A photo of a mother spraying insect repellent on her daughter on a trail in the woods.

Bug off! The insect repellents that actually work, according to shoppers

The best part about summer is getting to spend more time outdoors. Whether you're an outdoorsy person or simply like a nice sit on your back porch, bugs and mosquitos can quickly shut an outdoor adventure down. There are tons of options to deter those pesky bugs from interfering with your evening but which ones really work? Well, we've spent hours reading user reviewers to help find the bug sprays shoppers find the most successful. Many include ingredients like DEET or picaridin, which are safe to use according to the EPA and CDC, but which actually work? Shop the list below to find the top-selling mosquito repellents and bug sprays that have thousands of reviews.

Continue reading to learn which insect repellents actually work, written by Korin Miller and Katelyn Mullen.

Writer and Director of Content Strategy, HuffPost

Korin Miller and Katelyn Mullen

Korin Miller is health, lifestyle and commerce writer who does everything from covering infectious diseases and health trends to testing fitness equipment, whitening toothpastes and everything in between. Korin has worked for years researching and investigating new shopping trends, and is always on the hunt for a good bargain to share with readers. She has been published in Forbes, Women's Health, Prevention, Health, The Bump, and more.

Katelyn Mullen is the director of content strategy and HuffPost.

Explore More Content

Sawyer Picaridin Spray

insect repellent

Picaridin

From the Squad

Campfire conversations with our community, from Squad Members and Ambassadors to Brand Partners and the Sawyer team.

Media Mentions

4 MIN

Media Mentions

It all starts with Sawyer Squeeze + Cnoc VectoX 2L, the best and most reliable filter-bladder combo and the core of my backpacking water storage and filtration system.