Three barbecues, three badges, and a price gap that doesn't explain itself. A four-burner hood at $1,399 sits alongside a four-burner hood at $2,874, and nothing on the label tells you where the money went. The question most people type first is Napoleon vs Coleman BBQ, and then Crossray appears in the results and the whole decision reopens.
This is a positioning map rather than a review. We stock all three ranges — Napoleon, Coleman and Crossray. Instead of crowning a winner, we have set out what each range is built around, where its prices start and stop, and which backyard each one fits. Choose the range first; the model is a much easier decision after that.
The three ranges at a glance
All three brands sell a four-burner barbecue. What differs is the shape of the range behind it. How many formats it covers, how far the prices stretch, and whether the barbecue is built to stand alone or to join a bench run.
| Range | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Napoleon | The widest spread of formats and prices — portable, charcoal and gas in one brand | Model names run long and look alike, so check burner count and side burner before ordering |
| Coleman | A matched modular system in two finishes, sold as a finished run | One core family, so if the Revolution look is not for you there is no second style |
| Crossray | Infrared cooking throughout, and the deepest outdoor kitchen range | A higher entry price, and the kitchens arrive flat-packed |
Napoleon vs Coleman BBQ: two very different range shapes
Napoleon's range is a ladder. It runs from a portable unit you can carry to the beach, through charcoal kettles and gas trolleys, up to built-in cooking heads that drop into masonry. The Travel Q 285 sits at one end at $499, and built-in 700 Series units run past $5,000 at the other. If you want something small now and something serious in five years, you can do both without leaving the brand.
The mid-range workhorse is the Rogue 4 Burner Black - No Side Burner - R525PK-2-AU ($1,999). Four burners, black finish and, as the name says, no side burner. That last part is a decision rather than an oversight — leaving it off keeps the cart narrower and the price under the Rogue models that carry one.
Coleman's range is the opposite shape. Rather than a ladder of formats, it is essentially one family, Revolution, offered in two finishes: Charcoal Glimmer and Shadow Gloss. The volume model is the Coleman Revolution 4 Burner BBQ with Side Burner - Charcoal Glimmer ($1,399), which does include the side burner Napoleon's equivalent leaves off.
What Coleman does that the other two do not is sell the finished run as one line item. The Coleman Revolution Dual Fuel BBQ - Shadow Gloss ($2,199) is the model those modules are built around. The collection also lists it pre-configured with a sink module, with a bench and fridge module, or with both. You are picking a completed layout instead of commissioning cabinetry.
Where Crossray sits, and why it is a different argument
Crossray is less a third contender than a separate conversation. Its burners are infrared and sit either side of the cooking area rather than underneath it, so heat radiates into the food instead of circulating around it. Fat drips onto a tray rather than onto open flame, which is why flare-ups are far less of an event.
The Crossray Infrared 4 Burner BBQ on Trolley ($2,874) is where most households start. It is the same cooking head Crossray drops into its built-in kitchens, mounted on a trolley so it can roll out for a cook and back under cover afterwards.
The range behind it is the deepest of the three — close to eighty listings, from a portable electric unit at $1,062 up to outdoor kitchen configurations approaching $9,900. If a permanent alfresco with cabinetry is the destination, this is where the choice is widest. For the technology itself, our Crossray infrared BBQ review goes considerably deeper.
What each range costs to get into
Entry price separates these three more sharply than flagship price does.
Napoleon is the only one with genuine options under $1,000. A Rodeo charcoal kettle starts at $449, the Travel Q portable at $499, and a two-burner Rogue gas trolley at $999. From there the range climbs steadily to built-in 700 Series units at $5,395.
Coleman has the tightest band. The two-burner Revolution opens at $1,249, and the dual fuel run with sink and fridge modules tops out at $4,496. There is no budget entry point and no five-figure ceiling — it is a mid-to-upper range with both ends trimmed off.
Crossray opens at $1,062 for the portable electric unit, though a full-size infrared barbecue starts around $2,124 for the in-built cooking head on its own. The ceiling is the highest of the three, with kitchen configurations listed to $9,874.
Which range suits which Australian backyard
If you rent, or expect to move within a few years, Napoleon's spread works in your favour. A portable or a trolley model comes with you, and nothing is cut into a bench. The same applies to a courtyard where a bench run would swallow the space.
If your alfresco is permanent and you want it finished rather than assembled over years, Coleman's module combinations do it in one order. If the cooking itself is the point, Crossray is the deeper end of the pool.
A few Australian realities cut across all three. Converting an LPG barbecue to natural gas is a licensed gasfitter's job here, so price that in before assuming a plumbed line saves you bottle swaps. Total fire ban rules vary by state and by council, and some jurisdictions treat a gas barbecue differently from a solid-fuel one. Check with your state fire service and your local council rather than last summer's advice.
Apartment and strata buyers should read their by-laws first, because bottled gas on balconies is restricted in many buildings. Both Napoleon and Crossray list electric units, which is usually the workable answer there. Coastal buyers should read the construction details on the individual product page rather than assuming a brand-wide standard.
Napoleon, Coleman and Crossray — frequently asked questions
Is a Napoleon BBQ better than a Coleman BBQ?
Neither is better; they are built to solve different problems. Napoleon gives you the widest choice of formats and the lowest entry price, while Coleman gives you a matched modular system you can buy as a finished run. Decide whether you want flexibility or a finished look, and the answer follows.
Which of these three ranges has the most models to choose from?
Crossray, by a clear margin, with close to eighty listings in its collection. Napoleon follows with just over forty, and Coleman is the most focused at under twenty. More listings is not automatically better, since much of Crossray's depth is outdoor kitchen configurations rather than different barbecues.
Can I add a fridge or a sink to any of these barbecues?
Yes, but each range handles it differently. Coleman sells the barbecue already configured with sink, bench and fridge modules as a single product. Napoleon and Crossray both list fridges separately, to be built into cabinetry or a kitchen run.
Which range should I look at for a built-in outdoor kitchen?
All three offer built-in options, so it depends on how much building you want to do. Napoleon's 700 Series cooking heads and Crossray's in-built head drop into cabinetry you provide or buy, and Crossray also sells complete kitchens. Coleman's modules sit between the two.
Shop the range
If you are still weighing the three, decide on format and budget before you decide on brand. Starting small is a legitimate answer too — the Napoleon Travel Q 285 ($499) is the least expensive way into any of these ranges. We deliver Australia-wide, delivery is free on orders over $100, most orders are dispatched in 3-10 business days, and installation is available on request.
