The best balcony BBQs for Australian apartments: electric first, then small gas

The balcony BBQ question is a by-laws question first and a BBQ question second. Most strata schemes in Australia have something to say about cylinders, open flames or BBQs on balconies, and the safe assumption is that electric is allowed and gas needs checking. This page lists the electric BBQs worth buying, the small gas BBQs if your building permits a cylinder, and the covers, with every price and stock level checked at BCF, Weber Australia, The Good Guys, Anaconda and Amazon Australia on 13 November 2026 (Amazon prices change daily, so the Amazon buttons show today’s price).

Questions to ask before buying a balcony BBQ in Australia

• Do you live in strata? By-laws are the rules for the complex, each scheme can have its own, and tenants have to follow them too (NSW Government). Whether a cylinder or a BBQ is allowed on your balcony comes down to yours, so read them before you buy.
• Will your smoke reach the neighbours? In a Queensland community titles scheme, occupiers must not use a lot in a way that causes a nuisance or hazard or unreasonably interferes with another lot (Queensland Government). A NSW scheme can have a by-law stopping smoke reaching another lot (NSW Government).
• Is your balcony open enough for gas? Weber’s LPG manual says at least 20% of a balcony’s side, back and front wall areas must stay open and unrestricted, in an above-ground spot where gas and combustion products disperse naturally (Weber manual). If your balcony is enclosed, go electric. Check the manual of the model you’re buying.
• Is there a ceiling above the BBQ? Weber’s electric manual says use the barbecue outdoors in a well-ventilated area, not beneath overhead combustible construction, and 61 cm from anything combustible (Weber electric manual).
• Is there an outdoor power point with a safety switch? Weber’s electric manual says connect only to an earthed outlet, don’t use plug adaptors, and run it through a safety switch (RCD) rated at 30 mA or less (Weber electric manual).
• If gas is allowed, is it certified? Gas appliances sold here must be certified (Gas Technical Regulators Committee), and cylinders need a safety test or replacement every 10 years (SA Government).

Read the by-laws first

Strata by-laws vary building by building. Common positions are: no gas cylinders on balconies, no open flames, no BBQs at all, or BBQs permitted with conditions. Electric BBQs are the ones most often allowed because there is no cylinder and no flame. If the by-laws are silent, ask the committee in writing before you buy, because a BBQ you have to return is a worse outcome than a week’s delay. Smoke drifting into the unit above is the usual complaint that turns a tolerant building into a strict one, so whatever you buy, cook with the hood down.

Electric BBQs

BBQ	What it is	Price	Where
KickAss portable electric BBQ 600 W	Bench-top hooded electric	$180, clearance	BCF
Companion Roam Swift Sear 240 V	Bench-top electric	$229.99	Anaconda or Amazon Australia
Weber Lumin	Hooded electric, cast aluminium	$649	BCF, Weber or Amazon Australia
Ninja Woodfire Pro XL	Electric grill and smoker with pellet smoke box	$849	The Good Guys or Amazon Australia

Prices and stock checked 13 Nov 2026.

The Weber Lumin is the electric that cooks like a gas BBQ: a hood that roasts, a cast aluminium body like the Q, and a stand and full-length cover ($79.99) made for it. If you have one BBQ and it has to be electric, buy this. The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL adds a small pellet smoke box so an electric can taste of wood, and its cover is on Amazon. The KickAss and Companion bench-top units are for a small balcony or a caravan power point, and at 600 W the KickAss is a cooker rather than a searer.

Small gas BBQs, if your building allows a cylinder

BBQ	Price	Cover
Weber Baby Q1000N	$389 at BCF	$49.99
Weber Q2000N	$539 at BCF	$59.99

Prices checked at BCF 13 Nov 2026.

The Baby Q1000N is the balcony gas BBQ if gas is permitted: hooded, compact, cast aluminium that does not rust, and it sits on a bench or the Weber cart. The Q2000N is the same idea for a bigger balcony. Keep the cylinder upright on the floor, use a short hose, and give the BBQ clear space from the wall, the balustrade and anything overhead, as the manual specifies. The Weber Q guide picks between the models.

Covers on a balcony

A balcony BBQ is in the weather and often in a wind tunnel, so the cover needs straps. The Lumin cover has four straps to the stand; the Weber Q covers have velcro straps. If the balcony is exposed, a bungee cord around the trolley over the cover is the fix; the straps guide explains why. For sizing a generic, see BBQ cover sizes.

Power

An electric BBQ draws its full rating the whole time it is on, 2,300 W for the Weber Lumin, so run it from a wall socket on its own circuit, not a powerboard or a long extension lead coiled on the floor. If the balcony has no weatherproof outlet, a licensed electrician fits one; it is a small job and it is the right way to do it.

The competition

We compared six balcony BBQs; five are picks. The one left out:

• The Weber Q2000N ($539 at BCF, 13 Nov 2026) is the same hooded, cast aluminium idea as the Baby Q with a bigger grill, but it’s $150 more and harder to fit on a small balcony. Buy it only if gas is allowed and the balcony is large; the Weber Q guide compares the two.

The Lumin’s own cover ($79.99 at BCF) is no longer a pick on its own: it’s in the covers section above.

The one trap

Buying the gas BBQ because it is the better cooker, then reading the by-laws. The Baby Q is a better BBQ than any electric here, and if your building bans cylinders it is a $389 ornament. Read the by-laws, ask the committee if they are unclear, and only then choose between the Baby Q and the Lumin. The electric BBQ guide has the broader electric comparison.