Pit Boss Vs Traeger: Is It Worth The Premium? | Burning Brisket

Home » Pit Boss vs Traeger: Is One Brand Worth The Premium?Pit Boss vs Traeger: Is One Brand Worth The Premium?

• Product Comparisons
• May 2, 2024May 7, 2024
• by Kate Brown

Two of the most popular brands in pellet smokers, two different price points, and a whole heap of models to choose from… So which is the better buy? We’ve got extensive experience using both of these pellet smoker brands and will help to guide you to the right one.

Here, we dive into the differences between Pit Boss vs Traeger pellet grills, giving you an overview of what each offer while objectively highlighting where each company shines and where they’re a bit behind.

We’ll also place a few of their most popular pellet grills head to head so you can see how these brands stack up in real life.

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Quick Summary

• If money isn't an object, I'd buy a Traeger.
• Traeger offers slightly better quailty & more nice to have features.
• Pit Boss's still make good food & are superior to Traeger with their open flame grilling technology.
• Pit Boss smokers have more basic features & temp will fluctuate more on most models.

Quick Comparison of Pit Boss vs Traeger

Pit Boss Traeger Price $$ - $$$ $$ - $$$$ Build quality Very good Better than Pit Boss Temperature control Larger swings, more smoke PID & non-PID models Overall performance Insulated models? WiFi models? Open flame grilling models? Extra features Helpful basics Long lists of unique features Warranty 5 years 3 years Pit Boss Price $$ - $$$ Build quality Very good Temperature control Larger swings, more smoke Overall performance Insulated models? WiFi models? Open flame grilling models? Extra features Helpful basics Warranty 5 years Traeger Price $$ - $$$$ Build quality Better than Pit Boss Temperature control PID & non-PID models Overall performance Insulated models? WiFi models? Open flame grilling models? Extra features Long lists of unique features Warranty 3 years Browse Pit Boss Reviews Browse Traeger Reviews

Table of Contents

Overview of Traeger

Traeger are the innovators behind the original wood pellet grill. They made it, and they truly master it, focusing on providing great quality from their most basic models all the way up to their feature-filled top of the line choices.

Traeger is THE household name in pellet smokers, and retains that status for a good reason, even though you will be paying a bit extra for the brand.

Overview of Pit Boss

Pit Boss is one of Traeger’s biggest competitors price-wise. Their fairly extensive range of pellet smokers is a lot more affordable than your average Traeger, and their focus on the bigger, hotter, heavier mantra really rings true. Most Pit Boss pellet smokers give you open flame grilling as well as automated low and slow cooking. They don’t have quite the same level of features as Traeger does but, are still a very reputable, well-known, easily available brand.

In-Depth Comparison of Pit Boss Vs Traeger Pellet Grills

When you’re looking at brand vs brand, there will be of course, a few variances based on which particular models you’re looking at. But, broadly speaking, here’s a run-down of how both Pit Boss and Traeger perform in each of these important areas.

Price

Pit Boss have built their reputation on being more affordable than their major competitor, Traeger.

Most of Pit Boss’s pellet smokers sit at about the $500 – $1,000 USD mark. The lower end of the price range will get you a smaller model while the higher will get you a larger pellet grill with a few more features.

Traeger cover a lot more price points with their cheapest models starting around about the $500 USD mark, going all the way up to almost $4,000 for their largest, top of the line model.

As you’ll find as you read on, you are getting slightly better quality and a lot more features for the money with Traeger. The higher price is somewhat warranted. But, I do feel that you’re paying a small premium just for the brand name and reputation that comes with it being a Traeger.

The bottom line – Pit Boss is more affordable.

Construction & Build Quality

There’s no denying that when it comes to a solid build, Traeger are consistently well built. Pit Boss do use decently thick, steel that’s generally pretty well put together. But, Traeger do take the cake here with what I feel are better smoker designs, very sturdy carts, and quality extras like insulation and storage carts built into their more expensive models.

Both Traeger and Pit Boss pellet smokers are now manufactured in China.

The bottom line – Traegers are higher quality overall.

Temperature Control

Having a pellet smoker that reliably maintains a steady temperature is key to it’s performance and the consistency of your results.

A PID-based temperature controller will keep a tigher leash on the heat. They’re designed with a more sophisticated algorithm that can keep your pellet smoker running within a few degrees of your target while a regular temperature controller will fluctuate more, swining as much as 20 or even 30 degrees fahrenheit of your target.

The positive that comes with those larger swings is that non-PID models are that much more smokey than PID ones. The dips cause a higher production of smoke which some people prefer.

Most, but not all, of Pit Boss’s pellet smokers have a regular temperature controller. This means you’ll see larger swings in the temperature and a larger smoke production.

On the other hand, most, but not all, Traegers have a PID-based temperature controller. These do an excellent job of keeping the temperature within about 10 degrees fahrenheit of your target and appeal to people who like that precision.

Both can still do a good job of cooking but Traeger’s with PID controllers will keep a steadier heat.

Another thing worth mentioning here is that Pit Boss’s temperature controllers are set in 25°F increments. Most Traeger’s give you smaller increments to adjust by which, as a bit of a control freak, I appreciate.

The bottom line – Traeger’s PID controllers are the steadiest and have more incremental settings.

Overall Performance

You’re going to be able to smoke really good food on either a Pit Boss or a Traeger pellet smoker. They’ll both turn out food that’s distinctively but not overwhelmingly smokey, with a good smoke ring, and nice bark. And, you’ll have an easy time doing it too. Both of these smokers are very reliable performers.

In general, I do prefer using Traeger’s over Pit Boss’s. I have had issues with the rear vents in Pit Boss’s Navigator range letting in wind and rain (when the weather’s really rough). I’m also not such a fan of the opening heat deflectors that are Pit Boss’s slide and grill. They’re awesome for grilling but are a bit of a hassle to clean.

Traeger’s are very useable. Over a lot of use on a lot of different models, I’ve very rarely had an issue with a Traeger.

The bottom line – Both Pit Boss and Traeger will make great food. I prefer smoking on a Traeger overall.

Grilling Setup

To grill on a Traeger, you’re going to crank the heat up to or near the maximum and sear those steaks over indirect, high heat. It does an alright job but I wouldn’t call it a grill. They excel at easy smoking, roasting, and baking and, do an alright job of grilling but it’s not the same as cooking a steak over an open flame.

Pit Boss gives you the edge here with their Slide and Grill. Simply slide the knob over to open up the slits in the heat deflector so that the pellet fire licks through the grates giving you a higher heat and that open flame experience.

I do prefer grilling on a Pit Boss. It’s much more like using a charcoal or gas grill. Just be aware that the whole grill surface doesn’t open up. The firepot is a relatively small area so the capacity is much more limited than over the grill as a whole.

The bottom line – Pit Boss offers a better grilling experience with open flame access.

WiFi

Almost all Traeger’s now have a WiFi connection for remote operation. They call it WiFire and they’ve put a lot of money into the app. It’s really good to use. And, although you can have connectivity issues with any WiFi pellet smoker connection, Traeger’s is one of the best.

Pit Boss is only just starting to add WiFi controllers to it’s range and most of their smokers don’t feature WiFi yet. On the ones that do, expect a newer, less developed app while they iron out any issues there.

The bottom line – If WiFi is a must-have for you, go Traeger over Pit Boss.

Extra Features

While the most basic and cheaper Traeger models give you the basics, as you move up the range you’ve got a whole heap of extra features like Super Smoke mode, full insulation, touchscreen controllers, fancy grease and ash collectors, and pellet hopper sensors. The top of the line Traeger even has an induction cooktop built in.

Pit Boss have stuck to the basics to keep their pellet smokers affordable. They’re everything you need for good outdoor cooking without paying for those nice to have extras.

The bottom line – If you’re the kind of person who likes a whole heap of extra features, Traeger blows Pit Boss out of the water here.

Warranty

Pit Boss offer a 5 year warranty on all of their pellet smokers. Traeger give you 3 years on most of their range, while the top of the line models are extended out to 10 years.

Both of these brands have a good reputation for responsive customer service. I haven’t personally had to deal with warranty claims for either of these brands.

The bottom line – Pit Boss offer a longer warranty period compared to most of Traeger’s range.

Pit Boss vs Traeger Models Compared

The theory is all very well and true but, it’s always a good idea to have a look at what your money can actually buy in the brands you’re considering.

Here’s a sample of some of Pit Boss and Traeger’s most popular models so you can see how they measure up against each other in terms of performance, features, and price.

Model Pit Boss Sportsman 820 Pit Boss Navigator 850 Traeger Pro 22 Traeger Pro 780 Traeger Ironwood 885 Traeger Ironwood XL Overall performance Cooking capacity 849 sq in 879 sq in 572 sq in 780 sq in 885 sq in 924 sq in Hopper capacity 22 lbs 28 lbs 22 lbs 18 lbs 22 lbs 22 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price $549.99 $1,399.99 $1,899.99 Buy Now Model Pit Boss Sportsman 820 Overall performance Cooking capacity 849 sq in Hopper capacity 22 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price Buy Now Model Pit Boss Navigator 850 Overall performance Cooking capacity 879 sq in Hopper capacity 28 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price Buy Now Model Traeger Pro 22 Overall performance Cooking capacity 572 sq in Hopper capacity 22 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price $549.99 Buy Now Model Traeger Pro 780 Overall performance Cooking capacity 780 sq in Hopper capacity 18 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price Buy Now Model Traeger Ironwood 885 Overall performance Cooking capacity 885 sq in Hopper capacity 22 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price $1,399.99 Buy Now Model Traeger Ironwood XL Overall performance Cooking capacity 924 sq in Hopper capacity 22 lbs Open flame grilling WiFi Insulation Price $1,899.99 Buy Now

What Would I Buy? Pit Boss or Traeger?

With an unlimited budget, I’d buy a Traeger. They’re such solid performers, are really well made, and have some extra nice to have features that while we really don’t need, do give you an even better smoking experience.

But, if I wanted better grilling, or had a smaller budget we wanted to stick to, and weren’t fussed about WiFi, we’d be perfectly happy with a Pit Boss. In fact, we did smoke and grill on the Pit Boss Navigator for a few years and were fairly happy with its performance overall, especially for the price.

Browse Pit Boss Reviews Browse Traeger Reviews

Kate Brown

Barbecue equipment tester and founder of Burning Brisket.

Kate Brown is the founder of Burning Brisket, where she tests smokers, barbecue gear, and cooking techniques for backyard pitmasters. She has cooked extensively on charcoal, pellet, electric, and kamado smokers while developing practical guides to help beginners make great barbecue at home. Her focus is simple, reliable BBQ without unnecessary complexity.

About Burning Brisket

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