part of the world you’re in this can further cut down on lag by significantly reducing the physical distance from you to the server. Speed is actually where PIA falls slightly short of the other VPNs on this list, measuring in at a 51Mbps average in my tests. This is 57% slower than my baseline speed, which is still more than 3 times as fast as required for 4K Netflix streaming. Nonetheless, if you’re after speed, ExpressVPN is the one for you. Overall, PIA is able to access numerous services, including: PIA is also highly reliable when it comes to security, with:
In-depth settings to change encryption protocols and networking settings MACE ad and malware blocker
The most enticing plan that PIA offers is its 2-year + 2 months-year subscription for $2.19 per month. It’s a great deal for such a huge network and is bolstered by its 30-day money-back guarantee. Thanks to it you can try PIA with Netflix US risk-free. Getting a refund was simple for me — I simply contacted an agent via live chat, who asked if there was a way for me to stay but approved the request as soon as I declined the offer. I had the money back in 4 days. Access Netflix US with PIA
4. PrivateVPN — Highly Affordable With Reliable US Servers For Netflix Access
Key Features: With 200+ servers in 63 countries, PrivateVPN isn’t the largest VPN provider around, but it’s a great pick for Netflix US. Although the company recently removed its dedicated streaming servers, the “regular” servers are actually surprisingly good at accessing Netflix US. PrivateVPN has 10 server locations across the US — I tested them all with Netflix and was impressed. The only 2 locations where my Netflix access wasn’t 100% were Denver and Phoenix, although this may have just been a temporary block before IP addresses were refreshed. Nonetheless, 8/10 is a great result and will make getting connected to your favorite Netflix content a walk in the park.
It can’t keep up with the leading 2 VPNs on this list, but PrivateVPN still maintains respectable average speeds of 61Mbps in my tests (49% drop from baseline). With these speeds, you can expect to stream content in up to 4K as long as your own connection allows it. Even with its smaller server network, PrivateVPN is a great deal. You can get its 3-year plan for $2.00/month, which is a noticeable margin cheaper than the other VPNs on this list, making it one of the best monthly VPNs on the market. If you don’t want to decide right away, you can try PrivateVPN with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You can currently only request a refund via email, which I attempted myself. After 1 additional email back to confirm that I really didn’t want to stay, my refund was accepted and I got the money back a week after. Access Netflix US with PrivateVPN
5. IPVanish — Unlimited Device Connections to Stream Netflix Anywhere
Key Features: IPVanish’s unlimited device connections are an uncommon feature in the VPN landscape and make it a unique VPN for streaming Netflix while protecting all your devices. IPVanish is a great choice if you have a sizable household or simply many devices that you need to get connected at once.
What I wasn’t expecting was IPVanish to maintain the 2nd-highest speeds on this list while connected to over 10 devices. My speed only dropped 37% from my baseline speed to a 76Mbps average speed — an impressive feat even if only connected to a single device. For streaming Netflix content this was more than enough, with only minimal initial buffering and easy loading of 4K content during my tests. Some of the streaming platforms that IPVanish works well with include: IPVanish’s somewhat shady past was a concern I originally had, but since ownership has changed and carried out multiple independent audits they’ve been laid to rest. This is something that many VPNs have yet to do — ExpressVPN and IPVanish are actually the only 2 here that have been audited in this way. You can check out IPVanish risk-free for 30 days with its money-back guarantee. Best of all, the refund process requires no human interaction — all I had to do was submit the refund form from my online account. It was instantly approved and the money was back in my account 4 days later. Access Netflix US with IPVanish
How to Watch Netflix US in New Zealand in 3 Easy Steps
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Comparison Table: 2023’s Best VPNs for American Netflix in New Zealand
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How I Tested and Ranked the Best VPNs for Unblocking Netflix in New Zealand
These are the criterias I used to find the best VPNs for unblocking Netflix in New Zealand among the all top VPNs in the market:
High-speed servers — For streaming content in high resolution with as little buffering as possible. Global server variety — With a focus on plentiful servers in the US and other top Netflix libraries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, or India. Powerful security — 256-bit AES encryption to keep your traffic hidden, a kill switch to always keep your real IP address secret, and more to maintain security while streaming. No-logs policy — Your traffic data should never be stored by a VPN provider. Reliable unblocking — By frequently refreshing IP addresses the VPN’s team should stay a step ahead of geoblocks. Fast customer service — A 24/7 live chat is essential to me, alongside email and an online knowledge base for less urgent matters.
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Is it legal to use a VPN to watch Netflix US in New Zealand?
Yes, it’s perfectly legal to use a VPN to watch Netflix US in New Zealand. However, it’s against Netflix’s Terms of Service, so the company could technically shut down your account for doing so. In practice, there are no publicly known cases of this happening, and it certainly doesn’t make using a VPN illegal. If you use one of the best VPNs recommended, you can ensure the most consistent access to Netflix US while elevating your online privacy and security — a real win-win.
Why do I need a VPN to watch Netflix US from New Zealand?
Netflix has varying licensing agreements with copyright holders, and therefore some content releases are limited to specific countries. When you’re in New Zealand and open Netflix, Netflix checks the IP address that you’re connecting with and can geolocate your approximate physical location. You’re then shown the comparatively limited New Zealand content library. Once you connect to a US VPN server you’ll be temporarily allocated a new US IP address. When you now visit Netflix, the streaming service will believe you’re connecting from the US and will show you the local US content library.
What else can a VPN do aside from helping me access American Netflix from New Zealand?
When it comes to security, a VPN network both encrypts your traffic and hides your original IP address. This makes it perfect for using public WiFi networks so you’re protected from others sharing the network, as well as heightened data privacy from the government and online services you use.
Can I use a free VPN to watch Netflix from New Zealand?
I can’t recommend free VPNs for watching Netflix from abroad. Although I’ve tested many of the best free VPNs on the market, they all disappoint in one way or another when it comes to performance or security. The main issue with free VPNs is that they lack the resources to stay ahead of VPN blocks. Netflix and other streaming services rapidly block IP addresses that they associate with VPNs, meaning VPN providers have to constantly refresh and add new ones. The limited resources also make themselves known in the form of data caps, slow speeds, and few server locations. So even if you connect to Netflix, the stream will likely be cut short before the end of an episode or movie. Free VPNs also have a murky history when it comes to handling user data. Some are known for straight-up selling it to advertisers or even giving network access to malicious parties at the expense of users. It’s worth keeping in mind that if you’re not paying for a product directly, your data is likely the real price you’re paying. You can avoid all of these issues without spending any money. Try CyberGhost’s generous 45-day money-back guarantee risk-free and check out the huge Netflix US library. I’ve verified the no-questions-asked refund policy and had my request approved within 5 minutes through the 24/7 live chat. Watch Netflix with ExpressVPN
Watch Netflix in New Zealand With a Premium VPN
Traveling to the great nation of New Zealand and losing access to your home Netflix US library due to geo-restrictions is an annoying inconvenience. Fortunately, you can access Netflix content from around the world thanks to a quality VPN. Through my testing, I found ExpressVPN to be the best VPN to watch Netflix in New Zealand. It has a blazing-fast global servers network with 94 country locations globally and 20+ within the US. You can try ExpressVPN with Netflix risk-free with its 30-day money-back guarantee. You can get a refund within minutes if you’re not fully satisfied.
