Best Bug Repellents for Kids

WRITTEN BY Guest Author

As a parent with two young children who are actively playing outside, ticks and insect diseases are a big concern within our family. During the summer, our kids play outside from sun up until sundown. They love being outdoors! But every time they come inside, a thorough tick check is the number one priority. This summer my wife and I tried out a few products to prevent tick bites for our kids and this is what we liked.

Babyganics Natural DEET-Free Insect Repellent

This was a kid favorite! The spray was easy to apply on my 4 and 7-year-old. The scent was refreshing and it was reassuring using a product that was all-natural. However, avoid spraying Babygenics Natural Deet-Fee Insect Repellent on clothes. My daughter’s outfit was stained by the spray but a good wash in the laundry was able to remove the stain though.

We put the product to the test at our local State Park while going on multiple hikes in grassy areas. We never found a tick after the full day out. The main drawback was my kids really needed a product that also repelled mosquitos, this product did not. The price point here is higher than some of the better-known brands at $8.99. Overall, if you are looking for DEET free/plant-based product, this is it!

Off! Deep Woods Insect Repellent

In July, we headed up to Lake Placid, New York for a weekend of hiking. The weather was muggy, so we opted to use Off! Deep Woods Insect Repellent. This product is formulated with 25% DEET and you can find it at any store like Target or any grocery store. I wasn’t a big fan of the smell and it felt greasy on my skin.

A major plus was that this product not only prevented ticks but also aggressive mosquitos during our hour-long hike. This was super easy to apply on my 4-year-old and the price was right at around $5. If you don’t care about DEET and want a product that prevents ticks and mosquitos, this is it!

Ben’s 30 DEET Eco Spray

This August, I brought my kids to Lake George, New York for the weekend and we forgot to bring any tick and mosquito repellent. At the resort, they were selling Ben’s 30 DEET Eco Spray. I had never heard of the brand

before and the bold red bottle looked like a heavy-duty product. I knew it could do the job.

I bought the spray for $6.95, it sells at Target for $4.89. This product had 40% DEET which is the minimum percentage recommended to guard against diseases transmitted by insects. This spray was easy to apply on my kids as well. I was pleasantly surprised with the smell and it protected both my kids and myself the entire weekend. Overall, I think this is the perfect product if you are in the woods with both children and adults and want to prevent all types of insects.

Posted on August 27, 2021

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