Coleman Insect Repellent Snap Bands Fail to Keep Mosquitoes at Bay, Class Action Suit Says

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The Coleman Company faces a proposed class action lawsuit that alleges the outdoor gear retailer’s Naturals Insect Repellent Snap Bands fail to effectively repel mosquitoes. The case alleges that Coleman, as a “top distributor of outdoor recreation products,” undoubtedly knew of studies indicating purported mosquito-repelling wristbands do not work yet continued to sell the product to consumers.

The 13-page complaint out of New York’s Southern District states Coleman’s mosquito bands contain as active ingredients 40.2 percent citronella and 17.8 percent geraniol in addition to smaller quantities of geranium and peppermint oils. According to the suit, however, such ingredients are wholly ineffective when it comes to keeping mosquitoes off human skin. Citing peer-reviewed studies in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of Insect Science, and the Journal of American Mosquito Control Association, the lawsuit argues Coleman’s snap bands, and citronella in particular, do not deter mosquitoes in any way.

The New York consumer behind the five-count lawsuit claims she bought three Coleman mosquito bands from Wal-Mart in 2018 for $10 each. The plaintiff stresses that she relied on statements on the product’s labeling such as “insect repellent” and “repels mosquitoes” when making her purchase. The suit asserts that the plaintiff and proposed class members would not have bought Coleman’s Insect Repellent Snap Bands, or would have paid less for the product, had they known the company’s representations of its efficacy were “false and misleading.”

Included in the proposed class are all consumers in the United States who purchased Coleman’s Naturals Insect Repellent Snap Bands.