Traeger Woodridge Elite vs Woodridge Pro
$1,799.99 for the Woodridge Elite against $1,149.99 for the Pro. Same 970 sq in, same 500 F ceiling. The $650 buys a side burner, a cabinet and 47 lbs.
We pick the Traeger Woodridge Pro
Take the Pro. The two share a barrel: 970 sq in as 585 and 385, a 500 F ceiling, a 24 lb hopper, Super Smoke that switches off above 225 F, and the same controller. The Elite's $650 is two steps Traeger prices separately: $250 for the Pro Plus cabinet, then $400 for an electric side burner. Neither reaches the fire, and both make the grill heavier and harder to move.
What actually differs
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$650 in two pieces
Traeger's own ladder shows the split. Want the cupboard without the hob, and the Pro Plus sells it for $250 over the Pro. Want neither, and the Pro is the whole cooking package.
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Casters only, at 221 lbs
The Elite is 47 lbs heavier and trades the Pro's all-terrain wheels for four casters. On grass, gravel or a patio you rearrange, the Pro is the one that moves.
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Rated shelves give way to doors and glass
The Pro's folding side shelf takes 50 lb and its bottom shelf 60. On the Elite the left end is a glass hob that bars metal utensils, and the bottom is a cabinet. You gain enclosed storage and lose a place to land a tray.
How they score, category by category
The Woodridge Pro scores higher in 4 categories. 2 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 8.0Woodridge Pro 8.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 8.0The Pro Plus's grate, ceiling and Super Smoke window exactly; the side burner publishes no output, so it adds nothing here.
Why the Woodridge Pro scores 8.0Super Smoke and a two-rack 970 sq in barrel, though the published ceiling stops at 500 F and there is no sear station.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 7.0Woodridge Pro 7.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 7.0The ten-year headline covers rust-through on sheet metal; the side burner you paid for sits in the three-year row.
Why the Woodridge Pro scores 7.0Ten years covers rust-through only; the controller, auger and fan carry three years, and the hot rod and cord one.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 7.5Woodridge Pro 8.5 Better by 1.0Why the Woodridge Pro scores 8.5Load-rated shelves, casters and staging hooks at 174 lbs, but Traeger publishes nothing at all about the steel.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 7.5
Cabinet and 221 lbs of steel feel solid, but a glass cooking panel lives outdoors on caster-only wheels.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 8.5Woodridge Pro 9.5 Better by 1.0Why the Woodridge Pro scores 9.5WiFIRE control, a pellet sensor reporting in 5% steps with app alerts, and one-touch Super Smoke and Keep Warm.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 8.5
Traeger's controller and app are as simple as ever, though the burner adds a small rule book of its own.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 6.0Woodridge Pro 9.0 Better by 3.0Why the Woodridge Pro scores 9.0$250 over the base Woodridge buys the flavor feature, two shelves and 110 sq in; the next step buys a cabinet.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 6.0
Four hundred dollars over the Pro Plus adds an electric hob with three settings and no extra grate space.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreTraeger Woodridge Elite 7.5Woodridge Pro 8.0 Better by 0.5Why the Woodridge Pro scores 8.0Grease and ash share a single keg, but the manual still asks for a firepot vacuum after about 20 hours of cooking.
Why the Traeger Woodridge Elite scores 7.5
One keg catches grease and ash, but the firepot still wants vacuuming and the burner wants wiping and covering.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Traeger Woodridge Elite | Woodridge Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 7.5 | 8.5 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 8.5 | 9.5 Better |
| Value (12%) | 6.0 | 9.0 Better |
| Maintenance (10%) | 7.5 | 8.0 Better |
| Avid Griller Score | 7.5 | 8.2 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
You cook whole meals outside, want sauces and sides on the same cart, and the grill will never move.
Check price →You want the same smoke and grate for $650 less, on wheels that cross a lawn.
Check price →More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.