Honestly, a heat mat on a dimmer is far better than a malfunctioning T-stat. But I'd get a Herpstat ASAP.

A have a room full of Herpstats, with about 200 animals peak season, and never thought I needed remote control of them -- and I do have remote access to my aquariums, and home security system, because these things do sometimes need remote access. Reptile thermostats do not.