Main trade-off
Traeger Woodridge Elite
Its 24 lb hopper holds less than Navigator’s.
Head-to-head
Traeger Woodridge Elite vs Pit Boss Navigator 850M: Elite sears beside food still smoking, Navigator finishes inside the grill
The short answer
Choose the Woodridge Elite if you want to simmer or sear beside food that stays in the smoking chamber. Choose the Navigator 850M for direct-flame finishing inside the main grill and a larger hopper. The Elite’s side station changes meal coordination more than the small difference in advertised cooking area.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Keep sauce work beside the smoking food
The Elite side burner lets a pan simmer or sear beside the main grill. Navigator’s direct-flame feature opens heat within its main cooking area. If you want a low-temperature main cook and a separate pan job at once, Elite provides the documented separate station.
What this is based on
The inference uses the physical location and stated purpose of the Elite burner and Navigator flame broiler. It does not claim two independently controlled pellet chambers.
Main trade-off
Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
Its flame broiler is within the main cooking area rather than a separate side station.
Traeger Woodridge Elite
- Choose it for
- You want a separate side burner while the main chamber continues cooking.
- You value the enclosed cabinet, pellet sensor and Traeger cleanup system.
- Main trade-off
- Its 24 lb hopper holds less than Navigator’s.
Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Choose it for
- You prefer direct-flame finishing over the main firepot.
- You want a 30 lb hopper and front plus side preparation space.
- Main trade-off
- Its flame broiler is within the main cooking area rather than a separate side station.
About this comparison
Choose between a separate side cooking station and a shared flame broiler, with practical pellet-loading and tall-food rack limits for family meals.
Choose the Woodridge Elite if you want to simmer or sear beside food that stays in the smoking chamber. Choose the Navigator 850M for direct-flame finishing inside the main grill and a larger hopper. The Elite’s side station changes meal coordination more than the small difference in advertised cooking area.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Simmer a pan beside a low-temperature main cook
Elite provides a separate side burner, while Navigator’s direct flame is in the main grill.
- Traeger Woodridge Elite
- Better fit
- Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Caution
Finish food over direct flame in the main grill
Navigator has the flame-broiler lever for this workflow.
- Traeger Woodridge Elite
- Different method
- Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Better fit
Add a 20 lb bag onto 10 lb remaining
That 30 lb total exceeds Elite’s 24 lb hopper and matches Navigator’s rating.
- Traeger Woodridge Elite
- Caution
- Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Better fit
Want enclosed accessory storage
Elite has a closing cabinet, while Navigator uses a bottom shelf.
- Traeger Woodridge Elite
- Better fit
- Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Different layout
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Keep sauce work beside the smoking food
The Elite side burner lets a pan simmer or sear beside the main grill. Navigator’s direct-flame feature opens heat within its main cooking area. If you want a low-temperature main cook and a separate pan job at once, Elite provides the documented separate station.
How we reached this conclusion
The inference uses the physical location and stated purpose of the Elite burner and Navigator flame broiler. It does not claim two independently controlled pellet chambers.
A larger hopper and a sensor solve different mistakes
With 10 lb already inside, a fresh 20 lb bag totals 30 lb. Navigator can hold that nominal load while Elite leaves 6 lb outside. Elite’s sensor helps you check remaining pellets, but it does not create the missing capacity or guarantee a cook will finish unattended.
How we reached this conclusion
10 + 20 = 30 lb. 30 - 24 = 6 lb. A sensor is a monitoring feature, while the hopper rating is a physical loading limit.
The side station is the bigger distinction than 38 square inches
Elite’s total exceeds Navigator by only 38 sq in, and 385 sq in of its total is on the upper rack. For a tall roast, verify the remaining 585 sq in lower layout. Buy the Elite for its separate pan station when that job matters, rather than assuming its total will hold a much larger meal.
How we reached this conclusion
970 - 932 = 38 and 970 - 385 = 585. Actual dimensions and food height govern fit on either grill.
Choice A
Traeger, Woodridge Elite
Woodridge Elite
A 970-square-inch pellet grill with body insulation, Super Smoke mode and a separate side sear station. Its 221lb chassis is intended for an established patio cooking area.
- Best matched use
- You want a separate side burner while the main chamber continues cooking.
Checked facts
- Second cooking method: Separate side burner for searing, sautéing and simmering
- Main cooking space: 970 sq in total, 585 lower and 385 upper
- Main temperature settings: Up to 500°F
- Pellet hopper: 24 lb with digital pellet sensor
Choice B
Pit Boss, PB850M
Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
It provides 932 square inches of cooking area. The pellet hopper holds 30 pounds.
- Best matched use
- You prefer direct-flame finishing over the main firepot.
Checked facts
- Second cooking method: Flame Broiler Lever exposes direct flame in the main grill
- Main cooking space: 932 sq in total
- Main temperature settings: 180 to 500°F
- Pellet hopper: 30 lb with viewing window
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Traeger Woodridge Elite | Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second cooking method | Separate side burner for searing, sautéing and simmering | Flame Broiler Lever exposes direct flame in the main grill | A side pan can work without converting the main chamber’s cooking method. |
| Main cooking space | 970 sq in total, 585 lower and 385 upper | 932 sq in total | The total-area difference is small and does not establish pan fit. |
| Main temperature settings | Up to 500°F | 180 to 500°F | A shared chamber ceiling does not describe the separate finishing mechanisms. |
| Pellet hopper | 24 lb with digital pellet sensor | 30 lb with viewing window | Choose the loading capacity and check method that suit your routine. |
| Storage and prep | Closing cabinet and side shelf | Folding front shelf, side shelf and bottom shelf | Enclosed storage and open staging solve different patio jobs. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Traeger Woodridge Elite
- The side station adds value only if you regularly use a separate pan or finishing area.
If you choose Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
- Its storage layout does not provide Elite’s closing cabinet.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
I need a separate side pan while the main chamber cooks
Choose Traeger Woodridge Elite. Elite supplies the side burner for that parallel job.
I want direct-flame finishing and a 30 lb hopper
Choose Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill. Navigator combines its flame broiler with the larger hopper.
What matters in practice
How to make the call
Write down the cooking sequence
If your meal needs a sauce pan while meat stays in indirect heat, Elite’s side station can keep both jobs at one appliance. If you mainly want to finish the meat over exposed flame after smoking, Navigator’s broiler may be enough. Those are different workflows even at a shared 500°F chamber setting.
Match storage to the patio
The Elite closes tools and supplies behind cabinet doors, while Navigator gives you open lower storage and additional preparation shelves. Check the usable space with doors and shelves in their operating positions. Neither arrangement removes the need to store pellets dry and follow the grill’s outdoor clearance requirements.
Keep fuel checks in the plan
Navigator’s extra hopper capacity is useful when topping up a partly filled hopper with a full bag. Elite offers a digital pellet indication instead of relying only on a visual check. In both cases, weather, temperature and cooking duration affect consumption, so the page does not turn capacity into an overnight promise.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No simultaneous electrical-load number, separate burner temperature, or measured searing result is inferred.
- Pit Boss’s official page conflicts on included probe count, so confirm the shipped bundle.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current pellet grills and smokers comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Woodridge Elite |
|
| |
| Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill |
|
|
Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Traeger Woodridge Elite
You want a separate side burner while the main chamber continues cooking.
See price & reviews on AmazonPit Boss Navigator 850 Connected Pellet Grill
You prefer direct-flame finishing over the main firepot.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.