Welterweight · $599–$877
Grills, Smokers, and Pizza showdown
Traeger Westwood XL vs Z Grills 700D4E vs Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs Weber Smoque: The Welterweight Pellet Grill Showdown (2026)
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- contenders compared
- 4
- owner ratings · Amazon
- 71
- verified pull-quotes
- 2
- data last verified
- 2026-11-05
Tale of the tape
Showdown Scores, read as late as 2026-11-05. Each pick wins a different job; the score says how well it holds up.
Weber Smoque 22Best for low-and-slow8.7Exceptional
Pit Boss Navigator 850Best for more space & searing7.2Very good
- Traeger Westwood XLBest overall · our crown?Not scored yet
Z Grills 700D4E WiFiMost accurate measured?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 pellet grills for about the price of one good weekend at the barbecue joint, and every box promises the same thing: set it, walk away, come back to perfect smoke. The testers who put a thermometer on the grate found out which ones keep that promise, and at what heat.
This is the Welterweight class, the step up from a budget grill and the step below the Traeger Woodridge money. Four grills, one winner. Here’s who wins, and for whom.
The short version:
🏆 Best overall: Traeger Westwood XL ($799.99). Food & Wine’s Best Value: it held its set temperature within 5°F in most cases. A 540 sq in main grate and a 7-year body warranty. The catch: it tops out at 450°F and will not sear, and there is no owner rating we count yet.
🎯 Most accurate measured: Z Grills 700D4E ($877). A tester’s two grate probes and the grill’s own thermostat read within 4 degrees of each other at 225°F and within 6 at 450°F. The catch: Z Grills supplied that test unit, and you can buy it only at zgrills.com.
🔥 Best for low-and-slow: Weber Smoque 22 ($599.00 on Amazon). Steady on a long smoke, with a small, clean owner base. The catch: one tester’s probe found it 30 to 46 degrees short of a 450°F setting, and it has the smallest main grate.
🔥 Best for more space & searing: Pit Boss Navigator 850 ($799.99). 932 sq in, a 30 lb hopper and a Flame Broiler lever for direct-flame searing. The catch: no tester has measured this model, and its critical reviews cluster on parts failing early.
Quick comparison
| Model | Best for | Max temp | Cook area | Main grate | Hopper | Electronics warranty | Warranty | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Traeger Westwood XL | Best overall | Not scored yet | 450°F | 823 sq in | 540 sq in | 18 lb | 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 | Soon |
| Z Grills 700D4E WiFi | Most accurate measured | Not scored yet | 500°F | 697 sq in | 504 sq in | 28 lb | 3 years (whole unit) | 3 years, the whole unit, original owner; zgrills.com or authorized seller only; no labor or freight | ~$877typical at Z GrillsCheck price → |
| Best for low-and-slow | 8.7 Exceptional | 500°F (dial; a tester measured it short at high settings) | 594 sq in | 385 sq in | 20 lb (Men's Health; Weber does not publish it) | 3 years electrical (cook box 5) | 5 years cook box and parts not listed; 3 years electrical; 3 years grates, burn pot and heat diffuser; no channel clause found | ~$599typical at AmazonCheck price → | |
| Best for more space & searing | 7.2 Very good | 500°F | 932 sq in | 582 sq in | 30 lb | 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) | ~$799.99typical 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.
The Max temp column is what each maker prints on the dial. The table below is what testers found.
What the testers measured
| Grill | Who measured it | What they found |
|---|---|---|
| Traeger Westwood XL | Food & Wine | ”The Westwood heats quickly, maintains temperature with 5°F in most cases, and recovers quickly after opening the grill during cooking.” |
| Z Grills 700D4E | Smoked BBQ Source | At a 225°F setting, the grill’s own thermostat on the left and two test probes at the middle and right read 226, 226 and 222°F; at 450°F, 450, 450 and 444°F. Z Grills supplied the grill. |
| Weber Smoque 22 | Popular Mechanics | On a long smoke, “within at least 10 degrees and often to within five degrees of the thermostat.” |
| Weber Smoque 22 | Men’s Health | At a 450°F setting, “The ThermoWorks read only 260°F” when the app reported 450°F, and the grill “fluctuated between 30 and 46 degrees cooler than the target and never hit 450°F.” |
Every quote read on the tester’s own page on October 14, 2026.
Read across the rows: at smoking temperatures, the three tested grills do the job. The difference shows up when you ask for heat. The Z Grills is the only one a tester measured holding a 450°F setting across the grate.
Best overall: Traeger Westwood XL
If you want a tested temperature and the longest body warranty for this money, and you mostly smoke, this is the one.
Food & Wine’s Greg Baker named the Westwood XL the Best Value pellet grill of a lab and home test, and found it “maintains temperature with 5°F in most cases” and recovers quickly after the lid opens. It gives you 540 sq in on the main grate, plus a 283 sq in upper rack. Traeger covers the body for 7 years, the longest body term of the four, and the controller, auger and fan for 3. It costs $799.99 at Traeger.
Not for you if: you want to sear, or you want an owner record behind your grill. It tops out at 450°F, and Food & Wine’s grill marks were faint to nonexistent. And there is no owner rating we count: Traeger’s own site shows the same 22 reviews on both Westwood sizes, and the XL is not sold on Amazon.
Traeger Westwood XL
Best overall
See what has been read
823 sq in (540 on the main grate) · 450°F · WiFIRE app · 7-year body warranty
Your pick if you want a big main grate and a 7-year body warranty for about the price of a budget grill — 540 sq in on the main rack; it tops out at 450°F, so it will not sear.
Buy link coming soon“The Westwood heats quickly, maintains temperature with 5°F in most cases, and recovers quickly after opening the grill during cooking.”
Traeger Westwood XL
Best overallYour pick if you want a big main grate and a 7-year body warranty for about the price of a budget grill — 540 sq in on the main rack; it tops out at 450°F, so it will not sear.
Pro review “The Westwood heats quickly, maintains temperature with 5°F in most cases, and recovers quickly after opening the grill during cooking.”— Greg Baker, Food & Wine
- Food & Wine's Best Value pick: held its set temperature within 5°F in most cases
- 540 sq in on the main grate, plus a 283 sq in upper rack
- 7-year body warranty, with 3 years on the controller, auger and fan
- WiFIRE app control and Traeger's P.A.L. rail accessories
- 450°F maximum: Food & Wine got faint to nonexistent grill marks
- No owner rating we count: Traeger's own site shows one 22-review base across both Westwood sizes, and the XL is not sold on Amazon
- Testers found the controls unintuitive at first; keep the manual handy
- An 18 lb hopper on an 823 sq in grill means refills on long cooks
Most accurate measured: Z Grills 700D4E
This is the grill to buy if precision is the point. Smoked BBQ Source set two probes at grate level, and with the grill’s own thermostat on the left the three readings sat within 4 degrees of each other at 225°F and within 6 at 450°F, the only grill in this fight measured that closely at high heat. It has a 500°F dial, a 28 lb hopper, a WiFi PID controller and an enclosed cabinet underneath.
Three catches. Z Grills sent that test unit free, and the test dates from August 2024 and lists a 450°F top, so it may not be the exact grill sold today. You can only buy it at zgrills.com, for $877, the most money of the four. And its owner rating is not one we count: Z Grills’ own site shows 761 reviews of the 700D4E and not one at one or two stars. Its warranty is 3 years, and only when you buy from Z Grills or a seller it authorizes.
Z Grills 700D4E WiFi
Most accurate measuredSee what has been read
Your pick if you want the grill a tester measured holding its setting across the grate at both 225°F and 450°F — 697 sq in and a 500°F dial; the tester's unit came free from Z Grills, and you can only buy it at zgrills.com.
“If you want an easy to use smoker then the Z Grills 700D4E is a great entry point into the world of pellet grills.”— Jeff Rice, Smoked BBQ Source
Pro review “It has by far the most steady temperature in any budget pellet grill I’ve used.”— Jeff Rice, Smoked BBQ Source
- Measured even: Smoked BBQ Source's two probes and the grill's thermostat read 226, 226 and 222°F at a 225°F setting, and 450, 450 and 444°F at 450°F
- 500°F dial, a WiFi PID controller and two meat probes
- 28 lb hopper
- An enclosed cabinet under the cook chamber for grilling tools
- Smoked BBQ Source's test unit was supplied free by Z Grills
- No owner rating we count: the only reviews are on Z Grills' own site, with no 1- or 2-star review among 761
- 3-year warranty, only from zgrills.com or an authorized seller; no labor or freight
- Sold at zgrills.com, not on Amazon; don't expect a sear (Smoked BBQ Source)
Best for low-and-slow: Weber Smoque 22
The Smoque is a smoker first, and a good one. Popular Mechanics’ Tony Carrick ran a long smoke and his thermometer held “within at least 10 degrees and often to within five degrees of the thermostat.” It has one of only two owner bases here that we can read at all: 4.8 stars across 23 Amazon ratings when we read it on October 14, 2026, with no free-unit reviews. On Amazon it is $599.00, Weber’s own list price.
The catch is heat. Men’s Health’s Sal Vaglica seasoned it at 450°F and his probe read 260°F while Weber’s app said 450°F; it ran 30 to 46 degrees cool and never reached the setting. Both critical owner reviews on Amazon say the same thing in their own words. It also has the smallest main grate here, 385 sq in.
Weber Smoque 22
Best for low-and-slowExceptional, early data
Exceptional is 8.5 and up.
See why it scored 8.7
Your pick if you want Weber's build for low-and-slow smoking — a tester's thermometer held within 5 to 10 degrees on a long smoke; it fell 30 to 46 degrees short of a 450°F set point in another test, so it is a smoker first.
Pro review “I found the Smoque maintained the temperature to within at least 10 degrees and often to within five degrees of the thermostat.”— Tony Carrick, Popular Mechanics
- A tester's thermometer held within 5 to 10 degrees through a long low-and-slow smoke
- Two meat probes included, and Weber Connect app control
- 5-year warranty on the cook box
- A clean Amazon owner base: real purchases, no free-unit reviews
- Fell 30 to 46 degrees short of a 450°F set point in Men's Health's test, and two owner reviews say it would not get hot
- Smallest main grate here: 385 sq in
- Weber's app showed the set temperature, not the measured one, in Popular Mechanics' test
- Weber does not publish the hopper size; testers report 20 lb
It may not reach high settings: owners say it would not get hot, matching a tester whose probe read 260°F when the app said 450°F.
2 of 2 critical reviews (of 17 written) · critical reviews read October 2026
Sold and shipped by Amazon · 30-day refund / replacement · read 2026-10-14
Best for more space & searing: Pit Boss Navigator 850
The Navigator 850 is what you buy when you want more grill and a flame broiler for the same money as the Westwood XL.
At 932 sq in in total (582 on the main grate) it is the biggest of the four, with a 30 lb hopper and WiFi plus Bluetooth. Its trick is the Flame Broiler lever: slide it open and you cook over direct flame, which Pit Boss says runs up to 1,000°F. Nobody has put a thermometer on this model, so that is Pit Boss’s number, not a measured one, but it is direct flame the Westwood cannot give you at all. Pit Boss covers parts and electrical for 5 years, parts only, with no labor or freight.
The honest catch is the record behind it. Until October 2026 its Amazon rating pooled three sizes of the grill; when the listing split on October 28 the 850’s own base read 4.6 across 48 ratings, with 21 written reviews. Its critical reviews tell a consistent story: half of the eight with text describe a part failing (two augers and an igniter early, a main board in about the third year), and three say Pit Boss’s support or warranty did not fix it. Six of the nine in Amazon’s critical filter carry no Verified Purchase badge. If you cook for a crowd or want to grill as well as smoke, the space and the flame broiler earn their keep. Just buy it from a seller Pit Boss authorizes.
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 two of these ratings don’t count
A star rating is only as good as the reviews behind it, and two of these four grills only have reviews on their makers’ own sites:
- Traeger shows one number for two grills. The Westwood and the Westwood XL pages both say 22 reviews. Whatever that base is, it is not a rating of the XL.
- Z Grills shows no unhappy owners at all. 761 reviews of the 700D4E, 695 of them five stars, and not one at one or two stars. Every Amazon base we have read has a critical tail; a page with none at all is not one we can trust.
The Weber Smoque and the Navigator 850 are sold on Amazon. The Smoque’s 23 ratings were real purchases. It is a small base, which is why we call it early reports, but it is honest, and its two critical reviews agree with the tester who measured it short.
How to choose between them
- Mostly smoking, and want a tested temperature and the longest body warranty? The Westwood XL.
- Want the grill that holds a high setting evenly across the grate? The Z Grills 700D4E, bought from Z Grills.
- Low-and-slow only, and want to buy on Amazon? The Weber Smoque 22.
- Want more room and a flame broiler for searing? The Pit Boss Navigator 850. No tester has measured it, so you are buying on the spec sheet and the owner record.
Spending less? Our Lightweight pellet grill showdown puts the smaller Traeger Westwood against the Traeger Pro 22 and the Pit Boss 850 FB2. Ready for more? The Middleweight showdown has the Weber Searwood 600, and the best pellet grills of 2026 page gathers every tester measurement across the weight classes.
What to look for in a mid-range pellet grill
- A tester’s thermometer, not the dial. In two separate tests, Weber’s app showed the set temperature rather than the measured one. Look for a review that put its own probe on the grate.
- Main-grate area, not total area. Total area counts the warming rack. The main grate is where the brisket goes.
- The warranty on the moving parts. The auger, fan, igniter and controller fail first. Read how long each maker covers those.
- Where you buy it. Traeger, Z Grills and Pit Boss all tie the warranty to an authorized seller.
FAQ
What is the best pellet grill for around $800 in 2026?
The Traeger Westwood XL. Food & Wine named it its Best Value pellet grill and found it held its set temperature within 5°F in most cases. It has a 540 sq in main grate and Traeger covers the body for 7 years, 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.
Which mid-range pellet grill holds temperature best?
On published measurements, the Z Grills 700D4E. Smoked BBQ Source set two probes at grate level, and with the grill's own thermostat on the left they read 226, 226 and 222°F at a 225°F setting, and 450, 450 and 444°F at 450°F. Z Grills supplied that test unit free, and the test dates from 2024. The Westwood XL held within 5°F in most cases for Food & Wine. The Weber Smoque held within 5 to 10 degrees on a long smoke for Popular Mechanics, but Men's Health's probe found it 30 to 46 degrees short of a 450°F setting.
Is the Weber Smoque good?
As a smoker, yes. A tester's thermometer held within 5 to 10 degrees of the setting through a long low-and-slow cook, and its Amazon owners rate it highly on a small, clean base (no free-unit reviews when we read it on October 14, 2026). It is weaker at high heat: Men's Health's probe read 260°F when Weber's app said 450°F, and two owners say it would not get hot. It has the smallest main grate here, 385 sq in.
Why don't you show owner ratings for the Traeger and the Z Grills?
Because the only ratings are on the makers' own sites, and neither is one we count. Traeger's site shows the same 22 reviews on both Westwood sizes. Z Grills' site shows 761 reviews of the 700D4E and not one at one or two stars. Neither grill is sold on Amazon. The Weber Smoque is, and its Amazon base had no free-unit reviews when we read it.
Can any of these sear a steak?
The Pit Boss Navigator 850 is built to: its Flame Broiler lever puts the food over open flame, though no tester has measured this model. The other three are not. The Westwood XL stops at 450°F and Food & Wine got faint to nonexistent grill marks. Smoked BBQ Source said not to expect a nice char or sear from the Z Grills 700D4E. Tom's Guide found the Weber Smoque 'just doesn't get hot enough to get a good sear.' If you want to step up for searing, look at the Weber Searwood 600 in our Middleweight fight.
Does where I buy a pellet grill affect the warranty?
For all four, buy from the maker or a seller the maker authorizes. Traeger's warranty applies only to grills bought from an authorized seller, and Z Grills' only to zgrills.com or a Z Grills authorized seller; both exclude labor and freight. We found no channel clause on Weber's page for the Smoque. Pit Boss covers grills bought from its own site or an authorized retailer or reseller. Keep the receipt.
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 these four has an active CPSC recall (checked October 14, 2026, and October 30 for the Navigator 850).
Weber Smoque or Weber Searwood 600?
The Searwood 600 if you want to sear, the Smoque if you only smoke. Bon Appétit's laser read 611°F on the Searwood at its top setting; Men's Health found the Smoque 22 falling 30 to 46 degrees short of a 450°F setting, and its probe read 260°F while the app said 450°F. Both carry Weber's 3 years on electrical parts. The Searwood fights in our Middleweight showdown.
Update history
- November 2026 (2026-11-01) — Weber Smoque warranty line corrected to Weber's own row: 3 years on grates, burn pot and heat diffuser.
- October 2026 (2026-10-31) — The Pit Boss Navigator 850 joined this fight (Brad's ruling). At $799.99 on Amazon and at Pit Boss it is over the Lightweight line, and it costs the same as the Westwood XL. The Westwood XL keeps the crown. A second read of this page, same day: the Navigator's 582 sq in main grate beats the Westwood XL's 540, so that claim came off; Smoked BBQ Source's three Z Grills readings are two test probes plus the grill's own thermostat, not three probes, and its 2024 test lists a 450°F top; the Smoque is at Weber's list price, not below it; the Navigator is sold on Amazon too; the Pit Boss warranty line now carries its limits.
- October 2026 (2026-10-28) — The Weber Smoque 22's sale has ended: Amazon reads $799 (Weber's list), up from the $699 it was carded at, so the 'at the sale price' wording is gone from the how-to-choose list and its card (2026-10-28 live-offer check). Same day: an Electronics warranty column and a Smoque-or-Searwood-600 FAQ.
- October 2026 (2026-10-14) — First published, opening the Welterweight pellet grill division between our Lightweight (Traeger Westwood vs Pit Boss Navigator 850) and Middleweight fights. Field scan: Amazon's Combination Grill-Smokers and Outdoor Smokers nodes at $780–950, four buyer phrasings and a search by name for every candidate, plus maker catalogues. Left out: the Traeger Pro 780 (Traeger lists it at $999.99, Amazon's lower price is a two-unit clearance), the Pit Boss Navigator 1300 ($999.99 list), the Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 and Z Grills 1000D4E (no credentialed test of the current model) and the recteq Patio Legend 600 (3.3 stars across 15). Every tester quote read on the tester's own page the same day.
- October 2026 (2026-10-15) — Corrected the Z Grills 700D4E accuracy line: Smoked BBQ Source's probes read 226, 226 and 222°F at 225°F (within 4 degrees) but 450, 450 and 444°F at 450°F (within 6), so 'within 4 degrees at both settings' was wrong at 450°F. The verdict box and body now give both spreads.
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
- Lightweight · $340–$700Traeger Westwood vs Pro 22 vs Pit Boss 850 FB2 vs Brisk It Zelos-450: The Lightweight 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)
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