Review: We Tested Thermacell’s Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent

Nota bene: All products in this article are independently selected and vetted by InsideHook editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Like many, I’ve been a bug bite magnet for my entire life. Since I was a kid, I’d leave outdoor gatherings with numerous red, swelling, itchy sores on my arms and legs. Now I’m 25 years old, nothing has changed, and I’m ready to find the ultimate repellent that keeps mosquitos at bay.

The Thermacell E-Series Rechargeable Spray initially excited me for multiple reasons. For one, was it possible to finally find a repellent that worked and didn’t require misting myself in strongly scented sprays? And could I actually enjoy an outdoor social function without having to be that person who’s swatting at themselves or reapplying spray every other minute?

The package included the repellent itself, a 36-hour repellent refill, a fast-charging dock and a charging cable. For roughly $30, it all felt well-priced for everything it offers: a quick charge, easy to assemble and perhaps the most intriguing: the ability to keep mosquitos up to 20 feet away. One of my favorite evening summer activities is having cocktails with family and friends outside while the sun’s setting, so to have a product that would protect everyone around me while also not being too in the way or distracting is more than ideal.

Everything at this point had been living up to the hype. When I first opened spray from its packaging, I found it incredibly easy to put together. The charging time took less than two hours, and it lasted for several nights of hanging out outside before needing a recharge. Inserting the repellent spray into the container took merely a few seconds. It’s exactly what you want if you need to immediately keep bugs away; once you start getting bit, it feels like there’s no time to waste in order to stop them from coming.

While testing this out, I wanted to really put it through the ringer. If you’re anything like me, one hour in an evening outside can be all I need for several agonizing bites. So I settled down outside behind my parents’ house on their back deck several yards in front of several acres of woods — a spot that’s famously doused me in some of the gnarliest and in the greatest amounts of bites through my life. So I sipped on a cocktail, turned the container on and waited for my fate to arrive.

I was immediately impressed at how quickly the repellent began to spray — and for how long. It floated in the air like a mist and was essentially silent while it worked, which made it very undistracting, and I really liked this aspect. It took a few minutes before I could smell the usual bug spray smell, but at no point did I feel like it was clinging to my skin and clothes, so I didn’t mind this at all. It’s way better than feeling like that smell is indefinitely stuck to you for the foreseeable future.

Overall, there are a lot of different things to love about this product. I did end the night with a few bites, but nothing to the extent of what I usually experience — just one on my ankle and one on my arm. I’m usually met with four to six, so while I really was hoping to end the night with none, I was definitely relieved to endure less than my usual amount.

There could be some outliers here: It was a little windy, and I was drinking a strong-smelling honey-based cocktail, which is not uncommon for how they find me: amid drinking or eating something noticeably sweet. They also could have happened in the first few minutes that I was settling in and getting comfortable on my deck before turning the repellent on.

Regardless, for all of its pros, it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to trying again. It could still very well be my holy grail this summer. It’s also got an amazing deal for Prime Day. Between July 9-11, Thermacell is offering 40% off select products. Having this handy for the summer is a no-brainer. Trust me.