I recommend Herpstat no matter what the situation.
That said, any thermostat isn't going to make the heating keep up with big ambient temp fluctuations any better than any other thermostat. Either your heat sources are underpowered for the amount of temp rise you need, or the probe(s) are incorrectly placed, or you're attempting to use a heating device for a task it isn't designed for (e.g. using a heat mat to raise viv air temps is not only not going to work, but is very dangerous -- as you mentioned) or some combination of the three.
Optimizing the enclosure for your climate extremes is far better than throwing more heating equipment (which can fail) and misting sessions (hard to deal with when on vacation, or sick) at problems, especially since moisture and temperature are somewhat interrelated. You don't mention what kind of enclosure you have or what your climate is like, but a PVC enclosure is by far a better choice in cold or dry climates than is a fish tank (which is better for...fish) or an ExoTerra (tolerable for some species, but ideal for few), since they hold heat and moisture well while still offering enough stock ventilation for most species of snakes in most climates.
More info than you asked for, but hope it helps.
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