Best Pit Boss Smokers (2026)

The 850 Navigator offers 932 sq in of cooking surface, WiFi and Bluetooth control and an LCD digital controller. That is double the area of the 500 FB2 and enough to smoke a brisket and a rack of ribs side by side.

Its 180 to 500 F range covers low smoke, roasting and baking, and a flame broiler lever opens direct flame for searing. Having both WiFi and Bluetooth is a practical choice: Bluetooth keeps working close to the smoker when your home network does not reach the patio.

The downside is footprint and pellet use. A bigger body takes longer to preheat, and the pellet hopper needs refilling on long cooks. Keep pellets dry, vacuum the fire pot every few cooks and cover it between uses. Pair it by Bluetooth for the first test cook, then add WiFi once you trust the controller. Space ribs and a brisket on separate racks so the drippings do not mix, and give the first preheat a full fifteen minutes.

The 500 FB2 is the sweet spot for a family of four. Its 518 sq in is comfortable for two pork butts, and the LCD controller moves in 5 F steps across 180 to 500 F.

A flame broiler lever slides open a plate for direct-flame searing up to 1,000 F, which is the feature that makes this more than a plain smoker. It lacks the WiFi of the 850 Navigator, so you monitor at the control panel or with a separate thermometer.

It costs less than the connected models and is simple to maintain. Keep the hopper dry and the fire pot clean, and cover the cooker between cooks. The lever takes a minute to learn, so practice searing a thick steak before you rely on it for guests. A pellet cooker will never match the char of a charcoal sear, but 1,000 F on direct flame is close enough for most weeknight dinners.

The 700 Carbon fills the gap between the 500 FB2 at 518 sq in and the 850 Navigator at 932 sq in, with 718 sq in of cooking surface. It uses an LCD controller and the same 180 to 500 F range as its siblings.

The maker pitches the space as enough for dozens of patties at once, which is a helpful way to picture it. For smoking, it fits a pork butt or two, a couple of racks of ribs and a side dish. It lacks the WiFi of the Navigator models, so remote monitoring is limited.

It suits cooks who want more room than the entry model but are not looking for app control. Maintain it like any pellet cooker: dry pellets, a clean fire pot and a cover. Because it lacks an app, pair it with a wireless thermometer so you can watch the meat from the kitchen. Its extra grate makes it a good choice if you plan to batch cook on weekends and freeze portions.

The 440 Mahogany is an older design with the same 518 sq in of space as the 500 FB2. It uses an LED digital controller rather than the LCD used on newer models, and its grates are porcelain-coated steel.

For most buyers it comes down to age and features. The newer 500 FB2 has an LCD with finer steps, and the 440 is a simpler panel. It still has the flame broiler, so it can sear as well as smoke.

It is a good value if you find it, and spare parts are easy to get because the design is long established. Store pellets dry, clean the pot and cover it between uses. Replacement grates and parts for this generation are easy to find, which is a real advantage when a part fails in year three. Its basic panel also means fewer electronics to age out.

The 1600 Navigator is the largest cooker in the family, with 1,539 sq in of total cooking surface and a touchscreen controller. It matches the 850 on connectivity, with both WiFi and Bluetooth.

That much area suits a big family, a small catering job or a smoker-heavy holiday. The flame broiler and 180 to 500 F range carry over, so it grills as well as smokes.

It is oversized for a couple, burns more pellets than the smaller models and needs a good pad and a nearby outlet. Keep the cover on and the pellets dry. Pick the 850 instead unless you really cook for a crowd, since the extra grate area mostly turns into extra pellets burned.

The 150 is the portable model, a tabletop pellet smoker with 256 sq in of cooking surface. It has a latch-locking lid and two handles for carrying, and it shares the 180 to 500 F range of its larger siblings.

It suits camping, tailgating and small households. The space is small, so you will not fit a brisket, but a rack of ribs or a few chicken pieces fit fine.

It needs power, so plan for a battery pack or an outlet. It is cheap to run and easy to store. Pellet use is low because the burn pot is small, so a bag of pellets goes further than on the larger models. It also warms up faster, which suits a quick weeknight cook.

The 3-Series is the family's propane vertical. It uses a dual-valve, dual-burner system rated at 12,500 BTU, and four racks add up to 880 sq in.

Its range of 100 to 320 F is wide on the low end, which makes it suitable for cold smoking and warm holds that the pellet models cannot manage. It does not reach pellet-grill temperatures for searing.

It needs no outlet, which makes it the Pit Boss to pick for a power-free patio. Check the hose each season and keep a spare tank. Wood chips do the flavoring, so use chunks in the chip box for longer smoke and refill every couple of hours on long cooks. It is a solid pick as a second smoker for cold smoking, even if you own a pellet unit.