Ben's
Ben's 100 Tick and Insect Repellent Pump Spray
Spray · EPA-registered repellent (Reg. #56575-7)
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Pros
- Maximum-strength backcountry DEET, 100% active for 6 to 8 hours that shrugs off heat and sweat.
- A simple pump spray with no propellant and a near-flawless score for serious bug country.
Cons
- Pure DEET feels oily and will damage plastics, lenses, and synthetics, so apply carefully and keep it off gear.
- Far more than you need for a backyard evening, and not for infants.
The full review
At 98.11% DEET this is about as much active as you can buy, and it tops our recommended, maximum protection tier. It is the rare product with a flawless transparency pillar, disclosing every active and inert and quantifying the entire formula, alongside definitive DEET evidence and a clean safety read. Our model puts complete protection at 6 to 8 hours for mosquitoes and 3 to 6 for ticks, so the 'up to 10 hours' on the label counts reduced biting rather than bite-free time; the real payoff of going this high is durability against sweat and rain. The 3.4 oz pump travels well for deep-woods and tropical trips. Pure DEET feels oily and will damage plastics, lenses, and synthetics, so apply carefully, keep it off gear, and skip it on infants.
Scorecard
Expand any pillar to see exactly why it scored what it did.
Effectiveness45%96Mosquitoes: 6–8 h of complete protection. Ticks: 3–6 h of complete protection. Protection times are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format (see methodology). Scored on a saturating curve (each added hour counts less than the last), 65% mosquito / 35% tick, with reasonable confidence.
Mosquitoes: 6–8 h of complete protection. Ticks: 3–6 h of complete protection. Protection times are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format (see methodology). Scored on a saturating curve (each added hour counts less than the last), 65% mosquito / 35% tick, with reasonable confidence.
Evidence & honest claims25%97DEET is backed by definitive published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 85). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 4 strong, 1 moderate, 0 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
DEET is backed by definitive published evidence, weighted by how close its concentration is to the studied effective dose (base 85). Of 5 marketing claims audited: 4 strong, 1 moderate, 0 weak, 0 unsupported (+12).
Safety15%96From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: no notable sensitization risk; low irritation; moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
From published dermal toxicology (EPA/CIR/IFRA), scaled by each active's concentration against its leave-on limit: no notable sensitization risk; low irritation; moderate aquatic toxicity (−4).
Transparency15%100This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
Every pillar is scored from published rules. Read how we score.
How long it protects
Complete protection ends when the first bite gets through; partial protection keeps reducing bites as repellency decays. EPA label times are verified; the rest are modeled from the actives, concentration, and format.
Mosquito estimate basis (moderate confidence)
Estimated complete protection time from active ingredient + concentration; the source research used a spray-style formulation, matching this spray (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~14 h as repellency decays.
Tick estimate basis (moderate confidence)
Estimated complete protection time from active ingredient + concentration; the source research used a spray-style formulation, matching this spray (no format adjustment). Partial protection (reduced but real bite suppression) is modeled to extend to ~11 h as repellency decays.
Ingredient disclosure
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); the full formula including inerts is accounted for (+25).
- DEETActive
Active repellent · 100%
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Contains no alcohol, non-oily”
OtherStrongStated on the EPA-accepted label.
“Up to 10 hours of protection against ticks”
DurationModerateRe-evaluated against our corrected complete-protection estimate (~6 h): the claimed 10 h is 1.7× our estimate, so this duration claim is optimistic but plausible (a label maximum).
“Repels insects that may carry West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Zika virus, and dengue fever”
EfficacyStrongDisease-vector repellency claims appear on the EPA-accepted label; DEET is a CDC-recommended active ingredient.
“DEET 98.11% maximum strength formula”
EfficacyStrongActive ingredient concentration confirmed on the EPA-accepted label (Reg. No. 56575-7).
“Up to 10 hours of protection against mosquitoes”
DurationStrongEPA label-approved protection time.
How to apply it
Apply sparingly to exposed skin only — do not use under clothing, on cuts, wounds, or irritated skin, or near eyes and mouth, and apply sparingly around ears. To apply to the face, dispense onto hands and spread for coverage; do not apply to children's hands, do not allow children to handle the product, and apply it to children yourself. Frequent or saturated reapplication is unnecessary; reapply only after the roughly 10-hour protection period or after swimming, sweating, or toweling off. After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water and wash treated clothing. Note that high-concentration DEET can damage synthetics, plastics, and painted surfaces.