I believe the chameleon chondo rack is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in either 1/4" or 1/2" thickness (or a combination of both).



The Boaphile, of course, is made from foamed rigid PVC sheet.



The HDPE will be more dense making that rack heavier. Even more so if some of the walls or shelves are 1/2". However, I'm certain each shelf on the CC will be more rigid given my brief experience with each material.



If it matters to you, HDPE is FDA approved for food contact while the PVC is known to offgass a bit after being cut, etc. Keep in mind that tadpoles of many frog species are raised in section of freshly cut PVC pipe so I hardly doubt the offgassing is a concern to whatever you might keep in a rack.



The PVC material used by boaphile will be slightly more flexible but will conduct heat better and likely require less total wattage of heating. The PVC also has the flame retardant making it somewhat safer. A catastrophic accident may still kill off your animals but is likely to reduce damage to your home.



I guess it really boils down to what species you are keeping. The CC might be better for some of the small to medium sized colubrids know for their ability to escape. The Boaphile would be very good for subadult pythons and boids.



I think boaphile has a lot more experience building plastic racks, but I'm not sure about that.



Sorry, I don't have as much experience as others on this forum to comment on thermostats or heat tape.

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