iFixit Repair Toolkit

iFixit built its business on the premise that you should be able to fix the things you own. For $35, their repair toolkit contains 64 precision bits, a suction cup for screen removal, spudgers for prying open cases, and tweezers, all organized in a roll-up canvas pouch. Designed specifically for electronics repair, the bit set covers the proprietary screws that Apple, Samsung, Nintendo, and other manufacturers use to discourage user repairs. Using it, I replaced the battery in my phone and the screen on a friend's laptop, both repairs taking about 30 minutes each following the step-by-step guides on iFixit's website. Community-written and peer-reviewed with photos at every step, the guides are good enough that someone with no repair experience can follow them successfully. Lobbying for right-to-repair legislation alongside selling repair tools is what I appreciate most about iFixit, because the toolkit is only useful if the devices are designed to be opened. Who gets to repair what is one of the most important consumer rights questions in tech. On the screwdriver a rotating cap lets you apply torque with one hand while stabilizing with the other. Precision bits are magnetized so tiny screws don't fall into the device during reassembly. At $35 the kit has already saved me about $400 in repair costs. Knowing I can open and fix my own devices has changed how I think about buying electronics.