Levis are usually not recommended for the starter, or even the experienced keeper, so I hope you mean newbie to them, not herps in general, just as a forewarning.

IMHO, tempered glass is usually a better choice, simply because unless you are a chemist you never know what kind of toxins can be released when you heat any sort of plastic. That being said, I know many rack systems are set up this way and there isn't any sort of study, just me spouting off. If you are only in the low 80s, the risk is lower. (Don't buy the "high desert" UTH or something silly though! )

One thing if you are going to worry go the extra dollars for the thermostat. A rheo is nothing more than a dimmer - you have to change the settings based on your temp readings. In fact, I use a lamp dimmer because it is dirt cheap from the hardware store for this purpose. For hands off control, go for the thermostat, the best you can afford because accuracy will be your friend. It will maintain temperature by maintaining voltage on the UTH. Hopefully, that helps in a nutshell.

Good luck and give us some pics when they are settled.

PS Here is a caresheet I found interesting specific to levis, if you haven't already seen it:
Care sheet

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