The best Mosquito sprays, compared.
Top pick: Jungle Formula-titled, 3 × 125 ml Best value: Autan picaridin pump, 100 ml – About £8.50 for 100 ml, DEET-free, 4.5 from 2,234 reviews. Lowest price per 100 ml among the named skin sprays here. Updated October 2026.
A mosquito spray is either a skin repellent or a room knockdown aerosol. In the UK you buy one for the garden, a humid evening, or a holiday. Skin spray stops bites on the person wearing it. A room can knocks insects down. Neither replaces a net or tablets a clinic advised. Tell a suitable bottle by the job, the named active, the strength, and the age line. For high bite pressure, UK travel advice names 50% DEET first. Do not put more than 50% on skin. If DEET is not tolerated, look for about 20% icaridin, a PMD-type oil, or IR3535. Citronella blends are not on that list. Follow the age on the bottle. Ask a pharmacist for a child, and a clinician under two months. Label hours assume a full test dose. Sweat or a swim removes product, so reapply when mosquitoes land, within the label. A container over 100 ml fails cabin security at most UK airports. Sunscreen goes on first. Those checks are in the [mosquito spray buying guide](/hub/pest-control/mosquito-spray/sub/mosquito-spray-buying-guide).
A mosquito spray is either a skin repellent or a room knockdown aerosol. In the UK you buy one for the garden, a humid evening, or a holiday. Skin spray stops bites on the person wearing it.
26 products checked · 61 hrs invested · +19,200 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you trying to stop?
This £21.20 pack of three 125 ml aerosols is titled Jungle Formula Maximum and scored 4.6 from 1,810 reviews. The brand field says LUHME and the manufacturer field says SM-EQ-InsectRepellent. Bullets claim up to 10 hours and high and low malaria risk, and they do not state a DEET percentage. Reviews talk about a strong smell, oil, broken caps, and plastics. Each can is 125 ml, which is over the 100 ml cabin limit at many UK airports. Buy it only if you accept the brand-field mismatch and you do not need a printed percentage.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want three aerosols and you have checked the bottle in your hand for the active and the brand.
Less suitable: You need a stated 50% DEET percentage, a 100 ml cabin bottle, or a confirmed brand-owner pack.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used in tropical climates?
The bullets say any destination, including high and low-risk malaria areas. They do not name the active or a percentage.
Does it protect against all insects?
The listing asks. The bullets say mosquitoes and other biting insects, not all insects.
Is this product waterproof?
The listing asks. The page does not answer it.
Autan is a 100 ml DEET-free pump at £8.50, 4.5 from 2,234 reviews. The bullets say picaridin-based, children over 2, up to 8 hours for common mosquitoes, 6 for tiger mosquitoes, and 4 for biting flies and ticks. The percentage is not in those bullets. The listing description states 20% icaridin. Reviewers use it for horseflies and for people who avoid DEET, and a minority report bites anyway or sore skin. It is the best value in this set on price per 100 ml among the named skin sprays. It is the wrong bottle if UK advice has already told you to use 50% DEET and you tolerate DEET.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 100 ml DEET-free picaridin pump and you are not under orders to use 50% DEET.
Less suitable: You are travelling where the clinic said 50% DEET, or you need a room killer.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this repellent DEET free?
Yes. The title and bullets say DEET-free and picaridin-based. The bullets do not print the percentage. The listing description states 20% icaridin.
Can it be used on clothes?
The listing asks. The bullets say spray onto skin or onto hands. They do not answer clothes.
Does it protect against midges?
The listing asks. Midges are not in the bullets. Horseflies, ticks, and mosquitoes are.
The Lifesystems page is a 50 ml pump at £8.95, 4.5 from 1,300 reviews, stating 50% DEET and up to 8 hours for children aged 2 and over. The listing calls it non-flammable and carry-on compliant, and says sun cream goes on first. Reviewers praise holidays and Scottish evenings, and complain about grease, a squirt rather than a mist, and leaking caps. The details block prints ASIN B082JHVDWJ while the URL is B082JJ5N9V. It suits a small 50% DEET bottle with a 2+ line. It is dearer per millilitre than Pyramid’s 100 ml.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want 50% DEET in a 50 ml pump the listing calls carry-on compliant, including children aged 2 and over.
Less suitable: You want 100 ml for the same money, or a DEET-free spray.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a cabin-sized bottle?
The listing says 50 ml, non-flammable, and flight carry-on compliant. That is the brand claim. Airport liquids rules still apply.
What age does the label state?
Children aged 2 years and over. The details block on the page prints a different ASIN, B082JHVDWJ.
Does it go on over sun cream?
The bullets say apply sun cream first. They also say DEET may reduce SPF by 30–40%, which is the listing’s figure.
Raid is an indoor flying-insect aerosol duo at £8.70, 4.5 from 347 reviews. The title says 2 × 300 ml and names flies, wasps, and mosquitoes. Catalogue volume fields say 100 ml and 1.0 ml. Actives are not on the listing. Reviewers describe fast fly knockdown and a choking spray, not hours of skin protection. It is the killer in this set. It is the wrong product to wear, and the pet and stain questions are unanswered.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an indoor can for flies and wasps, used as a knockdown spray.
Less suitable: You want bite prevention on skin, outdoors, or on a child.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on wasps?
The title names wasps. Reviews spray wasps and, in one case, around an entrance. Follow the label. Do not treat a nest as a casual job.
Is it safe to use around pets?
The listing asks. The page does not answer. Keep pets out until you have followed the can.
Does it leave stains?
The listing asks. The page does not answer. Test a hidden spot before a wide spray.
Across 5,101 amazon.co.uk reviews, Pyramid Trek 50 is a 100 ml outdoor spray at £9.99 that states 50% DEET and up to 6 hours, for ages 12 and over. That concentration is the strength UK travel advice names first. Reviewers report fewer bites on holidays and in UK heat, and also an oily feel, marks on white shirts, and the odd leak. Ticks are asked on the page and not named in the bullets. In this set it is the top pick when you want the most-reviewed 50% DEET bottle at 100 ml, and a weak choice if you need a label that says under 12 or a DEET-free formula.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 100 ml 50% DEET spray with the deepest review count in this set, and everyone using it is 12 or over.
Less suitable: You need a DEET-free bottle, a 2+ age line, or a room fly spray.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on children?
The listing says adults and children aged 12 and over. UK travel advice on 50% DEET uses a lower age. Ask a pharmacist before you ignore a 12+ label.
Does it protect against ticks?
The listing asks this. The bullets name mosquitoes and other biting insects, not ticks as a separate line.
Is it fragrance-free?
The scent field says unscented. Reviews still describe a petrol-like smell for some people.
Skin Shield is a DEET-free body spray at £9.99, 4.2 from 15 reviews. The size field says 100 ml and one bullet says 250 ml. Actives named are citronella and lemongrass, with a from-6-months line and a non-greasy claim. A few reviews report no bites, including one holiday, and one says it failed in Rhodes. Fifteen reviews is a thin base. It is a light-feel citronella option, not a substitute for 50% DEET or for 20% icaridin.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a scented DEET-free body mist and you are not relying on it for a malaria-risk trip.
Less suitable: You need a stated DEET or icaridin percentage, or a large review base.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used on babies?
The bullet says babies and kids from 6 months. That is a citronella listing, not the 50% DEET age line. Ask a pharmacist for a baby.
Does it leave a greasy residue?
The bullets say non-sticky and non-greasy. A few reviews agree it feels light. The review count is 15.
Is this spray scented?
Yes. The scent name is Citronella & Lemongrass.
Wilson is a citronella spray at £9.99, 3.9 from 88 reviews. The catalogue says 250 ml. Bullets describe citronella oil, water, and an emulsifier that deters rather than kills, for indoor and outdoor surfaces. Reviews split between a pleasant bin and patio smell and a nozzle that dies after two sprays. Other reviews describe 500 ml or 1 litre bottles. UK travel advice does not treat citronella blends as reliable repellents. Use it as a freshener if you like the smell. Do not pack it as 50% DEET.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a citronella surface spray for a patio or bin and you accept a short, weak effect.
Less suitable: You need bite protection for travel, a child, or a full evening.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The bullets say windows, doors, kitchens, and conservatories, and also garden and camping surfaces.
Does it repel all insects?
The listing asks. Named targets include mosquitoes, midges, and flies. It does not say all insects, and it says it does not eliminate them.
Is it safe for pets?
The bullets say safe around pets. They do not give a separate pet-treatment direction. The question on the page has no extra answer.
Seven amazon.co.uk listings were compared from the product pages. There is no laboratory bite test. Card scores follow the star line on a 10-point scale: 4.4 stars is 8.8. The top pick is the most-reviewed 50% DEET bottle at 100 ml, the strength UK travel advice names first, not the highest star score. Best value is the 100 ml DEET-free picaridin pump, the lowest price per 100 ml among the named skin sprays here. A missing percentage, a brand field that does not match the title, or a volume field that contradicts the title is marked down. Citronella is not treated as 50% DEET.
Named active and strength
35%For high bite pressure, 50% DEET is the first choice in UK travel advice. If you skip DEET, about 20% icaridin is the next named strength. A missing percentage, or a citronella blend, scores lower.
Review sample
25%amazon.co.uk stars count only with the review count on that listing. A 4.4 from 5,101 reviews outweighs a higher star line from a thin sample. This is not a measured bite rate.
Age line and format
20%Points follow an age you can accept, a stated hour figure, and a pack size. A container over 100 ml is awkward for cabin security. A room killer is a different job from a skin spray.
Listing consistency
10%Points come off when the brand field disagrees with the title, the details block prints a different ASIN, or the volume fields contradict the title.
Price per 100 ml
10%Shelf price is the amazon.co.uk figure captured for that listing. Best value is the lowest price per 100 ml among named skin sprays, not the cheapest can of any job.
Start with the job, then the active and the strength, then the age line and the bottle size. A skin spray and a room killer are different products. Citronella is not 50% DEET. Nothing on this page is a laboratory bite test.
A mosquito spray on amazon.co.uk is either a skin repellent or an indoor knockdown aerosol. Skin bites need a repellent, which sits in biocidal product type 19. Flies or wasps already in a room need a killer aerosol, product type 18. Standing water needs emptying, not another can. UK travellers are told to use 50% DEET first. If that is not tolerated, UK advice names about 20% icaridin, or a PMD-type oil or IR3535, not a citronella blend.
An indoor knockdown aerosol is for flies and wasps already in the room. It is not hours of protection on skin, and the pet and stain questions on that listing are unanswered. Follow the can. A nest is a pest controller.
UK travel advice does not treat citronella blends as reliable repellents. A from-6-months line on a citronella spray is not the DEET age guidance. Do not pack a citronella mist as 50% DEET for a malaria-risk trip.
At most UK airports a container over 100 ml fails cabin security, even if it is part full. A 125 ml aerosol is over that line. A brand’s carry-on claim does not replace the liquids rule. DEET can also mark plastics and synthetic fibres in the same bag.
Skin bites need a repellent. Flies or wasps in a room need a killer aerosol. Standing water needs emptying. For high bite pressure, 50% DEET is the UK first choice. Duration does not rise above 50%, and advice is not to put more than 50% on skin. If you skip DEET, look for about 20% icaridin. A PMD-type oil or IR3535 is the other named route. Citronella is not on that list. In this set, two listings state 50% DEET.
Labels here say 12 and over, over 2 years, or from 6 months on a citronella spray. GOV.UK allows 50% DEET from 2 months, including pregnancy and breastfeeding, and says ask a clinician under 2 months. If a DEET label sets a higher age, follow the label. For a child, ask a pharmacist. Hours assume a full test dose. Sweat or a swim removes product, so reapply when mosquitoes land, within the label. A 50 ml or 100 ml bottle can meet a 100 ml cabin rule. A 125 ml can does not.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want 50% DEET in a 100 ml bottle before you fly, and everyone using it is 12 or over. Pyramid Trek 50 at about £9.99 states 50% DEET and up to 6 hours, with 4.4 from 5,101 reviews. Reviews also describe an oily feel and marks on white shirts. Skip it if you need a label that says under 12, or a DEET-free formula.
You want a 100 ml DEET-free pump and you are not under orders to use 50% DEET. The Autan picaridin pump is about £8.50, for children over 2, with 4.5 from 2,234 reviews. The bullets do not print a percentage. The listing description states 20% icaridin. It is the wrong bottle if a clinic has already told you to use 50% DEET.
You want 50% DEET in a 50 ml pump the listing calls carry-on compliant, including children aged 2 and over. Lifesystems Expedition is about £8.95, up to 8 hours, with 4.5 from 1,300 reviews. It is dearer per millilitre than a 100 ml bottle at a similar price. The details block prints a different ASIN from the URL.
The top pick is Pyramid Trek 50, 100 ml, at about £9.99. It states 50% DEET and up to 6 hours, for ages 12 and over, with 4.4 from 5,101 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest count in this set. That concentration is the strength UK travel advice names first. Reviews also describe an oily feel, marks on white shirts, and the odd leak. The card score follows the star line, so a higher star score on another listing is not this award. The best value is the Autan picaridin pump, 100 ml, at about £8.50, with 4.5 from 2,234 reviews. It is DEET-free, for children over 2, and the lowest price per 100 ml among the named skin sprays here. The bullets do not print the percentage. The listing description states 20% icaridin. None of these scores is a laboratory bite test.
Autan picaridin pump, 100 ml
About £8.50 for 100 ml, DEET-free, 4.5 from 2,234 reviews. Lowest price per 100 ml among the named skin sprays here.
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 seven listings. 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 seven products. We did not run a laboratory bite test.
