Wirecutter: The Best Bug Repellents
Wirecutter: The Best Bug Repellents

Wirecutter: The Best Bug Repellents
YouTube video highlight
For a bug repellent that’s safe and effective—and that won’t stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula...
Watch videoThe Best Bug Repellents
Everyone should avoid bug bites, which are annoying at best and debilitating (or even lethal) in worst-case scenarios.
For a bug repellent that’s safe and effective—and that won’t stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula, like Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent. It’s the best bottle of bug spray we found after testing 23 repellents and talking to everyone from the EPA to the American Mosquito Control Association.
How we picked
- EPA approval - EPA-approved repellents have undergone extensive safety and efficacy testing and can be trusted.
- 20% picaridin - Most of our recommendations use a 20% concentration of picaridin, which offers long-lasting repellency for ticks and mosquitoes with none of DEET’s downsides.
- Testing, within limits - We test our picks for usability, as opposed to efficacy, because the variables of environment, physiology, and bug behavior affect performance.
- Spray matters - The best repellents have a nice, even spray that is easy to apply. The worst ones are spitty and messy, and can overspray or puddle up.
Wirecutter: The Best Bug Repellents


The Best Bug Repellents
Everyone should avoid bug bites, which are annoying at best and debilitating (or even lethal) in worst-case scenarios.
For a bug repellent that’s safe and effective—and that won’t stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula, like Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent. It’s the best bottle of bug spray we found after testing 23 repellents and talking to everyone from the EPA to the American Mosquito Control Association.
How we picked
- EPA approval - EPA-approved repellents have undergone extensive safety and efficacy testing and can be trusted.
- 20% picaridin - Most of our recommendations use a 20% concentration of picaridin, which offers long-lasting repellency for ticks and mosquitoes with none of DEET’s downsides.
- Testing, within limits - We test our picks for usability, as opposed to efficacy, because the variables of environment, physiology, and bug behavior affect performance.
- Spray matters - The best repellents have a nice, even spray that is easy to apply. The worst ones are spitty and messy, and can overspray or puddle up.
Wirecutter: The Best Bug Repellents


The Best Bug Repellents
Everyone should avoid bug bites, which are annoying at best and debilitating (or even lethal) in worst-case scenarios.
For a bug repellent that’s safe and effective—and that won’t stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula, like Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent. It’s the best bottle of bug spray we found after testing 23 repellents and talking to everyone from the EPA to the American Mosquito Control Association.
How we picked
- EPA approval - EPA-approved repellents have undergone extensive safety and efficacy testing and can be trusted.
- 20% picaridin - Most of our recommendations use a 20% concentration of picaridin, which offers long-lasting repellency for ticks and mosquitoes with none of DEET’s downsides.
- Testing, within limits - We test our picks for usability, as opposed to efficacy, because the variables of environment, physiology, and bug behavior affect performance.
- Spray matters - The best repellents have a nice, even spray that is easy to apply. The worst ones are spitty and messy, and can overspray or puddle up.
Recent articles
Other categories
You might also like
Built for the Outdoors
see ALL PRODUCTSFollow us on Instagram
More Than an Outdoor Company.
From the trail
Meet our ambassadors. They’re experts on the trail who love the way our products stand up to the elements and delight us with stories from their next-level adventures.
meet our ambassadors






















































































































































