Insect Repellent Reviews

Which mosquito repellents work best?

If you've ever wondered why you seem to be a mosquito magnet, while your spouse or friends don't get bitten as often, it's not all in your head. Scientific studies confirm some people do attract mosquitoes more than others, and in the same way, research shows that every insect repellent is more effective on some people than on others. For that reason, the best-designed insect repellent reviews employ many testers and report the minimum and maximum protection time, not just the average. We found the best such mosquito repellent review conducted by Mark Fradin and John Day, published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2002. Unfortunately, it doesn't cover newer contenders for best mosquito repellent, which use either synthetic picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil (a natural insect repellent) as the active ingredient.

ConsumerReports.org does test mosquito repellents that include these newer ingredients, but only four people test the products, and only the average protection time is reported. An otherwise well-designed review done for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, published in the Journal of Medical Entomology, tests products on only two people, but it does report the range of results. We found some insect repellent reviews in Backpacker magazine, but only one person tests each product.

The Backpacker review reports on the odor of each insect repellent, along with how it feels on the skin. These practical aspects are often ignored in the more scientific reviews, but the less formal reviews at Slate.com and Good Housekeeping magazine agree that they're important.

Of course, effectiveness matters most. Reviews based on lab testing conclude that wristbands, electronic mosquito repellents and insect-repellent clothing are a waste of money for most people. Although few insect repellents fail to attract praise from at least a few users, it's clear that most insect repellents that use DEET are consistently effective, while only a few alternatives work well for most people. Still, even the U.S. military is researching alternatives to DEET, because it damages plastics, paint finishes and many synthetic fabrics. It also smells bad and should be washed off the skin whenever you return indoors. Dozens of alternatives to DEET have appeared on the market, but reviews based on objective comparison tests show that only three of the alternative ingredients stand out as best.