Pit Boss Navigator 850 Review: Your Ultimate BBQ Companion

Pit Boss Navigator 850 Pellet Grill Review: Honest Buyer Guide

If you are looking at the Pit Boss Navigator 850 Pellet Grill Review: Honest Buyer Guide, you are probably trying to figure out one simple thing: is this pellet grill worth buying, or are you better off spending your money on another backyard smoker? Based on manufacturer specs, owner feedback, public reviews, and more than 50 years around grills, I would say the Pit Boss Navigator 850 is a strong choice for backyard cooks who want a roomy pellet grill with simple controls, good low-and-slow ability, and some direct-flame searing help. It is not perfect, and buyers should understand the difference between the older Navigator 850G-style models and newer connected versions before buying.

Pit Boss Navigator 850 Pellet Grill Review: Quick Verdict

• Best for: Backyard cooks who want a large pellet grill for ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, burgers, and weekend smoking.
• Not ideal for: Buyers who want commercial-grade steel, blazing steakhouse searing, or a no-maintenance grill.
• Main strength: Large cooking space, pellet convenience, and the Pit Boss Flame Broiler system for direct-flame cooking.
• Main concern: Like many pellet grills, long-term performance depends on cleaning, pellet quality, weather protection, and how well the controller holds temperature.
• Bottom line: The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is worth considering if you want a mid-size to large pellet grill that can smoke well and handle everyday backyard grilling without jumping into premium pricing.

As an affiliate site, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. That does not change what I look for in a grill: steady heat, useful features, fair value, and fewer headaches after the sale.

Trust Note: How This Review Was Researched

I have been around grills for more than 50 years, but I have not personally cooked on every grill covered on this site. For this review, I looked at manufacturer information, available manuals, retailer-style spec listings, owner comments, and forum-style feedback. Then I judged the Pit Boss Navigator 850 through the lens of what actually matters in backyard cooking: heat control, smoke flavor, grease management, cooking room, durability, cleaning, and value.

One important note: the name “Pit Boss Navigator 850” can point to more than one version. The official current Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Grill PB850M is listed with 932 square inches of cooking space, a 180°F to 500°F pellet temperature range, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control, a Flame Broiler lever for direct flame searing up to 1,000°F, and a 30-pound hopper. Older or alternate Navigator 850G listings commonly show 879 square inches of cooking space, a 28-pound hopper, and similar 180°F to 500°F cooking range. Always check the exact model number before buying. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Product Overview

The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is a wood pellet grill and smoker designed for backyard cooks who want the convenience of pellets with enough cooking room for family meals and weekend barbecue. Pellet grills work by feeding compressed hardwood pellets from a hopper into a burn pot using an auger. A fan helps move heat and smoke around the cooking chamber, giving you more consistent low-and-slow cooking than a basic charcoal setup.

In plain English, this is the kind of grill you look at when you want to smoke ribs on Saturday, cook chicken during the week, throw burgers on for the family, and maybe try a pork butt or brisket without babysitting a charcoal fire all day. It is not a stick burner. It is not a gas grill. It is a pellet cooker built for convenience, smoke, and steady backyard cooking.

The Navigator 850 sits in a useful middle ground. It is bigger than a small patio pellet grill but not as huge as some oversized competition-style backyard rigs. For most families, that size makes sense. Bigger grills sound nice on paper, but they also take more space, cost more to heat, and can be more work to clean.

Key Specifications

What Stands Out About the Pit Boss Navigator 850

Large Cooking Space Without Going Too Huge

The cooking space is one of the strongest reasons to consider the Navigator 850. Whether your exact version is listed at 879 or 932 square inches, this is enough room for real family cooking. You can handle several racks of ribs, a batch of chicken thighs, burgers for a crowd, or a pork shoulder with room left for sides.

Here is what matters in real backyard cooking: total square inches are useful, but grate layout matters too. Upper racks are good for warming, jerky, vegetables, ribs, or holding food, but they may not always be as convenient as the main grate. A grill can advertise a big number, but if the upper rack blocks access to the back of the main grate, you may remove it for normal cooks.

Pellet Convenience

The best reason to buy a pellet grill is convenience. You fill the hopper, set the temperature, let the grill run through startup, and cook with indirect heat and wood smoke. It still needs cleaning. It still needs dry pellets. It still needs basic common sense. But compared with managing a charcoal fire all day, a pellet grill is easier for most backyard cooks.

The Navigator 850 is aimed at that buyer: someone who wants smoke flavor and steady heat without tending logs or adjusting vents every 20 minutes.

Flame Broiler Direct-Flame System

One of the standout Pit Boss features is the Flame Broiler system. On many pellet grills, searing is a weak spot because the food is mostly cooked with indirect heat. Pit Boss tries to solve that by letting you expose food to direct flame. The official PB850M listing says the Flame Broiler lever allows direct flame searing up to 1,000°F. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

That does not mean it replaces a screaming-hot charcoal kettle or a dedicated steak searing station. But it does give the Navigator 850 more grilling flexibility than pellet grills that only cook indirectly. For burgers, chicken, pork chops, and quick browning, that direct-flame option can be useful.

Good Hopper Capacity

A 28 to 30-pound hopper is a good size for long cooks. You do not want to run out of pellets during a pork butt or overnight brisket attempt. Pellet burn rate depends on outside temperature, wind, cooking temperature, pellet quality, and how often you open the lid. Still, this hopper size is generous enough that most normal cooks should not require constant refilling.

Connected Controls on Newer Models

The PB850M connected version includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control, which lets you connect the grill to a smart device. That can be handy for monitoring temperatures, especially during longer cooks. But I never tell people to buy a pellet grill only for the app. Apps change, connections can be fussy, and Wi-Fi features are only useful if the grill itself cooks well.

Real-World Cooking Performance

Burgers and Hot Dogs

For burgers and hot dogs, the Navigator 850 should be easy to use. Pellet grills are not always the fastest choice for weeknight burgers because they need startup time, but once hot, this grill should handle a family batch without trouble. The Flame Broiler option is useful here because burgers benefit from direct heat and browning.

Chicken

Chicken is one of the best tests for a pellet grill. Low-and-slow chicken can turn rubbery if the skin does not get enough heat. The Navigator 850’s 180°F to 500°F range gives you room to smoke chicken at a lower temperature, then finish hotter to improve the skin. That is exactly how I would use it.

Ribs

Ribs are a natural fit for this grill. The cooking area should give you enough room for multiple racks, especially if you use the upper rack wisely. Pellet grills are good for ribs because they offer steady indirect heat and mild wood smoke. If you like heavy, deep offset-smoker flavor, a pellet grill may taste lighter. But for many families, the flavor is cleaner and easier to control.

Pork Shoulder

Pork shoulder is forgiving, and this is where pellet grills shine. A pork butt does not need perfect searing. It needs steady heat, enough smoke, and enough time. The Navigator 850 has the space and hopper capacity to make pork shoulder a good match.

Brisket

Brisket is more demanding. The Navigator 850 can smoke brisket, but a full packer brisket depends on grate layout and how much room you have front to back. A brisket flat should be easier. For a big full packer, I would check the main grate dimensions before buying.

Steaks

This grill can cook steaks, especially with the Flame Broiler system, but serious steak lovers may still prefer charcoal, a gas sear burner, or cast iron over ripping heat. Pellet grills are convenient, but they are not always the king of steakhouse crust. The direct-flame feature helps, but expectations matter.

Vegetables and Side Dishes

Vegetables, potatoes, corn, poppers, and side dishes are easy wins on this style of cooker. The upper rack can be useful for sides while meat cooks on the main grate. Just remember that pellet smoke is still smoke. Delicate vegetables can pick up flavor quickly.

Heat Control

Heat control is where pellet grills either earn trust or drive owners crazy. The Navigator 850 uses a digital controller to manage pellet feed and airflow. The connected PB850M version adds Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control, while older versions use more basic digital controls.

The manual for the Navigator series notes that displayed temperatures may not exactly match separate thermometer readings and that outside temperature, wind, pellet quality, lid openings, and the amount of food on the grill can affect temperature behavior. That is not unusual. Every pellet grill is affected by those things. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

In real cooking, I care less about whether a grill stays exactly on 225°F every second and more about whether it settles into a reasonable range. A pellet grill that swings a little is normal. A pellet grill that constantly overshoots, drops too low, or struggles in cold wind becomes frustrating.

Pellet Quality Matters

Cheap, damp, or crumbly pellets can cause poor smoke, inconsistent heat, and auger problems. Keep pellets dry. Do not leave them sitting in a damp hopper for long periods. Pellet grills are convenient, but they are not magic boxes. Bad fuel makes bad fire.

Wind and Weather Matter

A pellet grill sitting in cold wind will work harder than one sitting in calm weather. If you cook in winter or on an exposed patio, expect higher pellet use and possible temperature swings. A thermal blanket may help in colder climates, but always use accessories that are safe for the exact model.

Little-Known Owner Feedback

Owner feedback on the Navigator 850 style grills tends to follow a few common patterns. Happy owners usually like the cooking space, pellet convenience, smoke flavor, and the ability to grill and smoke on one machine. Several owners also like the Pit Boss direct-flame system because it gives more browning ability than many indirect-only pellet grills.

Some owner discussions point out practical annoyances that do not always show up on the sales page. One Reddit owner said the grill “gets the job done” and has made many good meals, but also mentioned that the small gap between the lower and upper rack can make it hard to reach food toward the back when the upper rack is installed. That is exactly the kind of detail buyers should know before purchasing. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Another owner-style forum review of a Pit Boss 850 from Lowe’s described a successful startup and burn-in, while also noting an auger clicking sound and comparing probe readings during temperature testing. The owner reported readings within about 15 degrees in that early test, which is useful context but still just one owner experience. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

The repeated lesson is simple: the Navigator 850 can cook well, but like any pellet grill, assembly quality, controller behavior, pellet condition, and cleaning habits matter.

Build Quality and Durability

The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is not a lightweight tabletop grill. Depending on the version, listed weight is roughly 164 to 175 pounds, which puts it in the serious backyard category. That weight is good because pellet grills need some mass to feel stable, hold up to movement, and support a full cooking chamber.

Still, buyers should not confuse “heavy enough for a backyard pellet grill” with “commercial-grade offset smoker.” Pellet grills have moving parts, electronics, burn pots, augers, fans, and painted or coated metal. They need care. If you leave one uncovered in rough weather, let grease pile up, or store pellets badly, you shorten the grill’s life.

I would call the Navigator 850 a practical mid-range backyard pellet grill. It has enough substance for regular family cooking, but long-term durability will depend heavily on cleaning, covering, and basic maintenance.

Ease of Assembly

Assembly is one of those things that depends on the seller, shipping condition, and your patience. Pellet grills usually require attaching legs, shelves, wheels, handles, chimney parts, and internal components. Because this grill is heavy, two people are a smart idea.

Before you start, unpack everything and check for damage. Look for bent panels, missing screws, cracked wheels, and damage around the hopper or lid. Do not wait until halfway through assembly to discover a missing part. That advice comes from years of watching people get excited, start building, and then spend the next hour looking for one bolt.

Ease of Cleaning

Pellet grills are easier to run than charcoal, but they still need cleaning. That is one of the biggest things new pellet grill owners underestimate.

You need to clean grease from the drip system, scrape grates, empty ash from the burn pot area, and check that airflow is not blocked. If grease builds up, you increase the chance of flare-ups or grease fires. If ash builds up around the burn pot, ignition and temperature control can suffer.

The Flame Broiler system is useful, but any direct-flame setup also means grease management matters. If you cook greasy burgers, chicken thighs, or pork belly, clean the grill before the next long hot cook.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Large cooking area for family meals and weekend barbecue.
• Pellet convenience makes low-and-slow cooking easier than managing charcoal all day.
• Flame Broiler system gives better direct-flame flexibility than many pellet grills.
• Good hopper capacity for longer cooks.
• Newer connected version includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth control.
• Useful size for ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, burgers, and side dishes.
• Strong value if priced below premium pellet grill brands.

Cons

• Exact specs vary by model version, so buyers must verify PB850M vs PB850G details.
• Not the best choice for buyers who want heavy commercial-grade steel.
• Upper rack may get in the way during some cooks.
• Pellet grills require ash, grease, and burn pot maintenance.
• Wi-Fi/app features are useful but should not be the only reason to buy.
• Serious steak searing fans may still prefer charcoal or a dedicated sear burner.

Who Should Buy the Pit Boss Navigator 850?

The Pit Boss Navigator 850 makes sense for backyard cooks who want one pellet grill to handle most common outdoor meals. It is especially good for:

• Beginners who want easier temperature control than charcoal.
• Family grillers who need more room than a small pellet grill.
• Weekend BBQ cooks who want ribs, pork shoulder, and chicken without babysitting a fire.
• People upgrading from a cheap gas grill and wanting more smoke flavor.
• Buyers who like the idea of direct-flame grilling on a pellet cooker.
• People who want good cooking space without jumping into very expensive premium brands.

Who Should Skip It?

This grill is not for everyone. You may want to skip it if:

• You mostly cook steaks and want the hottest possible sear.
• You want a heavy welded offset smoker with strong wood-fire flavor.
• You hate cleaning grease, ash, grates, and burn pot areas.
• You expect a pellet grill to taste exactly like a stick burner.
• You need commercial-grade durability.
• You want a tiny grill for a small balcony or very limited patio space.
• You do not want electronics, fans, augers, or controller parts to deal with.

Common Owner Complaints

Common Owner Praise

The happiest Navigator 850 owners usually seem to like the cooking capacity, ease of use, and ability to cook both low-and-slow barbecue and everyday grilled foods. The direct-flame feature gets attention because it makes the grill more flexible than pellet cookers that only work indirectly. Many buyers also like that Pit Boss often delivers a lot of grill for the money compared with premium pellet brands.

That does not mean every owner is thrilled. It means the happiest buyers usually understand what they are buying: a roomy backyard pellet grill, not a competition offset and not a gas grill replacement for every single job.

Value for Money

The Navigator 850’s value depends heavily on the price you find. If you can buy it at a fair mid-range pellet grill price, it offers a strong mix of capacity, pellet convenience, direct-flame cooking, and brand support. The official connected PB850M version adds modern Wi-Fi/Bluetooth control, while older 850G-style listings may still appeal if priced right and bundled with a cover.

I would not buy it just because the box says “850.” I would buy it because the exact model has the cooking space, hopper size, controller, warranty, and features you need. Check the model number, compare the specs, and read recent owner feedback before clicking the buy button.

Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs Alternatives

Buying Advice From a 50-Year Griller

After more than 50 years around grills, I have learned not to buy only by square inches. Big numbers are nice, but they do not tell the whole story. Look at grate layout, cleanup, grease flow, controller quality, replacement parts, and how the grill fits the way you actually cook.

If you cook one rack of ribs twice a year, you may not need a big pellet grill. If you cook for family, neighbors, holidays, and ball games, extra space starts to matter. If you love steaks, make sure you understand the limits of pellet searing. If you love pulled pork and ribs, pellet convenience may make you cook more often because the process is easier.

Also read bad reviews first. Not because bad reviews are always right, but because they show what can go wrong. Look for patterns. One angry owner is not proof. Ten owners complaining about the same issue is worth paying attention to.

Maintenance Tips

• Use a proper cover when the grill is not in use.
• Keep pellets dry and do not leave damp pellets in the hopper.
• Vacuum ash from the burn pot area regularly.
• Clean grease before it becomes a fire risk.
• Scrape grates after cooking while they are still warm.
• Check the Flame Broiler area for grease buildup.
• Inspect wheels, screws, shelves, and handles a few times a season.
• Use a separate meat thermometer for important cooks.
• Deep clean after several long smoking sessions.
• Do not ignore strange auger noises, ignition problems, or sudden temperature issues.

FAQ

Is the Pit Boss Navigator 850 good for beginners?

Yes, it can be a good beginner pellet grill because the digital controller and pellet system make temperature control easier than charcoal. Beginners still need to learn startup, shutdown, ash cleanup, and grease management.

Can the Pit Boss Navigator 850 smoke brisket?

Yes, it can smoke brisket, especially brisket flats. A full packer brisket depends on grate layout and size. Measure the main cooking grate if brisket is your main goal.

Can it sear steaks?

It can sear better than many pellet grills because of the Flame Broiler direct-flame system, but it still may not match a hot charcoal kettle, cast iron pan, or dedicated gas sear burner for steakhouse crust.

Does it hold temperature well?

The available specs and owner feedback suggest it can hold useful pellet grill temperatures, but swings can happen. Wind, cold weather, pellet quality, lid openings, and food load all affect temperature behavior.

Is the Navigator 850 hard to clean?

It is not unusually hard for a pellet grill, but it does require regular cleaning. You need to manage ash, grease, grates, and the burn pot area.

What are the biggest complaints?

Common concerns include access around the upper rack, temperature display differences, assembly or shipping issues, and the normal cleaning demands of pellet grills.

Does it need a cover?

Yes. A cover is strongly recommended. Pellet grills have electronics, moving parts, and painted or coated metal. Weather protection helps the grill last longer.

Who is this grill best for?

It is best for backyard cooks who want a roomy pellet grill for ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, burgers, and everyday smoking without managing charcoal or logs all day.

Is the Wi-Fi version worth it?

The connected PB850M version can be worth it if you like monitoring cooks from your phone, but buy the grill for cooking performance first. Wi-Fi is a convenience feature, not the whole grill.

Final Verdict

The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is a strong backyard pellet grill choice for buyers who want useful cooking space, pellet convenience, and more direct-flame flexibility than many pellet grills offer. It is not a luxury tank, and it is not the perfect steak machine, but it gives a lot of practical cooking ability for the right buyer.

Buy it if you want a pellet grill that can handle family cooking, ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, burgers, and weekend barbecue without making outdoor cooking feel like a full-time job. Skip it if you want heavy commercial steel, pure stick-burner smoke flavor, or the hottest possible steak sear.

• Cooking performance: 8.3/10
• Build quality: 7.7/10
• Ease of use: 8.5/10
• Cleaning: 7.2/10
• Value: 8.4/10
• Overall: 8.1/10

Final rating: The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is a good-value pellet grill for regular backyard cooks who want space, smoke, and simple operation without paying premium pellet grill prices.