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Six ultrasonic units, from mains plug-ins to battery and rechargeable models, compared on what each listing states. The Big Cheese plug-in is listed for mice and rats and has a TEST button, and the EcoMyLife pack gives you two units if you have more than one room in mind. For a loft, barn or caravan with no socket, the Pestbye 360 charges by USB-C.
The Six Compared
Every column below is what the Amazon listing itself states, with each coverage figure attributed to the maker who claims it. Where a listing does not state something, the cell says so rather than guessing.
| Product | Power | Target species, as listed | Coverage claimed by the maker | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Big Cheese Sonic Repeller | Mains plug-in | Mouse, Rat | Up to 37m², per the maker | Best Overall |
| VNEED Ultrasonic Pest Repeller | Mains plug-in | Nine species listed | Up to 1,200 sq ft, per the maker | Best Plug-In |
| EcoMyLife Ultrasonic Pest Repeller | Mains plug-in, 2 units | Eleven species listed | 1,200 sq ft each, per the maker | Best for Multiple Rooms |
| Pestbye 360 Rechargeable | Rechargeable, cordless | Rodents, per the title | Up to 170 hours a charge, per the maker | Best Cordless |
| Pestbye Spider & Crawling Insect Repeller | Battery, 2 x PP3 | Spider | Up to 2,500 sq ft unobstructed, per the maker | Best for Spiders |
| Pestbye Long Life Sonic Repellent | Battery, 2 x PP3 | Mouse, Rat | Up to 2,500 sq ft unobstructed, per the maker | Best for Rodents |
The ASA has yet to accept an efficacy claim for any pest repeller, ultrasonic included, so the coverage and duration figures on these cards are the makers’ own (ASA).
Best Overall — The Big Cheese Sonic Mouse & Rat Repeller Plug-In
Electrical
The Big Cheese Sonic Mouse & Rat Repeller Plug-In
Best Overall
- Mains plug-in; target species listed as Mouse, Rat
- The maker states it protects areas of up to 37m²
- Halo-red LED and a TEST button for an in-situ check, as listed
- The listing's own scope: recommended for use once infestations in the home are under control
- The maker describes it as suitable to use around children and pets such as cats and dogs
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Suits you once an infestation in the home is under control, which is the use the maker recommends. It plugs into the mains, is listed for mice and rats, and has a halo-red LED and a TEST button so you can check it in place. The maker states an area of up to 37m².
Pros:
- Mains plug-in, listed for mice and rats
- LED and TEST button for an in-place check
- Maker states an area of up to 37m²
- Listing scopes it to after an infestation is under control
Best Plug-In — VNEED Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Plug-In
Electrical
VNEED Ultrasonic Pest Repeller Plug-In
Best Plug-In
- Mains plug-in; the listing describes combined electromagnetic and ultrasonic operation
- Target species listed as Ant, Cockroach, Flea, Fly, Mosquito, Moth, Mouse, Rat, Spider
- The maker states an effective area of up to 1,200 sq ft
- Detail row states "Is electric: No" on a product that plugs into a socket
- Listed at 0.18 kg; country of origin listed as China
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Suits you if you have more than one kind of pest in mind, since the listing names nine target species, from ant and cockroach to mouse and rat. It is a mains plug-in that the listing describes as combining electromagnetic and ultrasonic operation, and the maker states an area of up to 1,200 sq ft.
Pros:
- Mains plug-in
- Nine target species named on the listing
- Electromagnetic and ultrasonic operation, per the listing
- Maker states up to 1,200 sq ft
Best for Multiple Rooms — EcoMyLife Ultrasonic Pest Repeller (2 Pack)
Electrical
EcoMyLife Ultrasonic Pest Repeller (2 Pack)
Best for Multiple Rooms
- Pack size stated two ways on the listing: unit count 2, number of pieces 4
- The maker states 1,200 sq ft per repeller
- The listing's own limitation: ultrasound cannot pass through walls and solid objects, so it recommends one unit per room
- Target species listed as eleven, from ant and bed bug to wasp
- Mains plug-in; listed at 0.13 kg; country of origin listed as China
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Pick this if you have more than one room in mind. The pack holds two mains units, and the maker states 1,200 sq ft per unit. The listing says ultrasound cannot pass through walls and solid objects and recommends one unit per room.
Pros:
- Two units in the pack
- Listing recommends one unit per room
- Maker states 1,200 sq ft per unit
- Eleven target species listed
Best Cordless — Pestbye 360 Ultrasonic Rechargeable Rodent Repeller
Electrical
Pestbye 360 Ultrasonic Rechargeable Rodent Repeller
Best Cordless
- USB-C rechargeable; the maker states up to 170 hours on a charge
- Fixed and variable frequency settings listed as 20–80 kHz
- The maker says the variable setting is there to stop rodents becoming accustomed to the sound
- Listed for lofts, barns, caravans and homes — places without a power source
- Power source listed as Battery Powered; target species not stated in the detail table
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The one to choose where there is no socket, such as a loft, barn or caravan. It charges by USB-C, and the maker states up to 170 hours on a charge. It has fixed and variable frequency settings across 20 to 80 kHz, and the maker says the variable setting is there so rodents do not become accustomed to the sound.
Pros:
- USB-C rechargeable; maker states up to 170 hours a charge
- Fixed and variable settings, 20 to 80 kHz
- Listed for lofts, barns and caravans
Best for Spiders — Pestbye Battery Operated Spider & Crawling Insect Repeller
Electrical
Pestbye Battery Operated Spider Repellent & Deterrent — Ultrasonic Spider & Crawling Insect Repeller
Best for Spiders
- Target species listed as Spider — the listing does not name mice
- Takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied; the maker states up to 12 months of continuous use
- The maker states a signal every 8 seconds covering an unobstructed area of up to 2,500 sq ft
- Listed for garages, lofts, outbuildings, sheds, greenhouses and river boats
- The maker describes it as safe for pets, wildlife (except rodents) and humans
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Suits a garage, shed or loft where spiders are the concern, since spider is the target species this listing names. It takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied, and the maker states up to 12 months of continuous use with a signal every 8 seconds over an unobstructed 2,500 sq ft. The listing does not name mice.
Pros:
- Listed target species: spider
- Takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied
- Maker states up to 12 months of use
- Listed for garages, lofts, sheds and greenhouses
Best for Rodents — Pestbye Long Life Battery Operated Sonic Rat and Mouse Repellent
Product
Pestbye Long Life Battery Operated Sonic Rat and Mouse Repellent
Best for Rodents
- Target species listed as Mouse, Rat
- Takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied; the maker states 8 to 12 months of continuous use
- The maker states a signal every 8 seconds covering an unobstructed area of up to 2,500 sq ft
- Listed for homes, garages, lofts, outbuildings, sheds and greenhouses
- Listed at 9.7 x 9.7 x 2.5 cm with a 2 year warranty
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The mouse and rat counterpart of the unit above, listed for homes, garages, lofts, sheds and greenhouses. It takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied, and the maker states 8 to 12 months of continuous use with a signal every 8 seconds over an unobstructed 2,500 sq ft. It carries a 2 year warranty.
Pros:
- Listed for mice and rats
- Takes two 9V PP3 batteries, not supplied
- Maker states 8 to 12 months of use
- 2 year warranty, as listed
Start with your situation
- You want to know whether these work before you buy. Read the regulator and the literature first — what the regulator and the literature say.
- You have an active infestation right now. One listing here scopes itself to after that is under control — where they do not work.
- You want one for a loft, shed or caravan. Three run without a socket — the rechargeable, the spider unit and the long-life rodent unit.
- You have more than one room. One maker states its own sound will not pass through a wall — the two-pack.
- You want the species the listing actually names. They range from one to eleven — the comparison table.
Warning
The ASA reports that it has yet to accept any claim of efficacy for pest repellent devices, and the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management lists references it says show ultrasound devices are not effective in controlling rodents. Treat these as a supplement to traps, proofing and sanitation rather than a substitute for them, and read our full evidence review before buying.
What These Devices Are
Ultrasound is defined by the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management as sound above the upper limit of human hearing, about 20 kilohertz. Every unit here emits it: four from a wall socket, two from 9V batteries, and one of the six from a rechargeable cell. Their own listings state coverage figures from 37m² to 2,500 sq ft, and those figures are the makers’.
What none of them does is touch the animal. There is no trap, no bait and no barrier on this page — which is why the evidence question below is not academic, and why every alternative named at the end of the page acts on something physical.
What the Regulator and the Literature Say
The ASA’s AdviceOnline entry on pest repellents sets out the advertising position: “In past years, the ASA, together with independent experts, has closely examined the evidence for claims for those devices, which can range from cat-shaped metal sheets with glowing eyes to ultrasonic and electromagnetic equipment. It has yet to accept any claim of efficacy.” and “Marketers who do not hold evidence in the form of UK-based trials should not state or imply efficacy for the products, through either claims, visuals or product names.” (ASA). That is a statement about what evidence has been accepted. It is not a finding that these devices do nothing, and this page does not restate it as one.
The wildlife-damage literature is more specific about rodents. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management writes: “Here are several references that show that ultrasound devices are not effective in controlling rodents.” and quotes a researcher on that work: “I think we demonstrated that the success of a rodent control program with ultrasonics was just as successful if the units were not turned on.” (ICWDM).
The same page reports the other side of it, and so does this one: “In 2011, one researcher found some evidence that ultrasound did keep bats and mice out of an open area (e.g. empty floor, open rafters).” An open loft with no clutter is the setting that finding describes, and it is not the setting most of these products are bought for.
Where They Do Not Work
Through a wall. This is not our claim about the class; it is a maker’s claim about its own product. The EcoMyLife listing states that ultrasound cannot pass through walls and solid objects and recommends one unit per room. Furniture, boxes and doors are in the same category as walls.
On an infestation already under way. The Big Cheese listing scopes itself: recommended for use once infestations in the home are under control. That is the maker of one of these six drawing the line, not us.
As the whole of a control programme. ICWDM’s references are quoted above. Whatever weight a reader gives them, a device that emits sound does not block a gap, remove a food source or catch anything.
What Decides the Choice
1. Power, and where the unit has to go
Four are mains plug-ins and go where the sockets are. Two run on 9V PP3 batteries the listings say are not supplied, and one recharges over USB-C with up to 170 hours claimed. A loft with no socket rules out four of the six.
2. The species the listing actually names
Mouse and rat on two of them; spider only on one; nine species on one; eleven on another; and one names none in its detail table. A listing naming eleven species is making a broader claim than a listing naming two, and the table records which is which.
3. The coverage figure, and whose figure it is
37m², 1,200 sq ft, 2,500 sq ft unobstructed. Every one of those is stated by the maker, and the word “unobstructed” is doing real work in the two that use it, given what the EcoMyLife listing says about walls.
If This Is Not the Answer
Close the way in. Our rodent proofing page covers mesh, wire wool and brush strips — the things that stop an animal entering rather than asking it to leave.
Trap. Our rat traps and mouse traps pages cover the methods that act on the animal directly.
Read the evidence in full. Our guide to whether ultrasonic repellers work goes further into the studies than a product page should.
Placing One
- One per room, if you follow the makers’ own advice. The EcoMyLife listing says the sound does not cross a wall.
- Keep the line of sight clear. Two listings state their coverage figure for an unobstructed area, which a furnished room is not.
- Buy the batteries. Both PP3 units state that cells are not supplied.
- Do the other things at the same time. Proofing, cleaning and trapping are what the ICWDM references above are measuring these against.
- Judge it against what you also changed. If gaps were sealed in the same week, the device is not the only variable — which is the point the last question below makes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ultrasonic pest repellers work?
This page does not answer that in its own voice, and no product page should. The ASA reports that it has yet to accept any claim of efficacy for pest repellent devices, ultrasonic equipment among them. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management goes further for rodents specifically, listing references it says show ultrasound devices are not effective in controlling them, while also reporting a 2011 finding of some evidence that ultrasound kept bats and mice out of an open area. Both are quoted in full above.
Are ultrasonic pest repellers safe for pets (dogs, cats)?
The makers' own claims differ and are on each card: one says its unit is suitable around children and pets such as cats and dogs, another that it is safe for pets and wildlife except rodents. No fetched source on this page tests those claims. A pet that can hear into the ultrasonic range — rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs and rodents kept as pets — is the case to think about, because these devices are aimed at rodent hearing.
How many units do I need?
The EcoMyLife listing answers this against its own product: it states that ultrasound cannot pass through walls and solid objects and recommends installing one unit per room. The stated coverage figures on this page range from 37m² to 1,200 sq ft to 2,500 sq ft unobstructed, and every one of them is the maker's own.
Do they work on rats, mice, spiders and insects?
The listings disagree about which species they address, and that is a fact about the listings rather than about the devices: one names mouse and rat only, one names spider only, one names nine species and one names eleven. The comparison table below carries each listing's own target species.
Can I use one alongside traps and poison?
Nothing on these listings says otherwise, and one of them — The Big Cheese unit — states its own scope as being for use once an infestation in the home is under control. Our rat trap, mouse trap, rat poison and mouse poison pages cover the methods that act on the animal directly.
Why are reviews so mixed for ultrasonic pest repellers?
Reviews for ultrasonic pest repellers are notoriously polarised — you will see a mix of five-star and one-star reviews for virtually every product on the market. This is likely because: confirmation bias plays a role (people who buy them want them to work); pest activity is often seasonal and may decline naturally, leading people to credit the device; some users may simultaneously be taking other measures (cleaning, sealing gaps) without realising those actions are doing the real work; and the devices may have a short-term startling effect on pests that wears off quickly as they habituate.