[Maya Rose]

I’m thinking about getting a Repellio for my apartment but the 120 sq ft coverage seems a bit optimistic. My place is small but has a few rooms, so I’m wondering if one unit would actually do anything or if I’d need to buy several. I haven’t tried it yet, just trying to figure out if it’s worth it before I order. Has anyone noticed if it works across a whole room or just right next to the outlet?

[Tom Call]

120 sq ft is a stretch. I had one in a bedroom and it did basically nothing past the doorway, so for a few rooms you’d need one per room.

[Maya Chen]

I’ve only used mine in one open area, and it covers that fine. Once furniture is in the way it’s a different story though, so I’d probably grab a second one if you have separate rooms.

[d4niel]

120 sq ft is for one open space, not a whole apartment. I’ve got one in my living room and it’s fine there. Through a wall or down a hallway? Nothing. For a few rooms you’d want one per room.

[Alex Foster]

Probably one per room if you actually want coverage.

[Devvit]

The 120 sq ft number is probably measured in a perfect empty room with nothing in it. I had a similar deal years ago with one of those old school plug in things, forget the brand, and it worked okay in a kitchen but that was a pretty open space. In my current place I tried one in a hallway thinking it would cover the rooms off it and that did basically nothing. The sound just doesn’t carry like you’d hope once there’s a wall involved. I think of it more like a lamp. It lights up the area around it fine but you wouldn’t expect one lamp to light your whole apartment. So if you’ve got a few rooms, one unit is probably going to disappoint you unless you’re only really worried about whatever room you plug it into.

[Mike89]

I got one for my kitchen and honestly the 120 number worked out fine for me. My kitchen is pretty open, maybe 100 sq ft if I’m guessing, and I noticed less activity near the counters within a couple weeks. Didn’t expect much since I just grabbed it on a whim with some other stuff. But the thing that surprised me is it actually seemed to help in the hallway too, which is right next to the kitchen. No wall between them though, just open space. So I get why people say it’s optimistic in closed off rooms, but in my case it reached a bit further than I figured it would. For a small apartment with open layout I think one could be enough for the main area. Separate closed rooms are a different story though.

[JSmith]

I don’t think the coverage number is the problem, the layout is. I had one in a hallway that fed into two bedrooms and it did nothing in those rooms. But in a single closed room it seemed to hold its own. So for a few separate rooms you’re probably looking at one per room, not because the 120 number is fake but because it doesn’t travel through doorways or around corners well. If your place is small and open it might be fine with one. If it’s chopped up you’ll want more. Also I wouldn’t judge it in the first week, mine took a bit to show any difference. Not sure if that’s normal or just my situation.

[Nina_gadget]

I’m actually not convinced you need one per room like everyone keeps saying. I got a single unit for my place a couple months ago and just moved it around every week or so, first near the kitchen then over by where I kept seeing ants. It seemed to make a difference in whichever area it was plugged into, so for a small apartment I think bouncing one unit around is a decent option before dropping money on several. The 120 sq ft thing didn’t really match what I saw though, it felt more like one zone or one corner than a whole open floor. Mine definitely did something but it wasn’t some magical whole apartment thing. If your rooms are closed off I’d still probably start with one and see how it goes rather than buying a bunch right away. Curious if anyone else tried just relocating theirs instead of buying more.

[Chris Patrick]

I’d push back a little on the idea that 120 sq ft is automatically useless in an apartment. I got one for my last place mostly because I hated spraying stuff around my kitchen, and I plugged it in near the counter where I kept seeing ants. It did seem to help in that immediate area. Nothing dramatic, but after a couple weeks I wasn’t finding them on the counter anymore. The rest of the apartment was another story. I didn’t notice any change in the bedroom or bathroom, and those are connected through a pretty short hallway.

What surprised me was that it did more than I expected right around the outlet and less than I expected everywhere else. So I don’t think the number is a total stretch if you’re talking about one open area with clear space. But if your place has a few rooms with doorways and furniture, one unit isn’t going to magically cover all of it. I ended up moving mine to the room where I actually saw activity instead of leaving it in the main living area.

If I were buying again I’d start with one and see where the pests actually show up, then decide if a second is worth it. Buying several right away seems like overkill unless you already know you’ve got a problem in more than one spot.

[Jake Paul]

120 sq ft is marketing math, not real-world math. I had a similar plug-in thing a while back and the “coverage” only held up when it was in an open space with a direct line of sight. The second I put a couch or a wall between it and wherever the pests were coming from, it might as well have been unplugged. So if your apartment has actual rooms with doors and corners, expecting one unit to handle all of that is a stretch. Not saying it does nothing, just that the number assumes a perfect setup you probably don’t have. I’d go in expecting it to affect basically the room it’s plugged into and treat anything beyond that as a bonus. If you need it in two separate areas, plan on two units. That’s just how these things seem to behave in my experience.

[coffeeandscreens]

120 sq ft is probably measured in an open space with nothing in the way, so a few rooms will definitely eat into that. Mine covers the living room fine but I can tell it doesn’t really push past the doorway into the bedroom. If you’ve got separate rooms you’ll probably want more than one.

[Tom West]

One unit won’t do three rooms.

[Paul Graves]

Mine’s been plugged in for about two weeks and it does fine in the room it’s in, but I wouldn’t expect it to push through a doorway into another room.

[Jordan M.]

I’d just get one and see how it goes in the main room. If you’re expecting it to handle every room from one outlet, that seems like a stretch. I’d rather start small than buy a bunch right away.

[Luna Bee]

I have one in my kitchen and it definitely doesn’t reach into the hallway, but that’s fine for me since the kitchen was the main problem area anyway. For a multi room apartment I’d just start with one and see where you actually need it.

[Tom Reps]

I’ve got one in a bedroom around that size and it seems to do alright in there. Problem is it’s basically one room per unit in my experience. If your place has a few rooms you’ll probably want more than one.

[Tom C]

120 sq ft is a joke if there’s furniture in the way. I tried one in my living room and the only thing it scared was my cat. I ended up needing a second one for the other side of the room.

[Kevin Rogers]

I’ve had mine in an open kitchen and dining area that’s bigger than 120 sq ft and it still did its job fine. So I don’t think that number is as unrealistic as people make it sound. It’s not going to blast through walls or anything, but in one open space it covered more than I expected.

[Steve Harris]

120 sq ft isn’t a stretch, it’s just a number that assumes a clear line of sight. I’ve got one in a room that size and it does fine, but the second I close a door or shove a couch in the way it’s useless. Buy one for the room where you actually see pests, not the whole apartment.

[Maya Rose]

Appreciate all the input, going to grab one and start small.

[Author]

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