Coleman
Coleman 100 MAX Insect Repellent 98% DEET
Spray · EPA-registered repellent (Reg. #79533-2)
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Pros
- About as strong as repellent gets: 98% DEET runs 6 to 8 hours and shrugs off sweat and rain.
- The science is settled, with a clean safety read at this level and the deepest evidence base of any active.
Cons
- It feels like heavy-duty DEET: oily on the skin, and strong enough to soften plastics, sunglasses, and synthetic fabrics.
- Overkill for a quick backyard hour, and not for infants.
The full review
At 98.11% DEET this is about as much active as you can buy, and it sits firmly in our recommended, maximum-protection tier. The evidence behind DEET is as settled as repellent science gets, the skin safety reads clean, and 3 of 4 audited claims hold up, so almost nothing drags it down. We model 6 to 8 hours of complete mosquito protection and 3 to 6 against ticks; the label's up to 10 hours counts reduced biting rather than bite-free time, and the real payoff of going this high is durability against sweat and rain. The only knock is a modest transparency ding for disclosing every active but not the full inert list. Worth remembering this strength can craze plastics and synthetics and is not meant for 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 4 marketing claims audited: 3 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 4 marketing claims audited: 3 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%75This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
This product publishes an ingredient list (+20); discloses 100% of active concentrations (+40); discloses 100% of all ingredient concentrations (+15); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
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); inert ingredients are not fully accounted for (0).
Only active ingredients are disclosed. The full ingredient list (inerts/carriers) is not published, so this may not be the complete formula.
- DEETActive
Active repellent · 98.11%
Claims audit
What the marketing says, versus what the evidence supports.
“Repels mosquitoes, chiggers, biting flies, gnats, ticks, fleas, and no-see-ums”
EfficacyStrongEPA-registered DEET efficacy claim per manufacturer labeling.
“Withstands water and perspiration”
OtherModeratePer manufacturer; high-concentration DEET is long-wearing but EPA does not certify sweat resistance.
“Up to 10 hours of protection against mosquitoes and ticks”
DurationStrongEPA-accepted label protection time (10 hours mosquitoes, 10 hours ticks) per the EPA repellent search tool.
“DEET 98.11%”
EfficacyStrongActive ingredient concentration confirmed by manufacturer page and EPA registration data.
How to apply it
Apply to exposed skin, using just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing. Do not spray directly onto the face - spray on hands first and then apply, avoiding eyes and mouth and applying sparingly around ears. Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin, do not apply to young children's hands, and do not use on infants. After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water and wash treated clothing before wearing again. Avoid contact with plastics, synthetics (other than nylon), watch crystals, leather, and painted or varnished surfaces.