The four grills, spec for spec
| | Pit Boss 500 FB2 | Traeger Westwood | Pit Boss Navigator 850 | Traeger Woodridge |
|---|
| Cooking area | 518 sq in | 653 sq in | 932 sq in | 860 sq in |
| Temperature range | 180-500°F | 180-450°F | 180-500°F | 180-500°F |
| Direct-flame searing | Yes — Flame Broiler, to 1,000°F | No | Yes — Flame Broiler, to 1,000°F | No |
| Hopper | 5 lb | 18 lb | 30 lb, with viewing window | 24 lb |
| App control | None listed | WiFi (Traeger app) | WiFi and Bluetooth (Pit Boss app) | WiFi (Traeger app) |
| Warranty | 5 years | 7 years | 5 years | 10 years |
Every figure is from the maker’s published specifications. Prices are on the buttons above and move often, so compare them live rather than trusting a number in a table.
Searing: Pit Boss’s clearest advantage
A standard pellet grill cooks behind a steel baffle with indirect, fan-driven heat. That is what makes it so steady at 225°F, and also why it struggles to sear. Both Traegers here work that way, with tops of 450 and 500°F. Both Pit Boss grills add a Flame Broiler: a lever slides part of the baffle open so food over that section sits above open flame. If the person you are buying for will judge the grill by its first steak, that one feature can decide the whole comparison. Our best grills for searing steak covers the other ways to get there.
Long cooks and the app: where Traeger pulls ahead
On a twelve-hour cook, two things matter: how much fuel the hopper holds and whether somebody can check and adjust the grill without walking outside. Traeger puts WiFi app control on its cheaper model here, the Westwood, with an 18 lb hopper; Pit Boss’s budget grill has a 5 lb hopper and no app listed. At the top end the picture flips on fuel — the Navigator’s 30 lb hopper is the biggest here, with WiFi and Bluetooth — so the Traeger advantage is really about the entry and middle of the range.
Both brands build in cleanup help higher up the range. The Woodridge collects ash and grease in one EZ-Clean keg; the Navigator has a removable burn pot for ash cleanout. Both make the least pleasant job on a pellet grill quicker.
Warranty: the quiet deciding factor
A pellet grill has parts a charcoal grill does not — an igniter, an auger motor, a fan and a controller — and those are what eventually fail. Traeger publishes 7 years on the Westwood and 10 on the Woodridge; Pit Boss publishes 5 on both of its grills here. On a grill that may cost several hundred dollars, three to five extra years of coverage on the electrical parts is worth weighing against Pit Boss’s extra space and its sear lever.
So which should you buy?
Buy the Pit Boss 500 FB2 if the budget is tight or searing matters. It is the least expensive grill here by some way, and it sears, which neither Traeger here does. Accept the small hopper.
Buy the Traeger Woodridge if they want long, hands-off cooks. The 24 lb hopper, app control and 10-year warranty make it the most complete pellet grill for most households — it is our overall pick in the full pellet grill roundup for the same reasons.
Buy the Pit Boss Navigator 850 if they host. Nothing else here matches its space and fuel, and it keeps the Flame Broiler. Buy the Traeger Westwood if they want app control for less and cook for a smaller household.
Not sure they want a pellet grill at all? Our best smokers for beginners compares pellet grills with kamado, kettle and offset routes, and the gas vs charcoal guide explains where pellet fits. If they already own either brand, our gifts for Traeger and pellet grill owners works for Pit Boss owners too.
