Pellet Grills
The Best Pit Boss Pellet Grills
Pit Boss sells more model names than any other brand and explains them worst. Here is the current range, what each series actually is, and which to buy.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
Best Pit Boss
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 Advantage 850SLSame 932 sq in as the Navigator 850 but with a real PID controller and a cover in the box — the upgrade worth paying for. | Buyers who want PID accuracy without crossing $900 | 9.79.7 out of 10 | $827.54Amazon |
| 3 |  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 |
| 4 |  Pit Boss 700 Carbon Series718 sq in for mid-$400s with no WiFi to pay for — the honest sweet spot if you cook from the patio, not the sofa. | Under-$500 buyers who want real capacity | 9.49.4 out of 10 | $379.99Pit Boss |
| 5 |  Pit Boss 500 FB2 SeriesThe cheapest full-size pellet grill we would actually recommend — 518 sq in, direct-flame searing, five-year warranty. | First pellet grill on a tight budget | 9.19.1 out of 10 | $357.30Amazon |
| 6 |  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 |
| 7 |  Pit Boss 1600 Navigator SeriesThe largest cabinet-style Pit Boss pellet grill on Amazon, and still priced below a mid-range Traeger. | Competition-volume cooks and very large yards | 9.69.6 out of 10 | $1,199.00Amazon |
| 8 |  Pit Boss 150 Battery PoweredRuns off a 12V vehicle supply and comes with a fitted cover, which makes it the cheapest way onto a pellet grill away from the house. | Tailgating, camping and RV trips with no outlet | 8.48.4 out of 10 | $434.35Amazon |
#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 Pit Boss range, decoded
Pit Boss names grills by series and by cooking area. Navigator is the current WiFi barrel range (850, 1300, 1600 — the number is roughly the square inches). Advantage adds a PID controller. Carbon and Mahogany are the non-WiFi value lines. FB2 is the budget barrel. The Navigator verticals are cabinets.
If you have been searching for a Pit Boss 1150 DX, an 850 DX, an Austin XL, a Sportsman 820 or a 700FB2, those are previous-generation names. Some are still around second-hand and in clearance, but the models you can buy new today are the ones below. We flag this on each review page rather than quietly linking a dead listing.
| Model | Cooking area | Hopper | Controller | WiFi | Flame Broiler |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigator 850 | 932 sq in | 30 lb | LCD digital | Yes | Yes |
| Advantage 850SL | 932 sq in | ~30 lb | Touchscreen PID | Yes | Yes |
| Navigator 1300 | 1,329 sq in | 30 lb | Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Navigator 1600 | ~1,593 sq in | 30 lb | Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| 700 Carbon | 718 sq in | 13.5 lb | LCD digital | No | No |
| 500 FB2 | 518 sq in | 5 lb | LCD digital | No | Yes |
| 440 Mahogany | 518 sq in | 5 lb | LED dial-in | No | Yes |
| 150 portable | 256 sq in | 7 lb | Digital | No | Yes |
| Navigator 3-Series vertical | 1,118 sq in / 5 racks | 50 lb | LCD digital | Yes | n/a |
| Navigator 6-Series vertical | 2,224 sq in / 5 racks | 75 lb | LCD digital | Yes | n/a |
What Pit Boss is genuinely best at
Cooking area per dollar
No other brand comes close. The Navigator 1300’s 1,329 square inches sits in the same price territory as a Traeger with roughly 780. If your constraint is feeding people, Pit Boss is the answer and it is not a close call.
Direct-flame searing
The Flame Broiler slider appears on almost every barrel they sell, including the cheapest. It is the one capability Traeger does not offer at any price, and it is the difference between a gray steak and a seared one. See searing.
Hopper capacity and warranty
30 lb across the Navigator barrels, 50 lb and 75 lb on the verticals, against Traeger’s 18 lb everywhere. And a five-year warranty against Traeger’s three. Both matter on a cooker that lives outdoors and runs overnight.
Where Pit Boss is weakest
- The app. Pit Boss connectivity has drawn persistent owner complaints across app generations. We cannot test the current firmware, so our advice is to treat the WiFi as a bonus, not a reason to buy.
- Model-name clarity. Navigator, Advantage, Carbon, Mahogany, Pro Series, Sportsman and bare numbers overlap in confusing ways, and their own listings sometimes contradict themselves — the Navigator 1600 lists 1,593 square inches in its title and 1,539 in a bullet.
- Controller precision on the cheaper boards. The LCD boards swing wider than a true PID. Z Grills puts PID on grills costing a third of a Navigator 850.
Which Pit Boss to buy
Most people: the Navigator 850. 932 square inches, 30 lb hopper, WiFi, five-year warranty, Flame Broiler. It is the best-balanced grill in the whole range.
If you smoke long and want precision: the Advantage 850SL. Same grate, touchscreen PID controller, and a cover and tool set in the box. Our head-to-head works through whether the premium is worth it.
If capacity is everything: the Navigator 1300. 1,329 square inches without crossing into the 1600’s hopper-ratio problem.
On a budget: the 700 Carbon. 718 square inches for mid-$400s, as long as the 13.5 lb hopper suits how you cook.
Dedicated smoking: the Navigator 3-Series vertical. 50 lb hopper, 130°F minimum, five flat racks.
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 · Buyers who want PID accuracy without crossing $900
Pit Boss Advantage 850SL
Pit Boss · score 9.7/10
Same 932 sq in as the Navigator 850 but with a real PID controller and a cover in the box — the upgrade worth paying for.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 932 sq in (582 primary + 350 upper)
- Hopper
- Nearly 30 lb, with cleanout
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- Touchscreen PID, one probe, two probe 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
- PID control holds temperature far tighter than the LCD boards on the cheaper Pit Boss models
- Fitted cover and a tool set are included, which is $60-80 of kit you would otherwise buy
- Removable burn pot makes ash clearing a two-minute job instead of a vacuum session
- Swivel-locking casters, so it actually parks where you put it
Where it falls short
- Costs more than the Navigator 850 for the same grate area — you are paying for the controller
- Only one meat probe included despite two ports
- Listing bullet says 58 sq in on the primary rack, which is a typo for 582 — the maker's own copy is sloppy
#3 · 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
#4 · Under-$500 buyers who want real capacity
Pit Boss 700 Carbon Series
Pit Boss · score 9.4/10
718 sq in for mid-$400s with no WiFi to pay for — the honest sweet spot if you cook from the patio, not the sofa.
Pit Boss list price as of 2026-11-07.
Also on Amazon — $450.42 (as of November 7, 2026)
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 718 sq in
- Hopper
- 13.5 lb, with cleanout
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F
- Controller
- LCD digital, one meat probe included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.2/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.4/10.
What it does well
- 718 sq in at this price is more grate than any WiFi-equipped grill near it
- Porcelain-coated grates and a grease bucket system, not a bare tray
- Automatic start-up and cool-down cycles
- Hopper cleanout, so swapping pellet flavors is quick
Where it falls short
- No WiFi and no Bluetooth — you adjust it at the grill
- 13.5 lb hopper means a mid-cook top-up on anything past about eight hours
- One probe only
#5 · First pellet grill on a tight budget
Pit Boss 500 FB2 Series
Pit Boss · score 9.1/10
The cheapest full-size pellet grill we would actually recommend — 518 sq in, direct-flame searing, five-year warranty.
$399.9911% off
Also direct from Pit Boss — $399.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 518 sq in across two tiers
- Hopper
- 5 lb
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- LCD digital, one probe included, two ports
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.9/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.1/10.
What it does well
- Full-size 518 sq in chamber for close to what a portable costs
- Flame Broiler lever opens direct flame for searing up to 1,000°F — rare at this price
- Five-year warranty is unusually long for a budget grill
Where it falls short
- 5 lb hopper is the real compromise: expect to refill on any long smoke
- No connectivity at all
- Thin-gauge body loses heat in cold weather, so winter cooks run longer
#6 · 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
#7 · Competition-volume cooks and very large yards
Pit Boss 1600 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.6/10
The largest cabinet-style Pit Boss pellet grill on Amazon, and still priced below a mid-range Traeger.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $1,199.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 1,593 sq in (the listing title says 1,593; one bullet says 1,539 — the maker contradicts itself)
- 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: 8.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.6/10.
What it does well
- More grate area than anything else at this price, by a wide margin
- Touchscreen PID-style board and dual probes as standard
- Flame Broiler searing carried over from the smaller models
Where it falls short
- Pit Boss's own listing gives two different cooking areas — treat the figure as approximate until they fix it
- 30 lb hopper is undersized for a chamber this big on a long cook
- Heats slowly from cold compared with the 850
#8 · Tailgating, camping and RV trips with no outlet
Pit Boss 150 Battery Powered
Pit Boss · score 8.4/10
Runs off a 12V vehicle supply and comes with a fitted cover, which makes it the cheapest way onto a pellet grill away from the house.
$549.9921% off
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 256 sq in (about 13 burgers)
- Hopper
- 7 lb
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F
- Controller
- Digital, one probe included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.1/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 8.4/10.
What it does well
- DC 12V 71W power source means it works off a vehicle supply, not just a wall socket
- Flame Broiler searing up to 1,000°F in a portable
- Custom-fit cover included in the box
- Side handles and integrated latches make it genuinely carryable
Where it falls short
- 256 sq in feeds four people, not eight
- Costs about the same as a 518 sq in full-size Pit Boss — portability is the whole premium
- No app and no second probe, where the GMG Trek Prime 2.0 includes WiFi for similar money
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 Advantage 850SL
Buyers who want PID accuracy without crossing $900.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Questions people actually ask
What is the best Pit Boss pellet grill for the money?
The Navigator 850 — 932 sq in, a 30 lb hopper, WiFi, the Flame Broiler sear slider and a five-year warranty. The 700 Carbon is the better buy if your budget stops under $500 and you can live with a 13.5 lb hopper.
What is the difference between Pit Boss Navigator and Advantage?
The controller. Both the Navigator 850 and the Advantage 850SL have 932 sq in and a ~30 lb hopper; the Advantage runs a touchscreen PID board that holds temperature tighter and includes a cover and tool set. Full comparison: Navigator 850 vs Advantage 850SL.
Is the Pit Boss Austin XL still available?
Not as a current new model — it has been superseded by the Navigator range. You will still find old stock and second-hand units. If you were shopping for an Austin XL, the Navigator 850 or 1300 is the modern equivalent depending on which size you wanted.
What is the Pit Boss Flame Broiler?
A sliding plate in the heat deflector. Pull the lever and part of the grate is exposed to direct flame, which Pit Boss rates up to 1,000°F for searing. It is the capability Traeger does not offer at any price.
How long is the Pit Boss warranty?
Five years on the pellet grills we cover, which is longer than Traeger’s three.
Sources
Read next
Comparisons
Pit Boss vs Traeger: The Honest Comparison
Eleven points compared, on current models with live prices.
Reviews
Pit Boss Navigator 850 Review
932 sq in, 30 lb hopper, WiFi, five-year warranty. Our top pick.
Wood Pellets
The Best Pellets for a Pit Boss
Any brand fits — what matters is the 30 lb hopper economics.
Covers & Accessories
Pit Boss Grill Covers: Which One Fits
Cover fitment by Pit Boss model, including the shelf problem.