Bearded dragons need both warmth and UV light to support their various biological functions and ensure optimal health. For instance, optimum warmth and UV light are essential for vitamin D3 synthesis and prevents excess vitamin D3 synthesis as can be harmful.
Remember, these pets are ectotherms, meaning they are cold-blooded animals whose thermoregulation or temperature regulation depends on external temperature (environment). The Source of warmth may be artificial, from the sun or a heated surface such as a rock. The most preferred bearded dragon body temperature 34–35 degrees Celsius.
Therefore, to these reptiles, heat is crucial as it aids in digestion as well as ensuring optimal body function and health. Without enough of it, this pet will be susceptible to chronic infections. While in the wild, most of them will bromate if the temperature is too low, especially during winter.
Like UVB light, bearded dragons need a regular anytime and nighttime heating cycle with the day heating lasting for 12-14 hours and nighttime 10-12 hours.
To help keep them warm, you need a heat source. Some of the commonly used terrarium, tank, or vivarium heat sources include:
- Infrared lamps
- Incandescent bulbs (halogen basking lamps)
- Ceramic heaters
- Mercury vapor lamps
- Metallic halide lamps
- Heat pads or mats
- Heat rocks
- Heating cable or strips
- Space heaters
- Reptile deep heat projectors
Each of these heat sources has its own advantages, disadvantages, and suitability with those that don’t emit best for nighttime terrarium heating since bearded dragons prefer sleeping in the dark.
Best beardie heat lamps and heaters Reviews
We have looked at the various bearded dragon heat sources and below are the best heat lamps, bulbs, and heaters to buy for your bearded dragons.
1. Zilla Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Mini Halogen Bulb (light + heat )
The Zilla Reptile Terrarium Heat Lamps Mini Halogen bulb is a high heat and light intensity incandescent bulbs that come in either 25 or 50 watts. It comes in day white; day blue and night red. Day white is ideal for daytime basking.
Key features
- Excellent source of warmth that will boost your pet’s appetite as well as visible light.
- It is up to 250% more efficient than other incandescent bulbs. A 50-watt bulb is equivalent to a 150-200 watt standard incandescent bulb.
- It has a longer lifespan of up to 2000 hours thanks to its stronger filament and thicker glass construction.
- It fits in most Zilla fixtures, including such as the Zilla Mini Halogen Reptile Dome Heat lamp and Zilla Heat & UVB basking fixture.
- Can use a dimmer
Many users are happy about their efficiency, affordable prices, and small sizes.
2. Evergreen Pet Supplies 100 Watt UVA UVB Mercury Vapor Lamp
This Evergreen Pet Supplies self-ballasted mercury lamp is an excellent basking lamp choice for your bearded dragons and other pets like the iguanas, chameleons, pythons, turtles, tortoise, geckos, frogs, toads and so on.
Key benefits
- Excellent heat output, i.e., it will provide the necessary warmth.
- Two in one bulb since it also produces UVA, UVB, and visible light for proper absorption of calcium and good wellbeing of your pets without the harmful UVC rays.
- It ha a long lifespan that comes with a warranty.
- Usable with different reptile cages, including vision cages, tanks, vivaria, terrarium, and so on.
- Value for money
Like any other bulb that has a ballast, don’t use it with a thermostat or rheostat. Also, use it with a ceramic socket and a deep or large dome with the correct voltage rating.
3. Exo Terra Solar-Glo High-Intensity Self-Ballasted UV/Heat Mercury Vapor Lamp
The Exo Terra Solar-Glo bulb is a self-ballasted mercury vapor lamp that comes in 80, 125, and 160 watts. You need to choose the wattage size depending on the size of your vivarium, with larger ones requiring higher wattage.
Key benefits
- It has a correctly balanced UVA, UVB, visible light as well as heat (infrared) for optimum health of your reptile all in one bulb.
- Will ensure best pet coloration, appetite, activity, and calcium absorption as the UVB light helps in vitamin D3 synthesis, which in turn helps in proper calcium absorption and utilization, and thus prevent metabolic disease.
- A higher UVB penetration range that is +12 inches
- Compatible with most standard ceramic sockets as well as Exo Terra Light Dome, Exo Terra Wire Light, or Exo Terra Reptile Dome.
4. Zoo Med ReptiCare Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitter
If you want a day and night heat source, a first quality porcelain ceramic heat emitter, the porcelain Zoo Med brand, will serve you well. Coupling it with a daytime light source such as Exo Terra Daytime Heat Lamp creates an ideal basking spot.
Key benefits
- It fits in any porcelain incandescent socket, and you can use it with a dome or wire cage fixtures.
- It produces an intense, muscle penetrating infrared rays (heat) without any visible light.
- Has a long-life of up to 5 years
- It features a very efficient flat face which lasts longer than the conical faced ones. The tapered designs accumulate heat internally.
- You can control it with a thermostat, such as the Zoo Med ReptiTemp 500R thermostat.
What wattage to buy?
For 10-20 gallons, buy a 40w ceramic heater, for 30-40 gallons, go for a 100-watt ceramic heater while for terrariums with 50-100 gallons, the 150W uses the 150-watt ceramic heater.
Excellent alternatives of this Zoo Med brand is the Fluker’s Ceramic Heat Emitter for Reptiles and the OMAYKEY. OMAYKEY comes with a digital thermometer.
5. Fluker’s Basking Spotlight Bulbs for Reptiles 100 watt
Manufactured by Fluker’s Farms, the Repta-Sun incandescent spotlight bulb is an ideal choice of a basking light and warmth source.
Key benefits
- It focuses heat towards a chosen basking spot, making it easy to create a temperature gradient in your terrariums.
- Has an installation guide to help you choose correct wattage and distance to achieve desired temperatures.
- It is long-lasting, giving you up to 3500 hours of usage.
- Value for money
Bulb placement distance
At 6 inches, the 40 and 60 watts will produce 110 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Don’t use the 75, 100, or 150 watts at this distance.
When placed at a 12-inch distance, the 40, 60, and 75 watts bulb will maintain a temperature of 95, 101, and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid the 100 and 150 watts at this distance.
If placed 18 inches away, the 40, 60, 75, 100, and 250 will have temperatures of 80, 89, 95, 106, and 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
At 6, 12, and 18 inches, the 40 watts will have 110, 95, and 80 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, while for the 60 watts, temperatures will be 120, 101, and 89 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don’t use the 75, 100 or 150 watts at 6 inches and 12 inches except for the 75 watts at 12 inches that will produce a temperature
6. Zacro Reptile Heat Lamp 100W with One Digital Thermometer
A ceramic heat emitter and digital thermometer all at one price what this Zacro offers you at a very affordable price.
Key benefits
- It doesn’t emit light, making it suitable for day and night time heating. For daytime, ensure you get a daytime full-spectrum visible light source.
- Although smaller in size, it has high thermal efficiency and warms fast. This feature will cut on electricity costs.
- It is flat-faced to make it last longer and be more efficient
- Works with any ceramic E27 socket
If you buy it, you will be happy with its efficiency, accuracy of the thermometer it comes with, and its low price. Also, Zacro has an excellent Zacro reptile under tank heater for a 10-20gal tank.
7. Zoo Med Repticare Rock Heater
As a secondary source warming your tank, a rock heater may aid digestion for your bearded dragon and other reptiles. Depending on the size of your pet, you can buy the small, standard, or giant one with 5, 10, and 15 watts, respectively.
Key features
- It is long-lasting, thanks to the hardened rock that is twice as hard as pumice or cement.
- It comes with a one-year warranty
- Has good heat conduction
- Full nichrome heating element coverage will ensure even heating with no hotspots that may burn your pet.
- It has a rheostat to help in temperature control.
- Energy efficient (low wattage)
If you opt for this rock heater, avoid covering it with anything, including your terrarium substrate, and don’t use it as the only heat source for your pets.
8. ReptileUV Mega-Ray Mercury Vapor floodlight bulb
This Mega-Ray bulb is another excellent choice of narrow mercury vapor bulb floodlight that will produce ultraviolet and visible light as well as heat (infrared rays).
Depending on your terrarium size, you can buy the 70, 100, 160, and 275 watts. Each has a recommended placement distance since you cannot use it with dimmers or thermostats.
Key benefits
- It is a source of heat, UVA, UVB, and light that closely mimics the natural sunlight.
- The manufacturer gives free advice on which size or wattage of the bulb is ideal for your terrarium size.
- Long-lasting
- Value for money
9. Zoo Med Repti Heat Cable
Buy the Repti Heat Cable is an excellent way of providing warmth only where it is most needed. You can wrap it around your terrarium furniture, branches, basking rocks, and so on.
Key benefits
- Comes in various length that correspond to your vivarium size, i.e., the 11.5′ (15W) cable is ideal for 5-10 gallon tank, the 11.5′ (25W) for a 10-20 gallons, 23′ (50W) for 30-40 gallons, the 39′ (100W) good for 50-100 gallons while the 52′ (150W) for breeder terrarium size.
- It is inexpensive
- Flexible and water-resistant
- Long-lasting
Note that cables and tapes are secondary heating sources and should never serve as the only or primary sources.
