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The question most buyers land on eventually is simpler than Traeger's lineup makes it look: is the Ironwood's premium build worth roughly $850 more than a Woodridge Pro that ships with Super Smoke, a pellet sensor, WiFIRE, and 970 square inches of cook space? That's the real comparison here — and the pellet grill buying guide gives you the broader market context if you're still deciding whether to go Traeger at all.
Before we get into the specs, there's a generation problem that trips up a lot of buyers. "Ironwood" currently means two different grills — the current-generation 2023 redesign (616 sq in, touchscreen, dual-wall, 10-year warranty) and the legacy Ironwood 650/885 that Traeger still sells in parallel at lower prices with a 3-year warranty and an older controller. The Woodridge is a clean January 2025 launch that replaced the Pro 575 and Pro 780, running from a $899 base to a $1,799 Elite. We're covering all of it.
This guide works through the full Woodridge ladder — including the December 2025 Pro Plus that most comparison articles skip — then puts it head-to-head against both Ironwood generations so you can make a decision with all the relevant numbers in front of you.
If you're a first-time Traeger buyer with a $900–$1,200 budget, this is the comparison that matters most for you. If you already own a Pro 575 or an older Ironwood and are thinking about an upgrade, we'll answer that too.
Which Versions Are We Comparing?
Traeger's naming is a mess right now, so let's clear it up before anything else.
The current Ironwood line (2023 redesign):
- Ironwood — 616 sq in, $1,799.99 (model TFB61RLG)
- Ironwood XL — 924 sq in, $1,999–$2,199 (model TFB93RLG)
The legacy Ironwood line (still sold, but older design):
- Ironwood 650 — 650 sq in, $1,299.99, 3-year warranty, no touchscreen
- Ironwood 885 — 885 sq in, $1,499.99, 3-year warranty, no touchscreen
The Woodridge line (launched January 2025):
- Woodridge — 860 sq in, $899.99
- Woodridge Pro — 970 sq in, $1,149.99
- Woodridge Pro Plus — 970 sq in, $1,399.99 (launched December 2025)
- Woodridge Elite — 970 sq in, $1,799.99
This article focuses primarily on the current-generation Ironwood and Ironwood XL versus the Woodridge lineup, because that's where the real 2026 buying decision sits. We'll mention the legacy 650/885 where they're relevant — particularly if you're finding one at a discount — but they're not the grills Traeger is actively pushing you toward.
Quick Verdict
Woodridge Pro ($1,149.99) is the right answer for most buyers. It's the value inflection point in this entire lineup — more cooking area than the Ironwood (970 vs. 616 sq in), Super Smoke, a pellet sensor, WiFIRE, and a 10-year warranty for roughly $650 less. The build quality is lighter and there's no downdraft exhaust or touchscreen, but most buyers cooking brisket on weekends won't feel those gaps in their food.
Ironwood ($1,799.99) is worth it if you specifically want the premium build, dual-wall insulation for cold-weather efficiency, a cleaner cart, a full-color touchscreen, and two included probes — and you're not bothered by its smaller footprint (616 sq in is tighter than it looks next to the 970 sq in Pro).
Woodridge Elite ($1,799.99) is the interesting wildcard at the same price as the Ironwood: it trades the dual-wall insulation and downdraft exhaust for a 1,100-watt infrared side sear burner — a feature the Ironwood doesn't have. If searing is your main frustration with pellet grills, the Elite is a serious option at parity price.
The Woodridge Lineup — Base to Elite
The Woodridge replaced the Pro 575 and Pro 780 in January 2025, and it was a real redesign — not a rebadge. Every Woodridge trim gets Traeger's EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg (a combined funnel drip tray that collects grease and ash in one removable container), a P.A.L. rail for accessories, a 10-year limited warranty, and WiFIRE connectivity. That last point matters: the old Pro 575 had a 3-year warranty. The Woodridge comes with 10 years across the entire range.
The four trims split cleanly into two tiers based on one core feature decision: whether you want Super Smoke and a pellet sensor or not.
Woodridge (Base) — 860 sq in, $899.99
→ Check current price on Amazon
The base Woodridge is the entry point into the new lineup. At 860 sq in total (520 primary + 340 upper), it's meaningfully larger than the Ironwood's 616 sq in. It runs WiFIRE with a digital LED display and dial controller — functional but no touchscreen. It ships with one wired probe.
What it doesn't have: Super Smoke, a pellet sensor, or Keep Warm mode. The temperature range is 180–500°F per Traeger specs, though AmazingRibs' lab testing found it topped out around 480°F at 72°F ambient. The construction is single-wall coated steel.
Early owner complaints center on excessive ash/dust during initial burn-off and occasional display or controller failures in the first few cooks — Traeger has been shipping free replacement parts for these, but it's a pattern worth knowing. The wheel locking mechanism is also widely criticized as poorly designed.
If you're upgrading from a very old entry-level grill and want the Traeger ecosystem without paying Pro prices, this is a legitimate choice. But for $250 more, the Pro adds so much that it's hard to recommend the base to most buyers.
Best for: Budget-conscious buyers who don't need Super Smoke and are fine managing pellets manually.
Woodridge Pro — 970 sq in, $1,149.99
→ Check current price on Amazon
This is the pick. The Woodridge Pro adds Super Smoke mode, a pellet sensor, and Keep Warm mode over the base — plus it bumps cooking area to 970 sq in (up from 860). It has a 24-lb hopper, one wired probe, WiFIRE, and the same 10-year warranty as the rest of the Woodridge range.
The reviewer at Smoked BBQ Source — who owns an Ironwood XL and cooks on it regularly — describes the Pro as "an easy upgrade over the base model and a smart way to get Traeger's best features without paying Ironwood prices," while being honest that "the build quality isn't on par with the Ironwood or Timberline." That's a fair summary.
One known issue: the RTD temperature probe tends to read cold. The consistent community advice is to set your target temperature 25–50°F above what you actually want, and to use a quality third-party probe for anything you're cooking to a precise internal temperature. This is true of most Traeger units in this price range, not just the Woodridge Pro.
Rating at BBQGuys is 4.87/5 across 143 reviews — unusually high for a pellet grill at this price.
Best for: Most buyers. If you're trying to decide between the Woodridge lineup and the Ironwood, this is the comparison point that actually matters.
Woodridge Pro Plus — 970 sq in, $1,399.99
→ Check current price on Amazon
The Pro Plus launched in December 2025 and is the trim most comparison articles are missing because it's new. Specs are identical to the Pro — 970 sq in, Super Smoke, pellet sensor, Keep Warm, 24-lb hopper, one wired probe — with two additions: an enclosed storage cabinet (the same cabinet on the Elite) and four casters instead of two fixed wheels and two casters.
Per Engadget's coverage at launch: "For $400 more than the Woodridge Pro, this Plus model adds the enclosed storage cabinet from the Woodridge Elite… This Plus version also has four casters on the bottom of the cart, so it's easier to maneuver."
That's it. The Pro Plus is a convenience upgrade over the Pro, not a performance one. You're paying $250 for a cabinet and easier mobility. Whether that's worth it depends entirely on your backyard setup and whether you want somewhere to store your pellets, accessories, and tools in the grill cabinet itself.
This is not a step toward the Ironwood's build quality or capabilities — it stays on the Woodridge platform.
Best for: Pro buyers who want organized storage and easier positioning on a deck or patio.
Woodridge Elite — 970 sq in, $1,799.99
→ Check current price on Amazon
The Elite is the most interesting grill in the Woodridge lineup because it solves a problem the Ironwood doesn't: high-heat searing. The 1,100-watt infrared side sear burner runs extremely hot — one owner reported sauce boiling at its lowest setting — and fills the gap that pellet grills historically struggle with. Pellet cooking maxes out around 500°F in the main chamber (closer to 480°F in lab conditions), which isn't enough to create a proper sear on a steak. The infrared burner sidesteps that entirely.
The Elite also adds an insulated grill lid and an enclosed storage cabinet. It keeps Super Smoke, the pellet sensor, Keep Warm, and WiFIRE from the Pro. What it doesn't add over the Pro is downdraft exhaust, dual-wall insulation on the main body, or a touchscreen.
One software issue at launch: a "Make Now" feature was disabled and unavailable to early buyers. Worth checking current firmware status if you're buying.
At $1,799.99, the Elite is priced identically to the Ironwood. That's a deliberate positioning — and the right question at that price point isn't "Woodridge Pro or Elite" but "Elite or Ironwood."
Best for: Buyers who've already decided on $1,800 and want searing capability over premium insulation and build.
The Ironwood Line — Current vs. Legacy
Current Ironwood (2023 Redesign) — 616 sq in, $1,799.99
→ Check current price on Amazon
The current Ironwood launched in 2023 and represents a genuine generational upgrade over the 650/885. The headline additions: a full-color touchscreen controller, a FreeFlow firepot design, two wired probes instead of one, an EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg (combining the separate grease bucket and ash cleanout), and a 10-year warranty (up from 3 years on the legacy units).
The construction is dual-wall insulated coated steel — a meaningful difference from the Woodridge's single-wall body in cold or windy conditions. It holds temperature more efficiently when ambient temps drop, burns fewer pellets per hour at low-smoke temps, and recovers faster when you open the lid.
The downdraft exhaust system is the other distinguishing technical feature. Instead of a chimney on one side, exhaust pulls down and exits at the base of the grill. This creates more even airflow across the cooking surface and keeps the exterior cleaner — no protruding stack to work around. Ironwood owners will tell you the cook quality is excellent; what they generally can't tell you is whether their food actually tastes different from a Woodridge Pro cook, because that's a very hard blind test to run and most haven't tried.
At 616 sq in (396 primary + 220 upper), the Ironwood is actually smaller than the Woodridge Pro (970 sq in). That's the counter-intuitive number that CookOut News flagged at launch: "The Ironwood is also 354 square inches smaller, holds 2 pounds less pellets, and costs $1,000 more" compared to the base Woodridge. Against the Woodridge Pro, the cooking area gap is still 354 sq in — at a premium of $650.
The most common reliability issue: the "Ignitor Not Detected" (ER 0010) error code, attributed to firmware and sometimes requiring a controller swap. Some buyers have reported QC issues out of the box. The rating at BBQGuys is 4.17/5 across 110 reviews — solid but not exceptional.
Best for: Buyers who specifically want premium build quality, dual-wall insulation for cold-weather cooks, a touchscreen interface, and two included probes, and who aren't cooking for large groups where 616 sq in would feel tight.
Ironwood XL — 924 sq in, $1,999–$2,199
→ Check current price on Amazon
The Ironwood XL adds 308 sq in over the standard Ironwood (924 total: 594 primary + 330 upper) and about 50 lbs of weight. Same dual-wall insulation, same downdraft exhaust, same touchscreen, two wired probes, 22-lb hopper, 10-year warranty.
The price has crept up since launch — Best Buy currently lists it at $2,199.99 against a $1,999.99 launch MSRP. That puts it significantly above the Woodridge Pro on price while being in the same cooking-area ballpark (924 vs. 970 sq in). The XL is rated 4.7/5 at Best Buy across 38 reviews, which is the strongest customer score in this entire comparison.
For buyers who want Ironwood build quality and need serious capacity — cooking for 10+ people, running a full brisket and two racks of ribs at the same time — the XL makes sense. For everyone else, the Woodridge Pro delivers comparable or better area at a substantially lower price.
Best for: Large-group cooks who want premium Ironwood construction at maximum capacity and are willing to pay $2,200 for it.
Legacy Ironwood 650 and 885 — Worth Buying?
The 650 (650 sq in, $1,299.99) and 885 (885 sq in, $1,499.99) are still sold but are being phased out. Both carry a 3-year warranty versus the 10 years on the current Ironwood, and both use the older D2 button/dial controller without a touchscreen.
If you find a 650 or 885 at a significant discount — clearance pricing around $900–$1,100 range — it can still be a legitimate buy, particularly the 885 for its cooking area. But at full MSRP, they're hard to recommend when the current Ironwood and the Woodridge Pro both offer better warranty coverage.
The Ironwood 650's Amazon listing is fragmented (no clean dedicated SKU); if you're hunting one:
Search Amazon for Traeger Ironwood 650
The Ironwood 885 has a cleaner listing:
→ Check Ironwood 885 on Amazon
Head-to-Head Specs Comparison
| Model | Price | Cook Area (total) | Primary Area | Hopper | WiFi Controller | Super Smoke | Downdraft | Probes | Wall | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodridge | $899.99 | 860 sq in | 520 sq in | 24 lb | Digital LED | No | No | 1 wired | Single | 10 yr |
| Woodridge Pro | $1,149.99 | 970 sq in | ~580 sq in | 24 lb | Digital LED | Yes | No | 1 wired | Single | 10 yr |
| Woodridge Pro Plus | $1,399.99 | 970 sq in | ~580 sq in | 24 lb | Digital LED | Yes | No | 1 wired | Single | 10 yr |
| Woodridge Elite | $1,799.99 | 970 sq in | ~580 sq in | 24 lb | Digital LED | Yes | No | 1 wired | Insulated lid + cabinet | 10 yr |
| Ironwood | $1,799.99 | 616 sq in | 396 sq in | 22 lb | Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | 2 wired | Dual-wall | 10 yr |
| Ironwood XL | $1,999–$2,199 | 924 sq in | 594 sq in | 22 lb | Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | 2 wired | Dual-wall | 10 yr |
| Ironwood 650 (legacy) | $1,299.99 | 650 sq in | 418 sq in | 20 lb | D2 dial | Yes | Yes | 1 wired | Dual-wall | 3 yr |
| Ironwood 885 (legacy) | $1,499.99 | 885 sq in | 570 sq in | 20 lb | D2 dial | Yes | Yes | 1 wired | Dual-wall | 3 yr |
What the table doesn't show: The Woodridge Elite's 1,100-watt infrared side sear burner is not listed above because no other grill in this comparison has one. That's a unique feature at the $1,799 price point that directly addresses pellet grills' searing limitation.
Downdraft Exhaust — What It Actually Does
The Ironwood's downdraft exhaust system is real and does what Traeger claims: it pulls exhaust down and out at the base rather than up through a side-mounted chimney, which improves airflow evenness across the cooking surface. The practical benefits are legitimate — more consistent temperatures across the grill grates from left to right, and a cleaner exterior with no protruding chimney to manage.
What it does not do, according to owners who cook on both types of grills: make food taste meaningfully different. The smoke flavor difference between a downdraft and a standard rear-exhaust pellet grill is something Ironwood owners acknowledge they can't actually detect in the finished product. This is consistent with how pellet grill smoke works generally — the flavor impact comes from pellet quality, temperature, and wood type far more than from exhaust routing.
The honest case for downdraft is: it's a premium feature that makes the grill perform more consistently and look cleaner, not that it's going to change the flavor profile of your brisket.
The Searing Problem — and Why the Elite Changes the Math
Every pellet grill comparison eventually runs into the same wall: pellet grills are excellent low-and-slow smokers and competent roasters, but they struggle to sear. The main chamber on both the Ironwood and the Woodridge maxes out around 500°F in spec (closer to 480°F in lab conditions). That's not hot enough to produce the crust on a ribeye that you'd get from cast iron or a high-BTU gas burner.
Solutions pellet grill owners typically use: GrillGrates (raise the effective surface temperature), a cast iron skillet on the grate, or finishing the sear on a separate burner indoors. All of them work. All of them add friction.
The Woodridge Elite's 1,100-watt infrared side sear burner is the only grill in this comparison that solves the searing problem directly, without a separate piece of equipment. It's extremely hot — hot enough to boil sauce at its lowest setting, according to one owner — and it's built in. At $1,799.99, the Elite costs the same as the Ironwood and gives up dual-wall insulation, downdraft exhaust, and a touchscreen to get there.
If you regularly cook steaks or chops and the sear has always been the weak point in your pellet grill workflow, the Elite's trade-off is worth serious consideration. The Ironwood doesn't offer this. No other grill in this comparison does either.
Which Should You Buy?
You want the Woodridge Pro ($1,149.99) if:
You're a weekend backyard cook — brisket, ribs, chicken, pork shoulder — who wants Traeger's core feature set (Super Smoke, WiFIRE, pellet sensor) with serious cooking area and doesn't want to pay Ironwood prices. This is the right answer for the majority of buyers. The build is lighter than the Ironwood and there's no downdraft exhaust, but you get 970 sq in, Super Smoke, and a 10-year warranty at $650 less. Get a good third-party probe and you're set.
→ Check the Woodridge Pro on Amazon
You want the Woodridge Elite ($1,799.99) if:
You've already decided to spend $1,800 and searing is the one thing that's frustrated you about pellet grilling. The infrared side burner is the differentiating feature at this price, and nothing else in this comparison has it. You're trading dual-wall insulation and downdraft for a built-in searing solution and more cooking area than the standard Ironwood.
→ Check the Woodridge Elite on Amazon
You want the Ironwood ($1,799.99) if:
You care about build quality and feel it in the lid, the cart, and the overall heft. You cook through fall and winter and want the dual-wall insulation to hold temps efficiently in cold ambient conditions. You want a touchscreen interface and two probes out of the box. You're not cooking for a crowd (616 sq in is tighter than the Woodridge Pro) and you want the premium Traeger experience, not just the features.
→ Check the Ironwood on Amazon
You want the Ironwood XL ($2,199) if:
You need serious capacity and want Ironwood-level build quality. Cooking brisket, ribs, and chicken simultaneously for a large group. The XL's 924 sq in primary area is the most usable cook space in the premium segment of this comparison. The price has crept up since launch, but the build and the community satisfaction scores back it up.
→ Check the Ironwood XL on Amazon
You want the Woodridge Pro Plus ($1,399.99) if:
You've already decided on the Woodridge Pro and you want organized storage under the grill plus four-caster mobility. The performance is identical to the Pro — this is a pure convenience upgrade.
→ Check the Woodridge Pro Plus on Amazon
You want the Woodridge base ($899.99) if:
You're on a strict budget and the $250 premium for the Pro genuinely isn't workable. Know that you're giving up Super Smoke, the pellet sensor, and Keep Warm. If you can stretch to $1,149, stretch.
→ Check the Woodridge on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Woodridge Pro really as good as the Ironwood for everyday cooking?
For most cooks, yes. The Woodridge Pro has more cooking area (970 vs. 616 sq in), Super Smoke mode, a pellet sensor, WiFIRE, and a 10-year warranty — the core features that drive cook quality. What it lacks is the Ironwood's dual-wall insulation (meaningful in cold weather), downdraft exhaust (even heat distribution), and a full-color touchscreen. A Smoked BBQ Source reviewer who owns an Ironwood XL describes the Pro as delivering most of the Ironwood's capabilities at a substantially lower price. For weekend backyard cooking, that's accurate.
Q: What's the actual difference between the Ironwood and the legacy Ironwood 650/885?
The current Ironwood (2023 redesign) adds a full-color touchscreen controller, two wired probes (up from one), an EZ-Clean combined grease and ash keg, a FreeFlow firepot, and a 10-year warranty. The legacy 650/885 carry only a 3-year warranty and use the older D2 dial-and-button controller without a touchscreen. At full MSRP, the legacy units are hard to recommend. At significant clearance discounts — particularly the 885 — they remain capable grills with the Ironwood's insulation and downdraft exhaust.
Q: Does the downdraft exhaust system on the Ironwood make food taste better?
Not detectably, based on owner feedback from both Ironwood and Woodridge Pro users. The downdraft system improves temperature evenness across the cooking surface and eliminates the side chimney from the grill's profile. It does not change the flavor of your food in a way most cooks can distinguish. The smoke flavor impact comes primarily from wood pellet type, cook temperature, and duration — not exhaust routing.
Q: Is the Woodridge Elite worth $650 more than the Woodridge Pro?
Only if you specifically want the infrared side sear burner. The Elite's primary differentiator is its 1,100-watt side burner, which solves pellet grills' biggest limitation — reaching proper sear temperatures — without a separate piece of equipment. It also adds a storage cabinet and an insulated lid. It does not add dual-wall body insulation or downdraft exhaust. If searing matters to you, the Elite at $1,799 is a better use of that money than the Ironwood at the same price. If searing is secondary, the Pro saves you $650.
Q: What's actually new about the Woodridge Pro Plus, and is it worth the premium over the Pro?
The Pro Plus, launched December 2025, adds an enclosed storage cabinet and four casters (versus two fixed wheels and two casters on the Pro). Cook performance is identical — same cooking area, same Super Smoke, same pellet sensor, same controller. You're paying roughly $250 over the Pro for storage convenience and easier mobility. Worth it if you need somewhere to store pellets and accessories under the grill; not a performance decision.
Q: Should I buy a legacy Ironwood 885 on clearance or a new Woodridge Pro?
If the 885 is discounted to around $900–$1,000, it's a legitimate option — you get dual-wall insulation, downdraft exhaust, and 885 sq in for similar money. The trade-offs are the 3-year warranty (versus the Woodridge Pro's 10 years), the older D2 dial controller without a touchscreen, and the single included probe. At full $1,499.99 MSRP, the Woodridge Pro is a better buy.
Q: Can the Ironwood sear steaks properly?
Not from the main chamber. The Ironwood maxes out around 500°F (closer to 480°F in lab conditions), which is not hot enough for a proper sear. Ironwood owners typically finish steaks on a cast iron skillet or use GrillGrates to raise surface temperature. The Woodridge Elite is the only grill in this comparison with a purpose-built searing solution — the 1,100-watt infrared side burner.
Conclusion
The Woodridge lineup's arrival in January 2025 genuinely changed the calculus on the Ironwood. As CookOut News put it at launch: the Ironwood became a much harder sell. It's not that the Woodridge is a better grill in absolute terms — the Ironwood's dual-wall construction, downdraft exhaust, nicer cart, and touchscreen are all real and tangible. It's that the Woodridge Pro delivers roughly 90% of the cooking capability for roughly 60% of the price.
For most buyers, the answer is the Woodridge Pro at $1,149.99. It has Super Smoke, a pellet sensor, 970 sq in, WiFIRE, and a 10-year warranty. Add a quality third-party probe — the built-in RTD tends to read cold — and you have a grill that'll handle everything from overnight briskets to chicken thighs with minimal intervention.
If you're spending $1,800 and the main chamber searing limitation of pellet grills has always frustrated you, the Woodridge Elite makes a strong case at the same price as the Ironwood — the infrared side burner is the one thing in this entire comparison that the Ironwood can't match.
And if you want the best-built Traeger in this range, with premium insulation, a refined cart, and two probes out of the box, the Ironwood earns its price for the buyers it's built for — particularly the XL if you're regularly cooking for a crowd.
The best pellet grills of 2026 guide covers how the Traeger lineup compares against recteq, Camp Chef, and Weber if you're still weighing your options. And if you're coming from a Pro 575, the Traeger Pro 575 vs. Woodridge breakdown has everything you need.
→ Check the Woodridge Pro on Amazon
→ Check the Ironwood on Amazon
→ Check the Woodridge Elite on Amazon
