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I Tested 3 Popular Bug Zappers to See Which One Actually Works
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I Tested 3 Popular Bug Zappers to See Which One Actually Works
Writtten and Edited by: Benjamin White
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Summer is great—until the mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, and other flying insects show up. If you’ve ever searched for the best bug zapper, you’ve probably seen dozens of products claiming to eliminate bugs in your home or on your patio.
But do bug zappers actually work?
To find out, I purchased three of Amazon’s most popular bug zappers with my own money and put them through a real-world test. No sponsorships. No paid promotions. Just honest results.
If you’d like to see the video of me testing these zappers, watch here:
The Bug Zappers I Tested
Price at time of testing: $28.49
The Burlan Flying Insect Trap uses a 9-watt UV light to attract flying insects onto a replaceable sticky glue board. It includes ten replacement boards and is designed primarily for indoor use.
Key Features
- UV light attraction
- Sticky glue board
- Quiet operation
- Includes 10 replacement traps
Price at time of testing: $34.19
Instead of electrocuting insects, the FVOAI uses a UV light and an internal fan. Flying insects are drawn toward the light before the fan pulls them onto a sticky glue trap where they cannot escape.
It also features optional 6-hour and 12-hour timers.
Key Features
- UV light
- Internal suction fan
- Sticky trap
- Timer settings
- Completely silent operation
Price at time of testing: $39.99
The GooTop is the traditional electric bug zapper most people recognize. It uses a UV bulb surrounded by a 4,200-volt electric grid that instantly kills insects on contact. Dead insects collect in a removable tray for easy cleanup.
Key Features
- 4,200-volt electric grid
- UV light attraction
- Collection tray
- Indoor and outdoor capable
How I Tested Them
To keep things fair, each bug zapper went through the exact same tests.
Indoor Test
First, I placed all three bug zappers inside my office overnight with the lights turned off.
Key Features
- Burlan: Nothing caught
- GooTop: Nothing caught
- FVOAI: One small fruit fly or gnat
The indoor results were disappointing across the board. Either there simply weren’t enough insects indoors, or these products need a higher concentration of bugs before they become effective.
Outdoor Overnight Test
Next, I moved all three units onto my covered porch and left them running overnight.
This is where things became much more interesting.
Burlan Results
The Burlan caught:
- Several gnats
- Small flies
- Midges
- One moth
For an inexpensive sticky trap, it performed reasonably well. However, I couldn’t confirm that it caught any mosquitoes.
Pros
- Affordable
- Quiet
- Easy cleanup
Cons
- Smaller catch overall
- No confirmed mosquitoes
FVOAI Results
The FVOAI delivered the strongest performance of the test.
Its glue board was packed with:
- Gnats
- Small flies
- Midges
- Multiple moths
It caught significantly more insects than the Burlan and more than the other two bug zappers combined.
Even though I still couldn’t verify any mosquitoes, it consistently attracted the highest number of nuisance insects.
Pros
- Excellent catch rate
- Silent operation
- Easy maintenance
- Timer function
Cons
- Glue boards eventually require replacement
GooTop Results
The GooTop produced the fewest total catches.
However, it caught the largest insects of the entire test.
Large bugs were trapped inside the collection tray, while ants gathered around the dead insects afterward.
Pros
- Handles larger insects well
- No glue boards needed
- Traditional electric zapper
Cons
- Lowest overall catch count
- Loud zapping noise
- Didn’t perform as well on smaller flying insects
Which Bug Zapper Is Best?
| Hand Blender | Price at Time of Filming | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Turelar Immersion Blender | $39.99 | One-button design, claims 1100W motor |
| Cuisinart Hand Blender | $67.99 | Two-button safety design, claims 300W motor |
| KitchenAid Cordless Hand Blender | $100 | Cordless design with rechargeable battery |
One surprising discovery was that each bug zapper attracted different types of insects.
The two sticky-board traps excelled at catching:
- Gnats
- Fruit flies
- Midges
- Small flying insects
Meanwhile, the GooTop caught fewer insects overall but handled larger bugs more effectively.
Winner: FVOAI Zap M3 Pro
If I could only recommend one bug zapper, it would be the FVOAI Zap M3 Pro.
It caught more insects than the other two products combined, operated silently, and the fan-assisted design clearly made a noticeable difference.
For anyone dealing with gnats, fruit flies, or other small flying insects around the home, it’s easily my top recommendation.
Final Thoughts
Bug zappers aren’t miracle devices, especially if you’re expecting them to completely eliminate mosquitoes.
However, they can absolutely reduce populations of nuisance insects when used in the right environment.
Based on my testing:
🥇 Best Overall: FVOAI Zap M3 Pro
đź’° Best Budget Option: Burlan Flying Insect Trap
⚡ Best for Large Flying Bugs: GooTop Zap T6 Pro
As always, every product in this comparison was purchased independently so the results are completely unbiased.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do bug zappers actually work?
Yes, but effectiveness depends on the design. In my testing, sticky traps with UV lights and suction fans consistently caught more insects than a traditional electric bug zapper.
What is the best bug zapper for gnats?
The FVOAI Zap M3 Pro performed the best during testing, catching significantly more gnats and small flying insects than the other models.
Do bug zappers kill mosquitoes?
Some bug zappers claim to attract mosquitoes, but I couldn’t confirm that any of the three products tested actually caught mosquitoes during my testing.
Are electric bug zappers better than sticky traps?
Not necessarily. The electric GooTop caught larger insects, but the sticky traps captured far more total bugs.
Can bug zappers be used indoors?
Yes, many bug zappers are designed specifically for indoor use. However, their effectiveness depends on how many insects are actually present in the room.
Are bug zappers safe around pets and children?
Most enclosed UV bug traps are relatively safe when used as directed. Electric bug zappers should always be placed where children and pets cannot touch the high-voltage grid.
How often should glue boards be replaced?
Replace glue boards whenever they become full of insects or lose their stickiness. The exact lifespan depends on how many insects are present in your home.
What attracts bugs to a bug zapper?
Most bug zappers use ultraviolet (UV) light to attract flying insects. Some models, like the FVOAI, combine UV light with a suction fan to trap insects once they get close.
