The 7 Best Mosquito Repellents to Keep the Bugs Away, Tested and Reviewed

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, but for many of us, it also means dealing with relentless mosquitoes. The effects of mosquito bites can vary from minor irritation to blistered welts, depending on your body's reaction to mosquito saliva. In addition, there is a risk of contracting mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and West Nile virus.

To protect yourself against mosquitoes, our experts agreed that the best mosquito repellents should contain DEET, picaridin, and IR3535. Wesley Trimble, Communications and Creative Director at the American Hiking Society, recommends DEET and picaridin as effective skin-applied insect repellents. Both work against mosquitoes and ticks, but avoid using DEET on waterproof-breathable membranes like GORE-TEX as it can harm the fabric. If you're going to an area with many mosquitoes, look for repellents with 10% to 30% active ingredients. For shorter outdoor activities, lower concentrations will be enough.

Continue reading to learn more about the best mosquito repellents, written by Samson McDougall.

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Menciones en los medios de comunicación

Sawyer’s spray offers an impressive 12 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks, and a little less (eight hours) against flies, gnats, and chiggers.

Korin Miller
Health, Lifestyle and Commerce Writer

Menciones en los medios de comunicación

Sawyer’s Permethrin spray has also worked as promised.

Mark Melotik
Freelance Writer

Menciones en los medios de comunicación

Sawyer, for example, checks to ensure that no pore size exceeds 0.01 microns, stating that “the filters are then checked four more times at crucial points of assembly for filter integrity before they make their way onto the shelf.”

Dan Hu
Escritor