Our team has cooked on and reviewed eight different Pit Boss pellet smokers over the last few years.
The best Pit Boss smokers are generally great value for money. They tend to be generously sized, offer a good mix of features, and are mostly reliable.
Understanding the different models and options can be confusing, as Pit Boss produces a lot of retailer exclusives.
Best Pit Boss Pellet Smokers
Our picks are based on hands-on testing across a wide range of Pit Boss pellet grills, including the Sportsman, Pro Series, vertical smokers, and newer DX models.
We focus on how these grills perform in real cooking situations, not just specs. Because most Pit Boss grills use a similar core design, the differences come down to temperature control, features, and day-to-day usability.
1. Our Top Pick – Pit Boss 850 DX
Read our full Pit Boss 850 DX Review.
The Pit Boss 850 DX is a Lowe’s exclusive, but unlike a lot of retailer-specific models, this one isn’t just a rebadge. It adds a few genuinely useful upgrades that make it the best-value pellet grill Pit Boss currently offers.
The DX series comes in three sizes: 740,850, and 1130. We think the 850 is the sweet spot for most buyers, with enough cooking space for family barbecue without stepping into a large grill that will consume more pellets while three quarters of the rack sits empty most of the time.
You’re getting features that used to be reserved for more expensive grills, including a PID controller with WiFi and Bluetooth, plus a probe-controlled Keep Warm mode that automatically drops the temperature once your food is done.
Performance is in line with what you expect from Pit Boss. It handles low-and-slow barbecue well, holds steady temps, and produces enough smoke for good flavor. The flame broiler system is still included, so you can grill over direct heat, although the searing area is limited.
This is the best mix of price, features, and usability in the Pit Boss lineup right now, and the one most people should buy.
Pit Boss 850 DX Pellet Grill
Pros:
- Excellent value for the price
- Useful Keep Warm feature with probe
- WiFi controller with solid temp control
Cons:
- Direct-flame searing makes cleanup take longer
- App setup can be slow initially
CHECK LOWE'S PRICE
2. Best for Feeding a Crowd – Pit Boss Pro Series 1600
Read our full Pit Boss Pro Series 1600 review.
If you need to feed a big family or want the option to do some catering, or just want the best features and build quality Pit Boss offers, you need to look at the Pro Series 1600.
It gives you 1,572 square inches of cooking space across three tiers, so you can load it up with briskets, ribs, pork butts, wings, or a few whole chickens without running out of room.
This is another Lowe’s exclusive, but there are some meaningful upgrades here beyond size. You get a 33 lb hopper, a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen controller, WiFi and Bluetooth, and a removable burn pot and ash catcher that should make cleanup easier.
You still get the familiar Pit Boss setup, including the Flame Broiler slide plate for direct-flame grilling, a 180°F to 500°F temperature range, and two included meat probes, one of which is programmable.
The trade-off is size. This is a big grill, and it’s more than most families need for everyday cooking. If you like the idea but don’t need quite such a whopping great grill, the Pro Series 1300 gives you the same basic platform in a smaller size.
If you regularly cook for groups and want a larger, more feature-packed Pit Boss, the Pro Series 1600 is the one to look at.
3. Most Versatile – Pit Boss Lockhart Platinum Series
Read our full Pit Boss Lockhart review.
The Lockhart is one of the most unusual grills in the Pit Boss lineup. You could consider it a bit of a Frankenstein as it combines a regular pellet grill on the bottom with a double-door smoking cabinet on top.
This gives you a lot more flexibility than a traditional pellet grill, especially if you want to smoke meat, grill dinner, and hold sides warm on the same cooker.
In our review, we used the Lockhart for pork ribs, black cod, smoked almonds, tri-tip, pork chops, flap meat, and vegetables. It became a go-to grill for most cooks because it was easy to use and much easier to clean than a traditional smoker.
The key thing to understand is that the upper cabinet is not independently controlled. You set the temperature for the lower grill, then adjust based on how the upper smoke cabinet responds. It’s better to think of the cabinet as an extension of the main grill, not a true second smoker with its own controller.
You still get useful Pit Boss features, including the slide-plate flame broiler, built-in lights, a 40 lb hopper, two included meat probes, and room for up to four probes. The main downsides from our testing were the awkward hopper design, weak app experience, and the need to learn how the upper cabinet behaves.
The Lockhart is not the simplest Pit Boss to use, but it is the most flexible. If you like the idea of a pellet grill and smoking cabinet in one unit, this is the model that makes the most sense.
4. Best Vertical – Pit Boss 5-Series Vertical Smoker
Read our full Pit Boss 5 Series Vertical Smoker Review.
The vertical smoker design makes a lot of sense if your main goal is low-and-slow barbecue.
Instead of spreading food across one wide grill chamber, the 5-Series stacks five racks inside a tall cabinet, giving you 1,679 square inches of cooking space with a footprint roughly 28.8 inches wide by 25 inches deep.
That makes it a good option if space is tight, but you still want to cook multiple briskets, racks of ribs, or trays of jerky at once.
The updated Sportsman model adds WiFi and Bluetooth, 5-degree temperature adjustments, a rapid igniter, and a massive 60 lb hopper. That hopper is the real standout, especially if you want to run long brisket, pork butt, jerky, or game meat cooks without constantly checking pellet levels.
The big limitation is that this is a dedicated smoker, not a grill. You don’t get the same direct-flame searing option as the horizontal Pit Boss models, so it’s not the right choice if you want one cooker for burgers, steaks, and barbecue.
If you already have a grill and want a pellet smoker with a lot of rack space, the Sportsman 5-Series is the Pit Boss vertical smoker to buy.
5. Pit Boss Sportsman 850
See our full Pit Boss Sportsman 850 review.
The Sportsman 850 used to be one of our easiest Pit Boss recommendations. It offered a lot of cooking space for the price, solid build quality, and the familiar Pit Boss slide-plate flame broiler for direct-flame grilling.
The current model is still a capable pellet grill, and it now includes WiFi. You also get the same practical extras we liked, including a folding front shelf, side shelf, and a sturdy cart
The problem is value. With the 850 DX now available for less, the Sportsman 850 is harder to recommend as a default pick. You’re getting a very similar cooking experience, but the DX gives you stronger value and some useful newer features.
The Sportsman 850 is still worth considering if you find it on sale or prefer buying direct from Pit Boss, but most people should start with the 850 DX.
How Pit Boss Compares to other brands
- Value for money – Pit Boss makes some of the most affordable pellet grills on the market while still including features found on more expensive grills.
- Searing option – Many Pit Boss models include a slide system to create a small searing zone.
- Readily available – Pit Boss is easy to find in many big box stores, including Lowe’s and Walmart.
- Wifi/App – The Pit Boss app consistently scores low with users and suffers from poor range and connection issues.
- Build quality – It’s a budget price for a reason, so make sure you keep them covered.
Pit Boss VS Traeger
Pit Boss is generally quite a bit cheaper than Traeger. Once you get past the base Woodridge series, there’s no comparable competition. The higher-end Traeger Ironwood and Timberline go for $1800 and $3000, and Pit Boss doesn’t offer anything close to that price range.
At the entry-level point, Pit Boss grills compare well with the Traeger Woodridge series everywhere except for the Traeger App, which is better designed and has more features.
Pit Boss also offer more variety, with their selection of vertical pellet grills.
We have a whole guide comparing Pit Boss vs Traeger for a more detailed comparison.
Pit Boss VS Camp Chef
Camp Chef has been moving more up-market recently, with the Woodwind increasing in price and the launch of the Woodwind Pro.
The digital controllers on Camp Chef are better than Pit Boss, as is the app. Pit Boss grills generally compare well when it comes to grill size, price, and prep areas.
Pit Boss lineup and availability
As we mentioned in the intro, Pit Boss produces a lot of retailer exclusives. In most cases, these grills all share a lot in common, with slight design tweaks.
- Lexington, Austin, Tailgater, Laredo – Available at Walmart
- DX & Pro Series – Available at Lowes
- Pit Boss Titan – Academy Sports
- Navigator – Pit Boss & Retailers
- Sportsman – Pit Boss & Retailers
- FB – Pit Boss & Retailers
- Mahogany Series – Pit Boss & Retailers
In 2024, Pit Boss launched the Titan through Academy Sports. The Titan is their most recent grill and boasts some impressive specs with 1600 square inches of cooking space and a 40-pound hopper.
It’s an interesting move from Pit Boss to launch their latest and greatest grill as another retail exclusive rather than offering it on their website.
Pit Boss & Louisiana Grills
Pit Boss and Louisana Grills are both owned by the same parent company Dansons. Dansons also owns Country Smokers and A-MAZE-N.
Dansons is now owned by W. C. Bradley, which also owns Char-Broil and Oklahoma Joe’s.
We have reviewed the Louisiana Grills Black Label 1000. In general Louisiana Grills are more premium than Pit Boss, with higher build quality and prices to match.
All Pit Boss Reviews
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