Best Bug Spray (2025), Tested and Reviewed

1 month ago

All products featured connected WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we whitethorn person compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products done these links.

No 1 likes nan emotion of insect repellent. I person vivid memories of being sprayed down pinch nan worldly arsenic a kid earlier venturing into nan woods successful bluish Minnesota connected family vacations and emotion for illustration chemic warfare was being waged connected each of my senses. I was consenting to strengthen it because being covered successful mosquito bites is moreover worse. Wearing repellent tin prevention your life, protecting you against West Nile microorganism and Lyme disease, conscionable to sanction a fewer of nan pathogens mosquitos and ticks tin walk on.

“Insect repellents are designed to impact insects’ senses and forestall them from uncovering humans,” says Sonja Swiger, a professor astatine Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology. “The usage of these products provides protection to humans that cannot beryllium achieved by thing else.” Essentially, biology mosquito guidance programs can’t wholly protect you from nan bugs. If you’re going to beryllium extracurricular for a agelong play of time, particularly successful areas wherever biting bugs are common, applying repellent is simply a smart idea.

The bully news is that location are measurement much products pinch different formulas disposable now than, say, erstwhile I was a kid. Protecting yourself doesn’t person to beryllium a wholly miserable experience. Here is everything you request to cognize astir various insect-repelling chemicals, really to take nan correct merchandise for your needs, and our apical picks for nan champion insect repellents connected nan market.

Check retired immoderate of our different outdoors-related buying guides for illustration Best Tents, nan Best Sunscreens, and nan Best Day-Hiking Backpacks.

Updated May 2025: We added repellents from Ranger Ready, Grand Tongo, Cutter Backwoods, and Murphy's Naturals. We besides updated links and prices.

What Chemicals Are Used successful Insect Repellents?

There are 4 wide disposable topical repelling chemicals that person been approved for usage by nan Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nan CDC, and nan Environmental Working Group (EWG), which intends there’s ample grounds that they’re safe and effective against mosquitoes and ticks. These are DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and lipid of citrus eucalyptus (also called OLE and p-menthane-3,8-diol, aliases PMD, its synthetic form).

There’s besides permethrin, which is simply a repellent you tin use to cogwheel for illustration tents and clothing, which is besides approved by nan EPA and CDC. Citronella oil, cedar oil, geranium oil, lemongrass oil, soybean oil, and peppermint lipid don’t person robust investigation to show that they’re awesome repellents for ticks and mosquitos. Though immoderate folks whitethorn find them useful, they aren’t long-lasting aliases effective successful environments pinch tons of bugs, according to nan EWG. Below, you tin find nan pros and cons of nan 4 aforementioned EPA-approved bug repelling chemicals that you tin use to skin.

DEET: N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, different known arsenic DEET, is astir apt nan chemic you’ve heard nan astir about, arsenic it’s been utilized since 1957 and wide studied arsenic an insect repellent. “It’s nan golden modular that each different products are tested against,” says Swiger. It’s 1 of nan astir effective options—studies successful nan EPA’s database show that, astatine varying concentrations, DEET tin ward disconnected ticks for 2 to 10 hours, and mosquitoes for 2 to 12 hours. Per an EPA-approved label, a merchandise pinch 20 percent DEET tin forestall bites from mosquitos for 11 hours.

In astir instances, 30 percent aliases little of an progressive constituent will beryllium capable for protection, says Swiger, and per an EPA-approved label, a merchandise pinch 20 percent DEET tin forestall bites from mosquitos for 11 hours. Per nan EPA, DEET tin beryllium utilized connected children without immoderate property restriction. The downsides are that DEET smells awful, is oily, and tin harm thing pinch integrative successful it, for illustration synthetic clothing and camping gear.

Picaridin: This chemic hasn’t been successful usage arsenic agelong arsenic DEET, but it’s been shown to beryllium conscionable arsenic safe and effective, and it has less downsides. A merchandise pinch 20 percent picaridin tin springiness you up to 14 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks, per an EPA-approved label.

A reappraisal from nan Journal of Travel Medicine analyzed 11 studies that compared DEET and picaridin, uncovering that “the studies showed small imaginable quality betwixt DEET and picaridin applied astatine nan aforesaid dosage, pinch immoderate grounds pointing to a superior persistence for picaridin.” Picaridin won’t ruin fabrics for illustration DEET.

IR3535: Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate, aliases IR3535, isn’t rather arsenic effective arsenic DEET aliases picaridin against mosquitoes, but it’s much effective against ticks, per nan EWG. Like DEET, it tin harm plastics.

Oil of citrus eucalyptus: Oil of citrus eucalyptus enhanced pinch para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) whitethorn activity arsenic good arsenic DEET against mosquitoes and ticks (at concentrations betwixt 20 to 26 percent), per nan EWG. In general, lipid of citrus eucalyptus and PMD don’t past arsenic agelong arsenic DEET and nan different options connected this list. They won’t harm plastics. Due to a deficiency of investigation connected kids, it shouldn’t beryllium utilized connected children nether 3.

Are Insect Repellents Safe?

In bid for a chemic to get EPA-approval, it faces rigorous testing and information for its efficacy, safety, and imaginable harm to nan environment. But group still person concerns astir nan progressive ingredients successful these products. Most of that interest revolves astir DEET, owed to reports of neurotoxicity. According to nan EWG, “in very uncommon cases, DEET has been reported to impair nan tense system, pinch symptoms including seizures, tremors and slurred speech—this astir often occurs aft vulnerability to precocious concentrations of nan chemical.” This is highly rare. The EPA has concluded that nan complaint of adverse reactions occurs connected nan bid of 1 per 100 cardinal persons.

Still, that’s really scary. But much investigation points to DEET’s safety. A report from 2017 recovered that it’s improbable that DEET causes neurotoxicity. A 2020 University of Florida study recovered location was nary accrued consequence of antagonistic wellness impacts for group who utilized DEET, and a 2003 report discovered nary grounds of an accrued consequence of adverse toxic effects successful kids.

Other chemicals connected this list, for illustration picaridin, don’t airs nan aforesaid neurotoxicity concerns arsenic DEET. Ultimately, nan repellent you take comes down to what you consciousness safe utilizing and your level of interest astir bug bites, which tin lead to superior wellness conditions.

“These products are continuously evaluated to corroborate their safety,” says Swiger. And nan benefits of utilizing repellents apt outweigh nan risks. “The use is preventing biting by mosquitoes aliases ticks that transportation disease-causing pathogens. Without nan usage of repellents, a personification could beryllium bitten by a tick aliases mosquito carrying a pathogen that tin lead to a illness specified arsenic West Nile virus, Lyme disease, eastbound equine encephalitis, aliases dengue.”

Is a Higher Concentration Better?

Not necessarily. DEET’s repelling effects, for example, thin to plateau astatine astir 50 percent concentration, per nan CDC. Again, 20 percent to 30 percent attraction of DEET aliases picaridin seems to beryllium capable to get coagulated protection. Higher concentrations do person their place, though. “Some mosquitoes are not deterred by nan lesser rates,” says Swiger. “Higher rates past longer clip periods and activity champion against ample floodwater mosquitoes.”

How Should You Use Insect Repellent and Sunscreen Together?

Swiger recommends applying sunscreen first, past insect repellent, and she says to debar combo products, per nan CDC’s guidelines. Since sunscreen should beryllium applied much often than a repellent, products that see some could consequence successful unnecessary vulnerability to nan repellent chemicals.

Are Insect Repellent Sprays, Lotions, aliases Wipes Better?

What benignant of look you take will really travel down to individual preference. Sprays are easier to use complete apparel and skin. Lotions thin to consciousness little greasy and sticky. Wipes are awesome for recreation and for times erstwhile you want to battalion light, for illustration during backpacking trips.

How We Tested

I utilized 19 products connected hikes, runs, and nights extracurricular adjacent Denver, Colorado. All of them were effective successful preventing bug bites, but fixed nan barren ambiance wherever I live, I don’t brushwood swarms of mosquitoes very often. In my investigation for this article, I’ve learned that an insect repellent that is considered effective for 1 person, successful 1 environment, won’t needfully beryllium effective for a different personification successful that aforesaid environment, aliases a different personification successful a different environment.

Essentially, mosquitoes and different bugs take who to wound based connected wide smell, assemblage heat, and sweat, and are evidently overmuch much prevalent successful bedewed and lukewarm parts of nan country. So standing these repellents connected their effectiveness against bugs (based connected my experience) doesn’t really springiness you overmuch valuable information.

The only measurement to cognize if a repellent will activity for you is to effort it connected yourself successful your environment, against your bugs. (And support successful mind, a merchandise that useful good for you astatine location mightiness not do it against different insects connected vacation.) If your repellent isn’t working, you request a higher attraction of nan repelling chemical, aliases a different repelling chemical. But, arsenic I wrote above, starting pinch a little attraction is nan move—there’s nary logic to expose yourself to much chemicals if nan little level tin supply alleviation from biting.

All that said, I did return thorough notes connected really good these went on, felt connected nan skin, and smelled, and these are my apical picks for each chemic category, based connected those criteria.

Best Picaridin Bug Repellents

Best Dry Feel

Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent

With a wide, even, fine-mist spray, this merchandise is easy to use and doesn’t excavation connected your skin. It has a chemic smell a spot for illustration rubbing alcohol, but nan scent is overmuch milder than that of immoderate DEET products I tried. On my skin, nan merchandise feels a spot greasy and sticky, but again, overmuch little truthful than DEET. Overall, I was pleased pinch nan lightweight consciousness of nan merchandise and appreciated nan locking lid connected nan bottle. Per nan label, this spray contains 20 percent picaridin and tin supply up to 12 hours of protection.

Best Spray

Ranger Ready Repellents

Picaridin Insect Repellent Spray

This mini spritz vessel provided thorough coverage, but nan merchandise did request to beryllium rubbed successful a bit. Despite its somewhat sticky feel, this “scent zero” spray didn’t person an overwhelmingly beardown insect repellent smell. The marque besides makes scented versions of nan product, pinch options for illustration Night Sky and Ranger Orange. The 20 percent picaridin attraction will springiness you 12 hours of worry-free clip outside, sans mosquitos and ticks.

Best Lotion

Proven Insect Repellent Lotion

I’d ne'er tried a lotion repellent before, and I was pleasantly amazed by really bully they felt and really overmuch little they smelled than nan sprays. This 1 successful peculiar seemed to person an moreover milder scent than different picaridin lotions, and near my tegument emotion much hydrated than oily. It feels for illustration it absorbs into your tegument alternatively than sitting connected apical of it. It contains 20 percent picaridin and provides up to 14 hours of protection.

Grand Tongo

Green Tea + Mint Insect Repellent

After testing astir 20 different bug sprays (that beautiful overmuch each smelled astatine slightest a small unpleasant and chemical-y), this picaridin spray from Grand Tongo genuinely blew maine away. I don’t cognize really nan marque managed to do it, but this merchandise smells subtly saccharine and fresh, without a hint of harsh repellent smell. The marque besides offers a citrus and sandalwood scent, but nan greenish beverage and mint was my individual favorite. There’s a fragrance-free option, which dries down to person zero scent connected nan skin. It feels for illustration magic! The wide, moreover spray, shockingly beautiful (?) bottle, and locking lid are bully touches. With 20 percent picardin, you should person 12 hours of protection.

Best DEET Bug Repellents

Off Deep Woods Dry Insect Repellent

This merchandise has nan chopped chemical-y, bug spray smell of DEET, but nan consciousness is nicer than astir DEET sprays. It’s not wholly weightless, but it dries down really nicely and feels soft and only somewhat greasy to nan touch. The spray is even, but nan deficiency of a locking lid makes maine wary to battalion it for a hike.

Cutter

Backwoods Dry Insect Repellent

This DEET spray goes connected evenly successful a good mist and dries down to a nice, only somewhat oily finish. The locking lid stayed successful spot moreover erstwhile I hauled nan vessel astir successful a backpack for a day. The smell was chemical-y, but not highly strong. The merchandise claims to beryllium sweat-resistant, and it didn’t easy melt distant connected my hike aliases moreover later erstwhile I wiped it disconnected pinch a bedewed washcloth. With a 25 percent attraction of DEET, it provides up to 10 hours of protection.

Sawyer 20 Percent DEET Premium Family Insect Repellent Controlled Release

The DEET stink is still there, but nan lotion look feels much pleasant and little greasy to maine than astir sprays. This merchandise successful peculiar contains DEET (at a 20 percent concentration) that’s encapsulated successful a slow-dissolving protein, which intends nan DEET is released complete a longer play of time, providing up to 11 hours of protection.

Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent Wipes

These pocket-sized wipes are a spot bedewed and messy, but that besides intends 1 swipe goes a agelong measurement successful position of coverage. The smell is little aggravated than different wipes; it reminds maine of rubbing alcohol. These are perfect for throwing successful a hiking container aliases getting done TSA. They person a 30 percent attraction of DEET, and nan package claims up to 7 hours of protection.

Best IR3535 Bug Repellent

Coleman Insect Repellent Spray (uses IR3535)

Of each nan sprays I tested, this was my favorite. It felt genuinely barren to nan touch aft a fewer minutes, dissimilar immoderate of nan DEET aliases picaridin sprays. It was besides almost wholly odorless, which won awesome points successful my book. The spray isn’t arsenic moreover and good arsenic I’d for illustration it to be, but it wasn’t a immense obstruction to application. Overall, I was really impressed by this one’s lightweight, barely-there feel.

Best Oil-of-Lemon-Eucalyptus Bug Repellent

Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent

This merchandise uses a combo of p-menthane-3,8-diol and lipid of citrus eucalyptus, pinch a 30 percent concentration. It’s very oily and does excavation connected nan skin, truthful you request to really swipe it in. It besides has a very beardown eucalyptus scent that’s beautiful off-putting, but it does slice complete time. It has a locking lid, and nan packaging says it provides six hours of protection.

Murphy's Naturals

Lemon Eucalyptus Oil Mosquito and Tick Repellent

For a mini spritz bottle, nan spray is moreover and fine, and I only needed to swipe this merchandise successful a small earlier it dried down, leaving a somewhat greasy finish. The smell is little aggravated and much pleasant than different lipid of citrus eucalyptus sprays I tried—once it dried, it was much caller and citrusy than eucalyptus-forward. With a 30 percent attraction of lipid of citrus eucalyptus and 65 percent attraction of p-menthane-3,8-diol, you should get six hours of protection from mosquitos and 4 hours of protection against ticks.

Power up pinch unlimited entree to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that's excessively important to disregard for conscionable $2.50 $1 per period for 1 year. Includes unlimited integer entree and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.