Thermacell mosquito repellent: which model to buy
Updated: October 2026
You are choosing a first Thermacell for a garden table, a weekend pitch, or an evening on the bank, and the baskets look alike until the fuel does not fit. Which Thermacell mosquito repellent model to buy is a fuel question, because a butane cell, an EN417 camping-gas canister, and a rechargeable cartridge do not share mats. This guide uses the five amazon.co.uk extracts in our [Thermacell mosquito repellent comparison](/hub/pest-control/thermacell-mosquito-repellent), checked on 16 October 2026. We did not run a lab trial. Start with the power system, then check that mats and fuel are actually in the box.
You are choosing a first Thermacell for a garden table, a weekend pitch, or an evening on the bank, and the baskets look alike until the fuel does not fit.
You are choosing a first Thermacell for a garden table, a weekend pitch, or an evening on the bank, and the baskets look alike until the fuel does not fit. Which Thermacell mosquito repellent model to buy is a fuel question, because a butane cell, an EN417 camping-gas canister, and a rechargeable cartridge do not share mats. This guide uses the five amazon.co.uk extracts in our Thermacell mosquito repellent comparison, checked on 16 October 2026. We did not run a lab trial. Start with the power system, then check that mats and fuel are actually in the box.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Power | In the box | Zone claim | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Thermacell Thermacell Backpacker | EN417 camping gas | 4 mats, gas extra | 20 m² | 8.4 | about £37.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Thermacell Thermacell Protect | Butane cartridge | 3 plates and gas | About 20 m² | 7.0 | about £39.95 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Thermacell Thermacell E55 | Rechargeable battery | Battery and cartridge | 20 feet | 6.0 | about £90.31 | View offer |
On this page
Three ways a Thermacell makes heat
Heat is what releases the vapour. Burton McCall, the Leicester distributor, describes the familiar setup as a butane cartridge under a mat, with a claimed 20 m² zone. That family covers the graphite Protect stand and the olive MR-300.
The Backpacker is a different machine. Model THCMR-BP sits on a standard EN417 canister, and the bullet says the canister is not in the box. An MR-300 butane cell does not fuel it. The E55 is the third family: a lithium-ion battery heats a liquid cartridge, with a claimed 5.5 hours, a 20-foot zone, and a 12-hour refill. There is no blue mat to swap in.
What has to be in the box
A complete fuel kit is the device, the mats or plates, and the cartridge or canister. Anything less will not light. The olive MR-300 was about £37.60 on 16 October 2026 without active ingredients and gas. Sets R-4 and R-10 are sold separately. That price sits next to the Backpacker, which includes four mats and still needs EN417 gas, and the Protect, whose bullet includes three plates and a gas cartridge.
The thin listing at about £42.00 names neither fuel nor contents, and the details line prints ASIN B06Y21HKJB. The Protect’s components field says only the device, while the bullet lists plates and gas. Lighting a complete unit is on the how to use a Thermacell page.
The active on the packet
The chemical is not one recipe across the brand. Burton McCall’s UK page names allethrin for the butane-and-mat description it gives. The E55 bullet spells the active as methofluthrin. The Protect listing prints registration N-102186 and does not name the active in the extract. A German safety data sheet for that number names prallethrin. That sheet is not a GB certificate. Read the packet in your hand.
UK retailers still file Backpacker refills apart from the blue plates used on an MR150, MR300, or MR450. Biocidal adverts have to show “Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use,” and they have to name the active. They must not say the product is HSE approved, non-toxic, natural, or harmless. “DEET-free” means it is not a DEET spray.
Which job you are buying for
A patio host who will not keep camping gas in the shed is looking at the Protect’s starter bullet or, if the refill price is acceptable, the E55. A camper who already carries EN417 canisters is the Backpacker’s audience. That model’s instruction sheet bars caravans, tents, boats, and cars because of carbon monoxide. A still fishing pitch is a zone around a chair, not protection you wear on a walk to the car.
None of these replaces 50% DEET where mosquito-borne disease is the risk. GOV.UK travel advice does not mention a Thermacell. Who should take each listing is on the best Thermacell mosquito repellent page.
Common questions
Does the Backpacker take the same mats and butane cell as the MR300?
No. The Backpacker runs on an EN417 camping-gas canister, and Thermacell files its mat refills on a separate label from the butane cells and blue plates used on an MR-300. A cell that screws into the handheld will not fuel the Backpacker. Buy the refill that names the body you own. If a shop sentence says mats work across fuel products, still match the packet name before a weekend depends on it.
Why is one MR-300 about £37 with an empty box when other kits are nearer £25?
The about £37.60 listing, ASIN B0DWSMTNSX, is the olive body only. Mats and gas are sets R-4 and R-10. Complete MR300 kits on other UK shop pages have been listed around £18 to £30, with a cartridge and three mats described. Those are a different offer, and the prices are not a quote for this ASIN. Compare the contents line, not the model name on its own.
Is the E55 refill the same as a blue mat?
No. The E55 heats a liquid cartridge from a rechargeable battery. The bullet names methofluthrin and a 12-hour refill in the box. Blue mats and butane cells belong to the fuel-powered bodies. You cannot drop an MR-300 plate into the E55, and you cannot run it from an EN417 canister. Budget for E-series cartridges, because reviewers of that listing call the refills dear.
Which active ingredient am I buying?
It depends on the packet. Burton McCall names allethrin for the butane-and-mat description on its UK page. The E55 listing prints methofluthrin. The Protect page prints registration N-102186 and does not name the active in the extract. A German data sheet for that number names prallethrin, which is not a GB certificate for every model. The label in the parcel is the one that counts.
Do I need a separate gas canister for the Backpacker?
Yes. ASIN B07C79D1MN includes the device and four mats. The listing says it runs on standard EN417 canisters and that the canister is not included. A UK review says you have to buy the gas before it will work. About £37.99 is not a complete night unless that canister is already in your kit. The mats are stated as up to 12 hours, which is a listing claim, not a figure we measured.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this set, last checked on 16 October 2026.
- Burton McCall, Thermacell (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Thermacell, where and how to use (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Thermacell, fuel-powered support (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE, biocidal advertising (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE, packaging and labelling (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, retained Regulation (EU) No 528/2012 Annex V (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, mosquito bite avoidance for travellers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- NHS, insect bites and stings (retrieved 16 October 2026)