Best Bug Zappers (Aug.) 2017– Buyer’s Guide and Review

After 16 hours of hands on testing, as well as crowdsourcing reviews from consumers and from our peers, we have decided that the Aspectek Indoor Insect Killer is the best bug zapper in our list. Owing to its large coverage area of 6,000 sq. feet, the Aspectek Insect Killer is able to draw in bugs from far distances and eliminate them effectively [Read more]

Don’t you hate it when pesky bugs spoil your calm evening?

You take a sip of wine from your glass in the front porch, you start feeling the vibe of the moment when suddenly you get bitten by a blood thirsty mosquito. After a single bite, his friends join in and take a blood meal from you.

Don’t you just wish these annoying insects vanish from your place in an instant? Well, thankfully we have bug zappers to save the day.

With all the choices in the market today, it is difficult to narrow your choices and pick the right one that for you.

Luckily, we already did the tiresome work for you by doing hands on testing and crowdsourcing of the product. In this article, we will feature the best bug zappers in 2017 as well as provide you with our objective evaluation of each product.

So without further ado, let’s begin!​

​"What Should You Consider Before Buying a Bug Zapper"

Bug Zappers come in different shapes and sizes, they also differ as to how they address their functions. There are a lot of bug zappers available in the market nowadays, however, not all of them offer the same quality. There are a lot of “bang for buck” or “best deals” out there but only exist to grab a hold of your hard earned cash.

Worst case scenario is that you may end up scratching your head because of cheap, yet sub standard bug zappers. The last thing you would want to happen is shelling out $500 for a bug zapper that only does that annoying buzzing sound but does not kill insects.

Before buying a new bug zapper, there are several factors that you need to consider. In this portion, we have highlighted 4 of the most important factors.

1. Construction and Design

One of the most important factor that you need to consider is construction and design. It is important that you buy a bug zapper that is durable. Many bug zappers can be placed inside or outside of the house. That said, an outdoor bug zapper should be able to withstand the elements of the outdoors. A good outdoor bug zapper should be resistant to corrosion and not sway easily in strong winds.

In regards to design, a good bug zapper must be pleasing to the eyes and is of course, constructed In a way that protects us users from accidental contact. The main point of bug zappers is to entice and draw in insects and not us. In addition, a good bug zapper should only need a small amount of maintenance.​

2. Effective Range

Another important factor when buying a bug zapper is its effective range. The efficiency and killing power of a bug zapper is very important.

Bugoff.com states that the range of effectiveness for bug zappers can be measured from feet to meters. Depending on your preferred coverage area or the measurement of your house, you can pick a few potential bug zappers and narrow down your choices

The range of protection of a bug zapper can be further fortified by the use of insect attractants and repellents. The range of protection increases as the wattage of its light bulbs increase.​

3.​ Additional Features

Several bug zappers are equipped with additional features. The most common is the addition of chemical attractants or repellents.

There are also other bug zappers that provide the means to install these chemicals right after purchase. Other bug zappers also feature a self-timer that allows it to instantly turn on and off.​

4.​ Prices

Last but not least is price. The bug zappers we have featured in this review vary widely in terms of price. Regardless of their respective prices, they deliver on their primary purpose, which is to kill insects.

When you buy a more expensive bug zapper, expect that it has a wider coverage area, expect also that they employ the use of attractants as well as repellents.

Bug zappers in the lower price spectrum tend to use the common, charged-grid technology, which also does the job well. It is important to know your budget first before jumping in and buying a bug zapper.​

How We Assessed and Evaluated These Products

In this review, we did a rigorous process searching the internet and looked over review site that tackled on bug zappers. After this process, we have shortlisted a total of 30 bug zappers, all of which offer great quality and durability. This process definitely was not easy, however through phase two of our testing, we have narrowed down these bug zappers from 15 to only 5.

In our testing and assessment, we narrowed down the bug zappers by focusing on the most important features that is necessary for any bug zapper. These factors included durability, range of protection, design and construction, added features, size and most especially, effectiveness.​

In our hands on testing, we have subjected each of the shortlisted bug zappers in equal footing. We placed them in a small room with mosquitoes inside. Afterwards, we checked how effective these bug zappers were by counting the number of dead mosquitoes.

Aside from our hands on testing, we also did a lot of crowdsourcing, from consumer reviews to reviews from our peers. The review sites where we based our assessment are from reputable ones which include Bestreviews.com as well as Popularmechanics.com.

This exhaustive process of hands on testing as well as crowdsourcing has led us to come up with the 5 best bug zappers available in 2017. We also further tested these 5 products to decide which one of them is the editor’s choice and which ones come in as honourable mentions.

We did all the tedious work so that you can finally choose which bug zappers to buy. So without further ado, here are the our list of best bug zappers available in 2017.

Our Top Picks

The first entry on our list is the Aspecktek Indoor insect Killer.

This simple and straightforward design product makes up for its effectiveness.

The size is just enough to be placed inside the living room or the bedroom. With its ultraviolet light, it draws in insects from even up to 6,000 feet.

The product kills insects by attracting them via a bright UV light and then electrocuted in the charged grid placed inside. Despite it being an indoor bug zapper, it can also work will in the garage or a covered porch.

Equipped with a chain hanger, you can install the product anywhere in your house. Keeping an eco friendly and a pro health set up, it does not require chemical attractants to lure in insects.

The Aspectek Indoor insect killer comes in two variants. The first one comes with a compact 20 watt bulb suitable for small rooms. Another one features a 40 watt unit that is more suitable for large areas.

Equipped with a catch tray, you can easily clean and maintain the unit.

The product features a metal frame that assures you of the overall durability and stability of the product. However, since the product is electrically charged and the frame is made of metal; it’s best that you keep children away to avoid sudden electric shocks or accidents

The Flowtron FC-8800 Diplomat is one of the most famous bug zappers available in the market nowadays.

With its whopping coverage area of two acres or 1,200 square feet when indoors, the Diplomat will deliver in effectiveness even at long distances.

With this, it is highly suitable for barns to help protect your animals from pesky insects.

The UV light of the Diplomat attracts insects in its proximity. The light bulb equipped with this product has a wattage of 120 with 5,600 volts.

Because of this, large bugs such as moths will be exterminated.With an extra long cord, you can install the Diplomat almost anywhere in your house. The product is ideal for indoor and outdoor locations.

As with most bug zappers, it is equipped with a catch tray that collects all the exterminated bugs that come in its path.

The unit measures 12 x 12 x 27 inches and is built with premium outdoor grade plastic which also features a chrome plated grid. This construction guarantees a robust build that is meant to last for years.

In regards to its downsides, when we tested the unit and plugged it in, a few minutes after, we already noticed a loud buzzing sound. With this, it is not advisable to be placed near windows, not if you can sleep despite the annoying sound it produces.

The third entry on our list is the Stinger Cordless Rechargeable Insect Zapper.

This versatile product functions as both an LED light and a bug zapper.

With a single touch of a button, the light from the two white bulbs that come with it turn into a black UV light that lures in insects.

The Stinger comes without a cord, this means that you can place this product or hang it wherever you like in the house and never worry about plugging it into an outlet.

It has a sturdy metal ring that allows you to hang it anywhere in your house.

To keep yourself or your guests from hurting yourself due to weak electrical shocks, the product can be turned off with a single switch of the safety button. The small and modest size of the product makes it conducive for placement in small spaces.

To power the product you need to plug it in for charging the lithium ion battery. The light up time can reach up to four hours. Despite this, you can expect that this product is more powerful than you would’ve assumed.

The major drawback of this product is that its coverage area is only 625 feet. With this, it is not suitable for your porch. Another flaw is that the product needs the application of octenol, a chemical attractant, that gives off a strong offensive odor. However, when we used it without the octenol, we were surprised that it still was effective.

The fourth entry on our list is the Black FlagBZ-40 which can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Hiconsumption.com featured the Black Flag BZ-40 as one of the best bug zappers in 2016, and with that we have to agree.

Making use of a 5,500 volt current, it definitely delivers in terms of killing pests in your vicinity.

With a very useful light sensor, the Black Flag has the capacity to light up only at night when it is needed most.

Because of this, there is not need to consistently check if the unit is turned on or not.

It has a coverage area of 653 square feet so it is suitable for small yards or the indoors.

The 40 Watt black UV bulb works to lure insects in its coverage while octenol is also added to further enhance the function. However, along with its added effective feature, it also gives off an offensive smell.

The last entry on our list is the Westinghouse Solar Bug Killers. As the saying goes, “the more the merrier”; the same holds the true as well for this product.

Featuring a set of four solar powered bug zappers, the product definitely delivers.

A good feature of this product is that it has the capacity to change from being a regular light source to becoming a bug zapper in a single flip of a button.

Thanks to it being solar powered, the product need not to be pluged into a socket. The maintenance needed is only replacing the batteries after a few days​

Because of this, they can act as path lights while also working as a bug zapper.

The lamps don an elegant design and also flaunts a UV black light that attracts bugs and kills them eventually.

With its robust construction, these lamps are able to whether the elements of the outdoors. Durable as they are, they are able to last for several years while maintaining the same quality as it had the first time you purchased them.

Everything seemed well with this feature packed product, however we noticed that it only has a small coverage area of 400 square feet.

Our Recommendations:

Editor's Pick: Aspectek Indoor Insect Killer

Choosing Aspectek Indoor Insect Killer as the best among this list of equally competent bug zappers was difficult to do. However, after careful deliberation and hands on testing, we have chosen the as the best among the rest.

Being a staple in best bug zapper lists in several websites such as Stoppestinfo.com, the Aspectek Insect Killer lives up to the hype thanks to its large coverage area, which is one of its selling point. If you plan on buying a bug zapper, you would want one that eliminates bugs even at far distances.

Another icing to the cake is the fact that it features two variants, one with a 20 W bulb and a 40 W bulb.

Runners Up: Flowtron FC-8800 Diplomat and Westinghouse Solar Bug Killers

Coming in at near second is the Diplomat Insect Killer. It delivers in terms of getting the job done owing to its large coverage area. It also features a long cord which makes it possible to be installed anywhere you like.

Second runner up goes to the Westinghouse Solar Bug killers. Despite the fact that it only has a small coverage area, the solar powered feature as well as the fact that the purchase comes with 4 lamps was too good to pass. With this it deserves a worthy honourable mention.