Pets · Head-to-head
Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2 vs Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat (RT-600P)
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Reptile Thermostats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Herpstat 2 is the only unit in this group that can be set to dimming for a basking bulb on one output and pulse for a ceramic emitter or mat on the other, with two independent probes and a documented safety relay. The Zoo Med dimming unit does the single most common job, controlling one basking bulb, for a lot less money, and its instruction sheet is unusually clear about where the probe goes.
Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2
Buy itTwo independent outputs, each switchable between dimming and pulse proportional control, with an internal safety relay behind them.
- The manual lists Heat (Dimming) and Heat (Pulse) as selectable output modes, so one unit can run a basking bulb on one channel and a ceramic emitter or mat on the other.
- Two outlets and two probes with fully independent settings, rated 900 watts total and 500 watts maximum on either output.
- Documented failsafes include an internal safety relay that cuts main power to all outputs on a high alarm, plus internal error detection that shuts off heat if a sensor fails or is disconnected.
- The safety relay is not enabled out of the box: the manual gives INDIVIDUAL OUTPUTS as the default option, and that setting does not enable the relay.
- Spyder Robotics publishes a one year limited warranty, shorter than the five years several other thermostat makers advertise.
- No UL, ETL or CSA listing appears on the product page or in the user manual we read.
Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat (RT-600P)
Buy itA proper dimming thermostat for basking bulbs, with adjustable ramping and separate day and night setpoints, at a price a first-time keeper will actually pay.
- It is a dimming unit, which is the control type makers across this category name for light-emitting bulbs, and Zoo Med rates it to 600 watts of heating devices.
- Ramp-up and ramp-down are separately adjustable from 0 to 99 minutes each, with a 30 minute default, and daytime and nighttime setpoints have their own start times.
- The instruction sheet gives real probe placement guidance, including shading the probe tip if it sits near an overhead basking source, and the waterproof 6.5 foot probe is replaceable.
- The alarm is a deviation band with a factory default of 30 degrees, which is very wide, and the sheet says it can be turned off entirely by setting it to 0.
- No secondary hardware cutoff is documented: the audible and visual alarm is the only published protection.
- One outlet and one probe, so a second heat source means a second unit.
Side by side
The 8 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2 Our pick | Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat (RT-600P) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | A keeper running two enclosures, or one enclosure that needs a light-emitting basking source and a separate non-light heat source. | A single enclosure heated by a basking bulb, where you want correct dimming control without premium controller money. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range |
| Control type | Proportional, dimming or pulse selectable per output | Dimming |
| Suitable for light-emitting bulbs | Yes, in dimming mode | Yes, it is built for that |
| Rated load | 900 W total, 500 W max per outlet | 600 W maximum resistive load |
| Outputs and probes | 2 outlets, 2 probes, independent settings | 1 outlet, 1 replaceable waterproof probe |
| Temperature range | 40 to 150 F | 36 to 140 F |
| Display and feedback | LCD, tenths of a degree, high and low alarms | LCD touch panel, clock, day and night values |
| Documented failsafes | Safety relay cuts all outputs on high alarm (off by default), sensor-fail shutoff, high and low alarms | High and low alarm, deviation based, default 30 degrees, can be disabled |
| Warranty | 1 year limited | 12 months |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2 if
a keeper running two enclosures, or one enclosure that needs a light-emitting basking source and a separate non-light heat source.
Know before buying: the safety relay is not enabled out of the box: the manual gives INDIVIDUAL OUTPUTS as the default option, and that setting does not enable the relay.
Pick the Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat (RT-600P) if
a single enclosure heated by a basking bulb, where you want correct dimming control without premium controller money.
Know before buying: the alarm is a deviation band with a factory default of 30 degrees, which is very wide, and the sheet says it can be turned off entirely by setting it to 0.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Spyder Robotics Herpstat 2 - Two independent outputs, each switchable between dimming and pulse proportional control, with an internal safety relay behind them. Choose the Zoo Med ReptiTemp Dimming Thermostat (RT-600P) instead if a single enclosure heated by a basking bulb, where you want correct dimming control without premium controller money.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Reptile Thermostats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).