Choosing heat and light bulbs for your box turtle’s home is only half the battle. Then you need to decide what lamp fixture to use. One with a ceramic socket is always a good choice. It will let you use the widest variety of bulbs.

So if you decide to try a different bulb, you’ll still be able to use the same lamp fixture. Most of the time, anyway.

This Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp is a solid choice. It does have a porcelain socket. It clamps securely to the habitat or another sturdy object. And you can cover it to protect you and your pets from burns.

Keep reading for more about the Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp from Zoo Med:

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What It Is                       Safety Tips                       Pros & Cons
.                                       Where to Buy

What Is The Zoo Med Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp

It’s a heavy gauge aluminum dome lamp with a ceramic socket. It can handle bulbs up to 100 watts (5.5-inch) or 150 watts (larger lamps).

The outside is painted black, so it works with any décor. The interior is polished to reflect light better.

The clamp is coated with rubber. This helps it grab onto whatever you clamp it to better. So you can worry less about it slipping and falling.

You do need to attach the clamp arm to the lamp before you can use it. But it’s a pretty simple job with just one screw.

It comes in three sizes (diameter of dome):

• 5.5 inches
• 8.5 inches
• 10 inches

You can use it with Zoo Med’s Clamp Lamp Safety Cover. This helps protect you and other family members from accidentally touching a hot bulb. It also helps prevent fire from a curtain or other fabric blowing against the bulb (although you really shouldn’t have a hot lamp set up that close to fabrics).

The lamp has a 6-foot UL-listed cord. So you can feel confident it’s safe. And the length makes it easier to place it just where you want it, no matter where your outlet is.

The on/off switch on the cord makes turning the lamp on & off simple. Or you could use it with a timer and make it completely hands-free.

Zoo Med’s warranty on this lamp is 1 year.

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Use & Safety Tips for This Clamp Lamp

Of course you know how to use a lamp fixture. But many reptile heat lamps get much hotter than regular incandescent lamps.

So it’s worth remembering a few safety tips:

• Use it only above your pet’s home. Never put it inside the cage. Doing that could cause the habitat to overheat and/or burn your pet.
• Pay attention to the maximum wattage the lamps can handle. Don’t use bigger bulbs. The socket is not designed to handle them, so they could be a fire hazard.
• Do not cover the lamp with any flammable material. This includes blankets, curtains or clothes.
• This lamp is for indoor use only.
• Use only in dry conditions. If you’re misting your box turtle’s home, just be sure you don’t spray the lamp/bulb.

And of course, as with any lamp, don’t use it if the cord gets damaged or frayed. If you think the cord may have a short (moving the cord causes the lamp to turn on & off), stop using it.

We’ve had a shorted cord basically explode in a shower of sparks. Luckily it wasn’t near anything flammable when it happened. Now, this was NOT a cord on this lamp. But it is something that can happen to any damaged cord, so be careful!

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Pros and Cons of Zoo Med’s Deluxe Porcelain Clamp Lamp

 
For the most part, people who bought this lamp were happy with it. Of course, there were a couple of potential cons. They may or may not matter to you, depending on how you you plan to use it.
Pros:

• Clamps securely with rubberized clamp
• Polished dome helps focus heat onto a basking spot
• Works with many of Zoo Med’s popular bulbs, including the Repti Basking Spot Lamp, Repti Halogen and PowerSun UV
• Can use the safety cover to prevent burn accidents
• Simple on/off switch on the cord
• 6-foot long cord offers convenience
• Cord is UL-listed for peace of mind

Cons:

• Some reviewers found the swivel part was a bit loose, making it hard to aim it exactly where they wanted it
• Some reviewers also noted that each time you reposition the lamp, the clamp needs to be re-tightened. Maybe that was the issue others were having? We’re not sure.

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Where You Can Find This Lamp

The 5.5” and 8.5” lamps seem easier to find than the 10” size. But one of those two smaller sizes are most likely all you need for a box turtle anyway.

These retailers had at least one size in stock the day we visited:

• Pet Mountain had the lowest price for the 8.5″ lamp (and also sells the 5.5″)
• Amazon also sells both of the smaller sizes (but we’ve linked to the 8.5″ size)

 

 

 

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