Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series Review 2026

Our Verdict

After eight cook sessions spanning a hard-seared ribeye night, a full packer brisket, and one 10-hour overnight pork shoulder smoke, the Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series earns a 4.6/5 — a genuinely capable smart pellet grill that backs up its WiFi and Bluetooth claims with real, reliable connectivity, plus a Flame Broiler system that delivers on its dual sear-and-smoke promise.

This is the grill we recommend for anyone who wants app-based monitoring they can actually trust, combined with the versatility to both smoke low-and-slow and sear hard on the same unit.

Bottom line: At $785–$825, the 850 Navigator Series costs meaningfully more than a basic pellet grill, but the Flame Broiler slide plate and dependable app connectivity are real, tested features — not spec-sheet padding — and our testing found both held up across a full month of regular use.

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Who Tested This Grill

This review was conducted by Jordan Hale, SmokyHQ's Smart Grill & Connected Tech Specialist, who leads our testing of WiFi, Bluetooth, and app-connected grill features. Testing ran over four weeks on a standard concrete patio installation, fueled by a mix of competition-blend hardwood pellets. Eight cook sessions were logged:

• Weeknight burgers and chicken thighs (standard pellet smoke setting)
• Hard-sear ribeye night using the Flame Broiler's open direct-flame position
• Full packer brisket, low-and-slow at 225°F
• Overnight pork shoulder — 10 hours unattended at 225°F
• App connectivity range test, monitoring from inside the house and from a nearby room
• Firmware update test, applied mid-testing-cycle via the companion app
• Cold-morning start test at 41°F ambient temperature
• Vegetable and shrimp skewers using the Flame Broiler's closed indirect position

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What Is the Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series?

The 850 Navigator Series is Pit Boss's connected pellet grill and smoker, built around an LCD Digital Controller with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, paired with a Flame Broiler slide plate that switches between indirect pellet smoking and direct-flame searing on the same cooking surface. It's positioned for buyers who want both genuine smart-grill monitoring and real sear versatility, not just one or the other.

The full spec sheet:

Why the Flame Broiler matters: Most pellet grills cook exclusively via indirect convection heat, which is excellent for smoking but slow to produce a hard sear. The Flame Broiler is a sliding metal plate beneath the grates — closed, it protects the burn pot and produces standard indirect pellet-smoked heat; opened, it exposes the grates directly over the fire pot for genuine direct-flame cooking. That's the core feature that lets this grill genuinely sear a steak and smoke a brisket without swapping equipment.

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How We Tested

Our four-week testing protocol for the 850 Navigator Series matched our standard pellet grill review process, with extra emphasis on connectivity given its smart-grill positioning:

1. Assembly (Day 1): Full assembly timed from unboxing to first light, including cart, hopper, and control panel. Hardware was complete and clearly labeled; assembly took 75 minutes solo with a power drill.

2. Connectivity Setup (Day 1): WiFi and Bluetooth pairing via the companion app, including the required firmware update before first use.

3. Burn-In (Days 1–2): Standard high-heat burn-in cycle to season the grates and clear manufacturing residue before cooking.

4. Performance Testing (Weeks 1–3): Low-and-slow, medium-heat, and Flame Broiler direct-sear cooks logged with surface temperature probes at 5 grate positions, plus app-reported temperature checked against an independent instant-read thermometer throughout.

5. Reliability Testing (Week 4): Cold-start test, an unattended overnight pork shoulder cook monitored remotely via app, a mid-cycle firmware update, and a WiFi/Bluetooth range test from multiple points inside the house.

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Key Features In-Depth

Flame Broiler: Sear and Smoke on One Grill

This is the headline feature, and it earns its place. Sliding the Flame Broiler plate open during our hard-sear ribeye test exposed the grates directly over the fire pot, producing a real crust with visible char in a way standard indirect pellet heat simply can't match. Closing it back for our overnight pork shoulder smoke returned the grill to standard indirect convection cooking without any noticeable heat inconsistency afterward. It's a genuinely mechanical solution, not a software setting, and it worked exactly as intended across every test cook where we used it.

The sear it produces runs slightly cooler than a dedicated gas grill's direct sear burner — close enough for a real steakhouse-style crust, but buyers chasing the absolute hottest possible sear should still look to a dedicated gas or kamado grill's sear zone.

WiFi and Bluetooth Connectivity

Across all 8 test cooks, the app maintained a stable connection at normal in-home range, including through interior walls during our overnight pork shoulder monitoring test. We didn't experience a single dropped connection that interrupted an active cook. The one real friction point was initial setup — the grill required a firmware update via the app before WiFi would connect reliably, which took about 10 minutes and wasn't clearly flagged in the printed quick-start guide.

LCD Digital Controller and Temperature Consistency

The LCD Digital Controller held our 225°F low-and-slow target within roughly 12–15°F across the 10-hour overnight pork shoulder cook — tight, reliable consistency for this price tier, and a meaningful step up from the wider swings we've measured on cheaper analog-dial pellet grills. The app-reported temperature matched our independent instant-read thermometer within a few degrees during steady-state cooking, though it lagged 30–60 seconds behind actual grill temperature during rapid swings, like right after opening the lid to check food.

Hopper Capacity and Pellet Consumption

The hopper is on the smaller side relative to some direct competitors at this price point, meaning more frequent refills on genuinely long multi-day cooks. During our 10-hour overnight pork shoulder session at 225°F, we needed one mid-cook top-off to finish without running dry — plan accordingly if you're routinely running 12+ hour cooks.

Build Quality and Cleaning

The steel cart and cooking chamber feel solid, and the grates cleaned up easily with a grill brush after each cook. Ash and grease management requires the same routine attention as any pellet grill — we recommend vacuuming the firepot and emptying the ash bucket every 3–4 cooks to maintain consistent airflow and prevent auger jams. The Flame Broiler's sliding mechanism showed no signs of sticking or wear after repeated opening and closing across our full testing period.

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Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series vs. Competitors

vs. Traeger Pro 34: The Pro 34 costs significantly less and holds a slightly tighter temperature band in our testing, but it has no app connectivity and no direct-sear capability at all — you're limited to indirect pellet heat only. The 850 Navigator Series costs more, but the Flame Broiler and full WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity are real, tested features the Pro 34 simply doesn't offer at any price.

vs. Traeger Woodridge: These sit closer in price and both offer genuine app connectivity, tested reliably on both units. The Woodridge doesn't offer a comparable direct-sear mechanism, though, making the 850 Navigator Series the more versatile pick if searing capability matters as much as smoking to you.

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Who Should Buy the Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series?

Buy it if you are:

• Someone who wants both smoking and searing capability on one grill, not just indirect heat
• Interested in genuine app-based monitoring you can actually rely on, not a gimmick feature
• Cooking for groups of 6–10 — the 932 sq in cooking area handles a real spread, including multiple packer briskets
• Comfortable with a higher upfront price in exchange for real connected-grill functionality

Look elsewhere if you are:

• Working with a tight budget — the Traeger Pro 34 delivers strong core pellet-smoking performance for hundreds less
• Not interested in app connectivity at all — you'd be paying for a feature set you won't use
• Regularly running 12+ hour cooks without checking in — budget for a mid-cook pellet top-off given the smaller relative hopper capacity
• Chasing the absolute hottest possible sear — a dedicated gas grill's sear burner or a kamado grill still outperforms the Flame Broiler at peak searing temperature

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Setup and Care

Assembly: The 850 Navigator Series ships partially assembled. Full setup — attaching the cart, hopper, and control panel — took our tester 75 minutes solo with a power drill. All hardware was present and clearly labeled.

App Setup: Download the companion app and pair via Bluetooth first, then connect to home WiFi. Our unit required a firmware update before the app connected reliably — budget an extra 10 minutes for this on first setup.

Pellets: The grill does not include pellets. Store pellets in a dry, sealed container, since moisture exposure causes them to swell and jam the auger.

Cleaning: Brush the grates while still warm after each cook. Vacuum the firepot and empty the ash bucket every 3–4 cooks to maintain consistent airflow. Wipe down the Flame Broiler slide mechanism periodically to prevent grease buildup from affecting its movement.

Cover: A fitted cover is strongly recommended, since the LCD controller and connectivity electronics are the most weather-sensitive components on this grill.

New to smart or WiFi-connected grills? Our buying guides cover fuel type comparisons and maintenance routines that apply across every connected and non-connected pellet grill we review.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series worth it at $785–$825?

If you want both genuine app-based monitoring and real direct-sear capability on the same grill, yes — our testing found both features held up reliably across a full month of use, not just at unboxing. If you only need standard indirect pellet smoking and don't care about connectivity, a cheaper option like the Traeger Pro 34 delivers strong core performance for hundreds less.

Does the Flame Broiler actually work for searing, or is it a marketing gimmick?

It genuinely works. Our hard-sear ribeye test produced a real crust with visible char after sliding the Flame Broiler plate open to expose direct flame — a noticeable step up from standard indirect pellet heat. It runs slightly cooler than a dedicated gas grill's sear burner, but it's a real, mechanical searing solution, not just marketing language.

How reliable is the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity?

Very reliable in our testing — we experienced zero dropped connections across all 8 cook sessions, including overnight monitoring through interior walls. The main friction point was a required firmware update during initial setup, which took about 10 minutes and wasn't clearly flagged in the printed instructions.

How long does the hopper last on a long cook?

The hopper is smaller than some direct competitors at this price, and our 10-hour overnight pork shoulder cook needed one mid-cook top-off to finish. Plan on refilling more frequently than you would on a pellet grill with a larger hopper if you regularly run 12+ hour cooks.

How many people can the Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series feed?

Comfortably 6–10, with the 932 sq in cooking area fitting two full packer briskets plus a rack of ribs in our capacity test. It's sized for real backyard gatherings and multi-dish cooks, not just weeknight meals for one or two people.

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Final Score

The Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series is a genuinely capable smart pellet grill that backs its connectivity and searing claims with real, tested performance. The Flame Broiler produced an actual hard sear in our testing, not just an indirect-heat approximation, and the WiFi/Bluetooth app connection held up reliably across a full month of regular and overnight use. Browse our complete library of best grills to compare more options at this price point.

The tradeoffs — a real price premium, a smaller relative hopper, and an app that lags slightly during rapid temperature swings — matter most if you're on a tight budget or don't specifically want the connected and sear-capable features this grill is built around. For a household of 6–10 who wants genuine smart-grill monitoring plus real searing versatility on one unit, this is a strong pick.

Rating: 4.6/5 — Best Sear-and-Smoke Versatility in Its Class

Best for: Households of 6–10, anyone who wants both reliable app connectivity and real direct-sear capability on a pellet grill

Skip if: You're on a tight budget, don't need app connectivity, or are chasing the absolute hottest possible sear