Thermostats/Temp Control

I’ve read the forums main wiki/general answers page but didn’t see the answer there - I just got my very first baby corn snake today! I’ve kept ball pythons and RT boas in the past but I was a total kid (25+ years ago, so my snake husbandry is archaic)…
My one question is what does everyone use to maintain their temperatures? I see the BN-Link Thermostat on Amazon, but wondering if there are more reliable options? Also, the temp probe-how are you inserting that into a cage without causing a gap for snake to escape through? I’m totally paranoid about mine breaking out. I have a glass 10 gallon tank with a heat pad underneath it, currently. Yes - I know I will need a bigger cage in 6 months, I wanted to size up with the snake as he grew. He is an albino color morph so I was concerned about heat lamps and lights that could affect his eyes, etc. should I get rid of heat mat and opt for CHE? UV isn’t required with these guys?