Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant Boilers

A Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant boiler brand comparison should help if you’re in the market for a new boiler.

As an independent boiler installation company, we only ever recommend boilers based on our stringent standards and their suitability for our customers’ specific needs.

To do this, we regularly review the ranges available from several different boiler brands in the UK, the technology they utilise and the level of service they provide to customers.

In this Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant comparison, our team, which comprises of heating engineers with over 40 years of experience, take a look at the Worcester Bosch boiler range compared to the Vaillant boiler range.

We understand that it can be difficult to choose between different brands when making a high-value purchase such as a central heating system.

However, that is where we can assist you with the benefit of our experience.

Over the years, we have installed both Worcester Bosch and Vaillant boilers and it is in our best interest to be factual as the installer. It is our responsibility to ensure that your central heating system is running smoothly with as few visits to your home as possible, and that there are no complaints whatsoever.

To assist you in your decision and provide you with an accurate comparison of the two manufacturers, we have compared Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant using the following criteria:

- Reputation in the UK
- Product range
- Quality of components
- Customer service
- Accolades

The Worcester Bosch boiler range

About Worcester Bosch

Before they were acquired by Robert Bosch GmbH and became part of the worldwide Bosch Group in 1992, Worcester Bosch was formerly known simply as Worcester and spent over 30 years as a British company.

Formed as an independent company by Cecil Duckworth in 1962 in Worcester, Worcester Bosch retains this presence in the area with its UK headquarters remaining in the Worcester suburb of Wardon.

Having operated in the UK for almost 60 years now, Worcester Bosch has developed an excellent reputation in the UK and has become a household name.

Brand Reputation, Quality & Performance Benefits

The current market leader for domestic boilers in the UK, Worcester Bosch say their boilers have been installed in over one million homes across the UK.
The Greenstar boiler range has been awarded Which? Best Buy status every year since 2009.
Worcester Bosch boilers are assembled in the UK, with gas boilers being assembled at the headquarters in Worcester and oil boilers at the company’s site in Clay Cross, Derbyshire.
Awarded the Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen for supplying hot water products to the Royal Family at the Sandringham Estate.

Value for Money, Warranties and Efficiency Benefits

Because of their reputation in the UK, Worcester Bosch are sold at a higher price point than other boiler brands available in the UK.
Worcester Bosch offer a no-quibble 10 year guarantee on its products. However, whilst this covers replacement parts, call-out charges and labour costs, the length of this does differ from boiler to boiler with no standard guarantee period available across the range.
In terms of energy efficiency, Worcester Bosch and Vaillant’s boilers are very similar.

The Vaillant boiler range

About Vaillant

Vaillant is a German family-owned business and have worked hard to establish their brand in the UK since entering the market in the 1970s.

Vaillant acquired the British brand, Glow-Worm, which has operated in the UK since 1934.

Vaillant’s reputation has been recognised in the UK with its entire range of domestic boilers earning the “Which? Best Buy” award for several years.

Brand Reputation, Quality & Performance Benefits

Vaillant is noted for its after-sales support with its technical helpline often praised by customers
Vaillant is a brand that consistently features in the Which? Best Buy report almost every year.
The entire Vaillant domestic boiler range is Quiet Mark accredited on account of each of the boiler’s low operating volumes
Vaillant boilers utilise stainless steel heat exchangers which are much better at retaining efficiency than the aluminium heat exchangers used by Worcester Bosch that are prone to corrosion.

Value for Money, Warranties and Efficiency Benefits

Vaillant boilers aren’t more expensive than Worcester Bosch, but Vaillant boilers do have a stainless steel heat exchanger.
Internal parts made of stainless steel save you money in the long run, not only on your energy bills, but also in terms of reliability and longevity.
Reliable parts mean you won’t need the out of warranty repairs which Worcester Bosch boilers inevitably will with their aluminium heat exchangers.
Vaillant offer 5 years warranty as standard, with 7 to 10 years available when installed by a Vaillant Advance installer.

Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant Price Comparison

Neither of these brands come in the budget category.

On average, Worcester Bosch are around £100 to £200 cheaper compared to Vaillant for similar boiler models.

This is just on boiler price though, and not installation costs.

A full boiler installation quote includes additional costs and can be similar for different brands depending on the supplier you choose.

For example, an installation quote with a Viessmann boiler that is in the same ballpark as Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant in terms of price, may even be the smarter choice because of higher energy efficiency due to quality internal components.

Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant

Dimensions and other features

Both brands are known for manufacturing compact boilers which can fit easily in your kitchen or anywhere else in your house.

Worcester Bosch do manufacture a compact model with the dimensions of 69(H) x 39(W) x 28(D). It’s called the Greenstar CDI Compact.

Thermostats and Smart Controls

Almost all boiler brands in the UK now have digital touch screens, and you can use programmable thermostats or smart controls like Nest, Hive or Tado.

Energy Efficiency

Both boilers operate at around 94% energy efficiency, which is in line with most modern condensing boilers.

However, if you’re not convinced by either Worcester Bosch or Vaillant, maybe try Viessmann, another German brand that has the best features of both brands along with patented internal components manufactured in-house at their German facility renowned for their commercial heating expertise powering some of the world’s biggest stadiums and palaces.

The diagram below should illustrate why having stainless steel inside your boiler is better in the long run:

Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant Boilers – Final Verdict

Before we give you the final results, you can’t really go wrong with either boiler, as both of the manufacturers come highly recommended by Which? and installers alike.

However, Vaillant comes out as the winner in this Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant fight because of these key points:

Vaillant has always been known as a premium brand which means the boilers are at a higher price point, however, Worcester Bosch are now just as expensive. This doesn’t bear well for Worcester Bosch as the boilers utilise many cheaper plastic parts and an aluminium heat exchanger.
Vaillant is rated higher than Worcester Bosch for ease of service and repair. This means Vaillant boilers may be easier to maintain.
Vaillant’s boiler range use stainless steel heat exchanger which means efficiency is retained for longer. This translates to lower energy bills and no chance of the boiler requiring repairs due to the corrosion-related issues Worcester Bosch’s aluminium heat exchangers are prone to.

Updated 2023

Worcester Bosch vs Vaillant Boilers