Laptops from Lenovo appear to score poorly on repairability in a recent index. However, Lenovo sent in only one laptop model.
The annual laptop repairability report prepared by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) shows that Lenovo scores particularly poorly. While brands like Asus and Acer come out of the test reasonably well, Lenovo gets the lowest possible score: an “F.
What does that mean?
The PIRG analysis assessed laptops and smartphones for their repairability to consumers. Where smartphones are making progress, the laptop sector lags behind. Lenovo scored poorly because it had submitted only one model to the French repairability index, on which PIRG’s data are largely based. However, that one model achieved a reasonable score of 7.3 out of 10, with a 7 for disassembly.
Meanwhile, Asus and Acer posted average scores of 7.2 and 7.1, respectively. Asus excelled in demountability with a score of 8.3. Apple showed progress, going from a 4.9 to a 6.6. HP and Microsoft scored lower, with 5.9 and 6.5, respectively.
Soon, the French index will be replaced by a European standard, which may provide more reliable data. Until then, Lenovo’s “F” remains a warning to consumers: if you want to tinker with your laptop yourself, Lenovo is not currently the best choice.