Neither is better. They perform different tasks.
A heat lamp provides ambient heat; it will raise the temperature inside the cage above the temperature of the room.
A heat mat creates a warm spot that animals can lay on to bask; it does not usually change the temperature of the cage.
If the room the snake cage will be in will always be warmer than 22 C then you may just need a heat mat to provide a basking area for the snake.
If the room may get colder than 22C then you will need a heat lamp, ceramic heat emitter, or radiant heat panel to keep the cage warm. Some heat lamps will raise cage temperatures and create a basking spot; some will not. With a heat lamp you may still need a heat mat.
You will need to use a digital thermometer to measure the temperature on the warm side of the cage, the cool side of the cage, and an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of a basking spot directly below the lamp. The cold side of the enclosure should be no colder than 22C, the warm side no warmer than 29C, and the surface area of the basking spot should be around 32C.
All heat sources require thermostats. If you have a heat lamp and a heat mat then you either need two thermostats or a thermostat capable of controlling more than one heating device.
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