The best Mosquito coils, compared.
Top pick: Citronella spiral, 10 with holder – Highest score, on review volume: 10 citronella spirals and a metal holder at about £5.99, with 4.2 from 2,081 ratings. Best value: Anbar citronella coils, 24 – About 29p a coil at about £6.95, with 4.1 from 88 ratings, a lower unit price than the 10-piece tin and a larger sample than the cheaper 10-coil packs. Updated October 2026.
A mosquito coil is a spiral that smoulders for a few hours so smoke can reduce flying insects near a table or tent. In the UK you buy one for a still patio, a barbecue or a holiday evening, not for malaria control. The smoke is the point of the product, so the usual place to burn it is outdoors. A suitable pack names the ingredient, includes a stand, and states a burn time you can set against buyer comments. Citronella incense and a pyrethrum claim are different labels, and a name without a concentration is not a dose. Joined pairs often snap when you separate them. A clay holder belongs on a garden table, not in a backpack. Claims of several hours often run longer than the burn people report, and a large rating sample tells you more than a handful of reviews. Those checks are in the [mosquito coil buying guide](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-coil/sub/mosquito-coil-buying-guide). Leave coils for a bedroom, for midges in a breeze, or for a trip that needs NHS malaria advice.
A mosquito coil is a spiral that smoulders for a few hours so smoke can reduce flying insects near a table or tent. In the UK you buy one for a still patio, a barbecue or a holiday evening, not for malaria control.
22 products checked · 61 hrs invested · +17,200 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 6
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you burn it?
The 10 citronella spirals at £5.99 come with a metal holder and a seller claim of 3–4 hours a spiral. Across 2,081 amazon.co.uk ratings the line is 4.2, which is the largest sample in this set. Reviewers often report fewer bites on a patio, on holiday, or while camping, and they praise the holder for catching ash. The spirals are packed in pairs and break when you pull them apart, and some buyers say later stock is thinner and burns faster than the photograph. Little effect on Scottish midges comes up more than once. A strong smoke indoors includes a smoke-alarm complaint, and the listing asks about indoor use without answering. The listing does not name a brand. It is the top pick here for a few still garden evenings when you want that review sample, not a midge cure and not a bedroom coil.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a citronella spiral and a tin for a few still garden evenings, and you will judge it by 2,081 ratings rather than a bite trial.
Less suitable: You need a printed insecticide percentage, a coil for Highland midges in a breeze, or anything you would burn in a bedroom.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing asks and does not answer. The bullets point to the garden in summer.
Does it repel other insects?
The listing says it keeps mosquitoes and other insects at bay. It does not name those other insects.
Is it safe for pets?
The listing says it is nature and animal friendly. It does not give a species or a dose.
Anbar’s 24 citronella coils are £6.95, about 29p a coil, with a seller claim of 5–7 hours and a stand in the listing. The star line is 4.1 from 88 reviews, a mid-size sample next to the 10-piece tin. Several buyers say the coils separate cleanly, light easily, and leave them with fewer mosquito bites while camping or sitting outside. Others report coils that break coming out of the box, fall apart, or go out after about 15 minutes, and stands that are not sturdy enough. Midges were still present outside one campervan, and the fragrance is weak for some people. The listing is written for patios, camping, and gardens, and it does not give an indoor instruction. It is the best value pack here if you want more evenings than ten coils and can live with uneven burn.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want more than ten citronella evenings for a holiday or a run of garden nights, and you will keep the coil outdoors.
Less suitable: You want the largest review sample, a sturdy stand you can trust in a breeze, or a coil aimed at Highland midges.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing is written for outdoor living: patios, camping and gardens. It does not give an indoor instruction.
What scent does it have?
The listing names citronella.
Is it safe for pets?
The listing asks this and does not answer it.
The 2you box of 20 coils is £6.49 with four metal stands and a seller claim of about 4 hours. The listing says pyrethrum, described as an extract from the chrysanthemum flower, and it prints no percentage and no authorisation number. Across 39 reviews the line is 4.0. Some buyers found the pairs easy to split, used them on holiday with fewer bites, and one balcony review put the burn at about 3–4 hours. Pairs also stick and snap, the smell is described as smoke only, and one buyer said they do not deter mosquitoes and feel like cardboard. The page says indoor and outdoor, and it also says not to leave the coil unattended. Treat that indoor line as a disagreement with the smoke, not as a bedroom instruction.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have read the pyrethrum word, you accept that no dose is printed, and you will burn the coil outside on a stand.
Less suitable: You wanted a citronella scent, an outdoor-only label, or a pack that prints an insecticide percentage.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing says indoor and outdoor use, and it also says not to leave the coil unattended.
What is it made from?
The listing says pyrethrum, an extract from the chrysanthemum flower. It does not print a percentage.
Does it come with a holder?
Yes. The listing says 20 coils and 4 metal stands in 2 boxes.
The 2you box of 40 coils is £9.95 with eight metal stands, about 25p a coil, which is the lowest unit price in this set. It repeats the pyrethrum claim with no percentage, a burn of about 4 hours, and indoor-and-outdoor wording. The star line is 3.8 from only 19 reviews. One buyer reported zero bites, and a greenhouse user said the smoke helped with aphids, which is not the mosquito job in the title. Other reviews call the coils cheap treated cardboard, shorter-burning than coils bought in Greece, and one conservatory user reported more flies, not fewer. The size line of 12.5 x 12.5 x 0.2 cm is hard to reconcile with 40 coils and a listed weight of 510 g. Nineteen ratings are too few to treat the cheap unit price as proof.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the most coils per pound in this set and you will treat 19 ratings as a thin sample.
Less suitable: You want a large review count, a citronella scent, or a printed insecticide percentage before you buy a 40-coil box.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing says indoor and outdoor use, and it also says not to leave the coil unattended.
Does it come with a holder?
Yes. The listing says 40 coils and 8 metal stands in 4 boxes.
Is it safe for pets?
The listing asks this and does not answer it.
ANGIX sells 10 citronella coils and a metal stand for £4.99, the lowest shelf price here, with a claim of up to 6 hours. Only 10 ratings sit behind a 3.2 star line. One buyer said flies eased after a short wait, and one coil burned for over 4 hours and smelled of citronella. Others report about 2 hours rather than 6, flies sitting in the smoke, and fragile pairs that arrived broken. Short reviews simply say the pack is not good. The listing is outdoor, for gardens, camping, barbecues, patios, and porches, and it does not say indoor use. Ten ratings cannot outrank the 2,081-review tin, even though the shelf price is a pound lower.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest 10-coil citronella shelf price and you will treat 10 ratings as too few to settle the 6-hour claim.
Less suitable: You want a large review sample, or a burn time you can lean on before a fortnight away.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing describes outdoor use for gardens, camping and patios. It does not say indoor use.
Does it repel other insects?
The listing says mosquitoes and flying insects. It does not report a separate test.
Is it safe for pets?
The listing asks this and does not answer it.
CKB’s terracotta holder with 10 citronella coils is £14.99, and the seller claims about 6–12 hours depending on outdoor conditions. The star line is 2.9 from 11 reviews. When the pot arrived whole, reviewers called it attractive, said the ash stayed on the garden table, and one said it reduced flies. The repeated failure is a smashed pot in a thin envelope, coils that would not stay lit or burned for less time than hoped, and a scent judged too weak for a larger outdoor area. Refunds were mixed, and one buyer said the seller did not reply. At 650 g the clay is a table object. You are paying for the pot, and the reviews cluster on it arriving in pieces.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a citronella coil as a garden-table object and you will accept the risk that the pot arrives broken.
Less suitable: You need coils that survive the post, a backpack spare, or a large review sample before you spend £14.99.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The listing describes an outdoor holder for garden tables, patios, balconies and camping. It does not say the set is for indoor rooms.
Does it come with citronella coils?
Yes. Included components are 10 citronella coils and a terracotta holder.
Is it weatherproof?
The listing does not say the terracotta holder is weatherproof.
Six amazon.co.uk listings were scored on 21 October 2026 from the star line, the size of the review sample, and whether the listing names an active and includes a holder. This is a shelf sort. It is not a bite trial and not a timed burn in a lab. None of these listings prints an active percentage or an HSE authorisation number. The top pick is the highest total. Best value is the lower price per coil among packs with a mid-size sample.
Stars
50%The amazon.co.uk rating is divided by 5 and then multiplied by 50, which lands on a whole number for these six rows. Stars are not a bite score.
Review volume
33%Review-sample size is scored up to 33 points, and the block is capped once a listing passes 2,000 ratings. A low price with 10 ratings cannot outrank 4.2 from 2,081 on this block.
Listing quality
17%Up to 17 points cover a named active plus a holder in the box. Points come off when the indoor wording fights the outdoor smoke limit, the size line disagrees with the coil count, or the saved reviews cluster on breakage and coils that go out.
Start with the job, then the named ingredient, the stand, and the burn claim set against the review sample. A mosquito coil is for a still patio, a barbecue or a holiday evening in the UK. It is not malaria control, and it is a poor choice for a bedroom. Shelf prices in this capture run from about £4.99 to about £14.99. The top pick is the 10-coil citronella tin with the largest rating sample. The best value is the 24-coil pack at a lower price per coil and a mid-size sample.
A mosquito coil is a spiral that smoulders for a few hours so the smoke can reduce flying insects near a table or a tent. In the UK the usual job is a patio, a barbecue or a holiday evening. It is not dengue or malaria control. GOV.UK counts 36 mosquito species. Nuisance biting is local, including coastal saltmarsh mosquitoes, fen mosquitoes and mosquitoes in wet woodland. A UKHSA note from December 2024 does not say the tiger mosquito is established.
Coils are often packed in pairs. Reviewers report pairs that snap, stick, or arrive broken. Separate them before you need the spare, and do not treat a cracked spiral as a full burn.
Some titles say indoor and outdoor, and they also say not to leave the coil unattended. Follow the outdoor line. Smoke is the hazard, including a smoke-alarm complaint on one pack. A bedroom is the wrong job.
A scent is not a bite result, and a garden coil does not stop Highland midges in wind. Reviews describe early burn-out, so a 10-coil tin is a short run of evenings. A fortnight needs spares. A malaria-risk trip still needs the NHS kit.
One still evening needs a coil and a stand. A fortnight away needs spare coils, because reviews describe early burn-out. A bedroom, a fish tank, or a cat in the room is the wrong job. Patio hosts want ash caught on the table. Campers want spares, plus 50% DEET, a treated net and long clothes if malaria is a risk. Citronella is the claim on the 10-piece metal-holder pack, the 24-coil pack, the cheaper 10-coil pack, and the terracotta set. Pyrethrum is the claim on the 20-coil and 40-coil boxes.
All six packs include a holder. Reviewers often report brittle pairs. A smashed terracotta pot is a delivery failure, and 650 g of clay is a poor camping spare. A metal stand that catches ash is the usual patio tool. Claims run from 3–4 hours on the 10-piece tin and about 4 hours on the pyrethrum boxes to 5–7 hours on the 24-coil pack, up to 6 hours on the cheaper 10-coil pack, and 6–12 hours on the clay set.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want one calmer garden evening and a stand that catches ash. The 10 citronella spirals with a metal holder are about £5.99, with 4.2 from 2,081 ratings, the largest sample here, and a seller claim of 3–4 hours. Joined pairs snap, and the listing does not name a brand. Skip it if you need a printed insecticide percentage or a coil for Highland midges.
You need spare coils because reviews describe early burn-out, and you will keep the coil outdoors. Anbar citronella coils, 24, are about £6.95, about 29p a coil, with 4.1 from 88 ratings and a seller claim of 5–7 hours. Coils that break or go out after about 15 minutes are in the reviews. If the trip is a malaria risk, add the NHS kit. A coil does not replace 50% DEET.
You want the lowest unit price in this set and you will treat a thin rating file as thin. The 2you box of 40 coils is about £9.95, about 25p a coil, with eight metal stands and a pyrethrum claim that prints no percentage. The star line is 3.8 from 19 reviews. The listing says indoor and outdoor. Burn it outside.
The top pick is the 10 citronella spirals with a metal holder, at about £5.99. It is the highest score because 2,081 amazon.co.uk ratings sit behind 4.2, the largest sample in this set. Reviewers often report fewer bites on a patio, on holiday or while camping, and they praise the holder for catching ash. Joined pairs snap when you separate them, some later stock is described as thinner and shorter-burning, and little effect on Scottish midges comes up more than once. The listing does not name a brand, and it asks about indoor use without answering. The best value is Anbar citronella coils, 24, at about £6.95, about 29p a coil, with 4.1 from 88 ratings. That is a lower unit price than the 10-piece tin and a larger sample than the cheaper 10-coil packs. Reviewers also report coils that break, fall apart, or go out after about 15 minutes. The 40-coil box is cheaper per coil again, and 19 ratings keep it off this mark. None of these scores is a bite trial, and none of the listings prints an active percentage or an HSE authorisation number.
Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
Highest score, on review volume: 10 citronella spirals and a metal holder at about £5.99, with 4.2 from 2,081 ratings.
Anbar citronella coils, 24
About 29p a coil at about £6.95, with 4.1 from 88 ratings, a lower unit price than the 10-piece tin and a larger sample than the cheaper 10-coil packs.
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 and study sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these six listings. Last checked 21 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 six products on 21 October 2026. We did not run a bite trial or a timed burn in a lab.
