The Best Bug Sprays, Backed By Our Testing
Stop all kinds of creepy crawlies in their tracks with these 8 bug sprays.
Insect bites aren’t just unpleasant—they also have some serious health ramifications. Mosquitoes can carry malaria, Zika virus, and West Nile virus while ticks can cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and others. Bug repellents prevent both bites from insects and any diseases they may carry.
The top bug sprays on the market can protect you from mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, biting flies, no-see-ums, and other types of biting insects. But it can be difficult to navigate the many products out there. A good starting point for choosing a bug spray is to consider the active ingredient and the delivery method. The active ingredient for most bug sprays is DEET or picaridin, although some of the more natural options use oil of lemon eucalyptus as an alternative. You can also find bug sprays in aerosol, spritz, or lotion forms.
To find the best bug repellents, we interviewed experts to create our list, then personally tested each product’s effectiveness, coverage, ease of use, value, and smell. We also considered active ingredients, application methods, EPA labeling, and what types of insects each spray could repel.
December 3, 2023
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This repellent is easy to apply and effective without staining clothes.
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Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent uses 20 percent picaridin to protect against ticks, mosquitoes, black flies, gnats, and other biting insects. It provides up to 12 hours of protection, so a little bit goes a long way.
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Sawyer’s 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent delivers long-lasting protection against pesky insects like mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and gnats. Formulated with 20% picaridin — an odorless, non-greasy alternative to DEET — you can count on this spray to provide up to 12 hours of protection against mosquitos and eight hours against other bugs.
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