Trending

Smidge That Midge insect repellent review

Smidge That Midge is a delicious-smelling spray that’s especially effective against its arch nemesis, the Scottish midge

By

Smidge That Midge
(Image: © Smidge that Midge)

Our Verdict

Dodge the midge clouds (and stay mosquito-, tick- and flea-free) with this hardworking spray, which has the bonus of smelling delicious.

For

  • Smells fantastic
  • Gentle enough to use on kids
  • Great against midges

Against

  • No DEET, so may not work hard enough in jungle conditions

First thoughts

Heading to Scotland on a staycation? Stash a bottle of Smidge That Midge in your backpack. This repellent is created by the makers of the Scottish Midge Forecast (where you can check the prevalence of midges on a given day), so they definitely know a thing or two about Scotland’s most annoying mini residents.

This spray sets out to do one thing – repel midges – and it does so effectively. Other testers report that it works against mosquitoes abroad, too. Smidge That Midge contains no DEET, instead using Picaridin agents that also work against mosquitoes, horse flies, sand flies, fleas and ticks.

The lack of DEET means it’s suitable for use on children, too.

In the field

We’ve used Smidge multiple times when hiking in Scotland and found it to be very effective. The only way you are likely to get bitten is if you miss a spot – although you might still need to arm yourself with a midge net when they’re really out in force, and Smidge sell those too, (along with tick removers).

There’s less than a wee chance of the little blighters biting when you’re armed with all this. In terms of convenience, the slim bottle is easy to pop in your pocket, and the spray is water resistant enough to stay put if you sweat, and lasts all day (well, at least 8 hours) with one reapplication.

The standout feature of Smidge that Midge is the lovely smell – it has a mild, very pleasant scent that you could quite easily mistake for a summery perfume, which is a far cry from most medicinal-smelling insect repellents. It goes on with a watery cream texture, but dries fast, and leaves a slight sheen on skin that isn’t sticky.