Three different systems
France’s repairability index uses a 0–10 score for its covered categories, including laptops and vacuum cleaners. It considers documentation, disassembly, spare parts and pricing, with criteria that vary by category. The EU label gives covered new smartphones and slate tablets a repairability class from A to E. iFixit publishes its own 0–10 assessments. Similar-looking numbers from France and iFixit are not one ranking, and an EU letter cannot be converted to either number.
Look behind the label
For a product you may buy, find the exact model and the part most likely to wear: perhaps a battery, display, keyboard or appliance filter. Check whether a repair guide covers that part, what tools and adhesives it needs, and whether the part is currently sold in your country. Reassembly can also need seals, calibration or software finishing. A high-level label cannot price those details for a local repair.
Market and model limits
The EU phone label applies to covered products placed on the market from 20 June 2025. France no longer lists phones under its earlier national repairability rule and moved washing machines to a separate durability index in 2025. An older phone or a product sold in another market may carry different information. Check the current label and local parts offer for the exact model.
Sources
- Indice de réparabilitéFrench Ministry for Ecological Transition
- Smartphones and TabletsEuropean Commission
- Phones and tablets: new consumer information in FranceFrench Ministry for Ecological Transition
- How iFixit Scores RepairabilityiFixit