Thermacell E-ZoneGuard Patio Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller, 9-Hr Battery

Why it's worth it

The Thermacell E-ZoneGuard isn't a trap at all — it heats a repellent cartridge to push mosquitoes out of a roughly 20-foot zone. It runs about nine hours on its rechargeable battery and needs no cord, which makes it the one device here that works on a patio with no outlet.

This solves the problem you actually have tonight. A trap lowers mosquito numbers across weeks; a repeller makes the next three hours on your deck bearable. Those are different jobs. Push the button, wait about 15 minutes, and you've got a protection zone around the table where people are sitting. No spray on your skin, no dead bugs to sweep up.

The no-cord part matters more than it sounds. Everything else on this list needs an outlet or a propane tank, which rules out a lot of balconies, campsites and far corners of a yard. This runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to nine hours — enough for a long evening — and it's small enough to carry to a picnic table.

From our review of 6 mosquito traps and backyard bug zappers, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +This solves the problem you actually have tonight
• +The no-cord part matters more than it sounds
• +It's EPA-registered and independently reviewed for safety, and Thermacell points specifically to mosquitoes that can carry West…
• +We'd pair it with a trap rather than choose between them

What to know

• –It kills nothing and reduces nothing
• –Twenty feet is the claim under favorable conditions
• –Cartridges are a consumable, and you'll keep buying them