Top 10 Best Paper Shredders Reviews in 2022

We all frequently have papers that we need to get rid of, whether in the office or at home. The shredder provides the solution to this paper problem, by literally shredding the papers, and then also acting as a waste bin. The shredder is thus a very important tool for those who love to keep things organized and neat. We list the 10 best shredders in 2022 below, so as to enable you to make the right choice.

Paper Shredder Purchase Considerations

There are a few features to consider when buying a paper shredder. By understanding these features below, and watching out for the shredders with the options that you desire, you should make the correct choice.

– Speed

How quickly or how slowly a paper shredder works is important. This is because you do not want to stand by a paper shredder all day, especially when you have other work to do in the office.

– Versatility

This refers to the shredder’s ability to cut something else other than standard paper. Such possible items will include compact discs, credit-cards and plastic IDs. Of course, the more versatile a shredder is, the more valuable it should be.

– Capacity

Capacity refers to how much paper it would have to cut before you must have to empty the bin. For those who do lots of shredding, a larger capacity is of course better. A second measure of capacity is how long the shredder can run before needing to cool down. The sturdier ones are of course better for large offices.

– Security

Security refers to the style of shredding. Standard, strip-cut shredders will produce long strips, while cross-cut shredders will produce more secure waste by slicing the long strips horizontally. Micro-cut shredders take the horizontally sliced pieces and cut them into even tinier pieces. All these levels are for protection against ID-thieves and other criminals who may target your personal information. The higher the security level here, the better of course, the shredder is.

– User Friendliness

Does the shredder start on its own once you insert a paper or does it wait for you to press “Shred” first? Does its bin have a window, so you can see how much waste is inside? All these are user-friendliness questions concerning shredders.

– Noise

This one should be obvious, the quieter it is, the higher its quality. The noisier it is, the less you should pay for it.

10. Fellowes 99Ci Powershred Jam-Proof Paper Shredder

Our first shredder in this review is this monster shredder from Fellowes. The 99Ci can tear through 18 sheets of paper at a go, and it will cut CDs and DVDs, credit cards, and even staples and paper clips. It is rated 100% jam proof, and will run continuously for up to 30 minutes before requiring a cool-down period. It’s bin is 9 gallons large, and even features a bin-full indicator. If you need raw shredding power, and you have the cash for this machine, then check it out.

• Pros: Cross-cut shredder, 100% jam proof, 18 pieces of paper per pass
• Cons: It’s not cheap

9. Sentinel FM120P Micro-Cut 12-Sheet Paper Shredder

Sentinel’s FM120P is also not a bad machine. It can chew through 12 sheets at a go, and even has a separate slot for CDs and DVDs. This is so as not to dull the paper shredding blades. FM120P comes with a 5 gallon waste basket with an indicator window. It is a micro-cut, security-level 4 machine, shredding paper down to 4mm by 10mm pieces. It can as well shred up to 6 ft. of paper per minute, which results in about 72 sheets per minute. Its casters make it mobile, while its ultra-quiet operation makes it an even more higher quality machine.

• Pros: Shreds up to 12 sheets at a go, separate slot for CD/DVD, micro-cut machine

8. Polaroid 18-Sheet Paper Shredder

This Polaroid shredder has a 6-gallon waste bin capacity. It is perfect for shredding all manner of sensitive documents. It will also shred CDs and DVDs, and it uses a cross-cut shredding system. Polaroid is a well established company that has produced quality consumer products for over 75 years. This shredder is also currently discounted up to 53% of its original price, making it a great buy.

• Pros: Shreds up to 18 sheets at a go, cross-cut shredder, 53% discount

7. Bonsaii C560-D DocShred 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder

Bonsaii C560-D auto-starts to shred your papers once they are inserted. It also features a manual reverse for clearing paper jams. There is a thermal protection as well, which protects it from overheating, and it can shred about 6.2 ft. of paper per minute. It also features a 4-gallon large waste basket, with an indicator window to know when it is full. Its micro-cut shredding cuts paper into 4 by 12 mm pieces, and it is backed by a 1-year warranty.

• Pros: Micro-cut shredder, 4 gallons of waste bin
• Cons: Only 6 sheets per go.

6. AmazonBasics Cross-Cut 8-Sheet Shredder

AmazonBasics is a brand from the web retail giant which specializes in the production of household and office items. This shredder is low priced, offers level P3 security with its cross-cut shredding, and can shred up to 8 sheets of paper at a go. It will also shred credit cards, and it comes with a 4-gallon waste bin with a see-through indicator window. This shredder is backed by AmazonBasics’ limited 1-year warranty.

• Pros: Cross-cut shredder, shreds credit cards
• Cons: Only 3 minutes of continuous run time

5. Aurora GB 6-Sheet Shredder without Waste Basket

Although it is one of the lowest cost paper shredders in this review, this machine still offers some interesting features. It has an auto start/stop function, it offers to overheat protection, it shreds credit cards as well, and also offers manual reverse for clearing out paper jams. The only disadvantage about this shredder is that it comes without a wastebasket.

• Pros: Very low cost, auto start/stop
• Cons: No waste basket

4. HSM Shredster 12-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder

HSM Shredster is a dream come true for many secretaries and other office workers, because it simply requires no downtime for cooling down. You can use it to shred papers non-stop, and it even makes very little noise. Shredster also features an energy saving system, and a jam-stop technology for freeing up paper jams. It will shred staples, credit cards, CDs and DVDs. It comes with a 5-gallon waste basket, in addition to the cutting cylinder being backed by a lifetime warranty.

• Pros: 12-sheet shredder, up to 86 sheets per minute, continuous operation

3. AmazonBasics High-Security Micro-Cut 12-Sheet Shredder

This AmazonBasics shredder is a high security, micro-shredder, which guarantees you the tiniest paper outputs. It can take 12 sheets at once, which is quite impressive, and its waste bin is 6.7 gallons large. It features thermal protection as well, and has a maximum continuous runtime of 8 minutes. It is backed by a 1-year limited warranty from AmazonBasics.

• Pros: 12-sheet capacity, 6.7-gallon waste bin
• Cons: 8 minutes continuous runtime with 45 minute cool down

2. Fellowes PowerShred 79Ci 16-Sheet Paper Shredder

Fellowes PowerShred is a powerful shredder that can handle up to 16 sheets of paper at a go. It will also shred CDs/DVDs, credit cards and staples. With its security level P4 rating, it is a cross-cutter, and will run for up to 20 minutes before needing a cool-off. Its waste basket is 6 gallons large, and features an LED bin-full indicator. In addition, once your hand touches the paper opening, the shredder will automatically stop for safety purposes.

• Pros: Shreds up to 16 sheets at once, runs continuously up to 30 minutes

1. AmazonBasics Cross-Cutting 6-Sheet Paper Shredder

This 6-sheet AmazonBasics shredder comes with a modest 3.8-gallon waste bin. It is a cross-cutter, which is quite a good security functionality at such a price. It can shred credit cards as well, and features an auto-start, as well as manual reverse function to clear paper jams. This shredder offers a good price and functionality combination to be our number #1 ranked shredder.

• Pros: Low priced, cross-cut shredder, auto start plus manual reverse
• Cons: Only 2 minutes of continuous run with 30 minutes cool down

 

We have shown you the various configurations and features of the various shredder makes, and it is now up to you to make the final choice. If you don’t do much paper shredding, then the AmazonBasics in position #1 is of course a great buy, else if you need something more intense, then either the Fellowes PowerShred or the HSM Shredster should be perfect.

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