The best Bed bug traps, compared.
Top pick: Puratak bed bug interceptor traps Best value: Puratak bed bug interceptor traps – About £11.99 with a listed rubber mat and 4.2 from 197 reviews, below the £15.49 four-cup interceptor on a thinner review file. Updated October 2026.
A bed bug trap is a monitor for evidence of insects moving through a room, not a treatment that clears an infestation. The usual UK formats are a pitfall cup under each accessible leg, a glue board in a gap, and a small harbourage shell for a suitcase or a mattress edge. NHS guidance is that it is very difficult to get rid of bed bugs yourself, so the trap sits beside a call to the council or a pest control service. You recognise a suitable trap by the job, not by a word such as killer on the packet. An interceptor has a rough outside and a smooth inner well, and it belongs under a leg you can lift. One cup per accessible leg is the usual count. Glue is contact-based, and professional bodies treat ordinary sticky boards as a weak monitor beside pitfall cups. A divan or castors you cannot cup may leave only glue or a detector. The format choice is in the [bed bug trap buying guide](/hub/pest-control/bed-bug-trap/sub/bed-bug-trap-buying-guide).
A bed bug trap is a monitor for evidence of insects moving through a room, not a treatment that clears an infestation.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will the trap sit?
Puratak’s interceptor set is £11.99 with 4.2 from 197 reviews, and the bullets add a rubber mat that the EcoPest cups do not list. The pieces field says 4 while the unit-count field says 1, so the box is a safer guide than the spec table. UK reviewers report insects in the trough, including one caught against the side wall, and say the white plastic makes a speck easier to see. Dust is a repeated limit, and one buyer says the two parts separate under the weight of the bed and open a gap bugs can use. Fitting the cups under divan castors is described as a struggle that means lifting the whole base. It is the best value here when you want a mat and a lower price than the £15.49 EcoPest 4-pack, on a much smaller review sample than that 3,300-review line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A four-leg bed on a hard or carpeted floor where you want a mat and a lower price than the EcoPest 4-pack
Less suitable: A very heavy bed if the shell splits, or a divan base you cannot lift onto cups
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title and the pieces field point to 4. The unit-count field says 1, so check the box.
Where does this trap go?
The bullets name bed legs, chairs, cots and sofas.
Can I reuse it?
Yes. Reviews describe wiping the trough clean.
The EcoPest black 8-pack is £27.99, listed at 4.1 from 4,657 reviews, and the bullets say eight cups cover two beds. The spec table prints 15.5 × 15.5 × 12 cm and 150 g, a much taller cup than the 2.5 cm height on the Puratak file. UK reviewers often describe the set as a back-up after professional treatment, and several found the wells empty on a new metal bed kept clear of the walls. Others say the cups do not grip carpet and look cumbersome in the room. One buyer tried to take them to hotels and called them too heavy for a suitcase. Another was unhappy that the parcel arrived with only an address label, so the contents were obvious. Choose the 8-pack when you really have two legged beds to isolate; for a single bed the white 4-pack in this set costs less and does the same job per leg.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Two beds with legs you can cup, when you want a spare set in the same box
Less suitable: A single bed, luggage, or a carpeted room where the frame already slides
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title and the unit count both say 8.
Where does this trap go?
Under legs. The copy says the eight cups cover two beds.
Can I reuse it?
Yes. It is a plastic pitfall cup.
Across 3,300 amazon.co.uk reviews, the EcoPest Bed Bug Blocker white 4-pack sits at 4.0 out of 5 and costs £15.49. You set one polypropylene cup under each leg of a single bed; the listing says there are no chemicals, no lure and no talcum powder to add. UK reviewers call the cups sturdy and report insects in the wells, including spiders, which is a catch rather than a cleared room. One review says dust collects and the traps need cleaning about every two weeks or they lose their effect. Another person saw a bed bug in the cup and later found it gone. A third still found insects on the sheets of a new bed, which is what happens when the bugs are already on the mattress instead of climbing the leg. It is the top pick here for one four-leg bed you can pull off the wall, and it remains a monitor beside NHS advice to contact the council or a pest controller.
Pros
Cons
Best for: One bed with four accessible legs that you can move off the wall and check weekly
Less suitable: A divan you cannot cup, a second bed, or anyone treating the cups as the only way to clear an infestation
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title and the pieces field both point to 4.
Where does this trap go?
Under each bed or furniture leg.
Can I reuse it?
Yes. Reviews and the listing describe a wipe or a rinse.
EcoPest’s 12-pack of glue traps is £13.49, listed at 4.0 from 2,130 reviews, and the title calls the boards a bed bug killer. The Health and Safety Executive treats a monitoring trap as a monitor when it does not claim to kill or control, so that word is a reason to read the job carefully. The bullets describe pre-scented adhesive for floors, furniture gaps and places near legs, and the boards are disposable. UK reviews split: some people caught bed bugs or fleas after folding the perforated sheets, others watched an insect approach and turn away, and several found only dust after weeks. The same 2,130-review block appears on the 20-pack listing, so the two star lines are not separate trials. A board can sit in a gap a cup cannot reach, and it does not isolate a legged bed the way an interceptor does.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A skirting gap or divan you cannot cup, as a weak extra check beside other action
Less suitable: A four-leg bed you can isolate, or a shopper who is buying the word killer
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title and the unit count both say 12.
Where does this trap go?
On the floor or in a furniture gap. The listing also names places near legs.
Can I reuse it?
No. The boards are disposable.
The EcoPest 20-pack is £17.49 and shows the same 4.0 from 2,130 reviews as the 12-pack. The title says twenty traps, the unit-count field says 12, and a bullet says you can leave the sheets joined to make ten longer traps. UK texts describe peeling the covers, separating the perforations and noticing a faint scent, then the same split between real catches and insects that turn around. One hotel reviewer caught small biting insects that were not bed bugs, which is easy to read as more certainty than the board can give. At £17.49 you are paying for more disposable boards in a shared review family, not for a second independent test. Buy this pack only if you will actually place that many boards; otherwise the 12-pack is the smaller spend in the same glue line.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Several rooms or a long run of skirting where you will use the extra boards
Less suitable: One bed with four legs, or a shopper who needs the box count to match the title
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title says 20. The unit-count field says 12, which conflicts. A bullet says joined sheets make 10 longer traps.
Where does this trap go?
On the floor or in furniture gaps.
Can I reuse it?
No. The boards are disposable.
Zero In’s paper glue trap, model ZER967, is £6.17 with 3.7 from 2,425 reviews. The title says a 5-pack and a poison-free treatment, while the pieces field and the unit count both say 1, and one UK reviewer wrote that three traps arrived. The bullets say each trap lasts up to 60 days and point you to a separate Zero In spray, ZER968, if you want to deal with an infestation. Reviewers describe a folding cardboard box: some stuck a large number of bed bugs by facing the glue upward under a bed foot, many caught nothing, and one caught only pin-prick hatchlings rather than larger insects. A bug that walks past a flat glue square is the limit pest-control bodies also describe for ordinary sticky monitors. At £6.17 it is the cheapest board in the set, and you should confirm the live pack count before you plan around five traps.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A low-cost disposable check beside furniture when you already treat glue as a weak monitor
Less suitable: Isolating a bed, or anyone who needs an unambiguous pack count
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title says 5. The pieces field and the unit count say 1, and one review mentions 3 in the parcel.
Where does this trap go?
On the floor and by furniture. Some reviewers faced the glue upward under a bed foot.
Can I reuse it?
No. It is a paper glue board.
Zero In ZER985 is a 4-pack of interceptors at £6.99, with 3.7 from 35 reviews and the United Kingdom printed as the country of origin. The bullets tell you to place a cup under each bed or furniture leg and to rinse it with warm soapy water so you can use it again. That is the right job, and it is the lowest interceptor price in this set, but the written UK sample is small and often unhappy. Reviewers call the plastic thin, say the cups shift on carpet, and report bed bugs on the mattress with nothing in the wells. One person only saw a dead insect after spraying insecticide into the cup, which the listing does not tell you to do. Treat £6.99 as a cheap trial of the format, not as the same evidence base as the EcoPest or Puratak cups.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tight budget for one four-leg bed when you accept a 35-review file
Less suitable: Anyone choosing on review volume, or a carpeted room where the bed already shifts
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title says a 4-pack, model ZER985. The pieces field is blank.
Where does this trap go?
Under a bed or furniture leg.
Can I reuse it?
Yes. The bullets say rinse with warm soapy water.
Rentokil’s adhesive case, model RKLBB01, is £6.95 with 3.6 from 183 reviews, and the title says two killer traps. The pieces field says 1. The copy tells you to put the cases under the mattress, behind the headboard or behind furniture, which is not the same as a cup under a leg. UK reviewers like how discreet the plastic shell is, and they also say the sticky patch is small: one description is about two and a half inches by one and a half inches. Several people ran the cases for weeks or months next to a known problem and caught nothing, including a nest described as sitting directly above the trap. Two buyers expected four glue boards from the description and found two. It is a small harbourage-style case for a gap, not a stand-in for four interceptors.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A discreet check behind a headboard while you arrange council or contractor help
Less suitable: A legged bed, or a room where two small pads are being asked to cover the whole floor
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title says two traps. The pieces field says 1. Reviewers who expected extra boards found two.
Where does this trap go?
Under the mattress, behind the headboard, or behind furniture. That is not a cup under a leg.
Can I reuse it?
No. It is an adhesive case.
Ready Steady Defend’s 4-pack is £14.99, with 3.5 from 123 reviews, the United Kingdom as the origin line, and home and travel in the title. The bullets promise a non-toxic adhesive, a textured base and a clear window, and they suggest places such as the gap between the bed and a wall socket. The UK reviews are the weakest pattern in this glue group. People left the traps for a week beside known bed bugs, including next to a cluster, and caught none. One person watched an insect enter, meet the sticky surface and walk back out. Another caught more than 30 insects with a spray and none in these traps. At £14.99 you pay more than the Zero In or Rentokil glue packs for a smaller and more negative sample. A travel-sized glue square is not evidence that a suitcase is clear.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare glue check when you already expect many empty weeks
Less suitable: Early detection you need to trust, or a four-leg bed that should be on interceptor cups
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title and the unit count both say 4.
Where does this trap go?
The title names home and travel. Bullets suggest gaps such as beside a wall socket.
Can I reuse it?
No. It is a disposable glue board.
EcoPest’s harbourage detector is £14.49, rated 3.4 from 342 reviews, and the title says a 6-pack while one bullet says a pack of 12. The spec table lists 8.1 × 2.2 × 15.7 cm, a bullet gives 3 by 2 inches, and the copy tells you to put a unit in a suitcase or at a mattress edge and bed corner. Glue sits inside a partly enclosed shell, and one bullet claims up to six months of monitoring. UK reviews mostly describe empty traps in rooms where bed bugs had been seen, including insects found beside the device. One low-level case stuck two bugs over three weeks, and that reviewer treated the catch as a reason to book professional treatment rather than as an all-clear. A suitcase detector is an extra watch after you have inspected seams and hot-washed clothes; an empty shell does not prove the bag is clean.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A limited luggage or crevice watch after you have already inspected seams and washed clothes
Less suitable: Proof that a suitcase is clear, or a bed you can stand on interceptor cups
Specifications
Common questions
How many traps are in the pack?
The title says 6. One bullet says a pack of 12, so the count is unresolved.
Where does this trap go?
The bullets name a suitcase, bed corners, and the gap between mattress and base.
Can I reuse it?
No. Glue sits inside the shell. One bullet claims up to six months of monitoring.
Ten amazon.co.uk listings are scored as monitors, not as a knockdown trial. Amazon evidence is 35, listing fit is 35, review outcome is 20, and value is 10. A shared review block scores once. Stars are not a clearance rate. NHS advice is to contact the council or a pest control service, because getting rid of bed bugs yourself is very difficult. The top pick is the highest score. Best value is the strongest price against a listed mat and a star line above 4, because the highest score is already the £15.49 four-cup interceptor. The £6.99 cups, with 35 reviews and repeated empty wells, stay off that badge.
Amazon evidence
35%The star line on amazon.co.uk, then the review count. A shared review block scores once. A large count ranks above a slightly higher star line from a small file. Stars are not a clearance rate.
Listing fit
35%A passive interceptor under accessible legs scores up. A consistent pack count scores up. A killer or treatment title, a pieces field that disagrees with the title, and a glue board asked to do a leg-cup job score down.
Review outcome
20%A catch that matches the stated job scores up. Points come off for dust, a bug that leaves or walks away, carpet slide, a shell that splits, and empty traps beside known insects.
Value
10%Shelf price in GBP against the job the listing actually names. Best value is the strongest price against a listed mat and a star line above 4, not the cheapest glue board in the set.
Start with the job. A cup under every accessible leg is an interceptor. A glue board in a gap is a weaker monitor. A small shell is for a suitcase or a mattress edge, and it still needs a seam inspection. NHS guidance is that it is very difficult to get rid of bed bugs yourself, so you should contact the council or a pest control service. Captured amazon.co.uk prices run from about £6.17 to about £27.99. The top pick is a reusable four-cup interceptor for one bed.
A bed bug trap on a UK listing is usually a passive monitor. It is a pitfall interceptor under bed legs, an adhesive glue board, or a small harbourage detector for luggage and mattress edges. It is not a spray, and it is not a heat treatment. The NHS says it is very difficult to get rid of bed bugs yourself and that you should contact the council or a pest control service. Traps sit beside that advice. They can show that insects are moving.
The Health and Safety Executive treats a monitoring trap as a monitor when it does not claim to kill or control. Killer or treatment on a glue title is a buying warning. Ordinary sticky boards are a weak bed bug check beside pitfall cups.
One cup per accessible leg is the usual count. Two cups on a four-leg bed leave a route up. A duvet, a cable, or a frame still touching the wall can bridge the well.
An empty cup after three days is not proof the room is clear. Insects already on the mattress never climb the leg. UK reviews include empty wells beside known insects, and glue that insects walk off.
Start with where the insect has to be stopped. If every accessible leg can take a cup, the format is a pitfall interceptor: a rough outside and a smooth inner well, one cup per leg. A four-leg bed needs four cups. Two cups leave a route up. A duvet, a cable, or a bed still touching the wall bridges the well. The British Association of Dermatologists describes interceptors under each leg and treats sticky tape as a weak check. Glue catches by contact.
Pack size follows the bed, not the largest box. One four-leg bed is a four-pack of cups. Two such beds are an eight-pack if you will actually use eight. Extra glue boards only help if you will place them. A unit-count field that disagrees with the title is a reason to read the box when it arrives rather than plan around the headline. Dust dulls interceptor wells and glue. A reusable cup that the listing says you can rinse with warm soapy water is a different product from a disposable board.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have one bed with four legs you can lift, and you can pull it off the wall. The EcoPest Bed Bug Blocker white 4-pack at about £15.49 is the top pick: reusable cups, 4.0 from 3,300 reviews, and no talcum named in the copy. It is a weaker match for a divan you cannot cup, or if you treat the cups as the only way to clear an infestation.
You want an interceptor under a four-leg bed, and you want a rubber mat at a lower shelf price than the top pick. The Puratak set is about £11.99, with 4.2 from 197 reviews. The unit-count field says 1 against a four-piece title, and one review says the shell splits under the bed. Leave it if you need the larger review file.
You have two beds with legs you can cup and you want both sets in one box. The EcoPest Bed Bug Blocker black 8-pack is about £27.99, listed at 4.1 from 4,657 reviews. Reviewers mention carpet slide, empty wells, and cups that are heavy for a suitcase. For a single bed the white 4-pack does the same job per leg for less.
The top pick is the EcoPest Bed Bug Blocker white 4-pack at about £15.49. It is the highest score: four polypropylene cups for one bed, 4.0 from 3,300 amazon.co.uk reviews, with no talcum named in the copy. Dust and one report of a bed bug later missing from the cup are the limits. The best value is the Puratak interceptor set at about £11.99, 4.2 from 197 reviews, with a rubber mat the EcoPest cups do not list. The unit-count field says 1 against a four-piece title, and one review says the shell splits. The £6.99 Zero In cups are cheaper, and 35 reviews with repeated empty wells keep that listing off the value badge. None of these scores is a knockdown trial, and none of the traps replaces NHS advice to contact the council or a pest control service.
Puratak bed bug interceptor traps
About £11.99 with a listed rubber mat and 4.2 from 197 reviews, below the £15.49 four-cup interceptor on a thinner review file.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these ten listings on 19 October 2026. Last checked 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines captured for these ten products on 19 October 2026. We did not run a laboratory test, and a trap here is a monitor rather than a clearance method.
