Comparisons
Camp Chef vs Pit Boss
The widest philosophical gap of any comparison here: one brand sells the best smoke money can buy, the other sells the most grill money can buy.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
Camp Chef vs Pit Boss
Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24
Camp Chef · score 8.7/10 · Smoke flavor above all else
The only cooker here with a smoke box that burns real wood chunks alongside the pellet fire, which is the one hardware fix for thin pellet smoke.
No buyable offer at the last price check.
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 | Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24The only cooker here with a smoke box that burns real wood chunks alongside the pellet fire, which is the one hardware fix for thin pellet smoke. | Smoke flavor above all else | 8.78.7 out of 10 | Check price |
| 2 |  Pit Boss 1300 Navigator Series1,329 sq in and a touchscreen PID board for about what a mid-size Traeger costs — the value pick for big cooks. | Big families and anyone cooking for a crowd | 9.79.7 out of 10 | $999.99Amazon |
| 3 |  Pit Boss 850 Navigator SeriesThe most cooking space per dollar of any WiFi pellet grill we track, and the one we point most buyers at first. | Most backyards — the default pick | 9.69.6 out of 10 | $799.99Amazon |
#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 numbers are not close
| Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 | Pit Boss Navigator 1300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | Not published | 1,329 sq in |
| Hopper | Not published | 30 lb with viewing window |
| Temperature range | Not published | 180-500°F in 5°F steps |
| Warranty | Not published | 5 years |
| Direct-flame searing | No | Yes — Flame Broiler |
| Wood chunk smoke box | Yes | No |
| Gas side burner available | Yes — Sidekick, sold separately | No |
| Connectivity | WiFi + Bluetooth | WiFi + Bluetooth |
| Construction | Stainless steel | Powder-coated steel |
On a per-dollar basis this is one of the most lopsided comparisons on the site. The Navigator 1300 gives you a documented 1,329 square inches, a 30 lb hopper and a five-year warranty for a fraction of the Woodwind Pro’s price, and it will sear a steak properly.
So why would anyone buy the Camp Chef?
Because pellet grills make less smoke than people expect, and the Woodwind Pro is the only one in this comparison that does something about it in hardware. A smoke box burning wood chunks produces a different and heavier smoke than a pellet fire can, particularly above 250°F where pellet smoke output drops off.
That is a real, specific, non-marketing advantage. If you have owned a pellet grill and the thing that disappointed you was the depth of smoke flavor, no amount of extra square inches will fix it and the Camp Chef will.
The cheap middle path
Before paying three times as much, try the version that costs single-digit dollars: a smoke tube. It is a perforated stainless tube you fill with pellets, light with a torch and sit on the grate next to the cook. It smolders for about four hours and adds real smoke to any grill.
It is not as good as a dedicated smoke box, it needs lighting by hand, and it is not automatic. But it costs almost nothing, and if it satisfies you then a Navigator 1300 plus a tube beats a Woodwind Pro on every other axis for far less. That is the recommendation we would give a friend.
Where Pit Boss is unambiguously better
- Specification transparency. Pit Boss publishes everything. Camp Chef’s own listing publishes almost nothing, which is genuinely poor for a premium product.
- Searing. The Flame Broiler slider has no Camp Chef equivalent on the grill itself (the Sidekick is a separate, extra-cost gas burner).
- Warranty. Five stated years versus nothing stated.
- Vertical options. Pit Boss’s Navigator cabinets offer 50-75 lb hoppers and 130°F minimums. Camp Chef has no answer in the range we cover.
Our recommendation
For almost everyone reading a value-focused site: the Pit Boss, plus a smoke tube, plus good pellets, and put the remainder towards something else. Buy the Camp Chef if smoke flavor is genuinely your first priority, you have cooked on a pellet grill before, and the budget is not the constraint.
The picks in full
#1 · Smoke flavor above all else
Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24
Camp Chef · score 8.7/10
The only cooker here with a smoke box that burns real wood chunks alongside the pellet fire, which is the one hardware fix for thin pellet smoke.
No buyable offer at the last price check.
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- Camp Chef does not publish a square-inch figure on this listing
- Hopper
- Not stated on this listing
- Temperature range
- Not stated on this listing
- Controller
- WiFi and Bluetooth digital controller
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Camp Chef Connect app
- Warranty
- Not stated on this listing
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 8.7/10.
What it does well
- The smoke box burns actual wood chunks alongside the pellets — no other cooker here does this
- Down-and-out ventilation pulls smoke across the food rather than straight up the chimney
- Stainless construction, WiFi and Bluetooth
- Sidekick compatible, so a gas griddle or pizza oven bolts to the side
Where it falls short
- Camp Chef has discontinued the 24-inch model: it is gone from campchef.com and has no buyable Amazon offer as of 2026-11-06
- Camp Chef publishes almost no specifications for it — no cooking area, no hopper capacity, no temperature range
- The Woodwind Pro line continues only in the 36-inch size, at a higher price
#2 · Big families and anyone cooking for a crowd
Pit Boss 1300 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.7/10
1,329 sq in and a touchscreen PID board for about what a mid-size Traeger costs — the value pick for big cooks.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $999.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 1,329 sq in across two tiers
- Hopper
- 30 lb, with a viewing window
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- Touchscreen, two meat probes included
- 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
- 1,329 sq in holds four pork butts or eight rib racks without stacking
- Touchscreen controller rather than the LCD board on the 850
- Still cheaper than a Traeger Woodridge with 470 fewer square inches
- Folding front and side shelves plus a bottom pellet shelf
Where it falls short
- A 30 lb hopper feeding a 1,329 sq in chamber burns through pellets faster than the same hopper on the 850
- Big footprint — measure your patio before you order
- App reliability is the same known weak point across the Pit Boss range
#3 · Most backyards — the default pick
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.6/10
The most cooking space per dollar of any WiFi pellet grill we track, and the one we point most buyers at first.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $799.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 932 sq in across two tiers
- Hopper
- 30 lb, with a viewing window
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- LCD digital, two meat probes included
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Pit Boss Grills app
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.6/10.
What it does well
- 932 sq in for well under four figures — roughly 20% more grate per dollar than the closest Traeger
- 30 lb hopper is double what most sub-$500 grills carry, so overnight cooks do not need a refill
- Flame Broiler slider gives you direct-flame searing, which most pellet grills in this range cannot do
- Two probes in the box rather than one
Where it falls short
- LCD controller is a step below the touchscreen PID on the 1300/1600 and the Advantage 850SL
- Pit Boss app has a long history of connection complaints in owner threads
- Assembly is a genuine two-person, ninety-minute job
Our recommendation
Top pick
Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24
Smoke flavor above all else.
No buyable offer at the last price check.
Runner-up
Pit Boss 1300 Navigator Series
Big families and anyone cooking for a crowd.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $999.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Questions people actually ask
Is Camp Chef better than Pit Boss?
On smoke flavor, yes — the wood-chunk smoke box is a real advantage. On cooking area, hopper capacity, warranty, searing and price, Pit Boss wins by large margins. For a value buyer, Pit Boss plus a smoke tube is the better purchase.
Is a smoke tube as good as a Camp Chef smoke box?
Not as good, but surprisingly close for a few dollars. A tube smolders about four hours and needs lighting by hand; the smoke box is automatic and runs the whole cook. Try the tube first — it is the cheapest meaningful upgrade in pellet grilling.
Which is better built, Camp Chef or Pit Boss?
Camp Chef states stainless construction, which is a step above Pit Boss’s powder-coated steel. But Pit Boss publishes a five-year warranty and Camp Chef’s listing publishes none, so the paperwork favors Pit Boss even where the materials may not.
Sources
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