Traeger vs Pit Boss Pellet Grill 2026
Traeger wins on temperature consistency and app control; Pit Boss wins on cooking area per dollar.
See Today’s Price →At a Glance
| # | Product | Award | Price | Our Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Traeger Grills Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill… |
Best Overall | $497 | 9.2 | Buy → |
| 2 |  Pit Boss PB1150G Wood Pellet Grill 1150… |
Best Pit Boss | $366 | 8.9 | Buy → |
| 3 |  Traeger Pro 34 Wood Pellet Grill and Sm… |
Traeger Pro 34 | $729 | 8.5 | Buy → |
| 4 |  Pit Boss PB700FB1 Pellet Grill 743 Squa… |
Pit Boss Value | $366 | 8.2 | Buy → |
| 5 |  Pit Boss 71700FB Wood Pellet Grill 700 … |
Pit Boss Entry | $366 | 7.8 | Buy → |
Showing 5 of 5 products
Traeger Grills Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 572 sq in, 6-in-1 BBQ, Bronze
“The Traeger Pro 22 delivers the wood-fired BBQ flavor that charcoal and gas cannot replicate, with the set-it-and-forget-it convenience that makes it practical for weeknight smoking. The WiFIRE contro”
See Today’s Price →What we like
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D2 Direct Drive auger maintains ±15°F setpoint accuracy. WiFIRE app enables full remote monitoring and control via Wi-Fi. 572 sq in cooking area handles 4 racks of ribs. Porcelain-coated grill grates.
Pit Boss PB1150G Wood Pellet Grill 1150 Square Inches with Cover
“The Pit Boss PB1150G provides 1,150 sq in across main and warming racks — the largest capacity in the consumer Pit Boss lineup. The included grill cover adds protection from weather extending the life”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 1,150 sq in cooking area for competition-scale cooks
- Cover included — no separate purchase required
- Flame Broiler across full cooking surface
- Large 21-lb pellet hopper for extended cooks
Watch out for
- Large footprint requires dedicated outdoor space
- 21-lb hopper still requires refilling on 18-hour overnight smokes
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1,150 sq in across main and upper racks accommodates full party-sized cooks. Flame broiler for direct-flame searing capability. Porcelain-coated cast iron grates. Best Pit Boss option for buyers who need volume cooking capacity.
Traeger Pro 34 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker 884 Sq In Bronze
“A large-format Traeger for families and entertainers who need to feed a crowd. Best for regular backyard hosts who want consistent results over a bigger cooking surface.”
See Today’s Price →What we like
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Larger cooking area than Pro 22 with the same D2 Direct Drive controller and WiFIRE connectivity. 884 sq in handles a full brisket alongside a rack of ribs. Same temperature consistency as the Pro 22 with more room.
Pit Boss PB700FB1 Pellet Grill 743 Square Inches Black
“The Pit Boss PB700FB1 provides 743 sq in of cooking space — enough for 6 racks of ribs simultaneously. The Flame Broiler lever slides open a direct-flame zone beneath the cooking grates for searing at”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- 743 sq in capacity for large cooks — 6 racks of ribs
- Flame Broiler lever opens direct-flame zone for searing
- Digital controls for precise temperature from 180-500°F
- Fan-forced convection for even heat distribution
Watch out for
- Pit Boss pellet quality affects flavor — use quality pellets
- Hopper capacity requires refilling on long overnight smokes
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Pit Boss's flagship feature — the flame broiler slide plate — enables direct flame searing on this 700 sq in model. Digital controller. Good balance of capacity and price for buyers who want Pit Boss's grilling versatility.
Pit Boss 71700FB Wood Pellet Grill 700 Square Inches
“The original Pit Boss 700FB established the Flame Broiler format — direct-flame searing capability in a pellet grill at a price that competing brands could not match at launch. The 700 sq in cooking a”
See Today’s Price →What we like
- Established Pit Boss Flame Broiler design
- 700 sq in cooking area for large family meals
- Lower price than PB700FB1 newer model
- Wide accessory ecosystem and spare parts availability
Watch out for
- Older model — fewer digital control features than PB700FB1
- Slightly less cooking area than newer 743 sq in PB700FB1
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Classic Series construction with proven Pit Boss reliability. Flame broiler for direct searing. Digital LED temperature control. Best entry price for a Pit Boss with flame broiler capability.
Traeger vs Pit Boss Pellet Grill Buying Guide
Great for: Backyard entertainers, steak lovers who want high-heat searing, and anyone who grills more than twice a month
Not ideal if: You live in an apartment, condo, or area with open-flame restrictions — an indoor grill pan is the safer workaround
Temperature Consistency: The Key Performance Difference
Pellet grill temperature consistency is determined by the controller — how accurately it feeds pellets to maintain setpoint temperature. Traeger's D2 Direct Drive controller holds within ±15°F of setpoint. Pit Boss controllers on base models hold within ±25°F. For briskets and long smokes where temperature drift affects outcome, the tighter Traeger tolerance is meaningful. For grilling and shorter cooks, the difference is minor.
Pit Boss's value proposition is simple: more cooking area at lower prices. The Pit Boss PB1150G provides 1,150 sq in of cooking space at $499 — more than double what you'd get from an equivalently priced Traeger. For backyard competition cooks or large family gatherings where volume matters more than precision, Pit Boss delivers more grill space per dollar.
Traeger's WiFIRE connectivity lets you monitor and adjust temperature, set timers, and receive cook completion alerts from your phone anywhere with cellular service — genuinely useful for long brisket cooks when you're doing other things at home. Pit Boss's Bluetooth app control has a limited range of about 30 feet. For real remote monitoring, Traeger's WiFi connectivity is the functional standard.
Both brands consume approximately 1-3 lbs of pellets per hour depending on temperature setpoint and ambient conditions. Traeger's insulated lid and D2 system are slightly more efficient at lower smoke temperatures. Pit Boss's larger cooking areas require more pellets to fill and maintain temperature. For year-round use, pellet cost is a real operating expense — budget $30-60/month for regular grilling.
Not sure which fuel type fits how you cook? Our complete grill buying guide compares gas, charcoal, pellet, and kamado for every cook and lifestyle.
Quick Decision: If budget is the priority, go with the Pit Boss 71700FB Wood Pellet Grill 700 Square Inches; if you want the best overall, choose the Traeger Grills Pro 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 572 sq in, 6-in-1 BBQ, Bronze; if you need best pit boss, the Pit Boss PB1150G Wood Pellet Grill 1150 Square Inches with Cover is your pick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Traeger or Pit Boss better?
What pellets should I use?
How long does it take to smoke a brisket?
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Do pellet grills need electricity?
How We Analyze Products
We analyze Amazon review data — often thousands of reviews per product — to surface patterns that individual buyers miss. Our process aggregates star ratings, review counts, and buyer sentiment at scale, identifying which strengths and weaknesses appear consistently across the largest review samples available. The 4,560+ reviews analyzed on this page represent real verified-purchase feedback from Amazon buyers.
Each product earned its placement through data: total review volume, average rating, and the specific praise and complaints that repeat most often across buyers. No manufacturer paid for placement on this page. Products appear here because buyers endorsed them at scale, not because a company asked us to feature them.
We use AI to summarize review sentiment — not to fabricate opinions, but to condense what thousands of buyers actually wrote into a readable format. The pros and cons you see reflect the most common themes found in verified purchaser reviews, paraphrased for clarity. We do not claim to have accessed Reddit, YouTube, or specific publications in generating these summaries.
Prices shown reflect Amazon pricing at the time this page was last generated. Click “See Today’s Price” to get the current live price on Amazon. Read our full methodology →