Thermacell E-ZoneGuard Patio Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent, 5.5-Hr Bat

I recently purchased the Thermacell ZoneGuard Mosquito Repeller, and after using it on my lanai for a few nights now I never want to be without it. Living in Florida in the heat and humidity the mosquitos are boundless. It was very easy to set up and get working. Simply plugged in the cartridge refill and powered it on. Within about 10-15 minutes I noticed no mosquitoes were even coming near me. There was no noise from it at all - if not for the indicator light and its effectiveness / I wouldn’t even know it was on. I love that I can bring it out front while I’m weeding and it’s equally effective. Goodbye smelly tiki torches and messy sprays. I would definitely recommend this little gem!!!

This mosquito repeller works great! It’s easy to use. All you do is take it out of the box. Charge it for a couple hours until its battery is full. Once this is done you take out the cartridge and put it in. Then it takes about 15 minutes to warm up and begin expelling the repelling heat fumes. It’s not hot either and it doesn’t have a scent which is great! It protected me and my family on our front porch when the mosquitoes were really bad! Definitely recommend!

Update (5/12/22): I tried using the product on a breezy evening and as I suspected, the wind impacted the effectiveness. While I think there were fewer mosquitoes (just a guess), I was getting bitten and decided to go back inside. I do think it’s effective if it is not too windy. Will buy some more repellent and continue using it. (Original Post). Let's start with the most important question...does it work? It does work (or at least has worked for me and my specific set up)...more about that shortly. And I will continue to use it (and purchase more repellant refills). Why only 4 stars? Instructions need to be improved and not quite sure about the value proposition (cost) for the repellents. But the product has worked for me so far (several hours of use) and I really hate mosquitos. And I did not have to put on bug repellent to keep them from pestering me. After reading several reviews and wanting to gain access to my patio without being attacked by mosquitos, I decided to buy this and give it a try. I decided on the battery operated version for my patio. The setup instructions were not clearly written (I will provide the information I wish they had provided shortly as well). I am not a entomologist or an aerosol vapor flow expert...that said, here are my observations and recommendations. 1.) I don't believe the graphic that shows a 20" protective bubble is reasonable representation of what to expect from the product. The unit emits a vaporized repellent into the air (visualize the smoke from a candle) which is highly influenced by wind or, a ceiling fan. As the repellent is diluted to into the air, the effect dissipates, meaning less protection from mosquitos. The graphic shows a group of people sitting outdoors with a bubble shield, exactly 20 feet around them. If there is no wind, maybe that depiction is a somewhat reasonable representation. But when you set an expectation that there is a protective bubble, people will take it literally. Hence the 1 star reviews that says it does not work. In my situation, I am on covered porch where there is a wall behind me and to the left of me but the front and right side are completely open to the wind. So there is a "pocket" where the repellent is protected from from being completely dissipated or blown downwind. This would seem to me to be the ideal set up for this device. Haven't tried turning on the ceiling fan on the porch. If the results are significantly different, I will update this review. 2. Confusing instructions included in the box at best. Here is a suggestion...how about a QR code that takes you to a video called first use. Let me summarize the information I believe needs to clearly provided: a) Plug the unit in before use (instructions said this). You will see 3 chasing dots (blinking on and off in a chasing pattern) until the unit is charged (instructions have some confusing series of gray and white dots that does not look anything like what the unit looks like while it's charging). When fully charged, the three dots above the charging port will be on. Also, no word on whether you can plug the unit into a wall socket and use it while it is recharging. And the instructions do not say it takes 5 hours to charge when the battery is completely depleted (that is what the support person told me). Also guessing the unit does not trickle charge when charging is complete...so you probably should not leave it plugged in for extended periods of time. b) The repellent is in a small plastic container with a lid. The instructions in the box don't really show you how to hold the lid to remove it (there is a confusing drawing with two diagonal arrows which wasn't useful at all). Hold the sides of the bottle with your thumb and forefinger. Hold the front and back center of the lid in the center with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand. Separate. Just like the picture on the Amazon website (which I just saw). c) How about a recommendation on turning it off after your use and whether to remove the repellent container and put the lid back on. Absolutely nothing said in the instructions. Also, maybe recommend charging the unit so it will be ready for your next use? What if you are not going to use it for a week or a month...should you not leave the unit plugged in to a charger for extended periods? Again, it would be useful to know if you can use the unit while it's plugged in and recharging. 3. General thoughts about toxicity: Google mosquito deaths and the results say mosquitos kill over 1 million people a year. One of the prominently displayed 1 star reviews talks about the toxicity and that you can get headaches or dizziness. Everyone is different and I enjoy being outside without having to put insecticide on my skin. I have not gotten headaches or dizzy. Your results may vary. Now I want to compliment Thermacell on their customer support. They answered the call pretty quickly, were very helpful and pleasant to work with. Also, very generous warranty. I have written this whole review sitting on my porch and did not have a single mosquito come near me. Houston, Texas, in May on light breeze afternoon. Again, I would recommend it to friends and would buy it again. Now for some unsolicited advice to Thermacell. Seems to me you have way too many versions of this product which confuses the buyer. Also, it appears the repellents have changed over time with some of your later repellents that are "safer" than your earlier versions. Might be useful to make this information more explicit if correct. Hopefully you are reconciling what products to sell and which products to sunset. Also, on the box that is covered with pictures and graphics, the actual product version was in smaller print and greyed out (easily overlooked). So it took me a minute to find it when support asked me what device I was calling about. Very simple electronics upgrade...I would recommend resettable timers on the device indicating battery life and how much time remains before the repellent needs to be replaced. Either LED timer display (not 3 LED lights) on the device or bluetooth app on your phone. Seems obvious you are using the "razor and blade" method of pricing for product, where razors are cheap but the blades (refills) are where you generate your profits. The unit works well enough that a little upgrade to provide the user more information about battery life or how long until I need to replace the repellent cartridge would justify paying extra for the "razor". Just one opinion and you have been in the business for 20 years...so you know what your are doing.

Absolutely love this Thermacell. As a mom with kids always running around outside, I needed something that actually worked without spraying everyone down with bug spray every five minutes. This has honestly been a game changer for backyard evenings, sports practice, and sitting outside while the kids play. It is super easy to use, quiet, and I love that there is no strong smell. After letting it warm up for a few minutes, we noticed way less mosquitoes around us. The rechargeable feature is also really convenient and cute because I do not have to keep buying batteries. Definitely worth it if you have kids and want a more comfortable outdoor setup without constantly fighting mosquitoes.

I've had it for a couple of weeks on a screen porch where a few mosquitos always seemed to sneak in to ruin the evening. It has worked to keep them out along with the ceiling fan. A couple of issues for me that seem to be a let down. The battery take forever to charge (hours) and no way lasts 5 hours. I only use it for an hour or so most evenings and had to charge in many times over two weeks of use. The second issue is that the repellent goes really fast, seems to not last as long as listed (12 hours). For me, it's really too hot to stay outside for very long, but perhaps I'm spending longer than I think since I'm not getting bitten. One tip I did get from their support was to bring it into the AC when not using it so it lasts longer and does not evaporate from outside temps.

This sleek little device came with a charging cable, a refill insert, and clear instructions. After a quick charge, I was able to set it up on my backyard deck without any issues. It says to wait 15 minutes after turning it on before it becomes effective at repelling mosquitos. Well after using it a few times, I think it's better than the ones that have deet in them. So far none of my family members got bitten. It's runs quiet and I feel better knowing it uses natural ingredients. Also, this brand provides a 3 year warranty if you register the device. I just wish the refills were cheaper.

This product is amazing. I bought it for camping and I bought two of them so I could set them a different spots around my camp spot. There are no bugs that come at all. My grandchildren don’t get bit. I don’t get bit. It’s very nice. I’m going to buy some more to have for my own home. This is very much worth it and I like that they are rechargeable and they hold a charge for a long time. I can go all weekend on one charge.

Seems to work well enough when it's on, but TAKES FOREVER to charge. Seriously, it seems to take 6z8 hours to recharge after only 2-3 hours of use. Then it charges for another 1-2 hours when I want to use it again just few days later. I've also burned through a "36 hour" refill in about 12 hours of total run time. I didn't get any mosquito bites in that 12 hours, so I guess it was worth it, but it's using more resources than you'd think/ expect.

This item uses an outdated charging cable and does not hold a charge well. When attempting to return the item, the seller refused to provide collection and instead sent lengthy and complicated return instructions, eventually leading to the return window expiring.

We live nearby a lake and struggle with mosquitoes at home and camping and this has been a blessing to keep them at bay!

The product wasn't packaged properly. The refill unit had leaked into its plastic bag and absorbed into the cardboard box. Not only do I have less repellant, but metofluthrin is toxic and not supposed to be handled.

En esta época es muy molesto estar en la tarde y noche en la terraza. Los moscos de verdad me hacían correr a meterme a la casa. Lo probamos el fin de semana y la diferencia fue notable. Vimos de vez en cuando algún mosco (no hace magia), pero NADA que ver con la cantidad que había antes. No son baratos los repuestos y veré la opción de pedirlos a EUA, pero para mí valen la pena.

Nice compact design and keeping us free of bugs