We Tested 21 Mosquito Repellents to Protect You From Bites — Here Are the 13 That Actually Worked

With 30 percent DEET, Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent will help keep mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other things that creep and fly away for up to 10 hours — making it a great choice for those planning a daylong hike or other extended outdoor activity. Unlike aerosol sprays, pump sprays like this one dispense more directly and are less likely to be inhaled, which our tester appreciated.

The spray pump functions easily and dispenses a good amount of product with each pump. While it initially seems thick and oily — kind of like suntan oil — it quickly absorbs into the skin with a little rubbing. It has a strong fragrance at first, but the scent diminishes pretty soon after being applied. Most important, it proved extremely effective. After almost 12 hours outdoors, including at an outdoor concert, we didn’t have any mosquito bites.

As a bonus, the compact 3.4-ounce bottle is TSA-approved and fits easily in carry-on luggage.

Application with the pump spray was fairly easy and evenly covered exposed skin. It then needs to be rubbed in and spread around, which does leave a greasy residue on your hands that quickly washes away with water. While the spray appeared oily on the skin at first, it quickly absorbed and was dry to the touch a minute later. At the conclusion of a 2-hour hike in a wooded area with streams and creeks, we didn’t have any bites. After prolonged use, when not reapplied diligently, a bite was detected, but that’s to be expected. The bottle’s instructions recommend reapplying every 2 hours or after swimming, sweating, vigorous activity, or drying off.

There was a noticeable citronella-esque scent upon application. Still, it was considerably fainter than the other natural repellents we tried, and hardly noticeable unless your nose was right up against the skin. Adults should note that this product should not be used on kids under 3 due to potential allergic reactions to certain essential oils.

For those looking for another DEET-free alternative, mosquito repellents containing picaridin may be your best bet. According to Daniel Markowski, PhD, technical advisor for the American Mosquito Control Association, picaridin “is a synthetic repellent and has proven to be very effective against a number of mosquito species.” Avon’s oil-free picaridin-based insect repellent not only contains 10 percent picaridin but also boasts the addition of vitamin E to keep skin moisturized.

Other benefits to picaridin-based products are that they’re often odorless and less likely to irritate sensitive skin, says Dr. Markowski, and many are as long-lasting as their DEET counterparts — three qualities we found to be true of Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus.

When sprayed on the skin, it feels greasy, but that quickly disappears. There’s also a slight fragrance upon initial application, but it wafts away fairly quickly, leaving a light-feeling coverage overall and no concern about staining clothing.

When worn for hours in the evening, sitting on the grass at soccer practice, and by a pool on a different day, we didn’t receive any bug bites, including from mosquitoes. Reapply every 6 hours for mosquitoes, and more frequently for protection against blackflies.

I had the opportunity to test this product and it definitely keeps the bugs away. I tried it on my patio furniture, which tends to get overcome by bugs on a nightly basis. After a single application, I was thrilled that there wasn’t a single trace of any bug. I never had to reapply it, and weeks later, it’s still working.

Kids love playing outdoors in the warm months, and with all that time outside, they can become targets for mosquitoes. Bug bites are unpleasant for adults, and doubly so for our kids. NatPat Natural Mosquito Repellent Patches are a safe, nontoxic, and hassle-free alternative for keeping pests away. These bright stickers use natural essential oils and adhere to clothing, avoiding any chemical contact with the skin.

Editor Ashley Ziegler tested the product with her kids and says, “I like how easy it is — just stick the sticker to my kids’ clothes and the application is done. Having to spray them down with bug spray can be unpleasant.” However, they do emit a strong smell, so if your kiddos are sensitive to strong scents, this might not be the product for them.

Being an outdoor enthusiast in Florida, I’ve tried many bug repellents over the years for outdoor adventures, like camping. Plus, I live on the edge of a wooded area, so my backyard has hosted entire conventions of mosquitoes. The bug sprays I’ve tried usually have a strong, unpleasant odor, and the minute I come back inside, I want to shower.

The exception has been Zevo On Body Mosquito+Tick Repellent Pump Spray. I love everything about it. There is no nasty, lingering odor, just a slight chemical scent when first applied. It goes away very quickly, and the spray seems to evaporate off the skin, leaving no trace it’s there. But the lack of bug bites or even bug activity around me, whether I was in the backyard or at a track meet, told me all I needed to know: this stuff is the real deal.

The aerosol sprays on as easily as sunscreen. It’s so lightweight that we hardly noticed it was on our skin, and we barely had to rub it in for even application. While many similar products claim to be fragrance-free, this one actually proved that claim from the start. There was no oily or sticky residue left behind, and even the kids didn’t mind having it applied. It also held up well against sweat. After wearing it at a park known for attracting ticks and mosquitoes, and after hiking in a heavily forested area surrounded by several small bodies of water, no bites were detected.

This spray is also one of Cossey’s favorites. Though she notes, “It does leave you shiny (not greasy),” she also says, “I definitely see my family incorporating this repellent into our regular routine because it’s lightweight and nongreasy. I like how it left my skin shiny, but not sticky.”

This superlong-lasting lotion bug repellent offers up to 14 hours of protection, making it ideal for long camping days (and nights). It’s also a fantastic option for those looking for a DEET-free mosquito repellent as it contains 20 percent picaridin.

The application was super easy, and, surprisingly, felt like regular body lotion — not too thick and creamy and not too light and watery. The white color made it easy to know if we missed any spots on the skin. There was no tacky or greasy feeling left after rubbing it in, and it absorbed quickly. However, Cossey points out, “This isn’t against the product specifically, but lotion can take longer to apply versus a spray. It just depends on the time you have.”

Despite an initial faint odor, the lotion was pretty much fragrance-free the whole day, which is ideal for sensitive noses. The lotion also felt easier to reapply than the spray versions since there was no concern of inhaling chemicals in this form.

When asked if she would incorporate this in her regular routine, Cossey reports, “Yes! We'll use this until it’s empty. The formula isn’t heavy, and no one in my family had any type of bug bites after wearing it for hours while fishing.”

If you’re planning to be outdoors for a long time or doing activities like hiking and camping, you’ll probably want to look for a long-lasting repellent that won’t need to be reapplied as often. The Repel Sportsmen Max contains 40 percent DEET, meaning it should be effective for up to 8 hours. “Protection time provided by repellents is determined by the amount of active ingredient in the formulation,” says Markowski. “Ten percent DEET-based repellent will typically last 90 minutes or so, while a 30 percent product will last 5 to 6 hours.”

While there are products on the market with even higher DEET concentrations than the 40 percent in the Repel Sportsmen Max, we found they didn’t show a marked difference in effectiveness and erred toward the one with less DEET rather than more. This particular formula was developed specifically for outdoor activities like fishing, golfing, camping, and hiking, and is advertised as sweat-resistant, which we found to be true.

The spray nozzle made it fairly easy to get a fine, even spray, and, considering how much DEET it contains, the odor is minimal. While the product initially comes out noticeably stickier than other products that are either DEET-free or contain less DEET, it doesn’t stay that way. The thickness of the spray makes it feel like a literal physical barrier is forming between your skin and the bugs that want to bite it. The bottle is pretty large, so it wouldn’t be the one you toss in your backpack for a long hike, but it might be one to leave at the campsite instead.

The NatPat Baby Buzz Spray Mosquito Repellent is travel-friendly and easy to tuck into any bag. The bottle reminds us of some hand sanitizers, making it convenient to apply and reapply often throughout the day. The brand, known for only using all-natural ingredients, takes the mess out of carrying repellent.

Cossey also tested Baby Buzz and says, “I love this product and everything about it! Its bottle resembles the shape of a trendy hand sanitizer. Plus, it’s convenient and small enough to stuff in a bag.” She also appreciated the smell, adding, “You can tell it includes natural ingredients like lemon and eucalyptus.” 

This innovative device creates a protective zone against mosquitoes, offering an alternative to traditional topical repellents. The device is a spatial repellent, meaning it protects an area rather than an individual.

We love that this device is user-friendly and that it features a rechargeable battery. Plus, each 12-hour metofluthrin liquid refill cartridge is easy to order and stock up on, ensuring your device is always ready to use throughout the summer on patios, backyards, and porches.