Best UVB Bulb for Chameleons: Reviews & Guide 2022

During the past, keeping chameleons as pets are usually a fail to most keepers. They die because keepers have limited understanding of their needs, which is mostly the ultraviolet light. Sadly, even today there are still some keepers who often ignore the use of best UVB bulb for chameleons.

To prevent your pet from having a chronic MBD or Metabolic Bone Disease, you should always provide them with the right amount of UVB lights. The cheapest and most reliable source of UV is the sun, but not all of you have enough time to let your pet bask under the sun right? That’s what the UVB bulbs for, read more for more info.

What Are the Kinds of UVB Bulbs Available?

There are lots of manufacturers that create different types of UVB bulbs. However, only four different types have been widely known, and that it takes up the majority of shares in the market. Here are the most well-known UVB reptile light bulbs in the market, the compact fluorescent lighting, the metal halide lighting, the linear fluorescent lighting, and the mercury vapor lighting.

The more our technology advances and the bulbs production cost go down, the more the UVB light bulb products will available in the market. Most UVB light bulbs are inexpensive but there are also other UVB bulbs that are expensive. Whether it is expensive or not, if it’s for your reptile’s overall health then the price will not matter to you.

The Right Amount of Wattage of UVB Bulb for Chameleons

Before purchasing a UVB bulb, you must first think about how much watt is needed in your chameleon’s terrarium. Here are a few factors that will depend on what size or wattage of bulb that you’ll need for your pet:

• Your location’s temperature
• The room temperature
• The enclosure’s set up location (for example, near the window)
• The size of the setup

All of these things play a huge part in the wattage and the bulb that is needed for your setup. I recommend that you use at least a couple of different wattages. This is to see which type of UVB bulb will reach the needed temperature the best.

To measure the temperature of your chameleon’s terrarium, use a very reliable thermometer gauge on its terrarium, you can also use a digital one. You can purchase these products in here.

Basking Temperatures for Chameleons

Chameleons are known as a cold-blooded animal, which means that these reptiles cannot maintain their body’s temperature by preserving and producing their own heat. That is why they needed to bask under the sun or UV lights regularly. Here is a list of terrarium temperatures that you should aim for in your pet’s enclosure. You could use a digital or analog thermometer to measure the heat of the terrarium. Also, note that higher temperatures could lead to health issues in your chameleon:

• For an adult veiled chameleon (1 year and above) the temperature should be around 31C to 35C (87F to 95F)
• For young veiled chameleons (below 1 year) the temperature should be around 29C to 30C (84F to 86F)
• For an adult panther chameleon (1 year and above) the temperature should be around 29C to 30C (84F to 86F)
• For young panther chameleons (below 1 year) it should be around 27C to 28C (80F to 82F)

Note: Make sure that your chameleon cannot climb up to the heat or to the UVB bulb, no matter what kind of sub-species of chameleon that you own. It would cause problems like PKC or Photo Kerato Conjunctivitis, severe dehydration, and thermal burns.

Top 10 UVB Light Bulbs for Chameleons

Here is a list of UVB bulbs for chameleons that you can choose from. Pick the right UVB bulb that you think is suitable for your pet’s need.

1. Evergreen UVB Reptile Bulb

This UVB light bulb is ideal for a wide variety of amphibians and reptiles including geckos, tortoises, bearded dragons, chameleons, snakes, boas, toads, lizards, turtles, iguanas, frogs, and more. This UVA, UVB bulb is compatible with all kinds of enclosures, and that includes vision cages, tanks, vivariums, terrariums, and more.

This is perfect for your chameleon that needed UVB lights while basking. The bulb has been tested for quality, the manufacturer has performed three steps on each of their bulbs to ensure that their products work properly. The bulb also offers a best-in-class lifespan better than other competitive UVB light bulbs.

2. STTQYB UVB Heating Lamp

If you are on a tight budget but badly needed a high-quality UVB lamp, then try this STTQYB heating lamp. This can be used with different amphibians and reptiles including, chameleons, snakes, boas, frogs, blue tongues, toads, geckos, bearded dragons, and more.

This bulb provides 97% of UVA that could help stimulate your reptile’s appetite, and 3% of UVB rays to promote a synthesis of vitamin D3. It’ll also help your pet to fully absorb calcium. The heating lamp has 3D convex of surface reflection to increase the UV spectrum. Most buyers of this product use an E27 lamp base as the bulb’s holder.

3. Lucky Herp Mercury Vapor Bulb

Here is a perfect UVB daylight bulb that provides enough heat and UVA/UVB visible light, all in just one lamp. The bulb is free from UVC rays that could harm your reptile’s health. The self-ballasted bulb perfectly stimulates the sunlight, it’ll keep your chameleon warm and will promote a production of vitamins that is very necessary for your pet’s overall health.

This is ideal for different kinds of reptiles and amphibians like iguanas, chameleons, frogs, lizards, bearded dragons, snakes, and more. The UVB bulb is also suitable for different kinds of enclosures. For the standard socket, use an E26 US sized socket for the UVB light bulb.

4. Exo Terra Solar-Glo Heat Lamp

This is a self-ballasted mercury vapor bulb that provides all kinds of health benefits like the natural sunlight. This is one of the important aspects of keeping a reptile healthy. A lot of professional breeders use this Solar Glo product to provide a proper balanced ultraviolet light for reptiles and amphibians.

The bulb provides balanced rays like UVA, UVB, infrared light, and visual lights, all in just one bulb. The Exo Terra’s UVB bulb provides a light of a fully tuned spectrum, it helps stimulate your chameleon’s brilliant colors, its appetite, and its natural activities. It also increases your pet’s calcium absorption through the production of Vitamin D3, which help prevent a metabolic bone disease.

5. Zoo Med ReptiSun Mini UVB Fluorescent

Are you looking for a smaller UVB light bulb for your chameleon? Try the Zoo Med’s Mini Fluorescent bulb. It may be small but it works perfectly like the other UVB light bulbs. It provides all the benefits that other UVB light bulbs could give. This bulb is perfect for a wide variety of basking reptiles and desert reptiles.

The bulb provides a 10% output of UVB rays and a 30% output of UVA rays. The bulb uses a special quartz glass that properly transmits UVB rays into your pet’s terrarium, this provides a maximum penetration of UVB rays. Also, the bulb has a cool burning compact screw, threaded into the sockets. This helps eliminate the need of separate ballast.

6. Evergreen Pet Supplies Infrared Heat Bulb

This is the perfect UVB light for your chameleon because it can provide enough UVB light rays 24/7. You can also use at night without disturbing your pet’s sleeping pattern. The infrared bulb provides powerful heat emission at night without a light output. This is perfect for uromastyx, chameleons, snakes, bearded dragons, chuckwallas, tegus, monitors, hermit crabs, iguanas, and more.

Aside from reptiles and amphibians, you could also use it for dogs and cats that needed heat during the night, as well as an array of birds like ducks, chicken, parrots, chicks, cockatiels, and more. The bulb is compatible for all kinds of enclosures; this includes tanks, terrariums, vision cages, aquarium, and more.

7. Exo Terra Repti-Glo

Exo Terra’s Repti-Glo could provide a moderate to the high output of UVB rays, this is similar to some shady environments like rainforests and in other kinds of tropical locations. Reptiles that live in these kinds of habitats receive less UV radiation because of a lot of climatological conditions, preventing the sunlight to reach their basking sites or them.

The advantage of this UVB bulb is that it is self-ballasting and the size of the bulb. This bulb could fit into a regular screw to operate. The UVB bulb had watt of 26, the bulb’s spiral shape will enable you to place it vertically or horizontally in your pet’s terrarium. The bulb provides a balanced visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared light that are necessary for your chameleon’s health.

8. Aiicioo UVB Mercury Vapor Bulb

Want to keep your pet chameleon healthy? Provide it with a high-quality UVB light bulb in its terrarium. Try this self-ballasted vapor bulb that provides your pet with all the benefits of the sunlight. The rays of the sun are one of the most important factors in keeping your reptile friend healthy.

This bulb is an all in one light bulb that provides the proper balance of light, the ultraviolet lights which are UVA and UVB, infrared light, and visual light. These lights are all available in one easy-to-install UVB light bulb. The light that the bulb gives is full spectrum. It is a carefully tuned peak to ensure your pet’s activity, brilliant colors, appetite, and its absorption of calcium through the production of vitamin D3.

9. Zilla UVB Fluorescent Bulb

Here is a desert series UVB light bulb that is ideal for reptiles that are dwelling in both tropical and desert habitats. This fluorescent bulb provides enough UVB lights for your chameleons bone health. Aside from UVB light rays, the bulb also provides UVA rays to help ensure your reptile’s appetite.

Additionally, the bulb has a good illumination of visible-spectrum that makes your pet’s skin coloration more viewable and vivid. This high-efficiency fluorescent bulb is specifically designed to fit like the most major fixture types of fluorescent. Also, the design of the bulb is designed to be used for up to an average of twelve months or for up to 3,500 hours.

10. Zilla UVB Fluorescent Coil Bulb

Here is another excellent UVB basking light bulb for your chameleon’s beneficial health. This is a UVB light bulb that provides all of your chameleon’s UV needs, it gives off a full dosage of UVB rays and the highly essential UVA light. This UVB bulb is ideal for basilisks, anoles, chameleons, bearded dragons, monitors, iguanas, day geckos, boas, snakes, lizards, turtles, Chinese water dragons, and more.

The bulb is a full lighting spectrum that enhances your pet’s natural colors and the colors of its environment. The Zilla UVB light bulb is great for saving energy costs, the bulb is designed for being energy efficient. Another advantage of the bulb is its coil bulb design, it can fit almost all the standard incandescent light bulb sockets.

Conclusion

If you are planning on keeping a chameleon, it is important that you should also invest in UVB lighting aside from investing your pet’s other needs. If you skip on using UVB lights for your pet, you’ll end up taking care of a very sick chameleon, or even worse it could end up dead in a very short time.

Choose the best UVB light bulb for your pet’s overall health. If you want your pet to bask under the sun, as a way of saving UVB bulb energy, make sure that your pet is out of the enclosure. Basking them under the sun openly is the best way of providing them with enough UVB light.