The GOOTOP is a plug-in lantern zapper that Bob Vila named the best indoor/outdoor pick in its test of seven indoor bug zappers. Its tester ran it in a living room and on a covered patio and reported reliable performance in both, with an effective UV light and a design that reads more like a decorative light than a bug trap. Bob Vila scored it 3.5/5 for noise, its lowest mark, and did not enjoy the twist-off tray that has to be emptied by hand.
Full review
How Bob Vila tested it
Bob Vila considered over a dozen indoor bug zappers and tested seven over a month, in real rooms near plants, food prep areas and sleeping spaces, and on patios where a model allowed it. Testers tracked the number of zaps heard, how quickly bugs disappeared and how full the trays became.
The GOOTOP was its best indoor/outdoor pick. Bob Vila does not print one overall score in that roundup. It prints five sub-ratings: 4.5/5 for ease of use, 4.5/5 for effectiveness, 3.5/5 for noise, 5/5 for durability and 5/5 for value.
Performance indoors and on a patio
Bob Vila's tester used it in a living room and on a covered patio and wrote that it performed reliably in both settings. The roundup says the UV light draws insects in effectively and the electrified grid does the rest, taking out mosquitoes, gnats and flies.
The noise mark reflects what Bob Vila calls a familiar zapping sound as it kills. Buyers who want a quiet room should weigh that 3.5/5.
Design and placement
The round lantern shape is the selling point for Bob Vila, which says it blends in more like a decorative light than a bug trap and handles indoor use without looking too industrial. The black plastic housing gives it an outdoor-friendly look.
It has no battery or rechargeable option. Bob Vila treats that as a limit on where it can go but notes the constant power suits semi-permanent spots near doors or gathering areas.
Cleaning and upkeep
Emptying it was the tester's least favorite part: the bottom tray twists off so the bugs can be dumped out. Bob Vila says the job is not messy but takes more hands-on effort than some models.
The Amazon listing adds that the 15W bulb is replaceable, a brush is provided for the tray, and the grid runs at 4,200 volts.
Strengths
- +Performed reliably in both a living room and on a covered patio in Bob Vila's test
- +Lantern design blends in more like a decorative light, per Bob Vila
- +UV light draws insects in effectively, Bob Vila found
Watch-outs
- −Noise was its lowest Bob Vila sub-rating at 3.5/5; it makes a zapping sound on each kill
- −Emptying it means twisting off the bottom tray, which Bob Vila's tester disliked
- −Plug-in only, with no battery or rechargeable option, Bob Vila notes
How it compares
Bob Vila lists the GOOTOP Indoor and Outdoor Bug Zapper at up to 1/2 acre of coverage, between the 625 square feet of the Black+Decker BDPC941 Bug Zapper and the 1 acre claimed for the Flowtron BK-40D Electronic Insect Killer. Unlike the outdoor-only Flowtron it is also meant for indoor use. Its listing gives a 4,200-volt grid, against 2,800 volts for the ASPECTEK Electric Indoor Bug Zapper, and Bob Vila reports a zapping sound on each kill, where it found the Black+Decker kills without an audible snap.
Rating sources
Our 4.5 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
