Most MacBook or MacBook Pro laptops have batteries that are good for between 300 and 1,000 recharge cycles, depending on the model (Apple has published the specs here).

But you don't have to buy a new MacBook when the battery is worn. You don't even have to take it to an Apple Store for a genius to wave their magic wand over it. You can, in fact, replace the battery yourself.

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Replacing the battery in your MacBook or MacBook Pro

Materials needed: 

• Battery replacement kit
• A clear workspace

Estimated time: 30 minutes 

The MacBook going under the knife for this article was a mid-2012 13-inch A1278 MacBook Pro that has nearly 2,000 recharge cycles on the battery, which is well over the rated 1,000 which Apple considers as its limit.

For the job I got acomplete battery replacement "Fix Kit" from iFixit . The kit costs$89.99, and is an excellent value and you're guaranteed good quality parts and support of things go wrong. You can also buyreplacement batteries on Amazon . These kits are cheaper, and the tools you get are not to the same standard as from iFixit, but if you're trying to fix your laptop on a budget, this is an option.

Note: There are different battery kits for different MacBook models, so it's important to choose the right kit for your device. Do this by searching for the model number (found on the bottom on the laptop, and it follows the format Axxxx where xxxx are four digits). 

The kit I bought consisted of a replacement battery, and all the tools needed to carry out the replacement. In this case, the tools that came with the kit were as follows:

• Plastic spudger
• Precision bit driver
• Three 4mm precision bits