The most fun invention in personal insect repellent technology in recent years is the tennis racket bug zapper. Even reading the reviews on Amazon will have you laughing out loud, like I was.

These devices take the technology used in bug zapping lanterns and turn it into a hand-held tool that you can take with you camping or leave on the porch for quick defense against any biting or bothersome insects. These are fun, inexpensive and useful gifts for Dad if you buy the well-made ones!

The tennis racket bug zappers presented here are some of the best in their respective price ranges. Whether you are looking for a few cheap bug zapping rackets for your next picnic, or a high quality rechargeable bug killer, each of these options has been reviewed as giving great ‘bang for your buck’.

Want to Kill Mosquitoes Fast and Effectively?

Just think how contented you’ll feel when you finally get rid of all those annoying, biting mosquitoes! Since you’re reading this page, its probably fair to assume you are troubled by these sneaky, stealthy blood winged sucking that are likely unwelcome infiltrators to your home, garden and personal space!

There’s nothing more irritating that just peacefully dropping off to sleep at night only to be rudely awakened by the high pitch whine of a mosquito flying close to your ear, searching for an easy meal! It’s dark so you can’t see it and as soon as you turn on the light, it vanishes!

How many nights do you have your sleep disturbed in this fashion. How often do you then spend ages searching round the room for the darn thing that’s so well hidden you just can’t find it? Only to return to bed disgruntled, switch off the light only to hear that confounded high pitched whine in your ear again!

You need an effective way to kill mosquitoes and spend your nights sleeping soundly, safe in the knowledge that there will be no interruptions from the tiny, winged prowlers. This article will reveal the best way to achieve that!

Zap That thing!

I admit it, I hate mosquitoes! I have hated them ever since i was a kid growing up in Australia. back then, I had to sleep in a dark bedroom and hide under the sheet from the sound of their high pitch whine because I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed to put on the light.

It was a different age back in the 1960s. Parents had authority and kids did what they were told! If my mother said, “Brian, clean your room!” I did or there was heck to pay!

But anyway, I remember vividly being so hot that even to have a sheet over me was too much, but it was the only way to hide from the relentless sound of those hated creatures. Little did I know back then that things could still bite you through a sheet!

As an adult in the US, we didn’t get many mosquitoes apart from in the few hot days of summer (if we got one), so they weren’t so much of a problem. But even so, when they got into the house at night there was no way I would go to sleep until I had silenced their whining sound.

That meant turning on every light in the room and slaking the horrible things, which, incidentally I’m convinced have an intelligence that defies logic. They know when they’re being stalked and they hide in the cleverest places. Meaning I could lose an hour or more sleep at night trying to hunt them down and kill them so I could go back to sleep!

In those days, we didn’t have the kind of effective zappers that you can buy now. Like the one in the image to the left, for instance. It looks like a tennis racket but packs a serious punch that the little flying menaces will not be able to escape!

If you want something that kills mozzies fast and easily, this is your weapon! These things come with a 2,000+ volt charge that kills mosquitoes (and flies, wasps, and just about any other flying bug) stone dead!

Check out the zapper in that image (click it for more info) and I’m sure you will agree that these things are totally wonderful!

ZAP IT! Bug Zapper

This extra large bug zap racket has enough power to kill large and even very small insects. Having a higher voltage means the spark can jump further and this model is said to be able to kill fleas, lice and fruit flies.

This model also features an attracting light to help with moths and other insects attracted to light.

The Zap It! zapper takes two ‘D’ sized batteries and is not rechargeable, but like the others you could purchase rechargeable ‘D’ batteries. This extra large model is recommended as it has a longer handle to reach most ceilings to clear spiders.

Instead of a hold-down button like other models this one features a switch; which has it’s benefits and drawbacks. While getting bugs is easier with a switch you should also make sure that other people stand clear so you don’t accidentally shock them before you can turn the switch off.

This has a 4 out of five star rating on Amazon over 17 reviews. It is not the highest quality option available but it has all the features one could need of a good bug zapper with a decent voltage to boot.

Jolt Bug Zapping Racket

The Jolt racket offers a slightly different design with straight metal rungs instead of tennis-style mesh. It has the common ‘hold’ button that many other models feature and a similar voltage.

An advantage of this design is that it is easier to clean, useful for when bugs get stuck on the rungs and continuously fry. The disadvantage, however, is that it will sometimes miss smaller insects if they happen to pass between the rungs.

Over other models this racket comes with a carry bag, useful for protecting it while traveling, camping, or even just keeping it from little hands.

The Jolt racket zapper has received 30 customer reviews on Amazon and maintains a high 4.5 star average score. A few customers praised how easy it was to clean and how much fun they had using it. Negative feedback focused around it missing some insects sometimes.

BugKwikZap 2300 Volts Electric Bug Zapper

The BugKwikZap from the manufacturer with the same name is the best of the cheaper tennis racket bug zappers. This model comes with a light integrated into the handle to help attract bugs and to warn other people when the racket is live.

This tennis racket insect zapper takes two AA batteries that are disposable but you could easily buy rechargeable AA batteries to save money in the long run.

This model has nearly 50 reviews on Amazon with an average rating of 4/5 stars. Customers noted that it killed easily on contact, even larger insects.

Customers who rated it poorly typically received one with a fault and had to return it, but there were very few of these. One customer stated that “if you can, buy more than one” because their family members were fighting over who got to use it.

Zap Racket Rechargeable Bug Zapper

The final word in tennis backhand bug killing is the Zap Racket from the manufacturer with the same name. This model has all the features of the lesser models, attractant light, high voltage, wire mesh, and push button zapping.

However, this model also has one great advantage over the cheaper models; it is rechargeable in a standard wall socket. Simply plug in the detachable recharging cable and leave it plugged in whenever you aren’t using it. This way you will get the maximum voltage zap each time you use, ensuring those bugs go out in a blaze of glory.

Expectedly this model maintains a very high rating on Amazon with a 4.5 average on nearly 70 reviews. Customers loved this models ability to hold a charge and the sturdy plastic it was made out of when compared to other, lesser models they had used and broken earlier.

One customer said “I have over swung and smacked a few things besides flies – it just keeps on zapping.” Another customer said “definitely impressed with the quality of this product after going through three other ones.

” If you want a bug zapper that is going to last and doesn’t need new batteries all the time then the Zap Racket is your best option.

Ready to start shopping?

There are many different models of these bug zapping tennis rackets but most use a battery of some description in the handle to generate a high voltage electrical current along the racket’s wire mesh. Simply swing while holding in the zap button. These bug zappers aren’t toys and they will hurt if you touch them while they are live but they hurt pesky insects a lot more.

Not to be understated is the amount of fun to be had with these bug zappers. The first time you hear that satisfying ‘crack’ when you swing and hit a large mosquito you are going to be hooked. It’s likely that after that first time you are going to go out and find the most bug infested places you can to have your next barbecue.

Besides the fun to be had with these products an important benefit is that they can do their job of ridding you of pests without the need for any chemical pesticides.

Great for use around young ones for this reason and you can even kill insects near the open flame of a campfire, something you could never do with a spray.