ZappBug Heater Bed Bug Killer, Bed Bug Heater Treatment Equipment, Eliminate Pests with Heat, Professional Bed Bug Heater System

After a confirmed bedbug incident during a recent hotel stay, I immediately bagged all my luggage and started researching how to avoid bringing an infestation home. Of the heaters on Amazon, the ZappBug looked the most attractive: collapsible, only requires one power circuit, large enough to fit a suitcase, and no user reports of unsafe operation of the heating element. I'm pleased to report the ZappBug has exceeded nearly all of my expectations. The heating bag is actually very nicely constructed; the zippered compartment on the top is well made, the interior insulation is solid, and the size is perfectly appropriate for processing suitcases one at a time. The real surprise was the heater, though - I was expecting something janky and repurposed, but it's actually a custom-built unit that's ZappBug logoed right from the factory. It's well engineered for safety with a cutoff switch on the bottom, and it's MUCH quieter than other reviews had led me to expect - I'm currently sitting only about 10 feet from it and the noise level is comparable to a quiet desk fan. The heater heats well, although it's not exactly a speedy operation - you'll want to allocate several hours for each suitcase, although smaller loads of suspect items can be processed more quickly. My only real disappointment is with the two bundled accessories - the shutoff timer and the temperature sensor. The shutoff timer works well enough, but it's pretty cheaply made and doesn't show you how much time is remaining - I found it more effective to set a separate timer for myself on my smartphone, since it is good practice to never leave a heater unattended anyway. I have more significant complaints about the thermometer: it frequently loses connection for me as the cycle progresses, which I suspect may be related to the sensor heating up beyond the standard 130F maximum operating temperature of AAA batteries. I tried swapping the included heavy duty batteries for alkalines, but that didn't seem to help. As other reviewers have said, you're best served discarding the included one and pairing the ZappBug with a better sensor; I've ordered a Bluetooth grill thermometer I plan to try for future loads to see if it's more reliable. I appreciate the ability to hide the wireless transmitter in your luggage, but I wish the ZappBug folks would include a slightly higher quality sensor. In the interim, allowing the sensor to cool down between loads has seemed to help. But those are minor quibbles with bundled accessories, not with the main heater itself. I couldn't be happier with the main heating unit; it's the perfect size for use with a standard carryon suitcase, and the peace of mind it's providing our family that we didn't bring home any hitchhikers is invaluable. We've treated most of our possessions now, and I've run through several delicate items with full success. Electronics worked well and came out unharmed, including several laptops, tablets and smartphones. A cherished stuffed animal also survived the journey in the "magic sauna" unscathed; he is made of 100% polyester fibers, if that helps others checking reviews to see if their own stuffed animal will be safe. The only signs we found of potential issues were with items containing glues or meltable solids; the bindings on books can become a little fragile for a few minutes after treatment is complete, the glue on the soles of our tennis shoes became temporarily molten, and our deodorant turned to a gooey gel. The best strategy here is to just leave the items in place and turn off the heater, allowing them to cool without moving them; everything re-solidified nicely when we took that approach. Five stars for a well-engineered solution to a tricky problem. If ZappBug included a better thermometer, I'd be hard pressed to find any fault at all in the system!

Product works great, just load your stuff into it, insert the internal temperature sensor and set it on the included self-timer for a few hours. Super simple, and necessary if you travel or ever use public transportation. Since DDT was banned bedbugs are back and they're everywhere nowadays, and airplanes/trains/hotels make it easier than ever to pick them up in your luggage without even knowing. Unfortunately as I found out, bedbugs are almost impossible to get rid without using a combination of a Pest Control Service, Cimexa non-toxic silica dust and HEAT. But I couldn't run my suitcase in the dryer... Enter the Zappbug! I use the "bug-oven", as I call it, for my suitcase whenever I travel, and whatever else I don't want to run through a clothes dryer. The golden rule of killing bedbugs with heat is 120 degrees F for at least 45 minutes. The eggs and nymphs are super resistant unfortunately so be sure to get it hot enough for long enough to ensure death of all bedbugs, nymphs and eggs. 1 hour in the clothes dryer on high for clothes/linens, or about 4 hours with the Zappbug. This comes with a self-timer, so you can set it to automatically turn off after 0.5/2/4/8 hours. Usually 4-8 is the safest bet. I usually can get my empty suitcase, purse and shoes done in 2-4 hours, sooner if I'm checking the included temperature sensor; once it hits 120, I wait 45 minutes and then it's done. This product worked perfectly for the last three months, but unfortunately it seems the thermal unit may have overheated and the heating component failed recently. Initially I was frustrated but I called them and after a quick conversation with the customer support/sales lady she was able to set me up with an exchange for a new heating unit as I am still under the 1 YEAR FULL WARRANTY. They even shipped it priority to ensure I would receive it immediately. (Thank you so much!) Also, if for whatever reason something ever happens after the warranty expires they are able to still replace piece-by-piece at cost/shipping. So you're not stuck spending unnecessary $$$ if you just lost a sensor or something. TIPS: Don't overload it, if you can just do all clothes in your laundry dryer and use this for other things. Bury the heat sensor/wrap it in the thickest part furthest away from the heating unit. You want the entire chamber to be above 120F for 45 minutes, minimum. Any cooler spots, the bugs will go to as they try to survive the heat. I recommend wire shelves or something like that to ensure proper airflow. Stack things and leave some space between them, and don't block the heater's path or those little vents, they're also for airflow. It WILL heat up the room it's in! Do this in the late afternoon or when ambient room temperature is already above 70 degrees F. Hotter = quicker. For the same reason, try using it in a small room like your bathroom so it will heat up much quicker. If you've got hard flooring, you'll lose heat from the bottom. Put cardboard or a yoga mat underneath and it will be, you guessed it, quicker. The on/off is a small stand that depresses on the bottom of the heater, for safety reasons (aka so it can't tip over and start a fire or whatever) so if that is not fully pushed in, unit won't turn on. Also, if it won't turn on try it on a different circuit or without the timer. If you're troubleshooting, call them! They're so helpful, search Zappbug customer service phone number online. Don't overload your circuit, if this is running don't plug in another energy intense item on same circuit! Don't use with any extension cord/power strip EXCEPT the heavy duty outdoors type ones, meant for energy intense usage... Common sense and safety for any heating units.

Having faced a bed bug scare during a hotel stay, I discovered the ZappBug Heater online. This device has successfully prevented any infestations in my home. It's simple to use – just load your luggage, insert the temperature sensor, and set the self-timer. Post my hotel ordeal, this heating system brought a sense of sanity and provided me with peace of mind regarding my belongings. The temperature surpasses 120℉, ensuring thorough treatment. It's an investment worth considering for anyone aiming to shield themselves from potential infections caused by hotel stays. Having faced a bed bug scare during a hotel stay, I discovered the ZappBug Heater online. This device has successfully prevented any infestations in my home. It's simple to use – just load your luggage, insert the temperature sensor, and set the self-timer. After my hotel ordeal, this heating system brought a sense of sanity and provided me with peace of mind regarding my belongings. The temperature surpasses 120℉, ensuring thorough treatment. It's an investment worth considering for anyone aiming to shield themselves from potential infections caused by hotel stays.

We encountered a lonely single bed bug in a hotel room. But where there is one …. So on the drive home from the vacation, I ordered this from the car. When we got home I wasn’t taking any chances. Set it up and heated anything too large for the dryer. It works well for electronics also. My suit cases fit in no problem. We travel a lot and this was a no brainer to buy.

I am not sure if I reviewed this in the past, but here it is. The product sounds good in paper, but in practice....... not really. It struggles to heat items that are thicker than a shirt. The temperatures never got above 101°F, even when nothing was inside. I considered returning it, but kinda forgot. The included net is also very flimsy and will touch the ground when anything heavier than a pair of pants is placed on it. It's not heavy and folds away compactly, but it is a pain to fold away. It can be stubborn to fold in. The thing that sets it to turn off also stopped working after the first rounds of use. Which sucks cause I can't leave it alone and now have to keep a timer on hand. If you're looking to buy this..... It might work for you, but I would suggest going for the one with two of them.... maybe it could actually reach 120°F with that extra bit of help.

Got this especially to treat shoes, which it says it's good for in the description. I'm sure this works to kill bed bugs (heated to 120° in about an hour an a half), but the first time I tried to use it, it ruined several pairs of shoes after only 1 hour. Spending $ for the heater is certainly less expensive than replacing my entire shoe collection, or having them professionally dry cleaned, but it kind of defeats the purpose if I end up having to throw out the shoes anyway... This is probably fine for clothes, luggage, stuffed toys, or wooden/metal items that don't have a chance of melting, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it for treating shoes. Also, the thermometer and remote display require 2 AA batteries, which were annoyingly not included. All my stuff is bagged up and nothing is where it usually is (pretty typical if you're dealing with bed bugs and preparing for exterminators) so finding batteries was impossible; had to turn off the heater to go buy batteries. For the $, I think ZappBug could throw in a couple of AAs. Overall, straightforward to use and heats up fine, just don't trust it with your footwear and make sure you have batteries ahead of time.

Gets the job done. Quality is okay, does not feel like its worth anywhere near $200, more along the lines of $50 product in my opinion. Unfortunately there is limited product competition for bedbug products and there is an emotional frenzy to do whatever one can to treat bedbugs. My situation did't warrant making my own at the time, and this serves its purpose. Hopefully I will not have to use the heater too often in the future. Size is quite large, you will not have trouble fitting a full size suitcase. Instructions are well laid out and wireless thermometer works great. Clocked the wattage drawn from the wall exactly at 1500 watts, keep in mind if you decide to set included timer for 8 hours.

MY AMAZON REVIEW OF ZAPPBUG Because my granddaughter was to return from South America, and knew she had Bed Bugs, I researched how to avoid bringing them into my home. I purchased and used the ZappBug Heater, but that was my SECOND STEP in the process. FIRST AT THE LAUNDROMAT: She took an Uber (didn’t want her or her stuff in my car) from the airport to a laundromat that I had determined heated their dryers well above the 120̊ required to kill bed bugs and I met her there. Everything that could tolerate high heat went into the dryer including her backpack, shoes, money belt - everything but the electronics. She changed into the clean clothes and shoes I brought, and those items also went into the dryer which I ran for 1 hour on HOT. The electronics all went into a hard plastic container with a top that sealed tight. Then we DOUBLE BAGGED the an appropriate amount of items from the dryer into multiple bags so that when each bag was opened at home, everything in it could fit into the ZAPPBUG HEATER at one time. SECOND AT HOME USING THE ZAPPBUG HEATER: All the bags/containers went onto the balcony. Alternately, into a bathtub - not near anyplace they would be likely to hide. Each bag, one at a time was turned upside down to open directly into the heater which was already set up and connected following the instructions. The manufacturer has a customer service representative who was really helpful. I ran multiple loads through the heater according to their directions, immediately putting the bags that had held the clothing into a clean bag while holding them INSIDE the heater so nothing could escape. I immediately disposed of the used bags OUT OF THE HOUSE each time I emptied a bag. When the items came out of the heater, I spread the items out in a contained area according to the handler who was bringing the dog. THIRD - HIRED THE DOG THAT CAN SMELL BEDBUGS: I was able to arrange for the handler to bring the dog early the next morning having followed his directions about turning the AC and fan OFF prior to his arrival so that the odor of the bugs would be able to be smelled by the dog. I had the electronics, in the container with the lid off, in a separate room (the bathtub) so that if bugs were found I would know if they were in the items that could undergo heat again, or in the electronics that cannot be heated. If they had been found in the electronics I had a plan that I was very glad I didn’t have to use because it involved a very highly toxic material (Nuvan ProStrips - Package of 12 Strips with 12 Cages - 16 Gram). The technican that works for the company that manufactures Nuvan spoke to me on the phone with precise directions and real cautions about handing the highly toxic product.) The dog handler advised me NOT TO KEEP THE NUVAN if I didn’t need to use it.