Search “Pit Boss Navigator” and you’ll get results for two completely different products: a horizontal pellet grill that sears steaks, and a vertical cabinet smoker that can’t sear anything at all. Here’s which is which before you add one to a cart.
Quick Answer
The Pit Boss Navigator name covers two unrelated grills. The Navigator 850 is a horizontal pellet grill with direct-flame searing — the base model (10527) has 879 sq in and no WiFi for around $899.99, while the Connected version (11111/PB850M) adds WiFi + Bluetooth and 932 sq in for $799-849, per AJ Madison and retailer listings. The Navigator 6-Series is a completely different shape: a vertical cabinet smoker with 2,224 sq in across 5 racks, a 75 lb hopper, and WiFi + Bluetooth standard, per Pit Boss’s own spec sheet — but it tops out at 420°F and can’t sear a thing. Both wear the same “Navigator” badge and roughly the same $800-900 price range, which is exactly where the confusion starts.
Navigator 850 vs Navigator 6-Series at a glance
| Spec | Navigator 850 (base, 10527) | Navigator 850 Connected (11111) | Navigator 6-Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Horizontal grill | Horizontal grill | Vertical cabinet |
| Cook space | 879 sq in | 932 sq in | 2,224 sq in (5 racks) |
| Temperature range | 180-500°F + 1000°F sear | 180-500°F + 1000°F sear | 130-420°F, no sear |
| Hopper | 28 lb | 28 lb | 75 lb |
| WiFi/Bluetooth | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price | ~$899.99 | ~$799-849 | ~$800-900 |
The Navigator 850 — a horizontal searing grill, with a WiFi fork
Pit Boss Navigator 850 Connected (PB850M)
- 932 sq in of cook space on the Connected model — up from 879 sq in on the base non-WiFi version, per retailer spec sheets.
- Direct-flame searing up to 1000°F via a slide plate, the same flame-broiler mechanism used across Pit Boss's horizontal grill lineup.
- 28 lb hopper — modest next to the Navigator 6-Series's 75 lb, but normal for a horizontal grill in this price range.
- Costco sells its own Navigator 850 variant at 879 sq in with WiFi + Bluetooth standard and a ~27.5 lb hopper — a third spec combination under the same name.
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The Navigator 850 is Pit Boss’s mid-tier horizontal grill — it sears steaks, smokes low-and-slow, and now comes in three near-identical trims depending on where you buy it. The $100-150 difference between the base 10527 and the Connected 11111 buys WiFi, Bluetooth, and about 50 more sq in of grate space; it does not buy a different grill shape or searing method. If you’ve already decided you want a horizontal grill that sears, the only real decision on the 850 is whether app control is worth the price gap — not which “Navigator” is bigger.
The Navigator 6-Series — a vertical cabinet, not a bigger 850
Pit Boss Navigator 6-Series Vertical Smoker
- 2,224 sq in across 5 porcelain-coated steel racks, per Pit Boss's own spec sheet — more than double the biggest Navigator 850's cook space.
- 75 lb hopper with cleanout, built for multi-day or competition-length smoking sessions.
- 130-420°F digital range with WiFi + Bluetooth control standard — no non-connected version exists for this model.
- No direct-flame searing at all. If you want to reverse-sear a steak on this grill, you need a separate pan or a different cooker.
The 6-Series is priced within shouting distance of the Connected Navigator 850 — roughly $800-900 versus $799-849 — but it’s a fundamentally different tool. Where the 850 is one grill that both sears and smokes, the 6-Series is a dedicated cabinet built to hold a lot of meat at a steady low temperature for a long time, with nearly triple the hopper capacity to match. Buyers scanning “Pit Boss Navigator” listings by price alone can easily end up comparing a steak-searing grill against a brisket-and-ribs cabinet as if they were the same purchase decision.
Who should buy which Navigator
- Buy a Navigator 850 if: you want one grill that sears steaks and smokes — pick the Connected (932 sq in, WiFi) if app monitoring matters, or the base 10527 (879 sq in) to save $100-150.
- Buy the Navigator 6-Series if: you mostly smoke (ribs, brisket, jerky, sausage), want to feed a crowd off one hopper fill, and don’t need to sear.
- Shopping at Costco specifically: its Navigator 850 variant already includes WiFi + Bluetooth at the base 879 sq in size — check the hopper spec (~27.5 lb) against the Connected model’s 28 lb before assuming they’re identical.
- Always confirm the shape in the listing photo, not just the name: “Navigator” alone doesn’t tell you if you’re looking at a flat grill or a tall cabinet.
For the full current Pit Boss lineup including the Austin XL, Sportsman, and Copperhead lines, see our best Pit Boss pellet grill guide. If a cabinet smoker is what you actually need, our best vertical pellet smoker roundup ranks the 6-Series against Camp Chef and Louisiana Grills alternatives.
The verdict
“Pit Boss Navigator” isn’t one grill — it’s a horizontal searing grill in two WiFi trims, plus a completely unrelated vertical cabinet smoker that happens to share the name and a similar price tag. Know which shape you’re looking at before comparing sq-in-per-dollar between listings, because a 2,224 sq in cabinet and a 932 sq in searing grill aren’t competing for the same job. For pellets to load either one with, see our best wood pellets for smoking guide, and for the rest of the brand’s range, our best Pit Boss pellet grill ranking.