They don’t work 100% of the time
Wirecutter bought a set of four fans for $49.99, a not-insignificant amount of money. I used the fly fans during some lake-adjacent dining with my colleague Rose Maura Lorre, and then I left two fans with her to continue testing.
We found that the area directly under the fan’s blades may be a fly-free zone, but you’d need to set up too many fans to make a difference across a table that seats six people. In fact, based on my experience, you’d probably want at least eight of these fans for a family of four.
“If I’m serving a family-style meal, the table top will already be crowded with plates, glasses, and dishware,” Rose said. “Adding three or four Fly Away fans to that clutter, with everyone passing dishes or reaching for condiments, I just think it could turn comical really fast.” Rose went so far as to measure the distance between the edge of the fan blade and the spot where she saw an offending critter alight on her table; it was about 8.5 inches.
These fans have several positive aspects: They’re quiet and portable, and they don’t use chemical pest control. But all two of the bug researchers I contacted were dubious about the efficacy of fly fans.
The theory is that a fly fan disrupts the visual and olfactory senses of flies, and that prevents them from wanting to land on the delicious-smelling food. But this may be only a temporary blocker, Michael “Fly Man” Dickinson, who researches how flies fly at CalTech, said in a video interview.
The air movement generated by the fly fan isn’t fast enough to throw them off-course. “Flies are attracted to food,” Changlu Wang, whose research at Rutgers University focuses on developing urban pest-management technologies, explained in an email. “It is hard to prevent them [from] coming when you have attractive food around.”
Even if the flies are initially deterred, their motivation to access the yummies is likely stronger than the spinning obstacle. And when flies do manage to land on your burger, the slowly circulating blades may actually stop them from taking off again. “Flies can only fly so fast, so if they know there are going to be headwinds that they can’t deal with, they won’t take off,” Dickinson explained.
The experts I consulted aren’t aware of a peer-reviewed scientific study that verifies a fly fan’s efficacy, and my observed results were anecdotal.
They are unattractive and annoying to use
Fraser Olender, a chief steward on Below Deck, half-heartedly recommended these fans during an interview for a story on entertaining that I wrote earlier this year. As someone in charge of serving guests, Olender has a ton of experience with outdoor beachfront dining, and he treats the fans as a necessary evil. “They look hideous, but they’re something you’ve got to sort of live with,” he told me.
It’s true, the black plastic cone base isn’t particularly attractive, and if you’re hosting a large gathering, you’d need multiples to create any sort of real defense against bugs. Though the blades are soft, they’re still distracting to humans, and they’re not so effective that it’s worth the annoyance of having to reach under them to access the plated food.
On top of that, the Fly Away fan I purchased does not have an internal battery. Each unit requires two AA batteries or the included USB-A power cord. This 40-inch cord seems like a good option at first, but it doesn’t come with a wall-outlet brick. Therefore you’d need a power brick and an outlet for each unit, or you’d need a power strip with multiple USB-A ports.
I was curious about whether a power bank with USB-A slots might be a convenient solution. So I consulted with writer Sarah Witman, Wirecutter’s charging expert, and she recommended the Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank 10K, a variant of our top-pick power bank with two USB-A slots. However, yet again, the whole setup seems like more trouble than it’s worth.
They don’t explicitly come with guarantees or warranties
Fly Away was the only branded model of these fans that I could find. Although the website is fairly generic, it does indicate that the business is family-owned and based in the US. When I reached out to the company to get more information, I received a very polite, yet vague, response from someone who confirmed the company is based in California, but they didn’t give further details.
The Fly Away site doesn’t indicate any warranties or guarantees on its products.
A better solution is TBD
While none of the experts I consulted were doing backflips over the fly fans, they were mildly more enthusiastic about the mesh tents that fully cover plates and prevent flies from landing directly on food. Our colleagues debated endlessly over the look and practicality of these things. It’s another situation where you could go ahead and buy them if you wanted to, but there’s no specific brand or product we’d recommend.
We’ve been using the general term flies here, mainly to mean house flies. But mosquitos are also considered flies. And if you have an issue with mosquitoes at your outdoor meals, Wirecutter recommends spatial mosquito repellents. Our top pick, the Thermacell E65 Rechargeable Mosquito Repeller, has a battery that lasts nine hours and a 36-hour repellent cartridge, and it offers a 20-foot zone of protection. The company says there are no restrictions on using the product near food. But since the zone of protection is so large, it is probably best practice to not place the unit directly near food.
Top pick
You could employ fly swatters and their ilk. But in a mealtime setting, using a swatter feels like a losing battle, with all of the swinging and smacking. That said, The Executioner is certainly entertaining, and the Hope Woodworking Leather Fly Swatter is so effective and easy to use that I’ve given it as a holiday gift.
You could consider placing a regular portable fan on your table, but Dickinson hedged on that idea, too. “Certainly a strong air flow would make it hard for flies to navigate near the food and beverages. It would also disrupt the odor plumes they are tracking,” he said. “However, in my experience any flow that is strong enough to partially deter the flies is loud and distracting to humans, so it is kind of trading one annoyance for another.”
If you want to try this option, I personally like the Geek Aire fan, and there are several great picks in our guide to battery-powered fans.
So what’s the best solution (aside from my preferred method of eating on a screened-in porch)?
Maybe the real secret is reframing your perspective. Flies are part of nature. “Do what you can to live with the situation,” Dickinson said. “Be chill, you know?”
This article was edited by Megan Beauchamp and Maxine Builder.
