13 of the best bug repellents for 2024, from sprays to candles

Smidge is a popular DEET-free choice for insect repellent in the UK – it's known to be particularly useful during midge season in the Scottish Highlands. Smidge's DEET-free formula provides powerful protection against midges, mosquitoes, and other biting insects, ensuring up to eight hours of coverage.

Smidge is gentle on the skin, making it suitable for all ages and safe for environmentally sensitive areas. Its pleasant fragrance is a welcome change from the harsh smell of many chemical repellents. With proven efficacy and a user-friendly pump spray, Smidge is the go-to choice for anyone seeking reliable insect protection in bug-prone areas.

What's The Best's editor, William Austin-Lobley, relies on it whenever visiting the Highlands: "The second you step away from the coast during warm days on the Scottish coast, you're going to encounter midges – thousands of them. My wife and I always make sure we've got Smidge to hand becuase it's the only repellent we've found to reliably offer protection, even during exercise and when sweating. I won't buy anything else."

This dry oil spray is full of citronella to protect from pests. Mosquitos won't come anywhere near it, so no wonder it has such a high satisfaction rate. Not only does it give you softer, scented skin, but this repellent is also bug-proof. It's a win-win. It isn't an official repellent, but people swear by it. It can solidify in cold weather, but just place it in a warm room, and it'll come back to liquid. It contains water, isopropyl alcohol, fragrance, DEET (20%), aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and propylene glycol.

This is one of our favourites, as we all seem a bit prone to mozzie bites. It's DEET free, which is a plus for us - 100 per cent natural and can last up to five hours. It is designed to protect you from a range of insects, including mosquitoes, midges, sandflies, horseflies, ticks and many more. As it is completely natural, it's suitable for vegans. This one smells pleasant, and it's not greasy on your skin. It contains the active ingredient: oil of lemon Eucalyptus (PMD) for protection.

"These WORK!" says our mozzie-prone tester. Handy for travelling, simply wipe over the skin for quick application. Make sure you seal the packet to prevent them from drying out, though, like any other wipes - maybe keep them inside a zip-lock bag to be on the safe side. The wipes contain hydrogenated castor oil, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and Eucalyptus .

Different from your traditional bug-repellent spray, these unisex bracelets come in a range of colours. Packed with citriodiol, these bracelets are trekker favourites, having travelled as far as the jungles in South America. One bracelet gives you 250 hours of protection, and the resealable bag means the unused ones will last for years. Each bracelet has 15 per cent Picaridin, water, propylene glycol, aloe barbadensis leaf juice,.

Light a few of these citronella candles, and those bugs will stay away from you; plus, they smell good, too. The handy pack contains citronella oil, beeswax, and cotton wicks and can help you host BBQs and alfresco hangouts bug-free.

If you're happy to use a DEET product, then this one works, and it's from one of the best-known brands in the market. It claims to offer up to nine hours of protection, but this is only suitable for anyone over the age of 18. It is endorsed by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases. It contains 30% DEET, water, alcohol denat, propylene glycol, aloe barbadensis and leaf juice.

Incognito's Incense Sticks are highly effective and chemical-free. They have a fresh citrus aroma to refresh and enhance any room, with the added benefit that the light smoke helps to deter insects. The sticks are made with citronella oil, cedarwood oil, and lemongrass oil.

Well, isn't this gift set a treat? Not only is it an eco-friendly solution, but the natural aromatherapy candle and oil isn't an eyesore either. You'll be happy to have this sitting out in your garden, ready to use. The set contains a citronella candle, citronella soap, and citronella balm.

If you don't fancy lathering yourself up in spray or bulk-buying bracelets, then this twin pack of fly traps is for you. The traps contain a strong insect attractant, to which you simply add water, then flies will be lured into the bottles and trapped. It contains citronella oil, lemongrass oil, and cedarwood oil. Plus, you can buy refill bait easily online, and no harmful toxins or poisons are used, so the whole process is natural. It claims to attract bugs from up to 10m away.

If the repellents don't work, and you DO get bitten by a little bug, then whip this pen out and dab on to your bites. It can sting a little but soon brings some relief to the itching. Our tester - Sophie Knight, said, "I do tend to get bitten a lot, so always carry this with me - it's a handy size, and it's really easy to apply discreetly. It does sting when you first apply it, and it smells quite strong, but it brings relief quite quickly". These treatment pens contain dimethicone, propylene glycol, panthenol, bisabolol and allantoin.

While this little gadget isn't a repellent per se, it's great to have on hand just in case someone in your party does get bitten. Instead of using chemicals or ointments, bite away uses heat technology to stop itching, pain and swelling caused by bites or stings. It's dermatologically tested and suitable for both adults and children. Place the device on the bite, wait for it to heat up (it is a little bit of a shock, but not unbearable) and enjoy itch-free skin and a faster healing time.