A barrier beats a chemical
Almost every other option on the market works by poisoning the insect. Ours works by not letting it through. That difference decides everything else on this page.
Finer than a no-see-um
The mesh openings are under 0.6mm. That is smaller than a biting midge, which makes it far smaller than a tick or a mosquito. Nothing gets through because nothing fits through. No judgement call, no percentage, no window where it half works.
Zero insecticide
No permethrin, no DEET, nothing absorbed through skin and nothing to reapply. That matters for your kids, for the bees in your garden, and for cats, who cannot metabolise permethrin and can die from contact with treated fabric.
It never wears off
Treated clothing loses its protection somewhere between the 20th and 70th wash, and nothing tells you when. A weave has no expiry date. The garment protects on its last day exactly as well as on its first.
Against the alternatives
The honest version. Treated clothing and sprays do work. The question is for how long, at what cost, and what happens when you stop paying attention.
| Bug Away | Permethrin clothing | DEET spray | Regular clothing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stops ticks and mosquitoes | Yes, physically | Mostly | Mostly | No |
| Contains insecticide | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Washes out over time | Never | 20–70 washes | Every few hours | N/A |
| Safe around cats | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Safe around bees | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Needs reapplying | No | No | Yes | No |
| Breathable in summer | Yes, it is mesh | Depends | N/A | Depends |
| Closed at the ankle | Yes, one piece | No | No | No |
Why a tick cannot get through
A tick does not jump, fly or burrow through fabric. It climbs to roughly knee height on grass, holds its front legs out and waits for something to brush past. Then it crawls upward looking for an opening: a cuff, a waistband, the gap above a sock.
That behaviour is the whole reason this works. Close every opening with a weave finer than the animal itself and there is no route in. Mosquitoes are different, they bite through fabric pressed against skin, which is why the mesh is worn loose with air behind it.
See how it works
What ticks actually carry
A tick bite is not the problem. What comes with it is. Most of these need the tick attached for many hours, which is why prevention and a same-day check beat everything else.
Caused by Borrelia bacteria carried by ticks. Untreated it can lead to lasting joint, neurological and cardiac problems. The most common tick-borne illness in North America.
Bacterial infection causing fever, headache and severe muscle aches. Cases have risen sharply across the northeastern and midwestern US over the last decade.
A bite from a lone star tick can trigger a lasting allergy to red meat. There is no cure and no treatment beyond avoidance.
A parasite that infects red blood cells. Usually mild, but can be serious or fatal for elderly and immunocompromised people.
General information, not medical advice. If you think you have been bitten and feel unwell, speak to a doctor.
What Bug Away does not do
Every brand tells you what their product does. Here is the other half, because you will find this out anyway and we would rather you hear it now.
- It does not replace a tick check. It covers what it covers. Ticks find the gap: the wrist, above the ankle, behind the ear. Check the warm spots after every outing. It takes ninety seconds.
- It is a layer, not an outfit. This goes over what you are already wearing. It is mesh. You can see through it, and that is deliberate.
- Worn tight, mosquitoes win. Fabric pressed flat against skin gives a mosquito something to bite through. Size for airflow, not for fit.
- It does not protect your dog. A dog through undergrowth is a tick magnet and carries them straight back into the house. That is a separate problem and we do not have a product for it yet.
- It is not warm. Mesh breathes, which is exactly why it works in July and why it does nothing for you in November.
Find the version for how you use it
The gear is the same. The problem it solves looks different depending on whether you are kneeling in a flower bed or standing in a river at dusk.