The 9 Best Basking Bulbs For Bearded Dragons!

To house a bearded dragon successfully in captivity there is certain equipment that is essential.

One such piece of equipment is a basking bulb and without this simple item, a bearded dragon would sadly become very ill and eventually die.

Even though basking bulbs are simple items that can be picked up at most hardware stores or places online, there is still much to consider in order to choose a bulb that is safe, lasts a long period of time and provides your bearded dragons with the heat they need to be healthy.

In the guide, we will share our 9 favourite basking bulbs for bearded dragons.

This will save you hours of research and peace of mind that you are picking the basking bulb that’s right for you.

So what are the best basking bulbs for bearded dragons? The 9 best basking bulbs for bearded dragons are:

• Beospat UVA & UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp
• Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp 75W (2-Pack)
• Omaykey Sun Lamp 75W (6 Pack)
• Exo Terra Intense Basking Spot Heat Bulb (3 Pack)
• Zilla Incandescent Spot Heat Bulb (3 Pack)
• Cullen Reptile Heat Lamp (2 Pack)
• Exo Terra Sun-Glo Basking Spot Lamp
• Omaykey 75W Basking Spot Heat Lamp (2 Pack)
• Flukers Basking Spotlight Bulbs For Reptiles

Read On to Learn…

In a Hurry? Here Are Our Top 3 Basking Bulbs For Bearded Dragons:

We understand that you might be in a hurry and if that’s the case, don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

We have listed our top 3 basking bulbs below so you can go and check them out straight away…

(If you want more information on any of these 3 basking bulbs then check out our detailed and honest reviews later in this guide that covers all you need to know about each basking bulb.

Are Basking Bulbs Important For Bearded Dragons?

Bearded dragons are exothermic/cold-blooded and in the wild, they need an external heat source like the sun in order to keep their body temperature optimal.

Without access to an external heat source, bearded dragons would quickly become sick and they would find everyday tasks such as digesting food impossible.

In captivity, your bearded dragon can’t bask under the hot sun for hours on end as they can in the wild so it’s vital to provide another external heat source to mimic the sun.

This is achieved by using a combination of both a UVB light and a basking bulb.

So to answer the question, “are basking bulbs important for bearded dragons?” yes, they aren’t just important but they are vital and without one your beardie would become ill rather quickly just like they would in the wild.

What Wattage Basking Bulb Will I Need?

Basking bulbs come in different all sorts of power outputs (wattage). They generally range from between 40W all the way up to 150W.

It can be difficult to know what wattage is right for the setup you have. 

There are 2 main factors to think about…

• Size of the tank
• How far away the bulb is from your bearded dragon

We recommend using a 75W bulb for most setups as this wattage bulb will generally be enough.

You will need to adjust the height of the bulb in order to get the temperature right and 75W will be a great bulb for most owners.

If you have a large tank such as 120 gallons then you may need to go with something a little stronger.

(just to note, all the bulbs we recommend in this guide can be purchased in different wattages if you so need)

What to Look For In a Good Basking Bulb?

Basking bulbs, for the most part, have just one job and that’s to provide a consistent supply of heat to your beardie.

With this being said, there are still some things you need to look out for, if not you could be left disappointed with a bulb that’s not fit for purpose.

The 3 factors to consider are…

• The correct wattage for your setup
• Uses a standard fixing
• Durability

Let’s take a closer look at these 3 factors and why they are important when choosing a basking bulb…

The Correct Wattage For Your Setup

We have already mentioned that the wattage of the bulb is an important factor and will directly impact the level of heat your bearded dragon will receive in their habitat.

As previously discussed, we recommend a 75W basking bulb for most owners unless you have a large tank. You can always go higher if you feel you need to.

Going to a hardware store and picking up the first bulb you find and when getting it home only to realise it only offers 25W of energy isn’t going to do you any good

Always ensure you are aware of the wattage of the bulb you are purchasing both in-store and online.

A Standard Fixing

It’s important that you opt for a bulb that offers a standard socket size or fixing.

This can sometimes be overlooked but some bulbs may have a larger or smaller socket size and therefore won’t screw into your base holder lamp.

Most reptile specific basking bulbs will use the standard E26 or E27 socket size but if you opt for a bulb that is generally used for other purposes that this certainly needs to be checked.

Rest assured that the top 3 basking bulbs we recommend here all use the standard size socket so they will fit any standard lamp holder.

Durability

Durability is also a huge factor when deciding what basking bulb to choose for your bearded dragon.

The fact of the matter is that most general bulbs aren’t designed to be switched on for more than 4-5 hours per day.

Using a bulb for up to 12 per day can drastically reduce its life expectancy and therefore you will likely go through more bulbs.

It stands to reason that cheaper bulbs will usually burn out sooner than more expensive ones.

There is a trade-off though, as you might be able to purchase 2-3 cheaper bulbs for the same price as a more expensive one so you would need at least 3 times longer life from the expensive one to make it worth the extra expense.

We think that on the whole, going with a better quality bulb is better as you can literally end up changing the bulb every couple of days if you opt for bulbs that are too cheap.

If you are at work or out for a long time then this means that your beardie could be without heat for a long period.

Of course, there aren’t any guarantees with more expensive bulbs that they won’t burn out at some point but there is peace of mind that they should last longer than extremely cheap ones but ultimately the choice is yours.

Our Top 3 Best Basking Bulbs For Bearded Dragons (Reviewed)

We have selected 9 of the best basking bulbs that are great to heat up your bearded dragons habitat.

The following 3 basking bulbs are our handpicked favourites and the basking bulbs that we highly recommend.

We have picked these 3 bulbs out for various reasons and they are labelled our ‘top pick’, ‘runner up’ and ‘best budget buy’.

This gives a solid choice to every owner depending on your personal preferences.

Here are our top 3 best basking bulbs for bearded dragons…

1. Boeespat UVA & UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp (Top Pick)

Our top pick and the basking bulb we most highly recommend is the Boeespat UVA & UVB Full Spectrum Sun Lamp with 5 extra lamp beads.

Who Is This Basking Bulb For?

This basking bulb is for anyone who wants to easily provide the optimal level of heat for their bearded dragon, while getting great value for money with 5 replacement beads (inner bulbs) and saving the environment at the same time.

Why Do We Recommend This Basking Bulb?

This basking bulb by Boeespat contains a really high-quality halogen bulb that includes a durable wick that reduces it’s ageing and also provides convex surface reflection which increases its ultraviolet spectrum.

The fact that this bulb is halogen rather than incandescent is a big plus as they generate more heat and make great basking bulbs.

The bulb offers 97% UVA which is what’s needed from a basking bulb but it also contains 3% UVB.

While your beardie will be getting their UVB from a different source (the UVB strip light) it’s also handy for them to get some extra UVB from their basking bulb too if possible.

Overall, you can rest assured that this bulb will provide your bearded dragon with all the heat they need from a high-quality bulb.

What we really like about this bulb and what makes it more than worth the small investment is the fact that it comes with 5 extra replacement beads.

The beads are the working part of the bulb that generates the light and will eventually burn out.

This means that instead of having to replace the whole bulb when it stops working you can simply replace the beads.

Ultimately, having 5 replacement beads is like having 5 extra bulbs so your purchase is extremely good value for money.

At the same time, anybody who is conscious of the environment will love this too as it means that there is far less waste and only the small bead will need to be thrown away.

The basking bulb also fixes to any standard lamp holder with its screw-in fixing.

If there is one downside it’s that you do need to be careful when replacing the beads and not be too heavy-handed as you could break them.

Overall, the Boeespat Full Spectrum Sun Lamp is a really good, high-quality halogen basking bulb and the fact it comes with the 5 replacement beads make it value for money too.

 Boeespat Full Spectrum Sun Lamp – Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Halogen
• High-quality
• Durable
• 5 replacement beads (inner bulbs)
• Environmentally friendly
• Easy fixing

Cons:

• Beads can be fiddly to replace

2. Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp 75W 2-Pack (Runner Up)

We have chosen the Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp as our runner up as we feel it’s a great basking bulb and offers everything you need.

Who Is This Basking Bulb For?

This basking bulb is for owners that are looking to heat their bearded dragons habitat with a high-quality, durable bulb specifically designed for reptiles.

Why Do We Recommend This Basking Bulb?

The good thing about opting for products from reptile experts such as Zoo Med is that they are all specifically designed with reptiles in mind.

This means that with items like basking bulbs, all the little details are taken care of to ensure your beardie gets the best basking experience possible.

Zoo Med have built this basking bulb with a patented double reflector which allows a massive 35% more light and heat to pass through a tight beam.

This means you can achieve really high and efficient basking temperatures easily without having to move the bulb too close to your bearded dragon.

Another reason why we have picked this particular bulb is that it’s a 2 pack.

This might seem pretty trivial but it’s actually very important to always have a spare bulb. If your basking bulb burns out you always need a spare at hand to put straight in.

This product contains 2 bulbs so you can rest assured you will always have that much needed spare.

It also comes with the standard screw-in fixing so it will fit all standard lamp holders.

We always try and be totally honest and tell you about the negatives within each product we review.

The thing is, we can’t find any notable negatives with this basking bulb. It was very close to being the winner and our top pick and it only came runner up due to our other pick offering more value for the price.

All in all, we don’t hesitate to recommend this bulb and we know it will be a great companion for your beardie.

Zoo Med Repti Basking Spot Lamp (2-Pack) – Pros & Cons

Pros:

• High-quality
• Patented design
• Standard fixing
• 2 pack

Cons:

• Nothing notable

3. Omaykey Sun Lamp 75W 6 Pack (Best Budget Buy)

Our ‘best budget buy’ is the Omaykey Sun Lamp 75W that comes in a huge 6 pack.

Who Is This Basking Bulb For?

This basking bulb is for owners that are looking to efficiently heat their bearded dragons tank while getting lots of value from the purchase.

Why Do We Recommend This Basking Bulb?

Even though this product is our budget buy, it offers a high-quality halogen bulb and three-dimensional reflection that helps to strengthen the UV spectrum.

The bulbs are really bright and easily give off enough heat to provide your beardie with optimal temperatures.

Again these bulbs are fitted with the standard US fixing so you don’t have to worry about having to purchase another lamp holder to get them up and running.

The reason why we included this product as our budget buy is because it comes in a generous pack of 6 bulbs for around the same price as you can expect to pay for 1-2 bulbs of other brands.

Unfortunately, it isn’t all good as you can expect these bulbs to burn out quicker than our previous 2 reviewed items.

This is normal and most bulbs are only designed to be on for 4-5 hours per day instead of the 12 hours that reptiles need them on for.

Something else that needs mentioning is that these bulbs are smaller in diameter than our previous 2 selections.

If you can handle the fact that you might go through more of these bulbs then they are a great choice and value for money but if that doesn’t sit well with you then we recommend opting for one of our previous choices.

Omaykey Sun Lamp (6 Pack) – Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Halogen
• 6 pack
• Great value for money
• Standard Fixing

Cons:

• Can burn out easily
• Smaller than other bulbs

6 More Great Basking Bulbs We Recommend For Your Bearded Dragon:

We have shared 3 great basking bulb options that will all do a great job of heating your beardies habitat and we believe they are the best options depending on your individual needs.

If you feel that the 3 options we have reviewed just aren’t what you are looking for then we have put together a list of 6 more really good alternatives.

Each of the basking bulbs that are listed below will provide your beardie with the heat they need to be healthy while offering good value for money.

Check out our basking bulb alternatives here…

F.A.Q.

What Can I Do If My Basking Bulb Burns Out? If your bearded dragons basking bulb burns out there are a few things you can do until you until you replace the bulb.

Here’s what we suggest if your bearded dragon’s basking bulb burns out:

• Always Have a Spare
• Heat Mat
• Skiing to skin contact
• Heated water bottle
• Ceramic heat emitter

What Can I Do If I Have A Power Outage? If you have a power outage and your bearded dragon is potentially left without any heat or light in their habitat there are a few things you can do. 

Firstly, always use a timer to control the basking bulb that’s fitted with an internal battery so even if there is a power outage the timer will still supply power through the battery.

If you are left in a position where you don’t have a timer with an internal battery then we recommend providing skin to skin contact or a heated water bottle if possible.

What Temperature Should The Basking Spot Be? The basking temperature for a baby bearded dragon should be between 100-110°F and for adult bearded dragons the basking temperature should be 90-100°F. You also need to offer a cool spot in the tank with a gradient of approximately 20°F less than the basking area.

Can I Use a Regular Bulb From a Hardware Store? You can use a regular basking bulb from a hardware store for your bearded dragon, however, you need to ensure you check the wattage and quality of the bulb prior to purchase as cheaper isn’t always better.

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