Craghoppers Insect-Shield Maxi Dress Review: Stylish Zika Protection

Some of your bucket-list travel destinations are likely in areas where mosquito-borne illnesses are an issue and bug spray is a necessity, especially those dubbed Zika virus zones by the CDC. But you don’t have to douse all your flirty resort wear in DEET to avoid bug bites—mosquito-repelling clothes are getting more fashionable and versatile. You can save yourself some spritzing with the right clothes, like Craghoppers’ Insect-Shield Maxi Dress, created with help from experts at National Geographic.

Craghoppers Insect-Shield Maxi Dress Review

Price and Where to Buy: $75 on Craghoppers’ website, and from $33 in select colors on Amazon.

How the Craghoppers Insect-Shield Maxi Dress Rates:

• Usefulness: 10/10. It’s hard to find bug-repelling pieces that are stylish, but this dress is both on-trend and utilitarian. The Insect-Shield Amiee Maxi Dress is made of NosiLife material endorsed by National Geographic that’s toxic to bugs but not mammals, plus it has UV-protection and dries fast, even in the humid Costa Rican rainforest I tested it in. My favorite part of this dress was the hidden zippered pockets located inside the dress’s outer hip pockets—they’re perfect for carrying cash, cards, keys, and medication, and didn’t bunch up. Having pockets inside my pockets has upped my travel-dress standards.
• Value: 9/10. Some might think it’s pricey for a jersey dress, but for $33 to $75 you’re getting a lot of convenience: SPF, bug repellant, comfort, coverage, and a secure place to stash your necessities. NosiLife material is said to reduce bug bites by 90 percent. I didn’t feel particularly bothered by mosquitoes on the nights I wore this dress—and my legs are usually a feast for them, no matter what I do.
• Portability: 9/10. This dress has a lot of material since it’s floor-length, but packs relatively flat and is worth the space it’ll take up in your bag.
• Durability: 8/10. The price tag on the Insect-Shield Amiee Dress suggests its NosiLife material will last longer than standard jersey does, but it did seem to stretch a bit as I wore it or when hung up in my closet. However, washing and lie-flat drying resolved that.
• Cool Factor: 10/10. I got lots of compliments on the Insect-Shield Amiee Maxi Dress when I wore it, and few people believed me that it was insect-repelling. It comes with a thin braided belt that will fit any waist size and is super flattering. It can be worn as a casual day dress while walking around on hot days, or dressed up for dinner with accessories.

Final Verdict: Mosquito-repelling clothes aren’t just for hiking or camping anymore. The Amiee Maxi Dress will be in my suitcase for all my foreseeable Zika-zone trips.

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

More from SmarterTravel:

• What to Pack If You’re Traveling to a Zika Zone
• I Got Zika While Traveling. Here’s What No One Told Me
• 6 Hybrid Duffel Backpacks That Will Change the Way You Pack

Associate Editor Shannon McMahon writes about all things travel. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.