Defenseless against bites: Many mosquito repellent products fail in the 'Kassensturz' test
28-8-2026
Translation: machine translated
Mosquito bites are annoying. So much so that people are arming themselves – with lamps, plug-ins, sprays, mosquito coils, and ultrasonic devices. The SRF magazine 'Kassensturz' had the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel determine what actually helps.
The «Kassensturz» editorial team tested twelve products, and at least five of them protect against bites. Seven, however, failed and did not deliver what the manufacturers promised. Two sprays offer effective protection: Antibrumm Forte and Puressentiel.
The Antibrumm product contains the particularly strong active ingredient DEET (diethyltoluamide). It is considered the gold standard in insect repellent. It ensures that insects can no longer perceive human scents. The Puressentiel spray relies on a mix of essential oils.
The result in the «Kassensturz» test was the same for both products. Not a single tiger mosquito landed on an exposed forearm to draw blood during the five-minute test.
Unfortunately, I cannot link you to two other mosquito repellent products with a «very good» rating because they are not (currently) available for purchase at Galaxus. The «Mückenstopp» from the Migros brand Optimum is a plug-in vaporizer with pyrethroid as the active ingredient. The same principle and the same active ingredient can be found in these products.
The testers were also successful with a mosquito coil from the brand Neocid. Once lit, it emits smoke containing the active ingredient prallethrin, which belongs to the pyrethroid group.
One product in the test field was also effective, but did not protect quite as well as those mentioned above. Therefore, the mosquito plug from Finito received a «good» rating. It also works with prallethrin.
At least 34 mosquitoes on the arm
For three products, «Kassensturz» attested a low protective effect. With these products, within a period of five minutes, 34 hungry tiger mosquitoes landed on the forearm for one product, and 52 and even 60 for the other two.
Our customers only partially agree with the «sufficient» rating in the product reviews. The animal trap with LED light from the brand Swissinno has a modest average rating of 3.4 stars. Regarding the «UV Insect Stopper» from Starly, one user writes briefly and concisely: «Useless!»
Where the tiger mosquito laughs
Four products from the test offered no protection. The rating «insufficient» is the verdict for these. Our community sees it similarly, at least for the ultrasonic repeller from Chicco. Although... the average rating of 2.6 stars means, according to the Galaxus scale, that for some buyers expectations are «just barely met» and for others at least «partially». Two customers even wrote enthusiastic five-star reviews. Yet it is scientifically clear that these ultrasonic things cannot work. This is explained in the SRF program, and my colleague Martin Jud already explained it in detail in an article in 2018.
The expert from the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel considers two traps with light to be technically unsuitable. UV light does not attract mosquitoes, but it does attract other insects, which then die in the trap.
Instead of chemicals, the Finito Green plug relies on an essence of natural oils. Such things probably work if you rub them on your skin, but less so as a vaporizer. In any case, despite the device, the testers in the tropical laboratory counted 165 mosquito landings on the arm within five minutes, the second-highest number in the test.
You can find the complete report from «Kassensturz» here. Very brave of the SRF colleague to have gone into the test room with the tiger mosquitoes.
Header image: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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