Best Reptile Heat Lamps and Bulbs

Meant for desert and tropical reptile species that thermoregulate by basking, the Zoo Med Desert UVB & Heat dual kit is one of the few models that incorporate dual-lamp design in one single piece.

First of all, the main selling point of this product is its dome-like lamp fixture that allows using various lamps inside the tank. Even though the lamps that are included in the package don’t emit enough UVB needed for big lizard and snake types, their output will be more than sufficient for smaller reptiles as long as the lighting kit is installed properly.

The housing of the dome is designed to protect your pet from accidental contacts with the lamps themselves, owing to the long shape that extends the metal housing further away from the lamps’ faces and keeps it from sticking out too much.

Rated for 100-watt light bulbs, the lamp fixture can fit pretty much any lamp with a standard socket and of suitable wattage. Thanks to this, using both black or UVB lamps under one dome won’t be a huge hassle anymore, just remember to check their power output before putting them inside the tank and turning them on.

Ideal for smaller desert lizard and reptile species, this basking lamp from Zoo Med will be a great addition to small terrarium tanks, especially if you own a dedicated UVB light bulb already.

The Fluker’s Heat Emitter is a solid option for reptile owners that search for a simple yet effective solution for their home terrariums. But even though this model is available in 3 different power output options, we’re going to cover the biggest one - the 150-watt basking lamp.

First and foremost, before putting the lamp into the tank, it is recommended to run the lamp for a couple of hours to let the ceramic paint burn off. Otherwise, you are risking letting the noxious fumes inside the tank that can affect the health of your reptile pet.

After you let the fumes burn out, the lamp can be used as a base 24-hour heat source for your terrarium tank. Just remember that it takes some time for the lamp to cool down, in cases when you need to clean it up.

Moving on, the 150-watt power output makes this ceramic heat emitter great for both tropical and desert reptile species. This includes snakes, bearded dragons, chameleons, as well as other lizards of similar size.

Likewise, the lamp tends to get quite hot, so having a metal dome that can withstand high temperatures is a must as well as using this model with a ceramic socket. This way, you ensure that your pet won’t get hurt and a simple basking appliance won’t turn into a potential fire hazard.

Finally, if you are looking for a good middle-ground heating option for your terrarium, then this lamp from Fluker’s is one of the top ceramic-based heat emitters out there. It will be a good choice for both beginner and experienced reptile owners, given that they already have a terrarium set up.

The Exo Terra Heat-Glo infrared spot heat emitter is an affordable lamp for your terrarium that you can use for both smaller and big reptiles.

As the name suggests, this infrared lamp can only produce infrared light and does not emit any UVB rays that are also needed for most reptiles to remain healthy. With this in mind, we also advise getting a separate UVB emitter to ensure that staying in the terrarium will be healthy for them.

Despite its modest price, this red-tinted lamp does its job quite well. The reduced amounts of light emitted by the lamp will provide your lizard and reptile pets with enough illumination and heating at the same time. Conversely, the lamp doesn’t disrupt the normal activity of your pets during day or night, which makes it a worthy pick for the role of a 24-hour heat source.

As a bonus feature, the lamp has a built-in reflector that allows pointing the infrared light in any direction needed. This way, you can combine the 75-watt infrared lamp with a fully-fledged UVB unit, as long as you have a proper fixture to install it on.

In the end, if you need a budget-friendly heating solution for your beloved lizard or a snake, we recommend getting this infrared lamp from Exo Terra. Easy to use and maintain, it will give your cold-blooded pet a comfortable basking spot that they can use to regulate their body temperature.

Unlike other lamps on our list, this kit from Wuhostam features two 50-watt lamps with a special black-tint coating. The coating effectively covers excessive light, which makes it a good source of heat inside the terrarium.

To start off, the E27 socket of the lamps is compatible with any conventional lantern or terrarium fixture designed to fit models of 50-100 watts in size, so you won’t have any problems fitting this model on top of your reptile tank.

The thing that bothered us, though, is the relatively short lifespan of the light bulbs, which is limited to the range of only 9000-15000 hours. The difference depends on how often the lamp is used and if the correct wattage is maintained throughout their service life.

On the bright side, however, each black lamp does what it is meant for and considering that the package includes two of them, short lifespan won’t be that huge of an issue.

As far as safety is concerned, the night lights from Wuhostam feature explosion-proof and waterproof capabilities. Owing to the high-quality pottery clay used to produce each lamp, it won’t overheat and shatter as long as the appropriate wattage is used.

All in all, the reptile heating lamp kit from Wuhostam is an excellent pick for users that already own a basking appliance and wish to add a secondary heat source to their terrarium. Suitable for bearded dragons, iguanas, snakes, as well as for chameleons of all sizes, this product will be your go-to solution if your pets could use extra warmth.

This black lamp from theBlueStone is yet another 100-watt heat emitter that is designed to accommodate both medium- and large-sized terrariums. The main selling point of black-tinted models is the fact that they don’t produce any light, which is a great option for you and your pet if you don’t want to disturb their sleeping habits.

Furthermore, if the lamp you are looking for will be your first heat emitter, theBlueStone also has heat lamp holders available separately. Since most infrared and almost all reptile heat lamps are huge sources of heat, having a reliable holder is essential to protect the pets inside the tank from potential injuries.

Likewise, it is important to mount the lamp according to the size of the animal inside the tank. Since the lamp can be used as a 24-hour heat source for the terrarium, make sure that it is mounted high enough to prevent the reptiles (or other pets) from overheating.

Like with most similar infrared heat sources based on ceramics, it is recommended to pre-heat the lamp before putting it inside the tank with the pet to let the fumes burn off. After that, the lamp will be safe for use close to lizards, snakes, and reptiles in general.

Wrapping things up, this model is suitable for cold-blooded pets of various sizes, from chameleons and bearded dragons to iguanas, the lamp can also be used to warm other pets such as hens and their chickens, as long as it is installed in a proper way.