Lightweight · $340–$700
Grills, Smokers, and Pizza showdown
Traeger Westwood vs Pro 22 vs Pit Boss 850 FB2 vs Brisk It Zelos-450: The Lightweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
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- contenders compared
- 4
- owner ratings · Amazon
- 2,690
- verified pull-quotes
- 4
- data last verified
- 2026-11-01
Tale of the tape
Showdown Scores, read as late as 2026-11-01. Each pick wins a different job; the score says how well it holds up.
Traeger WestwoodBest budget · our crown8.8Exceptional
Traeger Pro 22Deepest owner record7.0Very good
Brisk It Zelos-450Budget WiFi6.9Very good
- Pit Boss 850 FB2The one that sears?Not scored yet
How to read a Showdown Score™
The only score that counts how often a product breaks, not just how owners feel about it.
- Three parts add up to the score: what owners rate it, how often it fails them, and whether a credentialed tester backed it.
- Bands: Exceptional 8.5 and up, Excellent 7.5, Very good 6.5, Good 5.5, Fair 4, Poor below 4. Every score is dated.
- Price, the warranty and what a link pays us stay out of it.
Four budget pellet grills, four different reasons to buy one. One has been cooked on by two testers and measured by one, one tops Amazon’s Combination Grill-Smokers best sellers with thousands of owners behind it, one gives you more grill and a flame broiler, and one puts WiFi on a small grill for far less. So which one belongs on your patio?
This is the Lightweight class: entry-level money, first-pellet-grill buyer. Four grills, one winner, and a ruling the Amazon stars could not make for us. Here’s who wins, and for whom.
The short version:
🏆 Best budget: Traeger Westwood ($699.99). Bon Appétit’s budget pick: its tester ran a 3-hour smoke at 250°F and found it within about 10 degrees of the set temperature. Traeger covers the body for 7 years. The catch: it tops out at 450°F, so it will not sear, and it is too new to have an independent owner record.
📈 Deepest owner record: Traeger Pro 22 ($549.99). Amazon’s #1 best seller in its class on October 31, 2026, 4.5 stars across 2,486 ratings, and an AmazingRibs Gold Medal after a 14-hour cook. The catch: Traeger now lists it as a legacy model, it has no WiFi, and it tops out at 450°F.
🔥 The one that sears: Pit Boss 850 FB2 ($599.99). 840 sq in and a flame broiler, and Bon Appétit’s budget pick before the Westwood. The catch: no WiFi, and very few owners have written about this exact grill.
📱 Budget WiFi: Brisk It Zelos-450 ($339.99). WiFi and a PID controller on a small grill, and WIRED calls it “a stellar piece of hardware.” The catch: WIRED measured it 20 to 28°F over its set point, and temperature is the top complaint in its low-star reviews.
⬆️ The step up: Pit Boss Navigator 850 ($799.99). 932 sq in, a flame broiler and WiFi, but it costs more than this class allows, so it fights in our Welterweight showdown.
Quick comparison
| Model | Best for | Max temp | Cook area | Hopper | WiFi app | Electronics warranty | Warranty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best budget | 8.8 Exceptional | 450°F | 653 sq in | 18 lb | Yes (WiFIRE) | 3 years controller, auger and fan (body 7) | 7 years body, legs and shelf (rust-through); 3 years controller, auger, fan, grates and casters; 1 year igniter, sensors and meat probe; authorized seller only; parts only, labor and freight at the owner's expense | ~$699.99typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Deepest owner record | 7.0 Very good | 450°F | 572 sq in | 18 lb | No | 3 years controller; 1 year fan and auger motor (body 7) | 7 years body, legs and hopper cover (rust-through); 3 years controller, grates and wheels; 1 year fan, auger motor, igniter, sensors and meat probe; authorized seller only; parts only, labor and freight at the owner's expense | ~$549.99typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
Pit Boss 850 FB2 | The one that sears | Not scored yet | 500°F | 840 sq in | 21 lb | No | 5 years electrical (all parts 5) | 5 years all parts and 5 years electrical (wood pellet grills, brand policy); original purchaser, residential use only; parts only, no labor or freight; no performance warranty; authorized retailer or reseller only (unauthorized marketplaces may be refused) | ~$599.99typical at Pit BossIn stockread 2026-10-31Check price → |
| Budget WiFi | 6.9 Very good | 500°F | 450 sq in (main grate 21.6 × 15.4 in, per Brisk It) | 12 lb | Yes (Brisk It app) | 3 years (whole grill) | 3 years on the whole grill, for grills bought from briskit.ai or an authorized retailer; Brisk It confirmed in writing that a Zelos-450 bought on Amazon and sold by Brisk It Labs counts; repair or replacement at Brisk It's discretion, shipping and labor not covered; paint, cosmetic damage, incompatible fuels and "Expected temperature variation and swings for thermometer and probes" excluded | ~$339.99typical at AmazonCheck price → |
Prices move constantly — any Amazon price shown is as of the date noted and subject to change; tap through for today's number.
Best budget: Traeger Westwood
If you mostly smoke and want the budget grill a tester has actually cooked on, this is the one.
Bon Appétit’s Noah Kaufman ran the Westwood through the same tests as grills costing far more: a timed heat-up, an hour at 250°F against an air probe, and ribs and chicken on every grill. Bon Appétit named it the best budget pellet smoker. “During a 3-hour smoke at 250℉, it held temperatures very steady,” and each time he checked, it read within about 10 degrees of the set temperature. Food & Wine’s Greg Baker tested the base Westwood on his own and found it performs much the same as the bigger XL. Traeger backs the body for 7 years and the controller, auger and fan for 3, and those moving parts are what owners report failing in the pellet grill critical reviews we read.
Not for you if: you want to sear, or you want proof from owners before you buy. It tops out at 450°F, and Food & Wine’s tester got faint to nonexistent grill marks from the Westwood line. And it is new: on October 30, 2026 its Amazon listing held 22 ratings, and 10 of the 14 written reviews we could read came from Amazon’s free-product program. We did not let that rating decide anything, and we will re-read the listing as real purchases come in. Bon Appétit also lists “Temperature less stable than more expensive grills” as a con.
Traeger Westwood
Best budget
Exceptional
Exceptional is 8.5 and up.
See why it scored 8.8
Too close to call with the Pit Boss 850 FB2. It holds "Best budget" because it edges ahead on the evidence, by less than our margin of error.
653 sq in · 450°F · WiFIRE app · 7-year body warranty
Your pick if you mostly smoke and want the budget grill a tester actually cooked on — Bon Appétit's budget pick, with a 7-year body warranty; it tops out at 450°F, so it will not sear, and it has no independent owner record yet.
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Picked before we checked what this link pays us.
“Set it & forget it makes smoking meat a pleasure and the results are scrumptious!”
“During a 3-hour smoke at 250℉, it held temperatures very steady.”
Traeger Westwood
Best budgetYour pick if you mostly smoke and want the budget grill a tester actually cooked on — Bon Appétit's budget pick, with a 7-year body warranty; it tops out at 450°F, so it will not sear, and it has no independent owner record yet.
“Set it & forget it makes smoking meat a pleasure and the results are scrumptious!”— steve melvin, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “During a 3-hour smoke at 250℉, it held temperatures very steady.”— Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit
- Tested hands-on: Bon Appétit's budget pick held its set temperature through a 3-hour smoke at 250°F
- 7-year body warranty, with 3 years on the controller, auger and fan
- WiFIRE app control and Traeger's P.A.L. rail accessories
- Sold and shipped by Amazon
- 450°F maximum, so it will not sear a steak
- No independent owner record yet: 22 Amazon ratings, and 10 of the 14 written reviews we could read are free-product (Vine) reviews
- Smaller cook area: 653 sq in, 424 of it on the main grate
- Two testers found the controls unintuitive at first; keep the manual handy
No critical reviews to read yet: the critical filter returned none, and every rating so far is four or five stars, most of the written ones from Amazon Vine.
0 written critical reviews as of 2026-10-30; the histogram puts 94% of the 22 Amazon ratings at five stars and 6% at four · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Deepest owner record: Traeger Pro 22
The Pro 22 is the grill this class is measured against: on October 31, 2026 it was the #1 best seller in Amazon’s Combination Grill-Smokers list, with 4.5 stars across 2,486 ratings on its own listing, no other model pooled in. AmazingRibs’ Bill McGrath cooked several batches of ribs and a 9.5 lb pork butt on it, one a 14-hour cook, and wrote: “It’s an attractive price point and a well-made product. I’m giving it a Gold Medal for performance and value.” His temperature graph showed “a couple of spikes,” but “the temp always settled down quickly.”
Not for you if: you want the newest grill, an app or a sear. Traeger now files the Pro 22 under its Legacy Grills as the first-generation Pro, available only at retailers; its WiFi Pro 575 costs more. It has no WiFi, and it tops out at 450°F (AmazingRibs read its dial as stepping to about 400°F). And a deep base has a deep tail: 260 written critical reviews, and seven of the ten newest (read October 30, 2026) describe a controller that throws errors or shuts down, an auger that jams, or a temperature that drifts. Traeger covers the controller for 3 years but the fan and auger motor for only 1. Its 7-year body term applies to grills made after October 2021; an older unit falls under Traeger’s 3-year warranty, so check the manufacture date on a legacy model.
Traeger Pro 22
Deepest owner recordVery good
Very good is 6.5 to 7.4.
See why it scored 7.0
Your pick if you want the longest owner record in this fight — 4.5★ across 2,486 Amazon ratings and an AmazingRibs Gold Medal — and you don't need an app. Traeger now lists it as a legacy model; it tops out at 450°F and will not sear.
“I bought this several years ago for my husband another than in the winter, he’s using this weekly and almost daily. Such a great smoker/grill for not only long-smoked food like briskets or ribs but also is very versatile for quick dinner items too like steaks and wings! It’s very durable and has been a staple for our household.”— Sophie, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “It’s an attractive price point and a well-made product. I’m giving it a Gold Medal for performance and value.”— Bill McGrath, AmazingRibs
- Tested hands-on: AmazingRibs cooked on it for 14 hours and gave it a Gold Medal for performance and value
- The deepest owner record in this fight: 2,486 Amazon ratings on its own listing, not pooled with other models
- 7-year body warranty when bought from an authorized seller; sold and shipped by Amazon
- Simple dial controller with two probe jacks and one probe included
- Traeger lists it under Legacy Grills: it is the first-generation Pro, available only at retailers, and its WiFi Pro 575 costs more
- 450°F maximum (AmazingRibs read its dial as stepped to about 400°F), so it will not sear
- No WiFi or app
- The fan and auger motor carry only 1 year of Traeger's warranty, and its critical reviews cluster on controllers, auger jams and temperature drift
- The 7-year body term applies to grills made after October 2021; an older unit falls under Traeger's 3-year warranty
Controllers and parts that fail or drift — error codes and shutdowns, auger jams, temperatures 60 to 90 degrees off — and owners say Traeger support was slow to fix it.
7 of the 10 newest written critical reviews (of 260, read 2026-10-30) describe a controller, auger or temperature failure · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
The one that sears: Pit Boss 850 FB2
If you want to sear without leaving this class, this is the grill. It was Bon Appétit’s budget pick until June 2026, and it is the only one of the four with a Flame Broiler lever.
At 840 sq in (584 on the main grate) it is the biggest of the four, with a 21 lb hopper. Slide the lever and the food sits over open flame, which Pit Boss says runs up to 1,000°F. Nobody has measured that on this grill, so it is Pit Boss’s number, but it is direct flame neither Traeger can give you. Bon Appétit’s Noah Kaufman wrote, “For a grill that costs less than $600, this Pit Boss felt like it had a quality build.” It lit easily, heated “in a little more than 15 minutes,” and “showed no issues of jamming or burning through pellets quickly.” On temperature he rated it “a bit less precise than the Weber and about the same as the Traeger Westwood.” What cost it the pick was convenience: there is no shelf to set food on, so he used the top of the hopper.
Bon Appétit’s review used to be harder on it. Until the June 2026 rewrite, in the version we read on the Internet Archive, the temperature “bounced around more than the Weber or the Recteq, sometimes as much as 30°F,” and with the flame broiler plate open, “I struggled to get temps that high with the lid open,” meaning 500°F. Both lines are gone from the current page, which does not say why.
Not for you if: you want WiFi, or proof from owners before you buy. It has no WiFi and no app. And its owner record is the thinnest here, so it takes no belt: on Amazon, where it is currently unavailable, 8 written reviews are of this size, and one is critical (a defective panel). Its 4.3 there pools the 500 and 700 FB2. Walmart shows 4.8 across 80, but 68 of the 69 written reviews came from Pit Boss, and 8 of those name another model or a feature this grill lacks, so we do not count it. Three low reviews in that feed blame the control board, the screen or an ErP error, though we cannot confirm their model. Pit Boss covers parts and electrical for 5 years from an authorized seller, so buy from Pit Boss or check the seller.
Pit Boss 850 FB2
The one that searsSee what has been read
Your pick if you want a flame broiler and more room for under $700, and you can do without WiFi and a deep owner record. Bon Appétit cooked on it; owners have written very little about this exact grill.
“Working good, so far. Tends to fluctuate a bit depending on ambient temperature, but nothing serious. I feel like it was a good buy for the money spent. Seems to be well-built.”— TomB, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “For a grill that costs less than $600, this Pit Boss felt like it had a quality build, right down to the casters and heavy rubber wheels that moved easily over a bumpy driveway.”— Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit
- 840 sq in (584 on the main grate) and a 21 lb hopper
- Flame Broiler slide-plate for direct-flame searing
- Bon Appétit's tester cooked on it: it lit easily, with no jamming
- 5-year warranty on all parts and electrical
- No WiFi and no app
- A thin owner record: 8 written reviews of this size on Amazon, so we count no owner rating yet
- No side shelf: Bon Appétit's tester used the top of the hopper to hold food
- Pit Boss's 1,000°F flame-broiler figure has not been measured on this grill, and an earlier version of Bon Appétit's review struggled to reach 500°F with the lid open
- Only one meat probe included (two probe ports)
Too few reviews of this size to call a pattern, but the low ones we could read are electronics: a dead panel, a broken control board, an ErP error code.
1 of 8 written Amazon reviews of this size is critical, a defective panel (read 2026-10-31); Pit Boss's own feed at Walmart holds 3 more low reviews on the control board, the screen and an ErP code, models not confirmed · critical reviews read 2026-10-31
Budget WiFi: Brisk It Zelos-450
If you want an app on a small grill and the Westwood costs more than you planned to spend, this is the one to look at.
At 450 sq in it is the smallest here, with a 12 lb hopper, a PID controller and an app, plus a cover and a meat probe in the box. WIRED’s Martin Cizmar called it “a stellar piece of hardware, especially at this price.” Bob Vila’s Paul Rankin used it several times over a month, rated it 4.8 out of 5 and wrote that its controller “handled the temperature perfectly,” though his review prints no temperatures.
Not for you if: you need a grill to hold a number, or to feed a crowd. When Cizmar smoked at 225°F, “the temperature drifted up to 245.” At the advertised max of 500, “the grill drifted up to 528.” He called those “mild complaints” at this price. Owners are less forgiving. Of the 29 written reviews at one to three stars on Amazon, we read 27, and 14 complain about temperature, holding it or reading it, some of them over a ruined cook. Five more report an auger, igniter, firepot or electronics failing, and five report trouble with the app. Other owners say it holds temperature well, and the listing stands at 4.2 stars across 182 ratings. Brisk It’s warranty excludes “Expected temperature variation and swings for thermometer and probes.” We asked Brisk It where that stops and a defect starts. Its answer: “There is no single temperature deviation that establishes a defect; the pattern and operating conditions need to be reviewed.” Its example of one worth investigating is a displayed temperature “jumping from 80°F to 325°F within seconds,” a possible sensor or controller fault. Brisk It also told us that a Zelos-450 bought on Amazon from Brisk It Labs counts as an authorized purchase, and that another brand’s food-grade hardwood pellets do not void the warranty, as long as they suit a pellet grill. On size, the listing says 15 burgers, and Cizmar “would comfortably cook six burgers on it, maybe eight.” He also found the AI “unhelpful.” Use your own probe.
Brisk It Zelos-450
Budget WiFiVery good
Very good is 6.5 to 7.4.
See why it scored 6.9
Your pick if you want an app on a small pellet grill for a family of four or fewer, and you will check the temperature with your own probe. 4.2★ across 182 Amazon ratings, and WIRED measured it 20 to 28°F over its set point.
“It’s pretty easy to set up and use. We’ve cooked with it a couple times now. Our only complaints thus far is the welds on it are messy (shown in pictures) and it did not keep the “new” look very long even after cleaning. It is very beginner friendly and the perfect size for a small family!”— Sage, Amazon · Verified owner
Pro review “When I smoked a pork loin at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature drifted up to 245. When I grilled burgers at the advertised max of 500, the grill drifted up to 528.”— Martin Cizmar, WIRED
- WiFi app and a PID controller on a small grill at a low price
- WIRED calls it "a stellar piece of hardware, especially at this price"
- Bob Vila's tester used it for a month and rated it 4.8 out of 5
- One 3-year term on the whole grill, with no shorter term on the controller, and Brisk It confirmed in writing that it covers a Zelos-450 bought on Amazon from Brisk It Labs
- Waterproof cover and meat probe included
- It can run over its set temperature: WIRED measured 245°F at a 225°F setting and 528°F at 500°F, and 14 of the 27 one-to-three-star reviews we read complain about temperature, holding it or reading it
- Brisk It's warranty excludes "Expected temperature variation and swings for thermometer and probes", and Brisk It told us "There is no single temperature deviation that establishes a defect": it reviews the pattern and the operating conditions
- Small: WIRED would cook six burgers, maybe eight, against the 15 on the listing
- WIRED found the AI "unhelpful", and owners report the app dropping out
- The warranty does not cover paint, the grill cover or corrosion damage
Temperature leads: it overshoots, will not hold or reads wrong. Then parts that fail early, and an app that drops out.
29 written reviews at one to three stars; we read 27 on 2026-11-01. 14 complain about temperature, holding it or reading it, 5 about the auger, igniter, firepot or electronics, 5 about the app, and one review can count twice. The histogram puts 14% of 182 ratings at one or two stars. · critical reviews read 2026-11-01
Sold by Brisk It Labs, shipped by Amazon · Returnable until Jan 31, 2027 · read 2026-11-01
The step up: Pit Boss Navigator 850
The Navigator 850 fought here until October 31, 2026. At $799.99 on Amazon and at Pit Boss it is over this class’s $700 line, so it now fights in our Welterweight showdown, which carries the full case. If you want WiFi with your flame broiler, that is where to read it: 932 sq in and a flame broiler, with no tester’s measurement behind it and owners reporting early part failures.
Pit Boss Navigator 850
Best for more space & searingYour pick if you want WiFi, a big cook space and open-flame searing — 932 sq in and a flame-broiler; its 4.6★ rests on 48 Amazon ratings, and its critical reviews cluster on early part failures.
“Very sturdy grill! Instructions were reasonably easy to follow. It is a 2 person assembly at a couple points during the assembly. Works great and holds a consistent temperature.”— Aaron Quakenbush, Amazon · Verified owner
- Big 932 sq in cook area and a 30 lb hopper
- Flame Broiler slide-plate for direct-flame searing
- WiFi + Bluetooth with the Pit Boss app
- 5-year warranty on all parts
- Its Amazon base is small: 48 ratings and 21 written reviews of this size (read October 2026), sold in a single size on its own listing
- Critical reviews cluster on early part failures (auger, igniter, controller board) and slow warranty help
- Nobody has measured this model
- Only one meat probe included (two probe ports)
Parts fail early - the auger, the igniter, the controller board, peeling paint - and owners say Pit Boss's warranty support did not fix it.
4 of the 8 written critical reviews (read 2026-10-30; the filter counts 9, one with no text) describe a part failing (two augers and an igniter early, a main board in about the third year), a fifth peeling paint; 3 say Pit Boss support or the warranty did not fix it; 6 of the 9 carry no Verified Purchase badge · critical reviews read 2026-10-30
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-30
Why the Amazon stars didn’t decide this fight
On paper the Westwood’s 4.9 stars (22 ratings, read 2026-10-30) beat the Pro 22’s 4.5, and the 850 FB2 shows 4.8 at Walmart. Two of those numbers are not what they look like, and this is the part of a rating most shoppers never check:
- A launch base is not an owner record. The oldest Westwood review we can see is from August 2026, and most of the written ones came through Amazon Vine, which sends a reviewer a free unit to write about. Those are real reviews of the real grill, but those reviewers did not pay for it and nobody has owned it through a season.
- A pooled rating is not a rating of your grill. Amazon’s 4.3 across 204 for the 850 FB2 covers the 500, 700 and 850 together, and 8 of the written reviews are of the 850.
- A store’s rating can be the maker’s. Walmart’s 4.8 for the 850 FB2 is almost all Pit Boss’s own review feed, with owners of other Pit Boss models mixed in. Home Depot’s 4.8 carries the same reviews, plus reviews of the 500 and 700 FB2.
So we ruled on what the testers measured and on what owners wrote in the critical reviews, which is where a grill’s real failure pattern shows up. That pointed to the Westwood.
How to choose between them
Skip the spec sheet and answer two questions:
- Will you mostly smoke, or also grill? Mostly smoke → the Westwood, the smoker a tester measured, or the Pro 22 if you want the longest owner record and can live without an app. Want to sear steaks and burgers on the same machine → the 850 FB2 and its flame broiler. Want an app on a small budget → the Zelos-450, with your own probe in the meat.
- How many do you feed? The Pro 22’s 572 sq in (418 on the main grate) and the Westwood’s 653 (424 on the main grate) handle a family. The 850 FB2’s 840 (584 on the main grate) handles a crowd. The Zelos-450’s 450 (about 333 on the main grate, from Brisk It’s 21.6 × 15.4 in) feeds a family of four, not a party.
For most people reading this, that’s the Westwood. If you want more room and a flame broiler, the 850 FB2 gives you more grill for the money, as long as you can accept how few owners have reported on it.
Ready to step up? Our Welterweight pellet grill showdown puts the bigger Westwood XL against the Z Grills 700D4E, the Pit Boss Navigator 850 and the Weber Smoque, the Middleweight showdown covers the tier above that, and the best pellet grills of 2026 page gathers every measurement a tester has published across all three weight classes.
What to look for in a budget pellet grill
- A controller that holds temperature. This is the whole point of a pellet grill. Look for a tester’s measurement, not just “PID” on the box.
- WiFi + app. Remote temperature control and probe alerts change how you cook; the Westwood and the Zelos-450 have them, the Pro 22 and the 850 FB2 do not.
- Cook area for your crowd. About 650 sq in suits most families; over 800 sq in gives you room for big cooks.
- Searing ability. A flame broiler or a direct-flame mode lets a pellet grill sear, not just smoke. A 450°F dial will not.
- The warranty on the moving parts. The auger, fan, igniter and controller are what fail. Read how long the maker covers those, not just the headline number, and buy from an authorized seller.
FAQ
What is the best budget pellet grill in 2026?
The Traeger Westwood, if you mostly smoke. Bon Appétit cooked on it and named it the best budget pellet smoker: through a 3-hour smoke at 250°F it stayed within about 10 degrees of the set temperature. Traeger covers the body for 7 years and the controller, auger and fan for 3 when you buy from an authorized seller. The catch is heat: it tops out at 450°F and will not sear. If you want to sear, or need more room, the Pit Boss 850 FB2 has 840 sq in and a flame broiler.
Why didn't the grill with the higher Amazon rating win?
Because the star averages did not measure what they seemed to. On October 14, 2026 the Westwood reviews we could read on Amazon were under two weeks old, and 9 of those 10 came from Amazon's Vine program, which sends reviewers a free unit. The Pit Boss 850 FB2's 4.3 on Amazon pools it with the 500 and 700 FB2, and its 4.8 at Walmart is mostly Pit Boss's own review feed. So we ruled on what the testers measured and what owners wrote in the critical reviews, not on the star average.
Can any of these sear a steak?
The Pit Boss 850 FB2 can: slide its Flame Broiler lever and the food sits over open flame. Pit Boss says up to 1,000°F, but no tester has measured that on this grill, and an earlier version of Bon Appétit's review says its tester struggled to reach 500°F with the lid open. The Navigator 850 one class up has the same lever. Brisk It lists searing among the Zelos-450's modes, on a 500°F top. The two Traegers cannot. The Pro 22 tops out at 450°F, and AmazingRibs warns burgers on it can look boiled rather than grilled; the Westwood's dial also stops at 450°F, and Food & Wine's tester got faint to nonexistent grill marks from the Westwood line.
Do these budget pellet grills have WiFi?
The Westwood does, on Traeger's WiFIRE app, the Zelos-450 does, on Brisk It's app, and so does the Navigator 850 one class up, on the Pit Boss app over WiFi and Bluetooth. The Pro 22 has none: a dial, a display and two probe jacks. Neither does the Pit Boss 850 FB2, which you set at the grill. Bon Appétit's tester wrote that the Westwood was the most affordable grill they had used with a WiFi connection.
Does where I buy a pellet grill affect the warranty?
Yes. Traeger's warranty applies only to grills bought from an authorized seller, and Pit Boss covers grills bought from its own site or an authorized retailer or reseller. Check who sells the listing before you buy, and keep the receipt. When we read Walmart's 850 FB2 listing on October 31, 2026 it was sold and shipped by a third-party seller, not by Walmart or Pit Boss. Brisk It's warranty page covers grills bought from briskit.ai or an authorized retailer, and Brisk It told us in writing that a Zelos-450 bought on Amazon and sold by Brisk It Labs 'is an authorized purchase eligible for our 3-year limited warranty.' Check that Brisk It Labs is the seller on the listing.
Is the Brisk It Zelos-450 worth it?
If you want an app on a small grill and will check it with your own probe, yes. WIRED called it a stellar piece of hardware for the price and measured it 20 to 28°F over its set point, which it called a mild complaint at this money. Bob Vila's tester had no such trouble. Owners are harder on it: 14 of the 27 one-to-three-star reviews we read complain about temperature, holding it or reading it. It has 4.2★ across 182 Amazon ratings. If holding a number matters most, buy the Westwood.
Should I spend more on a mid-tier pellet grill?
Only if you want more heat, more room or a sturdier build. For low-and-slow smoking, the Westwood does the job. When you are ready to step up, our Middleweight pellet grill showdown covers the tier above Welterweight: the Traeger Woodridge, the recteq Deck Boss 900 and the Weber Searwood 600.
Are pellet grills safe?
Yes, with normal care: run it outdoors with clearance from walls and overhangs, keep the firepot and grease tray clean to avoid flare-ups, and don't leave it unattended on high. None of the four, nor the Navigator 850, has an active CPSC recall (checked November 1, 2026).
Pit Boss 850 FB2 or Navigator 850?
The FB2 unless you want WiFi. It costs $200 less at Pit Boss and has a Flame Broiler lever too, with 840 sq in against 932 and a 21 lb hopper against 30. The Navigator adds WiFi and Bluetooth. The FB2 is also the one a tester has cooked on: Bon Appétit tested it, and we found no credentialed test of the Navigator 850. The Navigator has the bigger owner base, 48 Amazon ratings of its own.
Traeger Woodridge or Pit Boss Navigator 850?
They fight in different weight classes: the Woodridge fights in our Middleweight showdown, the Navigator 850 in our Welterweight showdown. The Navigator gives more room (932 sq in against 860), a flame broiler for direct searing, and 5 years on its electronics against Traeger's 3 on the controller, auger and fan. The Woodridge has the tester record: Wirecutter's thermometer found small swings while it smoked, and we found no credentialed test of the Navigator 850.
Update history
- November 2026 (2026-11-02) — Brisk It answered our warranty questions in writing: a Zelos-450 bought on Amazon from Brisk It Labs is covered by its 3-year warranty, other brands' food-grade hardwood pellets do not void it, and no single temperature deviation counts as a defect on its own. We added its main-grate size (21.6 × 15.4 in) and took out the line saying we were waiting to hear.
- November 2026 (2026-11-01) — The Brisk It Zelos-450 joined the fight as the budget WiFi pick (Brad's go), after we read 27 of the 29 written reviews at one to three stars on its Amazon listing. It clears our owner-rating floor and takes no belt: the Westwood keeps the crown. WIRED's measurements of it also went into our best pellet grills page. We assessed the Pit Boss Carbon 500 and 700 the same day and did not card them: 34 ratings shared between the two sizes, and no credentialed test yet.
- October 2026 (2026-10-31) — The Pit Boss Navigator 850 moved up to our Welterweight fight (Brad's ruling): at $799.99 on Amazon and at Pit Boss it is over this class's $700 line. It stays here as a step up. The Pit Boss 850 FB2 ($599.99) came in, on Brad's ruling under our owner-rating floor: Bon Appétit tested it, and its owner record is 8 written Amazon reviews of this size. We do not count its Walmart or Home Depot ratings, which are Pit Boss's own review feed. The Westwood keeps the crown. A second read of this page, same day, added Bon Appétit's other Westwood con, the lines dropped from its earlier 850 FB2 review, and the Pro 22's manufacture-date limit on Traeger's 7-year warranty. The same day we re-read AmazingRibs, Wirecutter and Traeger's warranty tables and saved them: all stood. Traeger's page says the Pro 22 is available only at retailers, not out of stock, and it never calls the Pro 575 a successor, so both lines changed. The Westwood's crown now carries a recorded ruling under our owner-rating floor.
- October 2026 (2026-10-31) — Nightly audit, reads of October 30. Westwood re-read: 4.9 across 22, no critical reviews, 10 of the 14 written reviews we could read from Amazon Vine, the oldest dated August 28, so we no longer say its listing launched in October. Pro 22: 2,486 ratings, still #1 on the Combination Grill-Smokers list; its base now carries the global label because the unfiltered reviews include Canadian buyers. Navigator 850: $799.99 on Amazon and at Pit Boss, up from the $780 we stored; removed the card line saying the listing sells three sizes, false since the October 28 split; replaced a reviewer quote about the older 850G with a Verified Purchase owner of this model. Three, not two, of its critical reviews say support did not fix the problem. Owner quotes added to the Westwood and Pro 22 cards.
- October 2026 (2026-10-28) — Corrected the Westwood's star figure in the ratings section: its listing read 4.9 across 20 ratings on 2026-10-25, not the 5.0 across 15 from its launch week (found by the 2026-10-28 rival scan audit). Same day: an Electronics warranty column and a Woodridge-or-Navigator-850 FAQ. Same day: the Traeger Pro 22 joined the fight (Brad's ruling, after the field scan found it #1 in Amazon's Combination Grill-Smokers best sellers and on no roster), as the deepest owner record; the Westwood keeps the belt. The Navigator 850's rating moved from a pooled 4.6 across 72 to its own 4.6 across 48 when Amazon split the Navigator listing.
- July 2026 — Liveness re-verify (next-oldest audit, 2026-07-27). Both current, no drift: Pit Boss Navigator 850 (Amazon B0F8F4SVSX) title-verified 'Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series Wood Pellet Grill', correct model + live; Z Grills 700D4E remains Z Grills' current flagship (Amazon link still #TODO — editorial, no live buy path; its 4.9/754 is a Z Grills brand-page figure). Ratings unchanged (within the 6-month window). No content change; priceChecked → July.
- July 2026 — Pit Boss Navigator 850 owner rating switched to the independent Amazon read (Brad, signed-in, 2026-07-27): 4.6★/45 primary (thin/early base); pitboss-grills.com 4.3★/249 kept as a labeled secondary. Reworked the Pit Boss honest-catch to flag that the Z Grills' 4.9★ is a brand-page figure (Z Grills isn't on Amazon to cross-check), so the owner-love comparison is source-mismatched — not a clean apples-to-apples rank. The Z Grills winner framing (its own 4.9/754 brand-page number) is unchanged.
- October 2026 (2026-10-14) — Re-rostered (Brad's ruling). The Z Grills 700D4E left: Z Grills sells it at $877 on its own site, which is no longer a Lightweight price, and the cheaper price we crowned it at was never Z Grills' own. The Traeger Westwood came in. Same-day signed-in Amazon reads did not settle the crown: the Westwood's 5.0 across 15 was a two-week-old launch base, 9 of its first 10 reviews from Amazon's free-product program, and the Navigator 850's 4.6 across 72 pools the 850, 1300 and 1600 sizes, 21 reviews of the 850. The belt went to the Westwood on two hands-on tests and its warranty; the Navigator's critical reviews describe early part failures. Moved from /blog/z-grills-vs-pit-boss-2026/, which redirects here.
Every Grills, Smokers, and Pizza showdown, by division
Same fight, different budgets. The head rulings first, then each weight class as the price climbs.
- Pound-for-poundThe Best Pellet Grills of 2026, Pound-for-Pound — and What the Testers Actually Measured
- Welterweight · $599–$877Traeger Westwood XL vs Z Grills 700D4E vs Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs Weber Smoque: The Welterweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
- Middleweight · $799–$1,000Traeger Woodridge vs Weber Searwood 600 vs recteq vs Pit Boss vs Weber Smoque XL: The Middleweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
- Light Heavyweight · $1,100–$1,150Grilla Silverbac 2.0 vs Traeger Woodridge Pro: The Light Heavyweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
- Heavyweight · $1,200–$1,850recteq Flagship 1600 vs X-Fire Pro 825 vs Backyard Beast vs Traeger vs Weber: The Heavyweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
Welterweight · $675–$1,000The Best Flat-Top Griddles, $700 to $1,000 (2026): Traeger Flatrock vs Weber Slate 36, and What Twice the Money Buys
Four griddle carts from $700 to $1,000 compared in November 2026 on what a $400 Blackstone does…
CatchweightBest Gas and Charcoal Combo Grills of 2026: The Warranty by Fuel Side
Five gas and charcoal combo grills compared in October 2026 on what no rival prints: the warran…
Lightweight · $90–$400Tabletop Griddle Showdown 2026: Blackstone 17 vs 22, Weber Slate, and What One Bottle Buys
Ten tabletop griddles compared in October 2026 on two numbers portable really means: what one p…
CatchweightFlat-Top Griddle Showdown 2026: Blackstone vs Weber Slate vs Traeger, and What a '5-Year' Warranty Pays For
Nine outdoor griddles compared in October 2026 on what the warranty covers on the cooktop, rust…