The Best Portable Blacklights To Check For Cat Pee, Bedbugs, And More

Blacklights are a great party piece, and they’re especially useful after the party is over. Why? Well, you can use a blacklight to find any critters or bodily fluids that may have stuck around.

That’s right, most bodily fluids contain chemicals that glow under UV light. But you don’t have to lug around a full sized blacklight to find the source of that rancid cat pee smell. You could easily get the job done with a small, portable blacklight.

You can also use a portable blacklight to detect any unwanted guests that may be waiting in your bedroom or hotel room. Bedbug poop trails glow under UV light, so you can use a portable blacklight to quickly scan your hotel mattress for any of these disgusting monsters. Some scorpions and spiders also glow under UV light, which is good to know if you live in an area that has a lot of deadly scorpions.

There are all kinds of portable blacklights, and it can be hard to find the one that suits your needs. That’s why we’ve taken the time to find the best portable blacklights, for every situation.

A quick note before we dive in: strong UV lights are no joke and if you’ll be using them with any regularity you should buy a pair of UV blocking safety glasses. For ~$7 you can grab a pair of regular safety glasses or for a few bucks more you can get an over-your-glasses model.

INFRAY Pocket-Sized Blacklight Pen ($18)

Some portable blacklights are a little bulky. The bulky lights are really bright, which is nice, but you can’t really hide them in your pocket. If you need a discreet little blacklight that you can take on a plane or on the job without much fuss, then you should check out the INFRAY blacklight.

There’s not much to say about this blacklight. It’s a solid product at an affordable price. It’s a handy device for people that travel frequently, and it’s especially useful for people that need a blacklight in a professional environment (checking money, cleaning houses, dentistry, etc). The only real downside to the INFRAY blacklight is that it produces a smaller beam of light than larger blacklights. But it’s a small price to pay for a blacklight that’s the size of a highlighter.

LIGHTFE 3 Watt High Power Pocket Blacklight ($36)

Blacklights can be used in a lot of professional environments. You can use them to find any leaks under the hood of your car, or to harden the UV-reactive resin that dentists and jewelers use. But we’re not worried about our cars or our teeth, we want to know how to find the pee stains and the bedbugs in our hotel rooms!

Well, maybe we should think about this for a second. Professional grade blacklights, like the LIGHTFE, are incredibly bright and durable. There’s even a label on the LIGHTFE that tells you not to “shine it on your face or skin.” That’s how you know that it’s extra good for pee-hunting and scorpion-hunting.

Here’s the thing, the LIGHTFE costs a lot of money. If you’re not going to be using your portable blacklight very often, then maybe you should get something cheaper. But if you want a professional-grade, durable blacklight that will last you a long time, then this is something to consider.

LECIEL Portable USB-Powered Blacklight ($13)

If you’re looking for a portable blacklight that can double as a decoration, then you should check out the LECIEL USB powered blacklight. You can plug the LECIEL into a power bank, a laptop, or an outlet, which gives it an element of versatility that a lot of flashlight-styled blacklights simply don’t have. When you’re not hunting for scorpions or checking how well your roommate cleaned the toilet seat, you can place the LECIEL under a cool poster, or include it in your next party.

Of course, the LECIEL blacklight isn’t as portable as a flashlight-style blacklight. It has a weird shape that isn’t really ideal for waving around the room, and it doesn’t have a built-in battery. It’s also not very discreet, so you wouldn’t really want to take it out of the house. But it does cover a lot of area with UV light, and it can double as a neat little decoration or party prop.

McDOER 100 LED Blacklight Flashlight ($20)

If you’re trying to quickly hunt down pee stains around the house, then you’ll need a blacklight that covers a lot of area. The McDOER is a bright, bulky blacklight that looks like a prop from a Ghost Busters movie. Its 100 UV LED’s can help you perform a quick scan for cat pee, or check the furniture in your guest room for any weird stains. This blacklight would also be good for some minor automotive repairs, or for detecting any scorpions that may be on your porch.

Again, this blacklight is kind of bulky, but it puts out a wide spread of UV light. This is the kind of blacklight that you could keep under the bathroom sink, or in the garage.

TaoTronics 51 LED Blacklight Flashlight & UV Sunglasses ($16.99)

A bright, bulky blacklight useful when you want to quickly scan a room, but they’re not always good for taking on the road. If you need a medium-sized blacklight that can fit in your hotel bag, then you should check out the TaoTronics blacklight. Its 50 UV LED’s make it easy to perform a quick scan of your hotel room, just in case there’s any dodgy pests or bodily fluids hanging around.

The TaoTronics blacklight also comes with a pair of UV blocking sunglasses, so you can look cool. They can also protect your eyes (this blacklight is bright), or help prevent any blacklight-induced headaches.

For $17, the TaoTronics blacklight is a pretty good deal. You get a bright light, and a stylish pair of sunglasses. Just keep in mind that this blacklight isn’t as powerful as the larger McDOER blacklight, and it’s not as discreet as the INFRAY or LIGHTFE blacklights.