The Best Mosquitos Repellents for Enjoying the Outdoors

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Going for a hike or otherwise getting outside can be a welcome way to get some fresh air in these days of social distancing. But the nicer spring weather also brings some downsides to it. One of the more pesky consequences are the flies, mosquitos, and other insects that can invade your backyard and make spending time outdoors challenging. While there are some general precautions you should take to make your yard and home less inviting for mosquitos and other bugs, having the right set of tools on hand—like the ones below—is also essential to help you stay as bite-free as possible.

The Best Mosquito Repellents

• Best Overall: Cutter Backwoods Insect Repellent (2-Pack)

• Best for Large Spaces:Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer

• Best for Small Spaces: Thermacell Radius Zone Mosquito Repeller

• Most Powerful: Ben's 100 Tick and Insect Repellent Pump (2-Pack)

• Best for Fabrics and Clothes: Sawyer Products SP657 Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent

What to Consider

DEET, Permethrin, and Picaridin

Insect repellents typically rely on one of three chemicals to ward off mosquitoes: DEET, permethrin, and picaridin. The most effective is DEET, which has an unmistakable smell and griminess when applied to the skin. Picaridin is just as effective as DEET and without the greasy feel or odor, repelling insects, ticks, and chiggers. Permethrin is used for clothing instead of your skin, and it'll continue to work through multiple washes—you can even buy clothing with permethrin-based repellent baked in.

Zappers or Candles

A cartridge-based lantern or tabletop unit can provide an effective alternative to a traditional bug zapper, which needs to be mounted and plugged in. If mosquitos are your biggest problem and you only have a modest area to cover, consider a candle or small repellant gadget. Bug zappers have long-lasting LED bulbs that are great for use on an indoor porch or on a small deck, and is best for outdoor use.

How We Selected

We researched the market and relied on our personal testing and hands-on experience to find and select the best bug-deterring products. In cases where we didn’t get our hands on something to try it out, we based our recommendations on our past experiences using similar products, Popular Mechanics’s long history of reporting on bug-zapping gear, and in some cases, user reviews and opinions from trusted expert sources.

Backwoods Insect Repellent (2-Pack)

With 25 percent DEET, sweat-resistant application, and an easy spray nozzle, Cutter's Backwoods is one of the most reliable insect repellents. Its high DEET percentage is strong enough to ward off ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas. Cutter claims it can give users up to 10 hours of protection. It's water-resistant and won't easily wash off your skin.

This insect repellent is my go-to for hikes and camping. It requires the least reapplying, making it an excellent value—especially as a 2-pack. Its biggest downside is greasiness and staining. This stuff makes your skin feel tacky and smelly, but that's a price worth paying for total bug protection. The staining, however, is a major turnoff, and it's caused one of my digital wristwatches to stain with an oily splatter.

BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer

You won’t want to use it in a tiny backyard or patio area, but if you have a large outdoor space plagued with mosquitoes, a heavy-duty electronic insect killer like this Flowtron unit is worth considering. It claims to kill mosquitos and other flying insects over a half-acre area. It's also for heavy-duty use only, and Flowtron recommends not using it within a 25-feet of an area intended for human activity. Larger versions are also available to cover one acre or more.

This waterproof zapper is loaded with Octenol, a chemical that attracts mosquitoes and other biting insects to lure them toward an electrified death. The Octenol cartridge must be replaced every 30 days, costing roughly $14 monthly. Customers say this zapper works well, but its cord is too short at 9 inches.

Radius Zone Mosquito Repeller

If mosquitos are your most significant summer pest, Thermacell’s Radius Zone helps keep them away so you can enjoy a twilight BBQ without first bathing in DEET. The Wirecutter found it the most effective solution they’ve tested, provided you aren’t looking to cover a large area—it’ll reach up to 15 x 15 feet or so. It’s not the cheapest option, however, and you’ll also have to factor in the cost of replacement cartridges, which can be pretty pricey. This is an excellent option for backyard hangouts and campsites.

100 Tick and Insect Repellent Pump (2-Pack)

Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent has a 100 percent concentration of DEET, making it the most potent mosquito repellent on this list. Unlike most DEET products, this doesn't have a strong odor after application, though it still has some greasiness. This formulation offers up to eight hours of protection from mosquitos and ticks but also repels other biting flies, gnats, and chiggers.

Its small size makes it TSA-approved, and many users say the spray worked well in even the harshest of jungles. Some users claim its packaging and spray are relatively weak, with many reporting leakages when traveling.

SP657 Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent

One application of Permethrin can provide up to 12 hours of protection from mosquitos and ticks and up to eight from biting flies, gnats, and chiggers.

This spray has little odor and evaporates without leaving a greasy film. It’s also safe for synthetic fabrics, watches, sunglasses, and outdoor gear, and won't leave any stains behind.

Sawyer Products claims the spray will bond to clothing fibers for up to 42 days of exposure to sun and air or six wash cycles—whichever comes first. This isn't intended for skin use, so you must use it with a DEET spray or a permethrin lotion. It also sprays onto fabrics with a pungent stench, though it's completely odorless once dry.

Mosquito Repellent Candle

These candles from Murphy's Naturals are loaded with natural ingredients and avoid the use of DEET for a fresh, clean scent. Just light one of these outdoor candles and let that fragrance ward away mosquitoes for areas up to 12x12 feet.

These candles are made with cedarwood, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, and citronella essential oils, which have a potent and fresh scent. Those oils repel mosquitoes, and in my personal experience, they smell great. According to customers, however, those oils ironically attract another bug: bees. Many reviews say that bees swarm to the hot candle, which adds additional pests to avoid.

Summit Mosquito Bits

The first step in getting rid of mosquitos is to eliminate standing water around your property. But if your space has ponds and small pools, you obviously can't do that.

BTI-coated Mosquito Bits are popular, as the microbial larvicide helps eliminate mosquitos at the source. Just sprinkle these insecticidal corn cob granules in standing water, and within 24 hours, they'll kill off the larval population. They can also be used to control fungus gnats for both indoor and outdoor plants.

I use this product around my apartment and can confidently recommend it for mosquito and gnat control. I sprinkle about a tablespoon into my watering can, and after a 30-minute granule soak, I pour the treatment over each of my indoor plants to kill larvae and annoying fungal gnats that come from overwatering. You can also mix the granules with potting soil to release chemicals with every watering.

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