Pellet Grills
The Best Vertical Pellet Smokers
A vertical cabinet is the best value in pellet cooking if smoking is what you do — and the wrong purchase if it is your only outdoor cooker.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
Best Vertical
Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical
Pit Boss · score 9.7/10 · Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches
A 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $649.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Quick picks
Ranked by our value-weighted score. Prices are live from Amazon as of November 7, 2026 — tap a price to check it now, or tap a row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series VerticalA 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price. | Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches | 9.79.7 out of 10 | $649.99Amazon |
| 2 |  Pit Boss Navigator 6-Series Vertical2,224 sq in and a 75 lb hopper. Nothing else under $1,000 smokes this much meat in one load. | Catering volume and marathon overnight cooks | 9.89.8 out of 10 | $899.99Pit Boss |
#ad We earn a commission on Amazon purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking — here is the method.
The case for a cabinet
A vertical pellet smoker gives you far more rack space, a much bigger hopper and a lower minimum temperature than a barrel grill at the same price. The Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series carries a 50 lb hopper and drops to 130°F — neither of which any barrel grill on this site can match.
| Navigator 3-Series | Navigator 6-Series | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | 1,118 sq in | 2,224 sq in |
| Racks | 5 porcelain-coated steel | 5, each 25.7 x 17.3 in |
| Hopper | 50 lb | 75 lb, with cleanout |
| Temperature range | 130-420°F | 130-420°F |
| Probe ports | 3 (one probe included) | 3 (one probe included) |
| Connectivity | WiFi + Bluetooth | WiFi + Bluetooth |
| Construction | Heavy-gauge stainless, high-temp door seal, window | Same |
Why 130°F matters more than it sounds
Almost every barrel pellet grill has a floor of 180°F. That is fine for barbecue and useless for jerky, which wants 150-165°F, and for cold-ish smoking of cheese or sausage. The 130°F minimum on these cabinets opens a whole category of cooking that a barrel grill simply cannot do.
If jerky, snack sticks or home-cured sausage are on your list, this is the deciding specification and nothing else on the page competes.
The hopper changes how you cook
A 50 lb hopper at roughly 1.25 lb an hour is about 40 hours of smoking. A 75 lb hopper is over 50. Practically, that means you stop thinking about pellets entirely — you load it at the start of a weekend and cook all weekend. Nobody who has gone from an 18 lb hopper to a 50 lb one describes it as a minor upgrade.
What a cabinet cannot do
It cannot grill. 420°F with no direct-flame path makes a gray burger and a sad steak. It is also harder to clean than a barrel — grease runs down the inside of a tall box rather than into one tray, and five racks are five racks to scrub.
And rack spacing limits what stands upright. A whole turkey may not fit between shelves even though the total square inches are enormous. Check the rack gap against your tallest planned cook before buying.
Pit Boss states the Navigator 3-Series was named 2025 Best Vertical Smoker by Men’s Journal. That is their claim, reported here as theirs and attributed to the publication that made the award.
Who should buy one
Someone who already owns a gas or charcoal grill for weeknight cooking and wants a dedicated smoker. Someone who smokes in batches — ribs for a party, sausage for the freezer. Someone whose problem with their current cooker is that it will not hold enough or run long enough.
Not someone buying their first and only outdoor cooker. For that, a barrel grill from under $1,000 is the right shape.
The picks in full
#1 · Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches
Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical
Pit Boss · score 9.7/10
A 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $649.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 1,118 sq in over 5 porcelain-coated racks
- Hopper
- 50 lb
- Temperature range
- 130-420°F
- Controller
- LCD digital, one probe, three ports
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Pit Boss Grills app
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.5/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.7/10.
What it does well
- 50 lb hopper is the standout number here — a full load runs overnight and then some
- Drops to 130°F, low enough for jerky, which barrel grills cannot reach
- Heavy-gauge stainless body with a high-temp door seal and a viewing window
- Named 2025 Best Vertical Smoker by Men's Journal (the maker's claim, cited as theirs)
Where it falls short
- Tops out at 420°F — you cannot sear or grill on it
- Vertical cabinets are harder to clean than a barrel
- Rack spacing limits what you can stand upright
#2 · Catering volume and marathon overnight cooks
Pit Boss Navigator 6-Series Vertical
Pit Boss · score 9.8/10
2,224 sq in and a 75 lb hopper. Nothing else under $1,000 smokes this much meat in one load.
Pit Boss list price as of 2026-11-07.
Also on Amazon — $927.54 (as of November 7, 2026)
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 2,224 sq in over 5 racks (25.7 x 17.3 in each)
- Hopper
- 75 lb, with cleanout
- Temperature range
- 130-420°F
- Controller
- LCD digital, one probe, three ports
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Pit Boss Grills app
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.6/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.8/10.
What it does well
- 75 lb hopper — the largest on this site, and it ends mid-cook refills entirely
- Racks take two full-size foil pans each
- Chimney exhaust and convection airflow even out the cabinet
Where it falls short
- 420°F ceiling, so it is a smoker and nothing else
- Needs real floor space and is heavy to reposition
- One probe included for three ports
Our recommendation
Top pick
Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical
Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $649.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Runner-up
Pit Boss Navigator 6-Series Vertical
Catering volume and marathon overnight cooks.
Pit Boss list price as of 2026-11-07.
Also on Amazon — $927.54 (as of November 7, 2026)
Questions people actually ask
What is the best vertical pellet smoker for the money?
The Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series: 1,118 sq in over five racks, a 50 lb hopper, a 130°F minimum and WiFi, for mid-$600s. The 6-Series doubles the capacity and adds a 75 lb hopper if you need the volume.
Can you grill on a vertical pellet smoker?
Not properly. Both cabinets here top out at 420°F with no direct-flame path, so you get gray burgers rather than a seared crust. They are smokers, and that is the trade that buys you the rack space and the hopper.
Is a vertical smoker harder to clean?
Yes. Grease runs down the inside of a tall cabinet rather than into a single tray, and five racks mean five things to scrub. Budget a little more cleaning time than a barrel grill.
How low can a vertical pellet smoker go?
130°F on both Pit Boss Navigator cabinets, which is low enough for jerky and sausage. Most barrel pellet grills stop at 180°F.
Sources
Read next
Pellet Grills
The Best Pellet Smokers for Low and Slow
Ranked for smoking: big hoppers, low minimums, real capacity.
Pellet Grills
The Best Large Pellet Grills
900 to 2,224 sq in, ranked by capacity per dollar.
Reviews
Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Review
50 lb hopper, five racks, 130°F floor. A real smoker.
Comparisons
Pellet Grill vs Pellet Smoker: What Is the Difference?
Mostly nothing — but barrel vs cabinet is a real difference.