Best Basking Light For Bearded Dragons

Do you want to get the most for your money and buy a heating bulb which works well and lasts a long time?

Are you looking for the best products to use in your bearded dragon tank?

Setting up a good basking spot is key to a healthy beardy, and the basking bulb is one of the significant parts of this.

Not all basking bulbs are made equally, though.

There are a lot out there, and it is hard to find the best basking bulb for bearded dragons. These bulbs we picked provide the best value and heat for a bearded dragon’s basking spot:

Read on for more on what to look for in a basking bulb and reviews of our picks below.

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What Temperature Does A Basking Spot Need To Be?

Since they are from the Australian desert, bearded dragons need a spot with high temperatures to heat their bodies and help with digestion.

This spot needs to reach a high temperature every single day.

A basking spot should be around 100° degrees Fahrenheit – 105° degrees Fahrenheit (38° – 41° C) for adults and 110° degrees Fahrenheit (43° C) for baby bearded dragons.

Read more on what temperature a bearded dragon tank should be.

If you don’t get the temperature up to this range, your lizard pet could start suffering from poor health effects.

They’ll lose energy, and their bodies will slow down or stop.

If they have any food in their system, the lower heat won’t help it digest properly.

In some cases, the food can rot in their stomachs and cause serious illness. 

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Can I Use A Regular Bulb For A Basking Light?

No.

I suppose you could if the light was scorching, but it still wouldn’t be a good choice.

Most ordinary light bulbs can’t produce enough heat to get a 50-75 gallon tank up to the 105° degrees Fahrenheit (41° C) spot it needs to be .

Even if it does, it won’t handle the high temperatures and will die quickly.

Specially made bulbs last longer, handle the high heat, and put off more energy than standard bulbs, which are just meant to produce light.

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How Many Watts Does A Tank Need?

The bulb needs as much wattage as it takes to reach the correct temperature.

It’s not always about the watts, but there are some general guidelines.

For basking spots, you may wish to use either halogen, fluorescent, or ceramic bulbs.

Halogen bulbs are standard for basking spots and should be between 75-100 watts depending on the height of the tank.

Usually, 75-watts work just fine.

Fluorescent heat bulbs work similar to the halogen ones, just more efficiently.

75-watts will do the job well; these just save on energy and sometimes last longer.

Ceramic bulbs produce only heat, not light.

This means they use less wattage.

A 50-watt ceramic bulb will be more than warm enough.

Note:

Ceramic bulb gets hotter and can melt the socket of the light fixture.

Make sure the light fixture uses porcelain or ceramic socket.

Larger tanks don’t necessarily need more watts, but they do require more heating elements.

A single basking bulb won’t be enough.

You will need at least one basking bulb, one overall heating element, and a UVB light for a complete tank light and heat setup.

You’ll only know if you have everything you need by the actual temperatures in the tank.

This is why you need to use some bearded dragon thermometers.

Check out everything you need for a bearded dragon tank.

Basking bulbs are just one crucial part of the whole package.

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Review Of The Best Basking Bulb For Bearded Dragon

In this section, we’ll dig into our picks for the best basking bulbs and what may make them perfect for your situation.

Look for a concrete explanation of features and what users had to say about each bulb.

Zoo Med Repti Basking Lamps 75-Watt (4 Pack)

Repti Zoo is a pillar in the reptile pet product world, their products are going to do the job well.

This 4-pack costs a little more than some other bulbs, but the quality may be worth it for you.

These bulbs are 75-watt ones.

This power is ideal for standard bulbs to produce enough heat to get the temps up high enough for the basking spot.

It uses a spotlight effect to get the specific spot hot enough without making the rest of the tank too hot — beardies like a little variety in their tank temps.

This heating bulb is made for use 10-12 hours a day without overheating the bulb itself.

It even gives off some UVA, though you’ll still want an additional UVB bulb.

Pros For This Product:

• Good value
• Gives off a lot of heat
• Spotlight heat on one spot
• Reliable company to work with

Cons For This Product:

• A few users report some bulbs may burn out quicker than others

OMAYKEY 75W UVA + UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp

OMAYKEY offers these heating bulbs for basking spots at a very affordable price.

These bulbs are standard size and halogen for fitting into most light fixtures used with reptile tanks. 

These bulbs are 75-watts, which provide proper levels of heat at basking spots.

On top of the usual heat given off, these bulbs also give off the full spectrum of rays, including UVA and UVB.

Read more on how long a bearded dragon can go without UVB.

The amount of UVB given off is at 3%, which is a little low to be used exclusively.

You’ll also want a UVB bulb.

But the extra radiation is going to be a big help for getting Vitamin D.

OMAYKEY does warn you should only have this light on for 3-5 hours per day, or it may overheat.

Pros For This Product:

• Low price
• Good heat production
• Easy to use and insert in most fixtures

Cons For This Product:

• Short life span
• Overheats easily

Wuhostam 50W 2 Pack Ceramic Heat Lamp

This two-pack of bulbs by Wuhostam may seem like it’s a reduced value.

After all, you’re only getting two bulbs when other companies give you 4 or 6 for a similar price. 

However, these are ceramic bulbs which are more effective in heat production and last a lot longer.

Ceramic bulbs don’t give off light and focus all of their energy on heat production.

This makes the lower 50-watts more than enough to produce heat for a basking spot.

You could leave this bulb on for 24 hours without any danger of overheating the bulb, but you don’t have to.

Just leave it on for 10-12 hours per day.

The ceramic bulb is easy to install.

All you have to do is screw it in just like any other bulb.

One thing to watch for is the fixture itself.

You’ll want a higher quality fixture like porcelain or ceramic to handle the higher heat from the bulb.

Wuhostam says each bulb could last for 9,000-15,000 hours.

This is easily believable with the quality of ceramic heating bulbs.

At 12 hours per day, this could translate into 750-1250 days of use.

It sounds like a great value now!

Pros For This Product:

• Efficient heat production
• Last a very long time
• Great value for life span
• Installs like any other bulb
• No danger of overheating

Cons For This Product:

• Needs a more expensive light fixture

Zilla Premium Reflector Domes

This Zilla reflector dome is a simple fixture for use with the heating bulbs.

It works best with halogen or fluorescent bulbs, but ceramic bulbs are also able to be used.

Zilla is a trusted pet company, and they offer a 1-year warranty with this dome.

It comes in a 5.5″ and 8.5″ option at an affordable price.

The socket is made from ceramic.

This means it lasts under high heat.

The lamp uses a 6′ power cord with an easy-to-use on and off switch.

It merely attaches with a durable spring clip. 

The outside of the dome is powder-coated black or natural silver and a reflective white on the inside to reflect more light and heat into the tank spot.

The dome shape is perfect for heating a specific spot as you need for a basking spot.

Pros For This Product:

• Great company to work with
• Lasts a long time
• Works well with halogen, fluorescent, and ceramic bulbs
• Handles high heat well

Cons For This Product:

• After many years, the wires may start to fray

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Conclusion

We hope you will find our reviews of the best basking bulbs for bearded dragons helpful.

You want to balance affordability with an excellent heat output, and these will do the job just fine.