Bosch 800 Series WTG865H4UC Compact Condensation Dryer

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That isn’t to say we should just give the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer a pass; it’s expensive, and there are compact, ventless dryers that don’t have all the same issues. But, it’s important to understand that a compact, ventless dryer solves some real problems. Not only can it fit into tight spaces where regular dryers can’t, it will use significantly less energy than a vented dryer.

If either of those problems are causing you to veer away from conventional dryers, then the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is worth a look.

About the Bosch 800 Series WTG865H4UC Compact Condensation Dryer

Dimensions: 33 1/4" x 23 1/2" x 25" (H x W x D) Capacity: 4.0 cu. ft. Finishes: Neat White Cycles: Permanent Press, Cotton, Towels, AntiShrink, Sanitize, Hand Wash/Wool, Bulky/Large Items, Quick Dry Auto, Jeans, Delicates, SuperQuick 15, Quick 40, Time Dry, Air Fluff/No Heat Cycle options: Low Heat, Time Dry, Remote Start, Start/Pause, Finish in, Level Adjust, Dryness Level, End Signal, Wrinkle Block

Matching washer: 800 Series Compact Washer User manual: Bosch 800 Series Use and Care Manual

The Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is the company’s top-end compact, ventless model in the U.S., with a standard self-cleaning condenser. It’s a bit above the Bosch 500 Series Heat Pump Dryer, which uses a heat pump design that is slightly different from the standard condenser used here.

What we like about the Bosch 800 Series WTG865H4UC Compact Condensation Dryer

The compact no-vent design solves a real problem

For most people, compact ventless dryers are a thing you occasionally run across in a hotel or see in a movie set in some European kitchen. But, they’re getting more popular in the U.S., especially in condos or remodeled interior laundry rooms where running ductwork is prohibitive (or impossible).

Though we’ll get to the “compact” part in a bit (spoiler: it’s in the “What we don’t like” section), the ventless design here is really neat. Instead of sucking in air, heating it up, and pumping it outside, the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is like a dehumidifier, condensing the moisture out of your clothes into a tray you can empty or drain into your standpipe or a nearby sink.

It’s a neat design that eliminates the need for running a dryer duct. It also uses drastically less energy than a conventional vented dryer, both for the dryer and for your home’s HVAC system (which has to replace the air your typical dryer sucks out of the room).

The design is simple and elegant

For most appliances, buying the “white” finish is a way to save a few bucks. It’s plain, a bit boring, but it’s friendly on your wallet. The Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is white, but it’s actually quite nice.

Even if you were to pop it in a kitchen under the counter alongside a full suite of stainless steel appliances, it won’t look terribly out of place. It’s just a nice-looking dryer.

What we don’t like about the Bosch 800 Series WTG865H4UC Compact Condensation Dryer

Limited capacity means more loads

Like other compact ventless dryers, the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer has a limited drum capacity of just 4.0 cubic feet. That’s 50% to 75% smaller than most conventional dryers out there right now, and it means that if you have to wash a lot of bulky items or bedding, you’re going to be doing more loads just to get through your week.

It is obviously more than enough capacity to handle a load from the Bosch 800 Series washer that you would pair it with, but it just won’t fit as much as you may be used to—and that’s before you realize that most of the specialized drying cycles call for a half- or third-full load.

It takes a long time to get your clothes dry

Like all compact, ventless dryers, the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer takes a very, very long time to dry your clothes. While conventional dryers usually aim for a Normal cycle time of around 60 minutes, a compact dryer would be doing well to fully dry a normal load in less than 75 minutes.

The Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer doesn’t even clear that lowered bar, with its Normal cycle taking more than 90 minutes to dry a load with the Cotton cycle (the closest approximation to other dryers’ Normal modes). The included Quick 40 cycle should fix this, but in our tests we still had a very damp load after 40 minutes.

The other cycles did better, but the delicate cycle still took 107 minutes to get clothes 98% dry, while bulky items took more than two full hours just to get 87% dry. That’s not atypical, and in nearly all cases you’ll want to use the Bosch’s Extra Dry setting so things don’t come out damp.

The dryer can get way too hot

For every load we test in our labs, we record the peak maximum temperature inside the drum. For dryers, we’re looking to make sure they stay below 150°F so that your clothes don’t get damaged over time.

The Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer’s Cotton cycle got all the way up to 176.4°F in our tests, which is way above normal and can wear your clothes down more quickly over time.

Warranty

Like other Bosch dryers, the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer comes with a 30-day warranty for some kinds of cosmetic defects and 1-year parts and labor warranty that covers the entire machine for manufacturer defects. After that, there is a limited warranty on some other parts of the machine, as follows:

“Bosch will repair or replace, free of charge, any printed circuit boards, drive motor or component part of the drive motor that proves defective under conditions of normal home use during the first seven hundred thirty (730) days from the date of the original purchase, labor charges excluded.”

What owners are saying

Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer owners are fairly split on liking the dryer. There aren’t many buyers complaining about manufacturer defects or long-term reliability issues, but there are a number of complaints about the dryer performance.

The main complaints are that the clothes don’t get fully dry and the dryer takes a very long time to actually dry clothes. Those are common among all compact, ventless dryers (especially in the U.S. where most buyers are used to higher-performance vented dryers).

Should you buy the Bosch 800 Series WTG865H4UC Compact Condensation Dryer?

Maybe—but only if you need a ventless model

As we’ve stated before, there’s usually two reasons you’re buying a compact, ventless dryer: You want to save energy, or it’s the only dryer that will fit your space. Most of the things people say they want in a dryer—high capacity, fast drying, clothes that come out fully dry—you just aren’t getting here. Not because the Bosch is a bad dryer, but the ventless design doesn’t allow it to check all those boxes.

If you can get past that, the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is a fine compact dryer. It does take forever to dry clothes, and it will struggle to get a full load of clothes completely dry, but it will use much less energy than a standard model. It’ll also fit in compact spaces other dryers can’t, and you don’t need to run any ductwork to make it work.

The main red flag here is the Cotton cycle—effectively this dryer’s Normal cycle—which gets way too hot and can damage your clothes. If you’re set on a compact, then it’s also worth checking out our roundup of the best compact, ventless dryers. Our current top pick is the Miele T1, which offers slightly better all-around performance but has similar drawbacks.

Overall, if you’re set on a compact, ventless dryer—and comfortable with the drawbacks—the Bosch 800 Series Compact Condensation Dryer is an elegant, well-designed option that performs as advertised.