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Logitech will ship repairable mice only in Europe, with harder-to-repair models sent everywhere else

When a battery dies and cannot be easily replaced, a perfectly usable mouse can end up in the trash.

A black Logitech computer mouse on a light-colored surface.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Because of new battery rules, Europe may soon get a more repairable Logitech computer mouse than other markets, even when the products come from the same brand and serve the same basic purpose.

What's happening?

When Europe's battery rules requiring user replacement take effect in February 2027, Logitech expects to treat that market differently. According to The Verge, the company plans one version of its wireless mice for Europe and a harder-to-repair model for other regions.

Speaking to the outlet, Logitech gaming chief Robin Piispanen said making peripherals easier to open comes with compromises, including extra heft. "It's not just the cost, you're also adding weight," Piispanen said.

In Europe, Logitech plans to use a more rigid hard-pack battery and offer certified replacement batteries as well. That would mark a shift from the lightweight soft-pack lithium-based batteries it currently uses, which Piispanen said are chosen in part because most people don't take it upon themselves to open the devices and replace the battery.

Nintendo has made a similar Europe-only choice with the Switch 2, keeping its more repair-friendly battery design for that market.

Why does it matter?

Batteries are often the first component to fail in wireless electronics. When a battery dies and cannot be easily replaced, a perfectly usable mouse can end up in the trash. That can mean more spending for consumers, more frustration, and more electronic waste piling up.

The company also says safety is part of the reason for the decision. In regards to their typical lithium-based batteries, Piispanen said, "But that is not safe for you to operate on, we can't give that to you in good conscience and say, hey, go replace a soft-pack battery."

European customers would have access to the safer replaceable option, while buyers elsewhere would get a product that is tougher to repair and more disposable.

What's being done?

Europe is pushing the issue through regulation. Its upcoming battery rules are intended to make devices easier to maintain instead of forcing people to replace them sooner than necessary.

To comply there, Logitech says it will switch to hard-pack batteries and sell certified replacements giving European buyers a longer-lasting option and a clearer repair path if their mouse battery wears out.

Piispanen described the tradeoff as a balance of cost, weight, and safety, but maintains that the bigger question is how Logitech can create and design new products that are built to last.

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