Most consumers spend hours comparing camera specs and battery life, but almost nobody checks whether a product can actually be repaired before they buy it. That's a mistake that costs EU households an estimated €700 per year in premature replacements. Here's how to check repairability before you spend your money.
Step 1: Check the EU Energy Label Repairability Index
Since 2021, EU energy labels for washing machines, dishwashers, televisions, refrigerators, and other appliances include a repairability class (A to G). This is the most official repairability signal available, it comes directly from the European Commission's EPREL database and is required by EU law.
- Grade A–B: Excellent repairability, spare parts guaranteed, manuals published, easy disassembly
- Grade C–D: Average, some parts available, moderate repair complexity
- Grade E–G: Poor repairability, limited parts, complex disassembly, likely designed for obsolescence
You can look up any product's repairability class on the EU EPREL database (eprel.ec.europa.eu) using the product's model number or energy label QR code.
Step 2: Look Up the iFixit Repairability Score
iFixit is the world's largest free repair database. For electronics (smartphones, laptops, tablets), their team teardowns devices and assigns a repairability score from 1 to 10 based on ease of disassembly, spare parts availability, and repair manual quality.
- Score 8–10: Highly repairable, tool-free or screwdriver-only, modular design, parts widely available
- Score 5–7: Moderate, some proprietary tools needed, most parts available
- Score 1–4: Difficult, glued components, proprietary screws, limited parts
Search ifixit.com/Teardown/[Product Name] for a full breakdown. If a product has no iFixit teardown, that's itself a signal: it either just launched or the manufacturer made it deliberately difficult to open.
Step 3: Search for Spare Parts Availability
A repairability score is theoretical unless spare parts are actually purchasable. Before buying, search for the product's battery, screen, or main board on EU spare parts suppliers:
- iFixit Parts (ifixit.com/Parts), OEM and compatible parts for electronics
- Spareka (spareka.fr), EU appliance parts, ships across Europe
- Fiyo (fiyo.co.uk / fiyo.de), large EU appliance parts catalogue
- Manufacturer website, official spare parts portal (legally required for covered products from July 2026)
- Amazon / eBay, third-party parts availability signal
If you can't find a battery replacement or screen within 2 minutes of searching, that product has a parts availability problem. A €30 battery replacement in 3 years vs. a €600 new device is the calculation you're making.
Step 4: Check Community Repair Records
The Open Repair Alliance aggregates repair event data from over 3,800 Repair Cafés worldwide. Their Open Repair Data dataset (openrepair.org) shows which products are commonly repaired successfully vs. which are repeatedly scrapped. Products with high 'end of life' percentages at Repair Cafés are genuinely un-repairable in practice, not just in theory.
Step 5: Use RepairScore for an Instant Combined Score
Instead of checking each source individually, RepairScore combines all of the above into a single 0–100 score. Search for your product at repairscore.eu to see:
- Overall RepairScore (0–100) with tier label (Excellent / Good / Fair / Poor)
- EU EPREL repairability class contribution
- iFixit teardown score contribution
- Spare parts availability rating
- Community repair data from Open Repair Alliance
- Product age factor (manufacturer support window)
- Recommended action: Repair / Consider repair / Replace
Step 6: Check Manufacturer Software Support Window
Physical repairability means nothing if the manufacturer abandons software updates after 2 years. For smartphones and laptops, check the guaranteed update window before buying:
- Google Pixel 9 series: 7 years of OS + security updates (best-in-class Android)
- Samsung Galaxy S series: 7 years of OS updates (Galaxy S24 onwards)
- iPhone: typically 5–6 years of iOS support
- Fairphone 5: 10 years of software support, longest on the market
- Budget Android: often 2–3 years only, check before buying
The EU Right to Repair Directive doesn't mandate specific software support windows, but the EU Ecodesign regulation for smartphones requires at least 5 years of security updates (from market availability date). Under the Directive, manufacturers must not use software blocks to prevent independent repair.
Step 7: Know Your EU Consumer Rights From July 2026
From July 31, 2026, when all EU member states must have transposed the Right to Repair Directive, your legal position as a consumer changes significantly:
- Manufacturers must supply spare parts at non-discriminatory prices, they can't charge independent repairers more than authorised ones
- You can choose repair over free replacement when a product fails under the 2-year legal guarantee
- Choosing repair extends your guarantee by 12 months
- EU member states must operate online repair matching platforms
- The European Repair Information Form gives you a standardised written repair estimate before you commit
- Refurbished products must carry a minimum 12-month guarantee
Repairability Red Flags to Watch Before You Buy
Beyond scores and databases, these are the product design signals that predict low repairability:
- Glued-in battery, adds €30–50 to battery replacement cost and often doubles repair time
- Proprietary screws, Pentalobe, Torx Security, tri-wing screwdrivers needed signals manufacturer hostility to DIY repair
- No repair manual published, if the manufacturer doesn't publish a service manual, independent repair is guesswork
- No spare parts portal on manufacturer website, a legal requirement from July 2026, but many products are already non-compliant
- Ultra-thin or seamless design, great aesthetics, but usually means glued components and zero upgradeability
- Soldered RAM or storage (laptops), cannot be upgraded when the drive fills up; whole motherboard replacement required
Repairability by Category: What to Look For
| Category | Best repairability signal | Typical RepairScore range |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphones | iFixit score ≥7, modular design, OEM parts available | 30–96 |
| Laptops | Non-soldered RAM, replaceable battery, repair manual published | 40–96 |
| Washing machines | EU EPREL grade A–B, Spareka/Fiyo parts available | 55–90 |
| Dishwashers | EU EPREL grade A–B, common failure parts stocked | 50–88 |
| Refrigerators | Accessible compressor, standard fridge seals | 45–82 |
| Televisions | Screen not fused to backlight, replacement boards available | 35–78 |
| Vacuum cleaners | Modular design, bagless with replaceable filters | 40–85 |
| Tablets | iFixit score ≥6, glass not fused to LCD | 25–82 |
The Bottom Line
Checking repairability before you buy takes 2 minutes and can save you hundreds of euros. Use the EU Energy Label repairability class for appliances, iFixit scores for electronics, and RepairScore to combine all sources into a single number. With the EU Right to Repair Directive coming into force on July 31, 2026, repairability is no longer a niche concern, it's a legally protected consumer right.