Mosquito repellent buying guide
Updated: 23 October 2026
You are on amazon.co.uk before a fortnight away, and the first rows are coloured bracelets. This mosquito repellent buying guide filters by the active and the percentage, then the age on the label, then the format. The [mosquito repellent comparison](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-repellent) is the table of eleven listings, with saved prices in GBP. The pages were captured on 21 October 2026 and read against the UKHSA traveller sheet. We did not run a cage test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are on amazon.co.uk before a fortnight away, and the first rows are coloured bracelets. This mosquito repellent buying guide filters by the active and the percentage, then the age on the label, then the format.
You are on amazon.co.uk before a fortnight away, and the first rows are coloured bracelets. This mosquito repellent buying guide filters by the active and the percentage, then the age on the label, then the format. The mosquito repellent comparison is the table of eleven listings, with saved prices in GBP. The pages were captured on 21 October 2026 and read against the UKHSA traveller sheet. We did not run a cage test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Active on listing | Age on label | Duration claim | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Autan Autan mosquito and insect pump spray, 100 ml | Picaridin, % not shown | Over 2 years | 8 h, 6 h, 4 h | 8.2 | about £8.50 | View offer |
 Lifesystems Lifesystems Expedition Maximum 50% DEET pump, 50 ml | 50% DEET | 2 years and over | Up to 8 hours | 8.6 | about £8.95 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  APHY ENTERPRISES APHY two repellent sprays plus after-bite pen | Not stated | Not stated | All-day claim | 5.4 | about £10.95 | View offer |
On this page
The four actives, and the two strengths that matter
UK traveller guidance names four actives and puts 50% DEET first. If you will not use DEET, the sheet points to icaridin (picaridin) at 20%, a PMD-type lemon eucalyptus oil at about 30%, or IR3535. There is no extra duration above 50% DEET. IR3535 is not the malaria choice. PMD needs shorter gaps and urgent care in the eye. Lifesystems is the only row that prints 50% DEET. Autan’s bullets say picaridin and do not print a percentage. APHY names no active.
What to ignore on the title
DEET-free describes what was left out. It is not a strength. Autan can still be icaridin at about 20% if the bottle says so. A bracelet’s DEET-free line is a scented band. Claims of 250, 350, or 450 hours are a pouch ceiling, not clear ankles for a fortnight. Biocide adverts must say “Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.” They must not say natural, non-toxic, harmless, environmentally friendly, or “HSE authorised”. Several bands use those words. That is a reason to distrust the wording, not a finding that the listing is illegal. The Advertising Standards Authority has rejected “as effectively as Deet” without the evidence.
Age, pregnancy, and a UK socket
UKHSA allows 50% DEET from two months, including in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Under two months, ask a clinician. Lifesystems says 2 years and over, and Autan says children over 2, so a toddler under two is outside both labels. Only Active Era, £8.99 for 12 coils, prints a child age: 3 and over. The other bands say all ages, kids, or toddlers, with no minimum. A plug-in does not cover a terrace or a walk. The ABL unit is two 35 ml bottles at £12.49, 3.6 from 310 reviews, with no named fluid, a European two-pin plug in the reviews, and one West Africa stay where the level did not drop.
How to use the main table
Use the main table as a filter, not a star sort. For malaria-risk travel, or heavy biting when you can use DEET, the matching row is Lifesystems, because 50% is printed. Skip it for a plastic watch or a greasy feel you cannot tolerate. If you will not use DEET, read Autan for about 20% icaridin. The DEET or picaridin page is that choice. Bands from £4.99 to £9.99 are a spare scent. The bracelet page stays on that format. Who should leave each spray is on best mosquito repellent.
Common questions
What strength of DEET should I buy for a malaria-risk trip?
Buy 50% DEET for a malaria-risk trip if you can use it on your skin. UKHSA and the 2026 malaria bite-prevention chapter put that strength first, and fitfortravel says not to put more than 50% on skin because there is no extra duration above it. In this amazon.co.uk set the only listing that prints 50% DEET is the Lifesystems 50 ml pump at a saved £8.95. Pair it with a net and with clinical advice on tablets. The spray does not replace either.
What if I will not use DEET?
Choose icaridin at about 20%, which the traveller sheet gives as the worked example, or a PMD-type lemon eucalyptus oil at about 30% with shorter gaps between applications. IR3535 is a fourth active, and fitfortravel says not to rely on it where malaria is present. Autan is the picaridin-based spray in this set, 100 ml at a saved £8.50. The percentage is not in the saved bullets, so you confirm it on the bottle. A DEET-free bracelet is not this alternative.
Is citronella one of the four actives?
No. The four are DEET, icaridin, IR3535, and the specific PMD-type oil from lemon eucalyptus. Citronella and mixed plant oils are what most of the bracelets in this folder list, sometimes with lemongrass or peppermint. UKMEAG says those blends usually do not have the data to treat them as reliable protection. A citronella smell on a wrist is not the same chemical job as 30% PMD rubbed on the skin you leave bare.
Can I use 50% DEET in pregnancy?
The UKHSA traveller sheet allows 50% DEET in pregnancy and while breastfeeding, from two months of age upward, which covers an adult. That is the line to follow, and it is about DEET, not a claim that another active is kinder in pregnancy. The two sprays in this set still say ages 2 and over on their own labels, so a baby is a different question from your own skin. If you are unsure about malaria tablets in pregnancy, that decision belongs with a clinician, not with a product page.
Why do the bracelets have more reviews than the sprays?
People buy multipacks, they are cheap, and a pleasant holiday is easy to review. Active Era has 4.0 from 5,062 reviews, and the H HYDRO SIP 12-pack has 4.2 from 2,728. Lifesystems has 4.5 from 1,300 and Autan has 4.5 from 2,234. The larger bracelet samples measure satisfaction with a coloured band, not whether mosquitoes landed on bare ankles. Sort by the active first. The star line is a check for leaks, snaps, and dye, once the ingredient is right.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these eleven listings. Last checked 21 October 2026.
- UKHSA mosquito bite avoidance for travellers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- UKMEAG bite prevention 2026 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- fitfortravel malaria bite avoidance (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE biocide advertisement requirements (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE active substance expiry postponements (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Which? mosquito repellents that last under three minutes (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Rodriguez and others, 2017, bracelet trial (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ASA ruling A16-359663 (retrieved 21 October 2026)