“It is a nice Smoker with a small problem. Sometimes, the smoker makes too much smoke. The temperature also fluctuates.”

75% of 20 verified owners recommend the Pit Boss 850 Navigator, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
Affiliate blogs here say 100% recommend, while the owner-based score is 75%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
Synthesized from what Pit Boss 850 Navigator owners say — not a spec sheet.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
“It is a nice Smoker with a small problem. Sometimes, the smoker makes too much smoke. The temperature also fluctuates.”
“STILL ROCCCKING WITH THE NAVIGATOR 1150 AND 850”
“I have a Navigator 850G over a year old. Have replaced 4 control boards and 2 grill probes. Waiting on igniter. Does anyone have any ideas why they keep going bad?”
“I love it for grilling but regretting it for smoking”
“Just picked one up Black Friday at Academy for a great price and have already grilled on it a few times, Great Product!!”
“The navigator is just stupidly fancy looking for no reason”
“the wifi on my grill went tits up”
“I have a 850 and love it. upgraded the control board to make it better. love pitboss.”
“I'm not sorry I bought it”
“Just bought one of these from you guys. Loving it. I’ve Already used it 6 or 7 times.”
“Loving it so far! Pellet system means 12 hour smokes are easy. Grill function is great for steaks, burgers, corn etc. Ability to directly access the flame is great for charring peppers. And the ease of use makes it a doddle when the English weather is less than compliant! Easy to use for a first timer. No regrets so far.”
“absolutely no issues”
“I love the grill, very heavy construction, the shelfs in the front and side and the vents that allow for direct heat grilling. I would give this grill an A++ .”
“Got my first pit boss navigator 850 from Costco and did my first cook which was a pair of beef back ribs from Costco. They turned out amazing!”
“The Pit Boss Navigator is a good buy if you want a pellet grill that leans smoky, feels solid for the money, and can do more convincing open-flame grilling than most pellet smokers. That flame broiler is not just a gimmick.”
“I love my navigator 850. Still have only had it for a couple months and upgraded the wifi controller. Definitely a very nice smoker!”
“So far, I'm very happy with it. I do wish the temperature increment was 5 instead of 10 for more control.”
“I had a Pit Boss 850 for over 5 years and it was great”
“I have boss love it. Price was great.”
“I would 100% buy another of these”
“didn't have an issue with the app”
“It's performed very well for me”
“I am happy with my purchase”
“It is running like a champ”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
“So far I've used pitboss competition blend and haven't had any white smoke beyond start up”
“meat tasted great, but skin was not crispy”
“I don’t taste too much of a difference”