Bugs and insects are sometimes such a problem for many households that some of them have to opt for harmful solutions like repellents or insecticides. But there is a new eco-friendly product that can give you peace of mind: solar-powered bug zapper. They work like a traditional model, with the only difference being the solar panel used to power them. Check out the best solar-powered bug zappers below to find the best user-friendly and chemical-free solution for insects.
How to Choose The Best Solar-Powered Bug Zapper For Yourself
Power
Not every bug zapper has the same power capacity, and solar-powered models are not an exception. It’s always necessary to have at least power to kill insects and bugs you’re targeting. 1000V is a common voltage and usually powerful enough, but there are also higher-voltage bug zappers available in case you need something more heavy-duty. This is a must when your living has a high population of bugs, such as when your garden is located near a lake.
But of course, a more powerful model will draw your batteries faster, and you have a shorter runtime as a result. That’s why actual battery life is important for those high-voltage devices. It usually depends on the lighting setting you use. A bug zapper with low-lighting will last much longer, sometimes up to several days before you need to recharge it. Meanwhile, a powerful model running at its full capacity will run out of power sooner, probably just after a few hours.
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Safety
For such powerful devices operating at high voltage, safety should always be a top concern. A high-quality bug zapper should have various safeguarding mechanisms around its electrified grid, which can keep your kids and pets away. Choose only models with durable materials as they are less likely to split or crack when you drop them, providing another way to protect you from accidental electric shocks.
But even those built-in safety mechanisms, you should also take extra precaution and keep bug zappers out of the way when unused. Hang them in a wall where your kids can’t reach with hooks that usually come in the box.
Lights
Most bug zappers have a UV option as many insects and bugs are attracted to this powerful light spectrum. But this is not always the case. Some insects, like mosquitos, are not drawn by UV light.
Carbon dioxide, blood, and sweat are what can draw mosquitos. Thanks to attractants like sweet-smelling candles, you don’t need to stand near a bug zapper to attract them. If mosquitos are what bother you the most, consider models with those attractants.
Best Solar-Powered Bug Zappers
MeetUs Solar Power Mosquito Lamp
If you want to go through nights with no mosquito bite but prefer not to touch any insecticide or repellent, MeetUs has a solution for you. You can control common insects with its Solar Power Mosquito Lamp. It’s a small investment and yet able to eliminate the needs of purchasing expensive chemicals or hiring professional exterminators. On top of that, it is powered by solar panels. A great win for both you and the environment.
This solar mosquito lamp has a simple design, and it’s one of the good points about it. At first glance, you will draw some similarities between it and a typical hanging lamp. It’s portable and allows you to hang it either by the handle or the hook.
But inside this normal look is an effective bug and mosquito slayer, which you can use in your bedroom, office, gardens, and everywhere around your house. Made from durable stainless steel, it’s heat-resistant and rustproof, so outdoor elements should not be a problem. Its ability to protect humans from those annoying insects goes up to the range of 80 square feet.
While a lot of other insect control devices and repellents give off a strong smell, this is not the case for the MeetUs mosquito lamp. You can stop worrying about the risk of fire hazard when you light a lamp and then leave it alone. This odorless lamp makes sure that such a thing won’t happen.
A bug zapper is usually supposed to work through the nights, so it’s normal if you expect it to run as silently as possible. Luckily for you, the MeetUs lamp is good at it. It doesn’t create infuriating sounds that you usually hear from an electric grid when it catches an insect. You will have a good night’s sleep with this mosquito lamp instead.
In addition to the default solar energy option, the MeetUs lamp is also equipped with another USB charging mode. This enables the lamp to operate non-stop even during cloudy days where there is no sunlight to power it. Every single charge may take 5 hours and provides enough power for the lamp to run for up to 24 hours. MeetUs also provides a 12-month warranty, pretty standard for a mosquito lamp.
However, the solar panel of this lamp needs direct sunlight in the open air for the best performance. Putting it in your patio or porch will make it less effective.
Pros
- Quiet
- Wide catching range
- Two charging options: USB cable and solar power
- Durable, heat resistant, and rustproof
- Long warranty
Cons
- Need open air and direct sunlight for the best performance
PIC Solar Insect Killer Torch
For the decorative purpose, solar-powered bug zappers exist in many forms. You have had a look at two mosquito and garden lamps, and here is a tiki torch. This is a great solution when you don’t want to burn fuel every night in your yard. The PIC solar torch comes with flickering LEDs, giving a reassuring aesthetic without the risks of chemical fumes and open flames.
Replace your tiki torches on your outdoor patio with this solar-powered model, and you will have a more convenient tool and less mess to deal with. It has multiple mounting options; you can either put it on the ground with the stake or adjust its heights with various poles on the base. With just two of those torches in a large backyard, your bug problems will disappear within hours.
Many brands have tried to imitate PIC and come up with similar and cheaper products, but there are rarely any models that can get the job done as well as the PIC bug killer torch. It uses UV light in combination with the flickering LEDs to attract common flying insects like moths, flies, mosquitoes, and gnats. Any bug flying straight into this zapper will fall into the tray set up below. You can remove this catch tray later without turning off the light.
The PIC solar-powered bug zapper is durable and weatherproof. You can leave it alone in your backyard all year round without any issue. After the sunset, the battery can keep the torch run for another 6 hours.
However, you should not rely alone on this to solve the bug problem. Many customers have complained the PIC torch is a bit overpriced for its bug-killing ability.
Pros
- Perfect for some ambience on a patio or a deck
- Simulate the flame of a torch pretty well.
Cons
- Overpriced for the performance
GutReise Portable Solar-Powered Graden Street Light
This bug lamp is a smart choice if you love the bigger GuiReise lamp above and want a more portable version instead. As an outdoor insect repellent tool, it works in a convenient and intelligent way. Sunlight charges this lamp during the day so when the night comes, the lamp can light up and do its job.
Even this GutReise bug lamp is a portable model, it’s still waterproof with an IP54 rating, meaning it can work under harsh outdoor weather conditions. But it’s not a good idea to intentionally submerge it in water as the lamp will get damaged and stop working.
It works independently and gets its power from sunlight so you can bring it with you on a camping or hiking trip, for example. You will have a more enjoyable time with your friends and family without the nuisance of bugs and insects in those outdoors sites. Since it’s easy to use, there is no need for a proper setup. Just hang it around or stick it into the ground, and you’re good to go.
Like all eco-friendly bug zappers in this list, the GutReise lamp is safe for humans as well. It doesn’t make use of any harsh chemicals or toxins to do the job.
On top of the bug-killing capability, this lamp can also serve as a decor item for your outdoor living space too. With an aesthetically pleasing design, it can add a small yet nice touch into your yard or garden. This lamp goes pretty well with multiple themes and designs.
The catch here is that since GutReise has to reduce the size to make it more portable, the bug repellents also get less effective as a result. But overall, this lamp is still a decent choice if a portable solution for bugs is what you crave.
Pros
- Portable
- Durable and waterproof
- Good looking
Cons
- Limited bug-killing capability
PIC Solar Portable Lantern & Bug Zapper
If you love camping and cookouts during the summer, you must already know that those pastimes can get more exciting by a portable zapper, like this PIC solar-powered model. You can use it as a bug zapper and a lantern at the same time, so you can ward off annoying insects while lighting up your campsite, deck, or patio.
The white LED lights of these small lanterns can be adjusted between three settings – high, medium, and low. This allows you to always have the right amount of light you want, whether you just want to have pleasant, relaxing lighting, or want to brighten everything up for your outdoor party. During the whole time, the UV light will silently draw bugs and insects in to keep them away.
Like most solar-powered bug zappers, this model can also be charged via the micro-USB port, so in case it’s not sunny enough, or you have an emergency, you can always charge it quickly. The battery can last up to 12 hours for a single charge, depending on the specific light setting, making it a great option when you need to stay outside for long for late-night cookouts, for example.
Pros
- Portable
- Sleek design
Cons
- Shorter battery life
GutReise Solar Electric Bugs Lamp
This GutReise bugs lamp has an almost identical design to the MeetUs above. They both come in handy when your family feel annoyed every night due to flies, mosquitoes, and other bugs. When mosquito candles and coils don’t work, you might want to try a bug zapper like this.
The GutReise lamp is among the best options you can buy right now. It kills insects by emitting strong UV rays that are able to lure and attract various kinds of insects, including mosquitoes, flies, and moths.
Thanks to this eco-friendly solution, you don’t need to touch any harmful pesticides or sprays to achieve an insect-free living space. No harsh chemicals or sticky sprays are needed to remove those bugs from your house. Not just for residential use, this is also a good choice for offices and hospitals where you can’t use sprays.
This isn’t only a tool to protect you from insects, but also a great decorative item for your garden. As long as it’s exposed to direct sunlight or charged fully via the USB cable, you can put it anywhere you like, indoors or outdoors. The lamp is made from stainless steel and can withstand harsh conditions pretty well with a waterproof rating of IP54.
The GutReise lamp requires little maintenance. Most of the work involved comes from the disposal when you need to get rid of insects the lamp has collected into a tray.
It’s pretty safe if you have kids too, even though it has a powerful 3000V electric grid. The lamp comes with a mesh to prevent them from putting their fingers into it.
However, compared to the MeetUs model above, this lamp has only a 90-day warranty – a disappointment for a similar product at the same price point. And like its competitor, the GutReise lamp needs a lot of direct sunlight to unlock its full potential. When using it outdoors, make sure that you have the right adjustment, and the solar panel receives as much sunlight as possible.
Pros
- Two charging options
- Durable, suitable for outdoors uses
- Safe for kids
Cons
- Need a lot of direct sunlight for the best performance
- Short warranty
Lixada Solar Landscape Spotlights
This Lixada bug zapper has a form of a garden lamp. Made from high-quality ABS plastic, it can resist typical outdoors weather conditions pretty well. Dust, frost, rust, water, heat, or any other harmful element is not a problem for this solar-powered lamp.
On top of that, it is equipped with a 4V, 50mAH mono-crystalline solar panel that has a short charging time. It makes sure that the lamp has a high energy-conversion rate and reaches its full capability in just a few minutes. Between this efficient solar panel and the 2600mAH batteries, the Lixada bug zapper has a good battery time. In fact, it is among the longest in the market. The charging may take you 8 hours, but after that, you can enjoy a whopping 72 hours of bug-killing from this zapper.
Lixada gives customers plenty of choices when they decide to purchase the lamp. You can opt for a lamp with or without a hook, and the option of two lamps and a hook is also available.
This solar-powered bug zapper has two operation modes, giving you the choice of turning on the purple or white light. While the UV purple light enables the lamp to work as a typical insect-killing zapper, you can make it work as a white-lighting garden lamp as well. Just press the button on the lamp to switch between those lighting modes.
This Lixada lamp also has a smart function that allows it to automatically turn on at night. Thanks to the equipped lighting sensors, it can turn on when the night comes and turn itself off at dawn to preserve energy and start charging.
Despite its size and design, this bug zapper isn’t hard to install. You can either hang it in a wall with the included hook or drive it into the ground, as long as the ground is soft enough (or you may risk breaking it).
However, many customers have also said that the lighting is too dim for their needs. One of the suggestions they come up with is to buy multiple lamps to get the lighting right.
Pros
- Easy to install
- Good-looking
- Durable ABS material
- Weather-proof
- Long runtime
- Two lighting modes
Cons
- A little dim for many customers
Final Words
The best solar-powered bug zappers above can’t just provide lighting for your garden or patio but also reduce the population of flying insects in your home. They are available in different sizes and designs, but all of them are eco-friendly solutions, so you don’t have to rely on harmful chemicals to solve your issue again.