10 Best Mosquito Repellents 2020
When the temperatures rise, so do the number of insect bites on our bodies. One of the biggest (and smallest) culprits is the mosquito, and it is not always easy to find the right product to keep them away from our skin.
Since mosquitos are known for carrying some rather dangerous diseases, it is also very important that we take certain precautions to keep them away from our bodies.
There are many different products that you can choose from – some of them natural and some of them a toxic.
The key to choosing the best mosquito repellent is deciding which of them meets your needs and what you feel comfortable using around your home and on your skin.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 solutions in our guide below.
Before Purchasing
Here are a few things to take into consideration before you choose a repellent.
- Indoor or Outdoor Use. Not all repellent is intended for the skin.
Some of you might need to keep the mosquitos away from guests at an outdoor BBQ while others may need something that is appropriate for indoor use.
Outdoors, you might try burning a candle or spray the grass in the general vicinity of where you’ll be eating before guests arriving and food being laid on the table.
Indoors, you should opt for products that are non-toxic and not too potent to smell (citronella can be a bit overpowering in the home), so keep this in mind as you shop.
- Skin-Friendly Repellents. Look for all-natural or organic sprays if you want to use it directly on your skin.
DEET and other insecticides are quite harsh and can irritate the skin, and even if certain government administrations do deem them “safe,” natural solutions are much safer. We even have some DIY solutions for you below, so keep reading!
Top 10 Mosquito Repellents Table
| Picture | Name | Type | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Summit 20-Pack Mosquito Dunk | Tablet to place in standing water | $$$ | 4.6 |
 | 2. NOW Essential Oils: Mosquito Repellent Blend - Citronella, Lemongrass, Grapefruit | Essential oil trio | $$ | 4.5 |
 | 3. 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion, 2-Ounce | Lotion | $ | 4.5 |
 | 4. Viva Naturals French Lavender Essential Oil, 4 fl oz - 100% Pure & Therapeutic Grade for Relaxation | Essential oil | $ | 4.5 |
 | 5. Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent | Permethrin insecticide spray | $ | 4.4 |
 | 6. Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Bug Guard PLUS IR3535® Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion | Lotion plus sunscreen | $ | 4.4 |
 | 7. Mosquito Dunks Mosquito Bits, 30-Ounce | Granules to sprinkle near standing water | $$ | 4.3 |
 | 8. Amazon Lights All-natural Premium Citronella Outdoor Garden Incense Sticks | Citronella incense sticks | $$ | 4.3 |
 | 9. Repel 100 Insect Repellent, 4 oz. Pump Spray, Single Bottle | Pump spray | $ | 4.3 |
 | 10. Flowtron BK-15D Electronic Insect Killer, 1/2 Acre Coverage | Electronic ultraviolet light | $$$$ | 4.2 |
Essential Oils and Mosquitos
Those of you who prefer the more natural, organic route will probably be considering some essential oil mixtures.
The most common essential oils that are known to repel them include:
- Lavender Oil
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Citronella Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Lemongrass Oil
- Peppermint Oil
There are a few other oils you could use, but unless you’re interested in starting a serious essential oil collection, these are the most common ones that will help you. They also have many other uses so having a few (or all) of them on hand in the pantry isn’t such a bad idea!
You can take any of these oils (or a mixture of all of them) and mix them together with some distilled water and witch hazel to mix yourself up a batch of homemade mosquito repellent.
Types of Repellents
There are plenty of ways you can deter mosquitos and manufacturers offer their products in many different forms. The most common ones include:
- Sprays
- Wipes
- Lotions
- Granules
- Bracelets
- Electronic Devices
Depending on where and how you want to repel the mosquitos, any one of them could be considered the “best mosquito repellent,” so compare and contrast all of the options on our list to find the right one for your specific needs.
What Is DEET?
There are, of course, some stronger options available and if you use them carefully, they can be very effective at repelling mosquitos. DEET is a good example.
We mentioned DEET above our table. Do you know what it is?
Diethyltoluamide – commonly known as DEET – is the active ingredient used in many insecticides.
Insecticides and skin just don’t go together, so the key to using a product that contains DEET is to use it on clothing or other items (such as netting or gear).
Sprays like this should never be used directly on the skin – especially near wounds or broken skin – and the best way to use them is by spraying clothing outdoors when you are not wearing it.
And Permethrin?
Permethrin is another type of insecticide that is commonly used to ward off pests like ticks and mosquitos.
If you’ll be walking in dense brush or tall grass, then a clothing that is sprayed with this will help you keep both ticks and mosquitos away, among other pesky insects.
Top 5 Best Mosquito Repellent Reviews
1. Summit 20-Pack Mosquito Dunk
What do mosquitoes love most? Standing water.
If you have a fish pond, birdbath, fountain or even potted plants with dishes at the bottom that have water in them, then you should give the Summit Dunks a try.
These little tablets will cover 100 square feet of surface area, repelling mosquitos away from the water. What’s great about them is that they are not toxic to pets or wildlife, so if you are looking for something to put in the livestock water troughs, this would be an excellent choice.
These little tablets will float on the water and slowly release a bacterium (B.t.i.) that is toxic to all species of mosquito larvae. Even if mosquitoes do manage to come and lay eggs, these little donuts will kill the larvae without harming anything else that comes in contact with the water.
It’s a great way to help keep the mosquito population at bay!
2. NOW Essential Oils: Mosquito Repellent Blend
If you are looking for something that you can use on the skin, then you should own this trio of essential oils from NOW Essential Oils.
Citrus fruits are wonderful mosquito deterrents, and while the company suggests that you use these in a diffuser to help you repel mosquitoes in the home, these are also great essential oils to use if you want to make a homemade repellent.
Check out that recipe we mentioned earlier in the Essential Oil section or check online to get some other great recipe ideas!
It is a kid-friendly and skin-friendly solution with no DEET in sight.
3. 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent Lotion
While this lotion is popular to many users, we must say that it isn’t one of our favorites since it is a lotion that contains DEET. A lotion, we might add, that you use on your skin.
We’ll admit that it does repel the mosquitoes quite well. This stuff will get you through a day of hiking or a night of camping without having hundreds of little mosquito bites covering your body.
We realize that some areas of the U.S. have very bad mosquito infestations, and if you happen to live in one of these areas, then a lotion like this may be necessary.
Is it the best mosquito repellent on the list? If you don’t mind the fact that it contains DEET, then it earns a spot in our top three.
4. Viva Naturals French Lavender Essential Oil
Moving back to a more natural repellent, we suggest some heavenly lavender essential oil to help calm the nerves and keep the mosquitoes away.
Lavender oil is probably one of the most common essential oils that people turn to when in search of a natural mosquito repellent. You can use it in a diffuser in your home, mix it with water and spray it on your skin or mix it with a carrier oil and apply that to your skin.
If you don’t already have some lavender oil in the home, we highly recommend that you get a bottle now because there are so many ways that you can use it.
It is a mosquito repellent and so much more!
5. Sawyer Products Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent
Our final suggestion is another strong spray containing the insecticide permethrin.
You need to be careful with this one because it is not intended for the skin. In fact, the print boldly and clearly on the front of the can that it is intended for clothing and gear: not your skin!
So, if you head out hunting, hiking or camping and you want to keep the bugs off, you should spray your gear and clothing (when you are not wearing it) and let it dry.
They claim that the product will protect you for up to 6 weeks even if you do wash it and that it will not damage fabrics.
The fact that it is so popular tells us that this is true, so if you’re in need of a strong product to keep the mosquitoes and other insects away, this is the right product for you.
