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If you want to remove mosquitoes, gnats, and other bugs from your home or outdoor space, the This Old House Reviews Team is here to help. We researched the best bug zappers on Amazon and created a buyer’s guide to help you make an educated purchasing decision. Here are our top recommendations.
Top 5 Best Bug Zappers
- Most Lightweight Grid Zapper: ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper
- Largest Grid: Lulu Home Electric Bug Zapper
- Best For Outdoor Use: GTOCS Bug Zapper
- Best Handheld Zapper: ZAP IT! Rechargeable Bug Zapper Racket
- Best Solar: Elechome Bug Zapper
Compare Top Bug Zappers
| Product | Design | Power Level | Dimensions | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper | Plug-in | 20 watts | 15.16 by 3.15 by 11.02 inches | 2.8 pounds |
| Lulu Home Electric Bug Zapper | Plug-in | 20 watts | 15.35 by 4.33 by 11.42 inches | 3.74 pounds |
| GTOCS Bug Zapper | Plug-in | 15 watts | 12 x 6 x 7 inches | 2.27 pounds |
| ZAP IT! Rechargeable Bug Zapper Racket | Cordless | 4,000 volts | 7.6 x 18 inches | 1.48 pounds |
| Elechome Bug Zapper | Solar | 3,000 volts | 5.2 x 3.7 x 8 inches | 1.26 pounds |
| Product | Design | Power Level | Dimensions | Weight |
Most Lightweight Grid Zapper
ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper
This high-voltage bug zapper from ASPECTEK has a powerful electrical grid surrounded by a protective mesh screen to safely eliminate flies, moths, mosquitoes, and other flying insects without shocking your children or pets. Though it’s large with its 15-by-11-inch dimensions, it remains lightweight at 2.8 pounds. This makes it easy to move it to different rooms or hang it from a wall.
Pros and Cons
✔ Can be set on a table or hung on a wall
✔ Can replace the two light bulbs easily by opening the protective grid
✔ Has an oversized, brightly colored on/off switch
✘ Has a higher price tag than similar grid-style models
✘ Could be a safety hazard around young children
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who loved this bug zapper frequently commented on its power source, claiming that it killed every bug it attracted. However, some customers complained about the amount of noise that the zapper made, especially when bugs were being zapped.
Largest Grid
Lulu Home Electric Bug Zapper
This electric zapper eliminates a wide range of pests, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, and gnats. This product has two 20-watt bulbs that attract insects and 2,800 volts of electricity that shock them. With its large dimensions of 15.35 inches wide and 11.42 inches tall, this zapper covers a large area.
Pros and Cons
✔ Has outside mesh to stop children and pets from touching the electric field
✔ Has an anti-rust and -clogging grid
✔ Comes with a removable, washable collection tray that holds dead bugs
✘ Can’t be used outdoors
✘ May be an eyesore because of its large size and non-decorative look
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who liked this product said that it was easy to assemble, simple to clean, and durable. However, those who didn’t like this product claimed that it often stopped working properly after minimal use. Others said that it was smaller than anticipated.
Best For Outdoor Use
GTOCS Bug Zapper
- $24.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This electronic insect killer covers 1,500 square feet, making it a solid option for eliminating pests around your outdoor living space. It uses a 15-watt UV light to attract bugs and a 4,200-volt grid to eliminate them on contact. It also features a built-in hanging hook, allowing you to hang it over your deck, patio, or porch.
Pros and Cons
✔ Has ABS housing for protection from the elements
✔ Comes with an attached hook for easy installation
✔ Uses a high-powered 4,200-volt electric grid to shock bugs instantly
✘ Not the best option for an indoor bug zapper
✘ Has a short power cord
What Customers Are Saying
Customers said that this product was easy to use, lightweight, and effective at catching multiple types of bugs. However, those who left negative reviews said that this bug zapper’s low-wattage light didn’t attract as many bugs as expected. Other customers didn’t like that it didn’t have an on/off switch.
Best Handheld Zapper
ZAP IT! Rechargeable Bug Zapper Racket
Each of the two rackets in this pack harnesses 4,000 volts of power that can act as mosquito killers when you swat at them. The rackets use a rechargeable battery that can last for up to 10,000 swats and have a built-in light to help you see where you’re swatting at night.
Pros and Cons
✔ Is sold in three sizes
✔ Includes a USB charging port to save on batteries
✔ Has a built-in LED light for nighttime use
✘ Requires active use to kill bugs
✘ Requires frequent recharges
What Customers Are Saying
Customers praised these rackets’ lightweight, enclosed design, which made them easy and safe for even children to hold. However, negative reviews stated that the zappers stopped working soon after purchase.
Best Solar
Elechome Bug Zapper
- $59.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This solar outdoor bug zapper has a 360-degree design and uses a bright UV-light that acts as a repellent to electrocute bugs with a 3000-volt shock. It has three different lighting modes, including a bug zapper light, a white light, and a flashlight.
Pros and Cons
✔ Is equipped with a solar panel for wireless charging but can also be charged with a USB-C
✔ Is compatible for outdoor or indoor use
✔ Delivers 10 hours on a full charge
✘ Does not have automatic activation
✘ Charge indicator is somewhat hidden
What Customers Are Saying
We noted that customers who liked this mosquito zapper said that it was easy to clean up, had a bright light, and worked on multiple types of bugs. However, we also saw that some felt charging it with a USB-C cable was difficult, and others said it sometimes had a hard time attracting mosquitoes.
Buyer’s Guide
Before buying a bug zapper, it’s important to understand how each model’s design and specifications impact its performance. Consider the following factors to make an informed purchase.
Type
Bug zappers come in a variety of designs, with the most popular being handheld and plug-in models. Handheld bug zappers, such as the ZAP IT! Rechargeable Bug Zapper Racket, are affordable tools that zap bugs in the air. Unlike its plug-in counterpart, a handheld zapper doesn’t attract bugs on its own, requiring you to swing and manually zap bugs.
A plug-in zapper, such as the ASPECTEK Electronic Bug Zapper, uses UV light to attract and kill a variety of flying insects like mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and more. Because of their effectiveness and large size, plug-in zappers are typically more expensive than handheld models.
Coverage Area
The coverage area of a plug-in zapper refers to how far out its light works to attract bugs. Most coverage limits are around 1,000 or 1,500 square feet.
Wattage
The brightness of a zapper’s bulb is measured in watts. A higher-wattage bulb is able to attract bugs in a larger radius. Most bug zappers have 15- or 20-watt lights.
Voltage
Voltage is used to measure the strength of the zapper’s electrical shock. A higher-voltage zapper is able to kill bugs instantly, preventing them from suffering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of bugs do bug zappers kill?
Bug zappers are designed to kill flying insects, including flies, moths, gnats, and mosquitoes.
Can I leave a bug zapper on all night?
Yes. Bugs are especially attracted to zappers at night when there isn’t natural light outside.
How do bug zappers work?
Most zappers work by using UV light to attract bugs and electrically charged wires to kill them.
Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team
This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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