AmazingRibs.com is supported by our Pitmaster Club. Also, when you buy with links on our site we may earn a finder’s fee. Click to see how we test and review products.

Napoleon TravelQ 285X with Cart Review

Share on:
Napoleon Travel Q

Napoleon’s new TravelQ TQ285X is one impressive little clam shell style portable BBQ gasser, with some unique features not found from competitors. The collapsible stand is functional and solid, even Weber’s Q Series portable cart is rickety in comparison. Large wheels coupled with quality design and construction make the 285X an all-terrain tailgater that can easily be folded up and stowed in a vehicle then pulled across, pavement, gravel and grass by one person.

The powder coated blue steel body snaps shut, holding the coated cast iron cooking grate in place for easy, secure transport. Two stainless steel circular burners independently heat the right and left side making 2-zone, direct/indirect grilling possible. Most little portables have only one burner, limiting cooking performance. With 2-zones you can gently cook chicken parts on the moderate, indirect heat zone, then crisp the skin on the hot, direct zone. Likewise, you can avoid sausage explosions by starting indirect and finishing direct.

Napoleon employs JETFIRE ignition: electric igniters that fire up each burner separately when you turn the control knobs, a nice feature usually reserved for full size gassers. A stainless steel windscreen over the back vent helps maintain heat and prevent burner blowout.

Napoleon’s folding scissor cart is heavy duty, yet lightweight at 42 pounds total including the grill. As demonstrated in the above video, it pops up and snaps firmly in place for use, then collapses and snaps shut for travel. You’ll notice the solid feel of this superior device compared to collapsible travel carts for other portables. Two large side tables have integrated towel and tool holders. There is a small, removable grease tray underneath and it runs on standard one pound propane cylinders. An optional hose enables use of a 20 pound LP tank.

Haven't found what you want?
Click the buttons below to search our complete database of reviews:

Product Information:

  • Model:
    TravelQ 285X with Cart
  • Item Price:
    $ 450.00
    *Price Subject To Change
  • Where to buy (buying from this supplier supports this website):
  • Made in USA:
    no
  • Review Method:
    Looked Closely At It
    We have seen this product up close and we have also gathered info from the manufacturer, owners, and other reliable sources.
  • Primary Function:
    Grill, Tailgater
  • Fuel:
    Propane Gas, Natural Gas Capable
  • BTU:
    12,000
  • Heat Flux:
    42.11
    Heat Flux is the BTU per square inch and is a more useful measure of how much heat a grill delivers than BTU alone.
  • Main Burners:
    2
  • Primary Capacity:
    285 square inches
    Small (about 14 burgers)

Published On: 8/26/2014 Last Modified: 6/22/2023

  • Max Good, Full time grill tester - Max Good, AmazingRibs.com's Vice President of Product Reviews & Keeper of the Flame, is the man in charge of finding the best products for the AmazingRibs.com Equipment Reviews section. Max bottles his own barbecue sauce recipes and now sells them around the country.

 

High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!

Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.

Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.


Post comments and questions below

grouchy?

1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.

2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.

3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.

4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.

5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.

Moderators

  Max

Click to comment or ask a question...

Spotlight

These are not paid ads, they are a curated selection of products we love.

All of the products below have been tested and are highly recommended. Click here to read more about our review process.

Use Our Links To Help Keep Us Alive

Many merchants pay us a small referral fee when you click our “buy now” links. This has zero impact on the price you pay but helps support the site.