Repellents$
OFF! Deep Woods (25% DEET)
The classic. DEET has 70 years of receipts, and Deep Woods is the drugstore-anywhere version.
National
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> Repellents · NYC + National
Sawyer 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent
The repellent for people who hate repellent. DEET-grade protection, no grease, no melted sunglasses.
Best for: Daily wear — stoop season, park picnics, backyard dinners · Price: $
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Why it made the arsenal.
Picaridin at 20% is the modern default: CDC-recognized, as effective as DEET against mosquitoes in head-to-head trials, but it doesn't stink, doesn't feel like salad dressing, and doesn't dissolve plastics or technical fabrics. Sawyer's lotion version is the crowd favorite because it lasts up to 12 hours and rubs in like sunscreen. If you're going to actually wear repellent to the cookout instead of leaving it in the junk drawer, this is the one you'll actually apply.
+ Power-ups
- CDC-recommended active ingredient, comparable to DEET in efficacy
- Non-greasy, low odor, safe on synthetic fabrics and gear
- Lotion format lasts up to ~12 hours per application
− Drawbacks
- Lotion takes a minute to apply vs a quick spray
- Like all topicals, it protects you — it does nothing about the yard
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Complete the loadout.
Repellents$$
Thermacell E90 Rechargeable Repeller
A 20-foot no-spray force field for your stoop or patio. Charge it, click it, sit in peace.
NYC + National
Traps$$
Catchmaster Oasis Ovi-Mini Mosquito Trap (4-Pack)
A passive ovitrap that fakes the perfect nursery, then glues the egg-laying female in place. Four to a box — enough to ring a yard.
NYC + National
Gear is level 2. Level 1 is free: the Prevention Playbook. And if your block qualifies, the Bed-Stuy Mosquito Pilot will hand you a trap.