Comparisons
Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs 1300
Same hopper, same temperature range, 397 more square inches. This is a pure sizing decision — and bigger is not automatically better.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
850 vs 1300
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.6/10 · Most backyards — the default pick
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
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 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 |
| 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 |
#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.
Side by side
| Navigator 850 | Navigator 1300 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking area | 932 sq in | 1,329 sq in |
| Hopper | 30 lb with window | 30 lb with window |
| Temperature range | 180-500°F in 5°F steps | 180-500°F in 5°F steps |
| Controller | LCD digital | Touchscreen |
| Probes included | 2 | 2 |
| Connectivity | WiFi + Bluetooth | WiFi + Bluetooth |
| Flame Broiler | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Everything except cooking area and the controller interface is identical. That makes this an unusually clean decision.
The hopper-to-chamber ratio is the hidden factor
Both grills carry 30 lb. The 1300 has 43% more chamber to heat with the same fuel. In practice that means the 1300 burns through its hopper faster, and in cold weather the gap widens because a larger surface area loses more heat.
So the honest version of “the 1300 has a 30 lb hopper too” is: yes, and it needs it more. If you were counting on 24 hours of unattended cooking, you get that on the 850 and noticeably less on the 1300.
The running cost nobody mentions
A bigger grill costs more to run every time you use it, not only when you fill it. More volume and more surface area mean a longer warm-up and more pellets to hold temperature. Cooking two chicken breasts on a 1,329 square inch chamber uses close to the fuel of a full cook.
That is the argument for sizing to your normal cook. A grill you fire up weekly beats one you think twice about. We work through the arithmetic in running costs per cook.
How much food is 932 vs 1,329 square inches?
| Navigator 850 (932 sq in) | Navigator 1300 (1,329 sq in) | |
|---|---|---|
| Burgers | ~40 | ~57 |
| Rib racks | ~7 | ~10 |
| Whole chickens | ~6-7 | ~9-10 |
| Pork butts | ~6-7 | ~9 |
| People fed (mixed grilling) | ~9 | ~13 |
Those counts are extrapolated from the per-square-inch ratios the manufacturers publish for their own grills, not measured by us. Real capacity depends on how you arrange things and whether you use both tiers.
Our call
The 850 for most households. 932 square inches feeds nine people in mixed grilling, which covers nearly every backyard situation, and the same hopper goes further. Step up to the 1300 only if you genuinely host or batch-cook — in which case also consider the Navigator vertical cabinets, which give far more rack space per dollar if grilling is not a priority.
The picks in full
#1 · 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
#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
Our recommendation
Top pick
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Most backyards — the default pick.
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
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 the Pit Boss 1300 worth the extra over the 850?
Only if you regularly cook for more than about nine people. Otherwise you are paying more up front and more in pellets on every cook for capacity you will not use.
Do the 850 and 1300 have the same hopper?
Yes, 30 lb on both — which means the 1300 empties it faster, because there is 43% more chamber to heat with the same fuel.
Is the touchscreen on the 1300 better?
It is a nicer interface, not a more accurate controller. Neither is a true PID board. If controller precision is what you want, the Advantage 850SL is the model to look at.
Sources
Read next
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Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs Advantage 850SL
Same grate, different controller. Is PID worth the premium?
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Reviews
Pit Boss Navigator 850 Review
932 sq in, 30 lb hopper, WiFi, five-year warranty. Our top pick.
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What Does a Pellet Grill Cost Per Cook?
The arithmetic nobody prints — and the one change that halves it.