Brookstone
Brookstone Ultrasonic Mosquito Repelling Wristband
Electronic · Unregulated consumer electronic device. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has taken enforcement action against marketers of wearable and ultrasonic mosquito repellers for unsupported efficacy claims.
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Cons
- No reliable evidence it reduces mosquito bites in controlled studies
- The kind of device the FTC has fined marketers of for unsupported repellent claims
The full review
A rechargeable wristband that emits a high-frequency tone and is marketed as a chemical-free, DEET-free way to keep mosquitoes away without anything on your skin. Like the plug-in versions, it carries no active ingredient and releases nothing into the air. The idea that a sound can drive biting mosquitoes off has been tested directly and has not held up. A wearable-device trial found that ultrasonic and other sound-based wearables gave no significant reduction in mosquitoes seeking a person, while the same study confirmed that a skin repellent and a metofluthrin emanator did work. Regulators have also fined marketers of wearable mosquito bands for claims they could not support. It is a comfortable band that plays a tone you mostly cannot hear, but controlled evidence does not show it protects you from bites.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%0There is no reliable evidence that this reduces mosquito bites. Controlled field studies and systematic reviews of electronic and gadget repellents (ultrasonic devices, apps, and repellent wristbands) have found no protective effect, and the linked research below shows why. It scores zero for effectiveness against biting.
There is no reliable evidence that this reduces mosquito bites. Controlled field studies and systematic reviews of electronic and gadget repellents (ultrasonic devices, apps, and repellent wristbands) have found no protective effect, and the linked research below shows why. It scores zero for effectiveness against biting.
Evidence & honest claims25%9No published studies in our library directly support this product's active ingredients at their concentrations (base 20). Of 3 marketing claims audited: 0 strong, 0 moderate, 2 weak, 1 unsupported (-16). Product-specific research exists (+5).
No published studies in our library directly support this product's active ingredients at their concentrations (base 20). Of 3 marketing claims audited: 0 strong, 0 moderate, 2 weak, 1 unsupported (-16). Product-specific research exists (+5).
Safety15%60This is not applied to your skin and poses little direct hazard to you. Safety is not the concern with these products; effectiveness is (see above).
This is not applied to your skin and poses little direct hazard to you. Safety is not the concern with these products; effectiveness is (see above).
Transparency15%0This product publishes no ingredient list (0).
This product publishes no ingredient list (0).
Every pillar is scored from published rules. Read how we score.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes no ingredient list (0).
The manufacturer does not publish an ingredient list for this product.
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Creates an ultrasonic barrier that repels mosquitoes”
EfficacyUnsupportedNot supported for bite protection. A 2017 wearable-device trial (Rodriguez et al., Journal of Insect Science) found sound-based and other passive wearables did not significantly reduce mosquito attraction, while the 2007 Cochrane review found no effect for electronic mosquito repellents generally.
“Chemical-free, DEET-free mosquito protection”
Deet FreeWeakIt is genuinely DEET-free and uses no chemical. But with no active ingredient and no demonstrated efficacy, DEET-free here does not deliver the protection the wording implies.
“Waterproof, non-toxic protection for adults and kids”
SafetyWeakThe band is non-toxic and can be worn safely by children, which is fine as far as it goes. It is not a substitute for a working repellent, since controlled testing has not shown it reduces bites for anyone.
Related research
- Efficacy of Some Wearable Devices Compared with Spray-On Insect Repellents for the Yellow Fever Mosquito, Aedes aegypti2017Well-supported evidence
This study put a range of wearable and gadget-style mosquito repellents to a head-to-head test against the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, an aggressive daytime biter that spreads dengue and Zika. The products included a sound-based wearable, a repellent wristband, and other passive devices, tested alongside a metofluthrin clip-on emanator and skin-applied repellents. The researchers measured how strongly mosquitoes were still drawn toward a person using each product, which is a direct way to ask whether the device actually keeps mosquitoes off you.
- FTC enforcement against marketers of ultrasonic and wearable mosquito repellers2016Well-supported evidence
This entry is a regulatory action rather than a scientific study, included because it is an authoritative check on the gadget-repellent market. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission polices advertising claims and requires that pest-control claims be backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence. When marketers of wearable and electronic mosquito repellers could not support their claims, the FTC stepped in, which tells a buyer that these are not fringe complaints but findings by a federal regulator.