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I hate them so much that when my husband suggested eating dinner outside or playing lawn games, I immediately began to suspect the swarms of mosquitoes that would attack me.

How is the card game inside?

But since we started using Thermacell equipment, I am happy to say "yes" to the outdoors more frequently.

Thermacell manufactures space insect repellent, which acts like a diffuser, which releases the insect repellent into the air and creates an insect-free zone. This means you don't have to spray yourself with smelly and sticky spray. The Thermacell Radius Zone mosquito repellent and peripheral systems have become my most valuable tools for enjoying outdoor life.

Radius is a compact and convenient device (smaller than my phone) that uses heat to evaporate a small bottle of liquid insect repellent. The active chemical in the liquid is cyhalothrin, which has been proven to be an effective mosquito space insect repellent in numerous studies. Metofluthrin has been thoroughly reviewed by the Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies around the world and is considered safe for this intended use.

The Thermacell device can effectively repel mosquitoes without producing stickiness and odor.

*At the time of publication, the price was $44.

After building a storage tank in my backyard last year, I bought my first Thermacell device. I like to lie on my flamingo float and drink a lone star at night, but this is also the best time for bugs. I tried to light citronella candles around the pool, and I even bought a citronella. Those are of no use.

But when I put Radius on the table by the pool, the mosquitoes moved away, and they have been there ever since. Windy days are an exception. All space insect repellents are basically useless in windy conditions, but the good news is that even in the breeze, mosquitoes can hardly fly.

In the end, Radius left me so impressed that I surrounded the pool area with the Thermacell peripheral system. These devices look like small plastic flashlights. They use butane to burn the same effective insect repellent as in Radius. There is also a new model, the Thermacell E55 rechargeable mosquito repellent, and Wirecutter’s experts have been testing it and may recommend it. I plan to buy that too. For a swimming pool that can only comfortably accommodate four adults, this may be a bit overkill, but it makes me feel better because I know that nothing is near me.

After spending 45 hours researching a category full of marketing hype and debunking methods, we found that Radius stood out through actual work.

Read more about the best mosquito killer equipment for your terrace or yard in our guide.

Don't expect Radius to work immediately. You need to turn it on about 10 to 15 minutes before you plan to go out to allow the insect repellent to "saturate" an area. I turned on the Radius and Perimeter systems while drinking water, applied sunscreen, and added extra air to the floating objects.

In addition, be careful when opening Radius to replace ink cartridges. When I didn't pull up the lid directly, I accidentally broke a few cartridge wicks. If the wicks were broken, the cartridges would not work. Thankfully, I was able to replace them with new ones at Lowe's.

We usually see regular offers on Prime Day and Black Friday, as well as occasional promotions every few months.

The best price we have seen is 35 USD

Alejandra Matos is obsessed with her dog, red lipstick and breakfast tacos. She is a newsletter strategist at Wirecutter and is based in Austin, Texas.

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Use these space insect repellents to create an insect-free bubble outdoors.

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