It’s crucial to know your alternatives before deciding which paper shredder would suit your needs the best. If you’re looking for a shredding machine expressly for your place of employment, you should think about things like noise and security. However, if the shredder will be used within your home, you might put size, cost, and safety features as your top priorities (especially if you have children or pets roaming around).
Strip-cut, cross-cut, and micro-cut shredding machines are the three basic varieties. The least secure types are those that produce long strips, whereas cross-cut choices produce shorter strips and are regarded as mid-level in terms of security. The most secure sort of shredders are micro-cut models, which generate small, confetti-like fragments. Although the micro-cut process is typically slower, it is worth the extra effort if safeguarding your documents is a concern.
We combed through tens of thousands of internet customer reviews to identify the shredding machines that buyers adore in order to assist you in finding the ideal one for your house or office. You won’t have any trouble finding what you need here, whether you’re looking for a cheap paper shredder, a powerful model, or a cheap shredder on sale. View nine of the most popular paper shredders among customers by reading on.
According to evaluations, the top paper shredders for 2023 are as follows:
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List of Top 5 Best Paper Shredder of 2023 Reviews
#1 Powershred by Fellowes 99Ci
If you’re standing in front of boxes of documents that need to be destroyed, the Fellowes PowerShred 99Ci can handle the job quickly. In our tests, it shreds 180 pages per minute at its top pace. Additionally, it readily consumes everything you throw at it, including CDs, credit cards, and thick envelopes. The PowerShred 99Ci is one of the quietest versions we had the pleasure of testing, while having that much power. Your coworkers will surely hear the noise, but they won’t ask to swap desks because of the loudness.
The PowerShred 99Ci is a cross-cut model, therefore it creates lengthy strips as opposed to the confetti-like shreds that micro-cut blades create. Despite this, cross-cuts still provide very good security, and discarding a lot of shreds at once makes putting the data back together much more difficult. The PowerShred’s pricing is by far its biggest flaw. It is an expensive device and a substantial investment. However, if you often shred documents with 100 pages or more, the time savings will be well worth the additional expense.
#2 Amazon Basics Micro-Cut 12 Sheet
The Amazon Basics 12 Sheet Micro-Cut offers superior security and shredding at a price that is more than reasonable. This robust machine exceeds its stated limits by chewing through stacks as thick as 16 pieces, reducing stacks of 12 pages to piles of 5/32-inch confetti fragments. The 12-Sheet Micro-Cut has a CD slot and a credit card slot, however it also rips credit cards to pieces through the main slot. With no need to open those pre-approved credit card envelopes, junk mail is now a breeze. With error lights and simple commands, the interface is likewise clear and helpful.
Our major complaint with this shredder is its drawer, even though the specific credit card slot only securely splits your card into two pieces. The sticky pullout basket is a serious drawback for a product that is designed to be user-friendly. The few nitpicky problems we have with this shredder are, however, minor hiccups on a well-designed, high-performing machine. A wonderful little office or home shredder is the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut.
#3 Crosscut 12-Sheet Anti-Jam by Aurora AU1230XA
At a reasonable cost, the Aurora AU1230XA Anti-Jam 12-Sheet Crosscut provides quick shredding. Even though the name suggests that it can handle a 12-sheet stack at most, this machine cheerfully consumes 13 sheets at one. It performs admirably, averaging 171 sheets per minute, on par with some of the more pricey top performers in our survey. It may not cut through very thick envelopes as thoroughly, but it does quickly slice up junk mail. When not in use, it can be conveniently stored due to its small body. With a straightforward sliding button that is clearly labeled off, forward for shredding, and backward for de-jamming, the uncomplicated user interface is simple to use.
The Aurora AU1230XA frequently jams at 14 sheets each load, despite the fact that we can push the envelope with 13-sheet stacks. It is therefore preferable to stick with 12 or 13 sheets per load. The 5.2-gallon bin can be easily filled, but cleaning it out is a pain. When the bin is full, you must remove the bulky shredder top because the bin is not on drawer slides. Even though it is a small inconvenience, it is nevertheless one. A distinct, higher-pitched, effortful noise may be heard when it is trying hard to shred credit cards, which is another issue. All things considered, the Aurora AU1230XA 12-sheet is a fantastic choice for the casual shredder seeking speed and affordability.
#4 Cross-Cut 8-Sheet Amazon Basics
The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut offers an excellent compromise between cost, functionality, and power. It is inexpensive enough that it shouldn’t significantly increase the cost of your home office, and it is small enough to be conveniently stored beneath a desk. Despite its diminutive size, it is nonetheless powerful and quick enough to work when you suddenly have piles of paperwork that needs to be properly disposed of, like around tax time. With a maximum speed of 96 pages per minute and the ability to quickly devour credit cards as well as stuffed junk mail envelopes, it provides more than enough capability for the majority of home offices.
The noise produced by the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut is its main drawback. We don’t anticipate your housemates or coworkers to enjoy its relatively strident whine because it can get grating pretty quickly. The trash can also be challenging to empty. However, these problems shouldn’t be deal-breakers if this machine is only used occasionally for the home office application for which it is intended. Unless you frequently shred multiple sheets at once, the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut can probably offer everything you require at an alluringly cheap cost.
#5 AS420C Desktop by Aurora
If you’ve managed to reduce the amount of paper documents you use but still require a convenient way to get rid of the odd couple of sensitive pages, the Aurora AS420C Desktop is a great option. This little, basic paper shredder has enough strength to tear through a credit card or a few pages at once. It’s perfect for personal use because it’s small enough to covertly reside on a shelf or the corner of your desk until you need it. It also creates a very quiet noise that lacks the typical whine we associate with smaller, less expensive computers.
Simply put, this model is not intended for intensive use. Heavy use will probably strain this machine’s modest motor, so long papers or frequent shredding would definitely call for a larger equipment. For individuals who simply need to shred a few pages every week but don’t want to give up a lot of office space, the AS420C is a wonderful solution.
