Bosch WTN85200GB review

Review: October 2016

Rating:

In a nutshell: New for 2016, the Bosch WTN85200GB condenser dryer is an upmarket appliance with stylish looks and an LED display control panel. It dries clothes reasonably efficiently when loaded correctly, but half-loads dry less well, and sheets may tangle. The auto-sense programmes leave laundry damp ready for ironing or an airing cupboard.

Today's best buy: Bosch WTN85200GB White from Next Domestic Appliances (£404.00)

Design

The Bosch WTN85200GB condenser dryer is more advanced than Bosch's entry-level WTE84106GB model, with an LED display showing the remaining time, a countdown timer for the time delay function, programme status indication, and any special functions that have been selected. It also has a smart silver and glass door and an upmarket appearance.

The control panel is more advanced too, with an electronic dial to select the programme, and touch controls on the LED display for start/pause, setting a time delay, selecting low heat and drying settings.

Drying performance

This condenser dryer is very easy to install, as it needs no external vent, but instead collects water in a removable compartment at the top left. This slides out easily and needs emptying after each use.

The WTN85200GB may offer a much larger range of programmes than Bosch's cheaper dryers, but it doesn't perform very differently when it comes to drying. In most cases, the dryer will operate in auto-sense mode, drying until it detects that the moisture content has dropped to the required level. The Iron Dry setting leaves your clothes fairly damp and ready for ironing, and even when using the Cupboard Dry programme your laundry won't come out dry. The machine is intended to dry clothes sufficiently for transfer to an airing cupboard, but you may still find that you need to run an additional timed programme, or hang them on a clothes horse to dry before they are ready to be put in an airing cupboard.

The machine has a good-sized 7kg capacity, which is enough to dry a full load of laundry. It performs best when filled to its design capacity, and is less effective at running partial loads. The drum has no reverse rotation action, and so clothes can become tangled. Sheets in particular, if dried on their own, will tend to roll into a ball and come out damp, so be sure to load the machine with care.

With a noise level of 65dB, this model is averagely noisy for a tumble dryer - about midway between the wash and spin noise levels of a typical washing machine.

Reliability

The average lifespan of a typical tumble dryer is around ten years, and with care this machine ought to last that long. Be sure to clean the all the filters regularly in order to keep the machine in good working order.

Conclusion - pricey, but not a top performer

Don't be fooled by the fact that this model costs significantly more than the entry-level WTE84106GB model. Although it looks smarter and has a high-tech control panel, inside it's essentially the same machine, and drying performance is no better.

Bosch WTN85200GB features include:

Capacity: 7 kg
Energy efficiency class: B
LED Display for remaining time and 24 hours time delay, programme status indication, special functions
Fully electronic control dial for sensor programmes and timed programmes
Touch control buttons: Low heat, drying length, start/pause, reduced ironing, fine-tuning for drying level, 24 hour time delay
Child lock
Programme time (cotton programme, full load): 119 minutes
Energy consumption (cotton programme, full load): 4.15 kWh
Noise level: 65dB
Dimensions (H X W X D): 84.2 x 59.8 x 59.9 cm
Can be built-under