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Mosquito coils for patio and camping

Updated: 22 October 2026

You are planning a still evening by a UK fence, or packing for a pitch where wind and midges both turn up. Mosquito coils for patio and camping belong beside the chairs, in air you can still sit in. Pack extra coils, and do not let the spiral replace DEET and a net when the NHS says those matter. The [mosquito coil comparison](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-coil) is the price grid. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk, matched these six amazon.co.uk listings, captured on 21 October 2026, to the place rather than to the star line alone. He did not camp with them. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are planning a still evening by a UK fence, or packing for a pitch where wind and midges both turn up. Mosquito coils for patio and camping belong beside the chairs, in air you can still sit in.

Our top picks

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder

Best overall

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
8.8/10about £5.99
View offer
Anbar Anbar citronella coils, 24

Best value

Anbar Anbar citronella coils, 24
7.4/10about £6.95
View offer
2you 2you pyrethrum coils, 20

Alternative

2you 2you pyrethrum coils, 20
6.6/10about £6.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.A still UK patio
  2. 2.A breezy pitch and midges
  3. 3.How many coils to pack
  4. 4.Not in the tent
  5. 5.When the holiday is not a British garden

A still UK patio

One citronella coil, upwind of the table and close enough to see, is the patio job. That distance is a rule of thumb, not a metre from a US label. The 10-piece pack at £5.99, 4.2 from 2,081 reviews, has the large sample and a metal holder reviewers praise for ash. The 3–4 hour claim is one long dinner if the coil lasts. Anbar fits the same chairs with more coils. ANGIX is written for patios, on only 10 ratings. CKB at £14.99 and 650 g is a table object, and reviews describe smashed clay. A sheltered patio is the fairest chance for a scent coil, not a promise of no bites. Which pack the ratings support is on best mosquito coils.

A breezy pitch and midges

Wind strips a coil plume. Campsites.co.uk says coils and citronella candles help in a light wind, and that midges are worst in still, damp hollows in the west of Scotland in summer. Midges are not the mosquitoes on the tin. Reviewers of the 10-piece pack report little effect in Scotland, including on Mull, and Anbar reviewers still met midges outside a campervan. If you cannot see a flimsy stand, it has gone out or fallen into the grass. The lighting order is on how to use a mosquito coil.
Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder

Testsieger

Not stated Citronella spiral, 10 with holder
8.8/10about £5.99
View offer

How many coils to pack

One coil a night for a fortnight is 14, then add the coils that snap or die early. A 10-coil pack is optimistic next to two-hour burns and 15-minute burn-outs. Anbar's 24 coils at £6.95 cover a fortnight with spares, at about 29p a coil, if 88 reviews are enough. The 2you 20-coil box at £6.49 is a middle count only if you have read the pyrethrum claim and will ignore the indoor wording. The 40-coil box at £9.95 has the most spares per pound and only 19 ratings. Pack a metal stand in a tin that cannot crush the spirals.

Not in the tent

Do not burn a coil inside a tent, and do not leave one in an awning you will sleep in. NaTHNaC says coils are for outdoors and not recommended indoors. A coil can sit outside while you are awake and cooking, on bare ground or a metal tray, where you can see it. Put it out until the tip is cold before you go in. If the only dry place is inside the flysheet, skip the coil that night.

When the holiday is not a British garden

A trip with malaria risk is a different brief from a UK garden coil. The NHS page is 50% DEET, a treated net, long clothes, and tablets if a clinician has prescribed them. NaTHNaC allows coils outdoors and does not recommend them indoors. A coil beside dinner does not cover the night in the tent. Lawlor and colleagues found no trial in which coils prevented malaria. Fever after travel is NHS 111. Breathing trouble is 999. Label checks are on the mosquito coil buying guide.

Common questions

Will one coil cover a patio table?
On a still evening, one coil upwind of a normal garden table is the setup these packs are sold for. You need to see the stand, and the smoke has to reach the chairs. A long table may need a second coil. None of the six listings proves a radius in metres.
How many coils should I pack for two weeks?
Plan on 14 if every coil lasts one night, then add spares. Ten coils run out early. Anbar's 24 coils at £6.95 are the spare-friendly citronella pack here. Forty is more coils and only 19 ratings. Snapped pairs and two-hour burns are already in the reviews.
Can I burn one inside the tent or the awning?
No. A tent holds smoke and puts fabric next to the ember. An awning you sleep in is the same refusal. Use the coil outside while you are awake, and extinguish it until it is cold before you sleep. On a malaria trip, mesh, 50% DEET, and a treated net are the night kit.
Do they work on Scottish midges?
Treat midges as a different insect from the mosquitoes on the label. Reviews of the large citronella tin include little effect in Scotland, Mull among the places named. A breeze reduces midges more reliably than a coil does. A still, damp hollow is the worst pitch.
Where should I put the stand if there is a breeze?
Upwind of the chairs, low enough that the plume crosses people, and close enough that you can see if it falls. If the breeze lays the smoke on the grass, move the seats or skip the coil. A flimsy stand still needs a tray so the ember cannot reach dry grass.
Is the terracotta set a camping item?
No. CKB at £14.99 is a garden-table holder. The clay weighs 650 g, and reviews describe it arriving smashed in a thin envelope. Take a metal stand and a refill pack if you are walking to a pitch. Leave the pot at home.
What do I still need if the holiday has malaria?
The NHS list is 50% DEET, a treated net, long clothes, and tablets if they have been prescribed. A coil outdoors in the evening does not replace any of those, and it does not cover the hours you are asleep. Pack the clinic advice first.

Related pages

Mosquito coil

Best mosquito coils: largest sample, then the value

Mosquito coil buying guide: six checks on the label

Citronella coil vs pyrethrum coil: what the label says

How to use a mosquito coil: split, light, and put out

Sources

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.

  1. GOV.UK native mosquitoes (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. UKHSA invasive mosquito surveillance (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. NHS malaria (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. HSE biocidal product authorisation (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Liu and colleagues, mosquito coil emissions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. Kongkaew and colleagues, citronella versus DEET (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Lindsay and colleagues, citronella incense (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. RSPCA cat poisoning (retrieved 21 October 2026)