Bosch Smart Plug Compact [+M]

The standby cutoff is useful, with an obvious catch

Bosch's Smart Plug Compact [+M] does something more interesting than turn an outlet on and off. Its optional energy-saving mode cuts power when consumption stays below 10 W for ten minutes. You can enable that fixed behavior on the plug itself, even when it belongs to a direct Matter system.

That is useful for equipment you deliberately want fully off after it settles into standby. It is annoying for something that needs less than 10 W while working. A 6 W lamp, for example, could be switched off after ten minutes despite doing exactly what you wanted. The feature is disabled by default, and should remain that way unless the connected appliance suits it.

Bosch Smart Home adds adjustable thresholds from 1 to 50 W and delays from one second to thirty minutes. That extra flexibility can be worth using if you already own its controller. Buying a whole Bosch system solely for this setting is a much harder argument.

Energy readings need an app that uses them

The plug measures current power and accumulated energy. Bosch's feature table includes those readings for supporting Matter systems, so energy monitoring is not automatically restricted to Bosch's app. Equally, the hardware's measurement capability does not guarantee a useful history chart or cost calculation in every app.

If a consumption graph is the main reason for buying, the app's handling of this exact plug matters more than basic on/off compatibility. Eve Energy EU is worth comparing when its app's energy history suits the way you want to monitor an appliance.

We would use a measurement to identify avoidable consumption before buying several plugs to chase savings. Bosch specifies less than 0.5 W of its own standby consumption. Switching off a very efficient appliance leaves less to recover than switching off equipment with a substantial idle draw.

A useful network helper in the right socket

In direct Matter mode, the mains-powered plug also forwards traffic in its Thread network. That can make it a practical companion near battery-powered sensors or radiator valves. In Bosch mode it extends Zigbee instead; it does not extend both networks at once, and it is not a Thread border router.

The Schuko housing is about 60 mm wide and 83 mm deep overall. Check adjacent sockets and furniture clearance rather than assuming the word “compact” means it will disappear. A physical button keeps switching available, while the LED brightness and behavior after a power failure can also be set locally.

Its 16 A/3,680 W rating applies to resistive loads. It is not blanket permission to switch every motor or electronic appliance at that power. The IP20 body belongs indoors, and this European plug format is not an interchangeable UK or US version.

Buy fewer plugs with clearer jobs

Bosch's German store listed one at €44.95 and four at €169.95 on September 10, 2026, including VAT. Four singles total €179.80, so the pack saves €9.85. That is a modest reward for buying four devices before you know whether their cutoff or monitoring is useful.

Choose this plug for a suitable appliance with substantial standby use, energy readings your app supports, or a socket that also benefits the Thread network. Keep an existing Bosch plug if it already handles the job. For a simple scheduled lamp, the extra measurement and cutoff features may not justify the price.