Hova Bator Incubator | Top Performance Reptile Egg Incubator

When I decided to breed my beardie (bearded dragon), Fizz, a couple of years ago, I knew it wasn't a task I could take on lightly.

I trawled my regular forums, arming myself with all the information I needed before embarking on my mission. I then trawled Amazon for the items I needed to try and ensure my breeding efforts were a success.

The Hova Bator was recommended to me by a friend and really looked the part. The reviews were all great so I went ahead and bought it, along with some really useful boxes for the little ones before they went to their new homes.

The incubator arrived the next day and I was delighted!

It came with really clear set-up instructions and looked great - with two windows on the top for viewing the eggs. It also included a thermometer and thermostat (I got the 1602N Model)

It was then just a matter of waiting...

Fizz was successfully mated with a friend's beardie, Jeffrey, then, just under six weeks later, she layed her first clutch of 20 eggs!

Following advice from friends, I got the Hova Bator ready as soon as I started to see the outlines of the eggs in Fizz's belly (this is a sure sign that she's almost ready to pop), which turned out to be two days before she layed.

I then carefully placed the eggs in small really useful boxes, half filled with damp (but not wet) vermiculite with small holes drilled in the lids and placed the tubs in the incubator. Each egg was candle tested before being placed in its own little dent, embryo up. The tubs fit easily and I could see the eggs through the viewing windows just fine.

The incubator was kept on a side table in the living room where I thought the room temperature would be most constant and I checked the thermometer each day to ensure the temperature stayed at 82'F.

Just over 4 weeks later, Fizz layed another clutch (this time 17 eggs) and the difference between the clutches was very clear when I placed the new eggs in the incubator - a good sign that the first ones were developing well.

62 days after the first clutch was layed they ALL hatched!

I was ecstatic! A 100% success rate with the first clutch and I had the Hova Bator to thank!

Another 29 days later 16 of the 17 eggs in the second clutch hatched (one of the eggs was unfertilised and had to be thrown away after a few days of incubation).

Fizz's final clutch of 15 hatched perfectly not long after, leaving me with a total of 51 baby beardies!!!

Luckily I had organised homes for most of them before starting breeding and local reptile shops took in quite a few (again organised beforehand), which left me with 5 of the babies and Fizz.

Since my success breeding last year, I have loaned my Hova Bator to a friend for his corn snake's eggs with 100% success and also to my brother for his ball python's eggs, which we are currently waiting on, but all look healthy.

Overall my experience with the Hova Bator has been extremely positive and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to buy an incubator for any type of reptile egg.

if you've never bred before, this incubator is the best place for you to start - don't hesitate, just get it and you won't look back. It's an amazing feeling seeing those little noses emerge from the eggs and I think it's something every breeder should be able to experience with ALL their eggs.

Don't just take my word for it - here's what other breeders and hobbyists had to say about hatching their reptile eggs with the Hova Bator Incubator.

I've had an almost perfect record hatching leopard gecko eggs using the Hova Bator over the last 2 and a half years. The only downside is that it takes a while for the temperature to stabilise when you first set it up, but this resolves after a couple of hours - just be sure to have it set up well before you're expecting eggs just in case.

James, Greenwood Village, CO

As a professional breeder supplying many local reptile stores, I rely on my Hova Bators for consistent, reliable results. Over the past 12 years I have used them to successfully hatch over 25 different reptile species and haven't once considered switching to another brand.

Charlie, Rochester, MN

I bought my Hova Bator from Amazon for around $55, it arrived 3 days later in perfect condition and I haven't looked back since! I got the thermal air one as I was worried about eggs drying out in the fan assisted one and I'm very happy with my choice. My corn snakes have laid two clutches already this year and I've had a 100% success rate so far.

Susie, Great Falls, MT

Originally I bought a Lucky Reptile Herp Nursery, but once I slowed down on my breeding efforts I wanted to downsize to something a bit more manageable. I thought about making my own, but decided to opt for the Hova Bator instead after several friends found problems with temperature and humidity stability in their homemade ones, causing 30 - 40% of the eggs to die. I've had no problems at all with my Hova Bator and selling my ball python babies more than made up for the investment in just a few months. Overall very happy with this incubator

Jess, Cherry Hill, NJ

Borrowed one of these off a friend when one of my leos layed quite unexpectedly (long story). Both of her eggs hatched successfully and I'm planning to get my own incubator and continue breeding leos as a hobby after this success.

Paul, New Haven, CT

Thanks to all who contributed their testimonials to this page.

At the moment there's a lot of hype about making your own incubators.

I don't personally feel confident enough to make my own and still achieve a 100% success rate, but I know that a lot of people are interested in how homemade incubators compare to bought ones and whether it is actually cheaper and easier to make your own.

Homemade Incubators

If you know where to find certain pieces of equipment for free or cheap, or you have them lying around, then homemade incubators could be a good option for you.

The easiest one to make involves getting hold of a poly box (often comes free wth frozen snake foods or can be obtained for free from pet stores). You then need a heat mat roughly the size of the base of the poly box, a thermostat, thermometer and humidity gauge.

If you need to buy all these you'll probably be paying around $60 or so, which is pretty much the same as buying one, but if you already have things like thermostats at home this can drastically reduce the cost.

Hova Bator Incubator

As I mentioned before, buying a Hova Bator can be cheaper than making your own if you don't have the right equipment and, for me, paying a little extra is worth the reliable results anyway.

The Hova Bator looks like the real deal (because it is!) compared to slightly cheap looking homemade incubators so you can be proud to have it in your home. The windows also allow you to view the eggs without disturbing the incubator environment - a feature lacking in most homemade incubators.

I may consider trying to make my own incubator at some point in the future if I can get everything for free, but I would never consider having it as my only option for incubating eggs. I think I am simply too hooked on my Hova Bator!