Repair cards you can't fake
Every device gets 25 points across battery access, spare parts, teardown difficulty, software support and documentation. Missing parts cost points, no matter how good the specs are.
Repair-first gear reviews
Gear that outlives the hype.
We score electronics on how long they last, how easily they come apart, and whether you can actually buy the parts. Not on who paid the most.
- 25
- repair points per device
- 0
- sponsored scores, ever
- 5
- languages, human-checked
replaceable battery/spare parts for sale/no glue/eight years of patches/refurbished first/25-point card/repair over replace/screws, not adhesive/replaceable battery/spare parts for sale/no glue/eight years of patches/refurbished first/25-point card/repair over replace/screws, not adhesive/
Why this is not another top-10 list
Refurbished comes first
We check the refurbished market before we recommend anything new. Same hardware, less waste, usually cheaper — and it sidesteps duty on new sealed units.
Setups, not spec sheets
We build budget rigs around what you actually do. A $600 editing desk beats a $2,000 laptop you never open.
Built with readers
Long-term wear reports and teardown photos come from people who own the gear. We publish what we can verify and mark what we can't.
Latest teardowns
Scored on repairability, not marketing copy.
Phones24/25
Fairphone 5
The only phone where a battery swap is a 30-second job with one screwdriver
7 min readRead the teardown
Laptops24/25
Framework Laptop 13
A laptop you upgrade instead of replace — if you accept the trade-offs
8 min readRead the teardown
Handhelds18/25
Steam Deck OLED
Valve sells you the parts. Actually fitting them is another story
6 min readRead the teardown
Audio20/25
Fairbuds
The first earbuds where you can replace the battery yourself
5 min readRead the teardown
Keyboards21/25
Keychron Q1 Pro
The most repairable input device you can buy for under $200
6 min readRead the teardown
Tablets13/25
iPad (10th generation)
The tablet that made Europe write a law about spare parts
8 min readRead the teardown
Phones21/25
Google Pixel 9a
Seven years of updates behind a back cover held on with glue
7 min readRead the teardown
Phones16/25
Nothing Phone (3a)
A transparent phone whose screws you can actually see
6 min readRead the teardown
Laptops22/25
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 5
The last mainstream laptop you can still upgrade with a screwdriver
8 min readRead the teardown
Laptops15/25
MacBook Air M4
Excellent silicon, sealed shut — and the rules are finally moving
7 min readRead the teardown
Budget setups
Pick your budget, pick your job. We do the rest.
The $600 edit desk
Built entirely from refurbished and individually replaceable parts. Nothing here becomes useless when one component dies.
What's in itThe $300 dorm desk
If the work is text and browser tabs, you do not need new hardware. You need a machine with a replaceable battery and a keyboard that does not die.
What's in itThe $900 podcast rig
Two dynamic mics, an interface with a documented service manual, and a recorder that works without a laptop.
What's in itSend us your teardown
Battery swelling after 18 months? A hinge that gave up? Photos and serial-level details help every other buyer. We credit every contributor we publish.
Submit a wear reportOne email a month. No dropshipping noise.
Repair scores for new releases, refurbished deals that are actually good, and an honest note on what broke.