Napoleon vs Drolet: S-Series, Huntsville and Which Wins Where

Napoleon, built by Wolf Steel in Barrie, Ontario, makes a good wood stove and sells it through a dealer network. If you are shopping the brand, the first thing worth sorting out is which Napoleon you are actually looking at, because there are three different things wearing the name.

Three Napoleons

The S-Series is the current wood stove line — S20 and S25, EPA 2020 certified, contemporary styling with cast doors and pedestal bases.

The Huntsville line — the 1100, 1400 and 1900 — was discontinued in 2016. If you are reading a review of a Napoleon 1400 or 1900, you are reading about a stove you can no longer buy new. Plenty of listings for these are still floating around.

Timberwolf is Napoleon's budget sub-brand, the same relationship True North has with Pacific Energy. We cover the 2100 and 2200 against Drolet in a separate comparison.

The current S-Series specs

	Napoleon S20	Napoleon S25
Firebox	1.9 cu ft	2.5 cu ft
Max output (dry cordwood)	54,000 BTU	70,000 BTU
Efficiency (weighted avg)	72%	76%
Emissions	2.25 g/h	1.3 g/h
Coverage	800–1,800 sq ft	up to 2,100 sq ft
Max log	16 in	—
Burn time	up to 8 hrs	up to 16 hrs

The S25 is the interesting one. A 16-hour maximum low burn and 1.3 g/h emissions at 76% efficiency is a genuinely strong combination for a non-catalytic stove, and it is the best argument in the Napoleon range.

One useful note: Napoleon publishes weighted average overall efficiency, which is the same basis as the HHV figures Pacific Energy and Regency use. So unlike a lot of cross-brand comparisons, these numbers can be read against each other directly. That is not always true — our guide to efficiency ratings explains where the traps are.

S25 vs Drolet Escape 1800

	Napoleon S25	Drolet Escape 1800
Firebox	2.5 cu ft	2.4 cu ft
Max output	70,000 BTU	75,000 BTU/h
Emissions	1.3 g/h	2.3 g/h
Coverage	up to 2,100 sq ft	up to 2,100 sq ft
Max log	—	20 in
Burn time	up to 16 hrs	up to 8 hrs
How you buy	Dealer, quoted	Online, price on page

We will be straight about this one: the S25 beats the Escape 1800 on two numbers that matter. Its emissions are meaningfully lower, and its published burn time is double. Identical rated coverage. If cleanest burn and longest unattended burn are your priorities, the S25 is the better stove on paper and you should look at it seriously.

What the Escape 1800 answers with is more rated output, a 20-inch log, and a price you can see without a dealer appointment. For a lot of buyers that combination wins. But we are not going to tell you the S25 is not good, because the numbers say otherwise.

S20 vs Drolet Columbia II

Same 1.9 cubic foot firebox on both. Here the comparison flips: the Columbia II is rated to 65,000 BTU/h against the S20's 54,000, takes an 18-inch log against 16, and covers up to 1,800 sq ft where the S20 spans 800 to 1,800. The S20's 2.25 g/h is not a standout number.

If you are choosing between these two on specifications, the Drolet is the more stove for the money.

At the large end

Napoleon's current freestanding wood range stops at the S25's 2.5 cubic feet. If you are heating a large or open-plan house, the Drolet HT-3000 runs a 3.5 cu ft firebox, 110,000 BTU/h, a 22-inch log and coverage to 2,700 sq ft — a class above anything in the S-Series.

If you own a Huntsville

The 1100, 1400 and 1900 have been out of production since 2016. Parts are still available through Napoleon's dealer network and aftermarket suppliers — baffle boards, for instance, are commonly stocked for the 1400 and 1900 series. But if yours needs more than consumables, you are shopping for a replacement. The Escape 1800 or Escape 1500 are the closest current equivalents by firebox size.

Napoleon pellet stoves: discontinued in the US

If you're searching for a Napoleon pellet stove, you'll still find listings for the NPS40 and NPS45 stoves and the NPI40 and NPI45 inserts. Napoleon's US site no longer lists any pellet stoves or inserts, and we couldn't find a current replacement model. Here's what those stoves were, from retailer listings:

Napoleon model	Type	Heats up to	Max output	Hopper
NPS40	Freestanding	2,000 sq ft	42,500 BTU/h	55 lb (80 lb with extension)
NPS45	Freestanding	2,000 sq ft	43,000 BTU/h	55 lb
NPI40	Insert	2,000 sq ft	42,500 BTU/h	45 lb
NPI45	Insert	2,000 sq ft	40,000 BTU/h	45 lb

Parts for these stoves are still sold through aftermarket suppliers. If yours needs more than parts, these are the closest current pellet stoves we sell:

• Replacing an NPS40 or NPS45: the ComfortBilt HP22 ($2,399) puts out 40,689 BTU/h from a 55 lb hopper, the same class as the NPS40, and is rated for up to 2,800 sq ft at 80.5% EPA-certified efficiency. The HP22N ($2,599) has an 80 lb hopper, like an NPS40 with the extension.
• Replacing an NPI40 or NPI45 insert: the ComfortBilt HP22i ($2,799) is rated for up to 2,800 sq ft with a 47 lb hopper. Check your fireplace opening against its dimensions before ordering.
• On a budget: the Alpine HP42 ($1,499) puts out 42,000 BTU/h from a 120 lb hopper.

Our ComfortBilt lineup guide compares all ten models, and the pellet insert comparison covers the insert options.

Bottom line

The S25 is a legitimately good stove and the low emissions and long burn are real. If those are your priorities and you have a Napoleon dealer, buy it. At the S20 end and at the large end, Drolet gives you more firebox, more output and more log length for less — and you can order it without a quote.

Related comparisons

• Timberwolf 2100 and 2200 vs Drolet
• Regency vs Drolet
• Pacific Energy and True North vs Drolet
• Every Drolet wood stove compared

Buying a Drolet

We are an authorized Drolet dealer and ship the full line direct to your curb across the lower 48. No Sales Tax in any state, and free shipping on qualifying orders. Call 1-888-914-0022 and we will size one to your space honestly.

Updated October 2026