I have a VE and a Herpstat 2

I got the VE first and realized there is a critical safety feature on Herpstat that makes me not want to use another brand until it comes standard.

With the VE and most other brands, if the thermostat fails it can land in the ON position. This means the heat tape goes to full power and your snakes potentially get cooked / house burns down.

With the Herpstat, when it fails it will always be in the OFF position. This means the hot spot goes off and your snakes sit at ambient temps for a couple hours. Since ambient temps in a room with a rack are in a safe zone for survival, your snakes will be alive when you find them and your house will be standing.

Please correct me if anyone has other input. This is just what I've gained by reading enough of these thermostat threads.