Pit Boss Sportsman Portable 3-Burner vs Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker
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Quick take: The Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker costs $10 less; the Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker offers more cooking space (1,118 vs 380 sq in).
| Spec | Pit Boss Sportsman Portable 3-Burner | Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$660 | ~$650 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Gas Grill | Pellet Grill |
| Cooking Area | 380 sq in | 1118 sq in |
| Max Temp | — | 420°F |
| Fuel Type | Propane/Natural Gas | Wood Pellets |
| Build Material | Cast Aluminum Lid and Body / Cast Iron Grids / Stainless Steel Burners | Heavy-Gauge Steel with Porcelain-Coated Racks |
| Hopper Capacity | — | 50 lb |
| Burners | 3 | — |
| WiFi / App | No | Yes |
| App control | No | Yes |
| Meat probe | No | Yes |
| PID controller | No | Yes |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | — | — |
| Weight | — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Pros & cons
Pit Boss Sportsman Portable 3-Burner
- ✓Three independently controlled burners on a portable is unusual — most give you one or two
- ✓380 sq in beats the Weber Traveler's 320 and the Weber Q 2800N+'s 320
- ✓Cast aluminum lid and body resist rust and dents in a way steel portables do not
- ✓5-year warranty, matching Weber's Q and Traveler coverage rather than the usual 1-year portable term
- ✓Battery-free SureFire ignition removes the most common portable-grill failure
- ✗At $660 it costs more than the Weber Traveler and Weber Q 2800N+ combined
- ✗The cart in the product photography is sold separately, which is easy to miss
- ✗Pit Boss publishes no assembled weight or dimensions for this model
- ✗25,000 BTU over 380 sq in is middling heat density; no sear zone or side burner
Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker
- ✓1,118 sq in over five racks in a small floor footprint — far more capacity per square foot of patio than a horizontal pellet grill
- ✓50 lb hopper means multi-day jerky or sausage runs without refilling
- ✓130°F low end is genuinely lower than most pellet cookers and covers jerky, sausage and fish
- ✓5-year limited warranty is double what Masterbuilt and Char-Broil offer on comparable cabinets
- ✓WiFi plus Bluetooth with three probe ports, one probe in the box
- ✓Viewing window lets you check rack loads without dumping cabinet heat
- ✗420°F ceiling with no direct-flame zone — this cabinet cannot sear, and chicken skin will need a finishing grill
- ✗Vertical stacking means the bottom rack runs hotter than the top; rotating racks mid-cook is part of using it
- ✗Grease drains to a rear drawer that is easy to forget and unpleasant when it overflows
- ✗Pellet cabinets produce lighter smoke than charcoal at the same temperature, despite the vertical airflow
- ✗Needs mains power and a level surface; the caster wheels do not handle grass or gravel well