Copenhagen-based headset maker EPOS is standardising its new product launches around a battery replacement design that needs nothing more specialised than a paperclip. The move, announced on May 20, pulls forward compliance with the EU Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542), whose removability requirements take effect on February 18, 2027.
The rollout starts with the IMPACT 500 on-ear Bluetooth headset, the newest addition to the company's enterprise lineup. Every new EPOS product going forward will follow the same approach, with multi-language replacement guides and original-equipment spare batteries available through EPOS and its partners for five years after a product is discontinued.
The framing is the part worth paying attention to. EPOS is presenting the program not as a regulatory checkbox but as an extension of a design posture it traces back to 2010, when the company shipped its first headset with a replaceable battery. Whether competing enterprise audio brands choose the same path or stretch the rules until the deadline forces them is the more interesting question for IT teams comparing fleet headsets this year.
What the paperclip standard actually means
The IMPACT 500 is the first product to ship under the new design rule. EPOS describes the swap as a tool-free or near-tool-free operation, with a paperclip or similar everyday object enough to release and reseat the battery. For IT teams managing fleets of business headsets, that five-minute swap is the difference between repairing a unit and replacing it.
The five-year spare-parts commitment is the second piece. Replacement batteries stay on the shelves for at least five years after a model leaves the catalogue, available directly from EPOS and through its authorised partners. That window matters because most enterprise headset deployments stay in active rotation well past the manufacturer's last build date.
The EU rule shaping the rollout
The EU Battery Regulation 2023/1542 requires that portable batteries inside products placed on the EU market be removable and replaceable by end users, using commonly available tools and without damaging the product or the battery. The provision applies from February 18, 2027, and manufacturers must also publish clear replacement instructions and keep spares accessible for the product's expected lifetime.
The aim is to extend consumer-product lifespans and slow the flow of small electronics into the waste stream. Narrow exemptions exist, mostly for wet-environment products and certain medical devices, but for a standard wireless headset the rule is straightforward: design for swap, document it, keep parts available.
EPOS sits in the camp of vendors choosing to redesign now rather than at the deadline. By committing to the paperclip standard across the upcoming product roadmap, the company avoids the awkward in-between of refreshing a catalogue mid-2027 to meet a rule that has been on the books since 2023.
What EPOS is saying
Søren Holm Printz, VP Corporate Strategy and Product Management at EPOS, framed the move as part of the company's commitment to longer product lifecycles and lower e-waste. According to Printz, replaceability has been considered from the earliest stage of product development through to after-market support, covering spare-battery supply and documentation that lets end users complete the swap safely.
Printz also points to the company's ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems, as a structural anchor for the program. The certification covers the framework an organisation uses to identify, manage, and reduce its environmental impact while staying within legal compliance, and EPOS positions it as the underlying system that makes its lifecycle commitments enforceable.
Availability and where to learn more
The IMPACT 500 is available now through EPOS and its enterprise channel partners. The company has published its full battery replacement strategy and instructions for current models on the EPOS website, alongside its broader sustainability documentation. More detail on the program and the wider product range is at eposaudio.com.
