Thermacell E-Series Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller with 20’ Mosquito Protection Zone; Bug Spray Alternative; Scent Free

I live in Hawaiʻi and needed something less toxic than mosquito coils and longer lasting. We have had very wet, humid weather (Kona) this year with mosquitoes breeding like crazy. We have also had an increase in dengue cases from travelers coming in from the tropics. I remove all standing water from my property but have no control over everyone else. My son introduced me to this mosquito repellent. It does an excellent job keeping mosquitoes away for hours. It is rechargeable so no more buying batteries. The cartridge contains an odorless liquid that becomes a vapor with the mild heat generated. It makes no sound and is unobtrusive sitting in a corner or under a table. One repeller covers my entire lanai with ease, with another to cover the grass so the kids can play. It lasts for hours and hours, with the cartridge lasting nearly 12 hours. I keep a price alert on the cartridges so I can buy refills when they are at their lowest price point. I find these to be very effective and a good value.

Took this to the islands with me during vacation and it worked great!! I used it in the bedroom every night. There is no smell or ordor. The cartridge it comes with is small and only lasted one night so we bought larger replacement cartridges to last us the rest of the week. Overall, this is a great way to keep mosquitos at bay and sleep soundly. Though, over time, can get expensive with the cartridge replacements.

Update (5/12/22): I tried using the product on a breezy evening and as I suspected, the wind impacted the effectiveness. While I think there were fewer mosquitoes (just a guess), I was getting bitten and decided to go back inside. I do think it’s effective if it is not too windy. Will buy some more repellent and continue using it. (Original Post). Let's start with the most important question...does it work? It does work (or at least has worked for me and my specific set up)...more about that shortly. And I will continue to use it (and purchase more repellant refills). Why only 4 stars? Instructions need to be improved and not quite sure about the value proposition (cost) for the repellents. But the product has worked for me so far (several hours of use) and I really hate mosquitos. And I did not have to put on bug repellent to keep them from pestering me. After reading several reviews and wanting to gain access to my patio without being attacked by mosquitos, I decided to buy this and give it a try. I decided on the battery operated version for my patio. The setup instructions were not clearly written (I will provide the information I wish they had provided shortly as well). I am not a entomologist or an aerosol vapor flow expert...that said, here are my observations and recommendations. 1.) I don't believe the graphic that shows a 20" protective bubble is reasonable representation of what to expect from the product. The unit emits a vaporized repellent into the air (visualize the smoke from a candle) which is highly influenced by wind or, a ceiling fan. As the repellent is diluted to into the air, the effect dissipates, meaning less protection from mosquitos. The graphic shows a group of people sitting outdoors with a bubble shield, exactly 20 feet around them. If there is no wind, maybe that depiction is a somewhat reasonable representation. But when you set an expectation that there is a protective bubble, people will take it literally. Hence the 1 star reviews that says it does not work. In my situation, I am on covered porch where there is a wall behind me and to the left of me but the front and right side are completely open to the wind. So there is a "pocket" where the repellent is protected from from being completely dissipated or blown downwind. This would seem to me to be the ideal set up for this device. Haven't tried turning on the ceiling fan on the porch. If the results are significantly different, I will update this review. 2. Confusing instructions included in the box at best. Here is a suggestion...how about a QR code that takes you to a video called first use. Let me summarize the information I believe needs to clearly provided: a) Plug the unit in before use (instructions said this). You will see 3 chasing dots (blinking on and off in a chasing pattern) until the unit is charged (instructions have some confusing series of gray and white dots that does not look anything like what the unit looks like while it's charging). When fully charged, the three dots above the charging port will be on. Also, no word on whether you can plug the unit into a wall socket and use it while it is recharging. And the instructions do not say it takes 5 hours to charge when the battery is completely depleted (that is what the support person told me). Also guessing the unit does not trickle charge when charging is complete...so you probably should not leave it plugged in for extended periods of time. b) The repellent is in a small plastic container with a lid. The instructions in the box don't really show you how to hold the lid to remove it (there is a confusing drawing with two diagonal arrows which wasn't useful at all). Hold the sides of the bottle with your thumb and forefinger. Hold the front and back center of the lid in the center with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand. Separate. Just like the picture on the Amazon website (which I just saw). c) How about a recommendation on turning it off after your use and whether to remove the repellent container and put the lid back on. Absolutely nothing said in the instructions. Also, maybe recommend charging the unit so it will be ready for your next use? What if you are not going to use it for a week or a month...should you not leave the unit plugged in to a charger for extended periods? Again, it would be useful to know if you can use the unit while it's plugged in and recharging. 3. General thoughts about toxicity: Google mosquito deaths and the results say mosquitos kill over 1 million people a year. One of the prominently displayed 1 star reviews talks about the toxicity and that you can get headaches or dizziness. Everyone is different and I enjoy being outside without having to put insecticide on my skin. I have not gotten headaches or dizzy. Your results may vary. Now I want to compliment Thermacell on their customer support. They answered the call pretty quickly, were very helpful and pleasant to work with. Also, very generous warranty. I have written this whole review sitting on my porch and did not have a single mosquito come near me. Houston, Texas, in May on light breeze afternoon. Again, I would recommend it to friends and would buy it again. Now for some unsolicited advice to Thermacell. Seems to me you have way too many versions of this product which confuses the buyer. Also, it appears the repellents have changed over time with some of your later repellents that are "safer" than your earlier versions. Might be useful to make this information more explicit if correct. Hopefully you are reconciling what products to sell and which products to sunset. Also, on the box that is covered with pictures and graphics, the actual product version was in smaller print and greyed out (easily overlooked). So it took me a minute to find it when support asked me what device I was calling about. Very simple electronics upgrade...I would recommend resettable timers on the device indicating battery life and how much time remains before the repellent needs to be replaced. Either LED timer display (not 3 LED lights) on the device or bluetooth app on your phone. Seems obvious you are using the "razor and blade" method of pricing for product, where razors are cheap but the blades (refills) are where you generate your profits. The unit works well enough that a little upgrade to provide the user more information about battery life or how long until I need to replace the repellent cartridge would justify paying extra for the "razor". Just one opinion and you have been in the business for 20 years...so you know what your are doing.

Literal best mosquito protection. Effective and fast. Very easy to use and acts instantly. Amazing how you are protected as if inside a bubble and you can see a lot of mosquitoes around the protector zone. Nice design, easy to use and the best solution I have used

This was okay. We used it this summer because the mosquitos by my house were awful this year. I did set it up on a little table next to the lawn chair I would sit in and I was still getting eaten alive. I was maybe within 1-3 feet of the product. In terms of effectiveness, I don't think it worked well. It's small and has a little charger it sits on when not in use. It's easy to charge and it's easy to use. when it's not on the charger you just press a little button. There was a little smell when being used. To me I kept smelling like something was burning, but then I realized it was just the repeller. I think it was a little expensive for how not great it worked.

I was skeptical at first, but this little device works wonders! The Thermacell E-Series is compact, lightweight, and completely silent—no sprays, no strong scents, and no mess. Within minutes of turning it on, I noticed a huge difference: mosquitoes that normally swarm around me were nowhere to be found. The rechargeable battery is a big plus—it lasts for hours on a single charge, and I love not having to mess with disposable batteries. The 20-foot protection zone is perfect for my patio, and it even worked during a recent camping trip. It feels so nice to sit outside at dusk without constantly swatting or spraying repellent. If you spend time outdoors and hate dealing with mosquitoes, this is absolutely worth the investment. Highly recommend for backyards, patios, and camping!

Sorry, I guess by now we all know these have been shown to work… but those damn mosquitoes are so infuriating that I doubt any repellant will actually work. But these do! And the 10 hour cartridges are wonderfully long lasting. Easy to charge the units, too. Travel internationally with two - works with any voltage as you just use a 120/240 USB-C charger (and the low power chargers, too!) And yes, it’s important to give the unit about 15 minutes to be effective—the unit has to warm up to dispense the repellant. Some people can smell the repellant, but it’s not a strong odor at all. Enjoy!

Muy eficiente, lo use dos veces y ninguna picadura tuvimos, pero NO DURA mucho el cartucho que viene, solo duró como 12 hr

Honestly useless I put it for an hour. I sit next to it and I got 100 bites not worth it

The product wasn't packaged properly. The refill unit had leaked into its plastic bag and absorbed into the cardboard box. Not only do I have less repellant, but metofluthrin is toxic and not supposed to be handled.

Worked great

👌