The 4 Best Mousetraps of 2025

The GoodNature A24 Smart Trap Kit and A24 Starter Trap Kit are powered by a CO2 cartridge that fires a piston similar to the captive bolt guns used in slaughterhouses (and seen in No Country For Old Men). Each CO2 canister can power 24 shots of the piston. Once a rodent is killed, it falls out of the trap where it can be collected or, if the trap is positioned outside, removed by a predator. These are not simple snap traps and are priced accordingly with the Starter Trap Kit retailing for about $100 and theSmart Trap Kit (with an app that tracks usage) going for roughly $150. They’re really suited for dealing with a large infestation in an outbuilding, like a barn.

The Victor Safe-Set Mouse Trap is similar to our main pick and Victor runner-up, but the trigger isn’t as sensitive as the Tomcat’s. We thought the Victor Power-Kill was just as easy to set and is typically a little less expensive.

Victor also has an electronic trap, the Victor M250S. It costs around $20, which is a decent amount to pay, especially considering the snap traps are only a couple of dollars each. Still, it’s a good option if you’re concerned about pets and kids.

The Country Porch’s Sliding Tube Mouse Trap (now discontinued) has a simple design—pull the two ends apart, line up the holes, and wedge a piece of solid bait in the hole to prop it open—although it’s a little finicky to set it up. We also found that it was cumbersome to take it apart to wash, and we don’t relish the idea of doing so when there’s a dead mouse attached—the trap is small enough that you’d almost certainly have to touch the mouse. Plus, you can only buy it on The Country Porch’s website and we currently can’t get the website to load.

The Intruder The Better Mouse Trap is easy to bait and set, but compared with the Tomcat it has a weak-sauce snap—something that Woods also noted in his video review. We also thought its trigger was less sensitive than other, comparably priced snap traps. We wouldn’t buy it.

Woods told us that in his own home—and the homes of friends and family members who frequently request his services—he usually uses the Made2Catch Easy Use Mouse Trap – Super Sensitive, as well as a newer variation called the Made2Catch Easy Use Mouse Trap – New Generation. Both appear to have been discontinued, but when we originally tested them, we thought they seemed a little flimsier than the Tomcat Press ’N Set, their snap was a little weaker, and we noticed that several of the “teeth” had broken off after just a few detonations.

Before our reporting discouraged us from using no-kill traps, we selected three to test. Of those, the Victor Tin Cat Mouse Trap with Window was the best option, with a sturdy metal box design that mice won’t be able to chew their way out of. And the window lets you see when you’ve caught a mouse, which is imperative for minimizing the animal’s time inside the trap. The Tin Cat costs between $10 to $20 per trap, putting it at a huge disadvantage relative to our pick, but at least it’s sturdier than others of its type. A word of caution: Many no-kill traps can get very hot if left in direct sunlight, and this may be especially true for the Tin Cat.

The Smart Mouse Trap Humane Mouse Trap wasn’t as sturdy as the Tin Cat even though it costs about the same. It’s made entirely of a thin plastic that we wouldn’t expect to survive more than a year of use. It was also kind of a pain to clean peanut butter out of the bait tray. But the trap’s mechanism seems effective enough to trap a single mouse, and the setup and discharge are a breeze. We also liked that it has plenty of breathing holes, which are a must for any no-kill trap.

Variations of the 5-gallon bucket trap are everywhere, but none have the success of the RinneTrap. Many of them have a collapsing gangplank. These don’t cover the top of the bucket, like the RinneTrap does, so they’re not as discreet. As mentioned earlier, Woods tested four popular bucket traps (video) against one another, and the RinneTrap was clearly the most successful.

Peppermint and essential oils have long been used as a natural mouse repellent. But Frye told us that no rigorous scientific studies have shown that they work. The oils, like those in Grandpa Gus’s Mouse Repellent pouches, are supposed to cause a burning sensation in the mice’s nose, eyes, and mouth that won’t harm them but makes them stay away. After trying out these products ourselves, we’re still not convinced they do anything more than make your home smell like Fireball Whisky and peppermint schnapps. Plus, John Hopkins Children’s Hospital does not recommend using peppermint oil on children less than 30 months old, so there are risks involved if you have young ones around.

Victor has a line of indoor and outdoor scent repellents. Brown said a lot of Victor’s customers don’t buy repellents until they already have an infestation, which she said is too late. “You’re not going to be able to put out a repellent and make them flee their homes,” she said. “We recommend killing, then repelling.” Again, though, there’s no conclusive evidence that these repellents work.

Woods said that no ultrasonic mouse repellent he’s tried has worked at all: “The mice walked right up to it.” Seeing as they cost between $20 to $150, we’re comfortable taking his word for it that the technology is just not there yet on these types of devices.

This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.