Not all bug repellents are created equal—some are more effective than others. Consumer Reports named the top three repellents from their tests and disclosed the full rankings to their subscribers only. However, in an effort to help combat the Zika virus, they have released the rest for free.
The top three on this year’s list are Sawyer Fisherman’s Formula with 20% picaridin, Ben’s Wilderness Formula with 30% DEET, and Repel’s 30% Lemon Eucalyptus—a nice sampler of different active ingredients that are all effective against mosquitoes and safe in pregnancy.
The full data is that you can see how each repellent fared against three different groups of bloodsuckers: Aedes mosquitoes, which live in warmer climates and can carry viruses like Zika, dengue, and yellow fever; Culex mosquitoes, which live throughout the US and can carry West Nile virus; and deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. The top-rated repellents keep all of those away for at least seven hours.
If your favorite repellent isn’t on the list, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you’re still well-prepared if you use any EPA-registered repellent. All of those have convinced the EPA that they are effective, but they might not repel mosquitoes for as long as Consumer Reports’ top choices.
Insect Repellent Ratings | Consumer Reports