The right gesture: how to identify a truly repairable product?
Repairing is a great way to save money and do a service to the planet. Rather than repurchasing a product at the first failure, try to give it a second life. his dishwasherhas his smartphoneor to his Bluetooth speaker allows us to avoid the creation of electronic waste, sometimes save a little money and maintain a slightly different relationship with our everyday objects.
But many challenges stand between the desire to repair and effective repair. Unable to disassemble, parts not available, too expensive… In short, the right to repair is a fight. But above all, to successfully repair, you must know how to identify repairable products. We guide you through the jungle of indicators and other clues.
1 — The repairability index
Flagship measure of the 2020 circular economy lawthe repairability index is supposed to offer consumers a simple and clear way to gauge the repairability of a device. It is now mandatory for washing machines, smartphones, laptops, televisions, lawn mowers, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and high-pressure cleaners.
Be careful though, the index can be misleading. Behind a good general grade can hide very variable specific averages. To make an informed choice, we advise you to learn how to decipher the clue using our dedicated article.
2 — The Fnac/Darty barometer
Having become an institution, the Fnac/Darty barometer allows us to gain a little perspective and to know which brands are rather good students when it comes to repairs. Classified by product category, this ranking offers a fairly complete and precise overview of the state of the market.
For example, we learn that for stick vacuum cleaners, it is Hoover which wins the prize for the most durable product, while, for televisions, it is Sony. Here too, it is advisable to look carefully at the details of the rankings (by hovering over each entry) to see useful information, such as the average price of parts and their availability over time.
3 — The iFixit ranking
Well known for its proper disassembly of large electronic products, iFixit also maintains a spreadsheet listing the repairability scores of all devices passed through their labs. A little austere, it will nevertheless allow you to easily compare the notes of the numerous products.
Please note, that said, the number of categories is limited, as is the number of products tested, artisanal classification requires. But if you want information on the disassembly of smartphones, tablets, computers, connected watches, headphones or e-readers, then this can be an interesting resource.
4 — The Les Numériques sustainability score
For three years now, the editorial staff of the Les Numériques site takes the repairability index into account in the classification of certain productsbut not only that. Sustainability, brand responsibility and technical decisions (warranty, protection against bad weather, etc.) are also included in the ranking.
Obviously not exhaustive, this classification allows at a glance to have a complete vision of a product, from its photo performance to its autonomy, without neglecting durability and repairability. Other organizations are doing the same, notably with the reliability ranking from Que Choisir.
