The Best Mosquito Repellents, According to You
Don't let pesky skeeters hold you back from enjoying the great outdoors
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This week, we scanned Amazon’s bestseller list for the highest-rated mosquito repellents, then pulled the best, most authoritative reviews for each.
Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Natural Insect Repellent ($5)
“This stuff works fantastically. It lasts for hours and has no chemical smell. It definitely has a lemon smell, but not like furniture-polish lemon smell. I had no bites when using this, and I was out for about three hours. You would need to reapply if your getting in and out of the water—just keep that in mind. Mosquitos love me, so if it works on me, it should work on anyone.”
Sawyer Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent ($10)
“I came across this clothing repellant and bought it based on the reviews. I make sure my sons always have this sprayed on the legs of their jeans when they go into the mountains, and it’s been sprayed on their tent, too. The spray is nice—much nicer than the aerosol ones that spray all over and half of it is blown away by the breeze. This stuff sticks to the clothes and stays there. It doesn’t stain, doesn’t smell, and the most important part is that it works. I haven’t seen a single tick (or any bug) on them since they’ve been using this spray.”
Sawyer Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin ($9)
“Sawyer Picaridin is more effective than anything I have ever used, and mosquitoes love me! Yesterday, I used Sawyer Picaridin and went out in the afternoon to prune banana trees for several hours and never got a single bite. And it feels so much better on my skin. No oily residue! This is great stuff!”
Repel 100 Insect Repellent ($8)
“It tells you on the bottle that you shouldn’t use it on anything plastic. It will eat it somewhat. Try not to use this repellant on your face if you have sensitive skin. After application, wash your hands. That being said, I was in Africa on safari and everyone in the truck around me was getting bitten by tsetse flies and mosquitoes. I shared this during lunch, and not another bite for anyone the rest of the day. It works like nothing I have used before. All in all, I spent a week in mosquito country and got one bite when I went 12 hours between applications.”
Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net with Insect Shield ($13)
“I got this head net for an eight-day backpacking trip through Alaska wilderness. Did it work? Like a charm. Did I look ridiculous? Absolutely. Did I care? Nope. Everyone who didn’t have a mosquito net for their head while we trekked through certain parts of Alaska were literally cursing as they were flocked by mosquitos and bugs. Good-quality mosquito head net that kept bugs from flying directly into my face, eyes, nose, and mouth.”
ExOfficio Women’s BugsAway Lumen Hoodie ($47)
“This hoodie absolutely worked to prevent bug attacks and was super-soft and comfy. I loved the hand holes—they actually helped keep the sleeves down to protect my wrists from bites, and pulling the hood up helped protect my neck. I was the only one in the hiking group who walked away unscathed by the swarms of Peruvian insects. I definitely recommend.”
ExOfficio Men’s BugsAway Sandfly Jacket ($80)
“I am shocked to report that this jacket actually kept the mosquitoes away while I was tending to my ginseng in the deep woods. Also, no ticks, which is major. The hood is very nice to have as well for keeping the buggers off the back of my neck and ears. I am not a fan of insecticides or chemical treatments in general, but this is one item I will use selectively and appropriately.”
Ben’s 30 DEET Field Wipes ($15)
“Ben’s DEET products are always reliable. Combined with Sawyer’s Permethrin, I may be able to fight off some the ticks this year. A light winter has resulted in a major infestation in the Ozarks this year. The last time I was going through some waist-high weeds and briars, my equipment and I both ended up with seed ticks all over us. I wasn’t expecting the trail to be so overgrown or I would have prepared better. Lesson learned.”