Documents shredder: The 3 Best Paper Shredders of 2023

The 3 Best Paper Shredders of 2023

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1. Office
2. Home office

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

FYI

May 2023

Even if you’re not a secret agent and you don’t think you have anything to hide, you need a paper shredder.

Garbage and recycling bins full of bank statements and credit card offers are treasure troves for identity thieves. Your best defense: a paper shredder, which chomps through sensitive documents and spits them out as confetti.

After researching more than 25 shredders and running more than 4,000 sheets of paper (along with staples, CDs, and credit cards) through seven of them, we recommend the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder with Pullout Basket for personal and home-office use.

Our pick

The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder with Pullout Basket typically costs more than competing eight-sheet micro-cut shredders, but it’s worth the investment because it runs longer without overheating or jamming.

Like other micro-cut shredders, this Amazon Basics shredder chomps documents into tiny shreds, making any sensitive paperwork all but impossible to reassemble. It can also handle old plastic credit cards, and it has a separate slot for data DVDs, which is helpful for reducing wear and tear on the main shredder gears.

Though this model is slightly bigger than eight-sheet shredders with lift-up tops, it still fits under most desks, and the pullout bin and wheels are conveniences that make it easier to keep up a shredding habit.

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Upgrade pick

If an eight-sheet shredder won’t cut it because you constantly have large stacks of sensitive documents to dispose of, the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder and Credit Card CD Shredder with 6 Gallon Bin is the upgrade model to get.

As the name indicates, it can handle four more sheets at once, and it has more than twice the rated run time—20 minutes versus five. (In our tests, both shredders ran for about three minutes longer than their rated run times before their bins got full.)

The increase in both capacity and run time means you can shred more paper in a single session, and the spacious, 6-gallon bin also means you won’t have to empty the bin as often as you would with lower-capacity shredders.

This 12-sheet shredder has a separate slot for destroying credit cards and discs. But the dedicated slot doesn’t micro-cut the pieces like our main pick, so we recommend shredding at least credit cards in the main paper slot for added security.

Budget pick

If you have light shredding needs—for example, you get most of your statements and other paperwork digitally—the Amazon Basics 6-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Paper and Credit Card Home Office Shredder is the best option for occasional use at home.

This shredder ran for six minutes—double its rated run time—before needing a cooldown break, and it even plowed through stacks of eight pieces of stapled paper.

It’s a bit noisier than our other picks, and the pull-off top means more cumbersome bin emptying, but this smaller shredder is more affordable, and it shreds pages to the same itty-bitty pieces as its larger siblings do.

Everything we recommend

Our pick

Upgrade pick

Budget pick

The research

• Why you should trust us
• Who this is for
• How we picked and tested
• Our pick: Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder
• Upgrade pick: Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder and Credit Card CD Shredder with 6 Gallon Bin
• Budget pick: Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder
• Other good paper shredders
• Paper shredder care and maintenance
• The competition
• Sources

Why you should trust us

Wirecutter’s Melanie Pinola has written about technology and home-office topics for more than a dozen years for sites such as Lifehacker, PCWorld, and Laptop Magazine, and she tested and reviewed various gear for Wirecutter for over five years. As someone who still gets way too much mail containing personal or sensitive information, she came into this guide with a vested interest in finding the best paper shredder for her household and home office.

Who this is for

Even if you’re receiving paperless statements from your bank and utilities, you still need a shredder. There’s no avoiding junk mail, and a shredder can help you avoid identity theft by destroying credit card solicitations, as well as medical information and anything else with personally identifiable info.

You don’t have to have a Ron Swanson–level of concern for your privacy and security to need a shredder. (Scene from Parks and Recreation)

You have other ways to dispose of documents with sensitive information on them, of course. You could throw them in the fireplace, rip them by hand and toss the pieces in with food or pet waste, or maybe even blend them with bleach and water until they’re pulp.

You could also pay to have your documents shredded at places like Staples or FedEx, but you’ll have more peace of mind doing it yourself rather than having your documents stored in a universal bin until the company shreds them.

How we picked and tested

Our testing has evolved since we started covering shredders in 2014, in that we now focus solely on micro-cut shredders. That’s because they’re much more secure than cross-cut models, and their prices have dropped to the point where they’re not significantly more expensive.

Micro-cut shredders can shred a letter-size page into more than 2,000 pieces versus 400 or fewer pieces for a cross-cut shredder. They’re also more likely to have a higher, P4 security-rating level (paper shredders are rated on a seven-step scale), which is especially important if you need to destroy documents with highly sensitive information, such as medical or financial info.

Micro-cut shreds are significantly smaller than a dime. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

To determine which models to test, we look at owner reviews on Amazon and other retail sites, as well as specs on the manufacturers’ pages, and consider the following factors:

• Price: We look for paper shredders from major manufacturers that retail for less than $200, with a strong preference for those priced closer to or lower than $100. More-expensive shredders are designed for offices where they’ll shred stacks of documents throughout the day; they’re overkill for a typical one- or two-person home office.
• Page capacity: Having a shredder with a higher page capacity means you can shred more paper at once, including several folded sheets. Most of the micro-cut shredders in our target price range can handle six to 12 sheets at a time.
• Run time: The higher the shredder’s run time, the more you can continuously shred before the unit needs to take a break and cool down. Less-expensive shredders have run times of under five minutes, while the best home and small-office models have run times rated at 10 minutes or more. In our testing, most of the shredders’ bins got full within 10 to 15 minutes of nonstop shredding, rendering claims of ultra-high run times moot.
• Cooldown time: This refers to how long your shredder’s timeout needs to be after you exceed the run time. The shorter, the better, if you want to get back to your shredding job as soon as possible.
• Ability to shred stapled documents, paper-clipped documents, CDs, and credit cards: Handling stapled documents and plastic credit cards is a must for any shredder.

Many shredders can also grind up paper clips and CDs, which we considered a bonus.

To evaluate each shredder, we put it through a battery of tests:

• We put batches of letter-size paper through (based on the shredder’s recommended maximum load) in succession to see if the shredder would jam or overheat under normal operating conditions.
• We purposely inserted more pages than the maximum load to see when the shredder would jam and how easily we could clear jams. (Note: Don’t do this at home. Stick to the maximum page capacity recommended by the manufacturer, or fewer, to avoid overworking your shredder and potentially shortening its life.)
• We timed the shredder’s run time and cooldown time.
• We tested whether the shredder could destroy staples, credit cards, and CDs (if the shredder maker advertised that it could). We didn’t test with paper clips in this round because in previous tests we found that they tended to break the machines.
• We noted how easy or difficult it was to empty the wastebasket, and how many pages the bin could hold before needing to be emptied.
• We measured the level of noise during shredding using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s sound level meter app.

We don’t test shredders with any materials not recommended by the manufacturer, such as cardboard, adhesive labels, file folders, envelopes with plastic windows, laminates, X-rays, or greeting cards containing sound chips or batteries.

What’s with all the Amazon Basics shredders?

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

After testing models from Fellowes, Aurora, and Bonsaii, we found that once again the Amazon Basics shredders performed the best and were the easiest to use.

Wirecutter doesn’t do sponsored content—brands can’t pay us to be reviewed or featured in our guides—and we make our picks independent of any affiliate compensation or business arrangements. (For additional info, read more about how we work.)

So how did we end up with three recommendations for Amazon Basics models? As we do for all of our guides, we made our picks here based on extensive comparisons, research, and testing. The three Amazon Basics shredders we recommend are pretty much variations of the same machine, just with different page capacities (and in the case of the six-sheet version, a pull-up versus a pull-out bin design). You can read more about the models we didn’t pick, and why, in the Competition section.

In 2020, a report by CNN flagged several Amazon Basics shredders as potentially dangerous because they had three or more owner reviews that included words like “unsafe” or “fire hazard. ” Although incidents of shredders causing fires or electrical damage are rare—out of more than 4,600 reviews, we found 41 reviews for our budget pick mentioning “fire” and 15 mentioning “hazard”—we’ve added a care and maintenance advice section to help you keep any shredder in top shape and reduce the risk of overheating.

Our pick: Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Our pick

It has a useful capacity. The eight-sheet feeder is enough for you to shred a couple of bank or credit card statements at a time, and you can get through hundreds of papers in less than 10 minutes.

We threw everything we had at it—stapled sheets, folded junk mail, plastic credit cards, and data DVDs (in the handy separate disc slot)—and the shredder chomped through them all like a champ, producing minuscule, undecipherable bits of paper and plastic.

Although it’s rated for eight sheets, we were able to run batches of 10 sheets of paper, including stapled stacks, through the shredder without jamming it (note that we do not recommend doing this at home).

And the wide, angled shredding slot in the eight-sheet Amazon Basics also made it easy for us to feed the shredder continuously, even if all the papers in the stack weren’t perfectly aligned.

It’s easy to clear jams when they happen. When we fed the shredder a stack of 11 sheets of paper, it finally jammed, but we easily cleared it up using the forward and reverse buttons.

By contrast, some shredders (such as the Aurora AU870MA) don’t have a manual forward option, which might be critical for clearing tough jams.

The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder ran jam-free for over five minutes as we fed it stacks and stacks of paper. Video: Michael Murtaugh

It runs even longer than it claims to. The shredder also outperformed its rated run time of five minutes, shredding continuously for eight minutes before the bin indicator said it was full.

That required us to empty the wastebasket before continuing, and it meant that we were never able to overtax the shredder enough to force it into a 30-minute cooldown mode—unlike our experience with the Fellowes Powershred 8MC5 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Shredder, which overheated within five minutes of continuous use.

The convenient pull-out wastebasket allows you to shred about 360 letter-size sheets before it requires emptying. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

It fits under most desks and is easy to move. Although this eight-sheet Amazon Basics shredder is larger and bulkier than shredders with pull-up tops, it still fits under standard-size desks, and the casters make it easy to wheel out for shredding and for emptying the bin.

The pull-out wastebasket glides out and back in easily, which in our tests made shredding less of a chore than with eight-sheet shredders that had lift-up tops.

The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder has a wide slot for paper and plastic credit cards and a separate slot for CDs and DVDs. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

It has useful extra features. One handy feature of this shredder is its separate CD/DVD shredding slot. If you have data discs to destroy, you can do so without wearing down the main gears.

In our testing, it worked as intended, quickly tearing discs apart into several small shards.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• This shredder produces larger shreds than some other micro-cut models we tested—most notably, the Fellowes Powershred 8MC5 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Shredder (which unfortunately had temperature and jamming problems). But the eight-sheet Amazon Basics still produced consistently high-security, P4-level-size shreds—enough to give us peace of mind that identity thieves or snooping neighbors wouldn’t be able to piece together the original documents.
• Shredding CDs or DVDs makes this model sound louder than when it’s shredding plastic credit cards or paper, but the sound levels we recorded—83 decibels for CDs, 70 for credit cards, and mid-60s for stacks of paper—were bang on the average of all shredders we tested.
• Although this model has an overload LED indicator that’s supposed to warn you if you try to shred too many sheets at once, it didn’t work as we expected: It lit up only when a jam already existed, rather than warning us before said jam would happen.
• Some other shredders have additional safety features that would be nice to see on the Amazon Basics shredders, like a lock switch and a hidden on/off switch for child safety. For the utmost safety, if you have young children, we recommend unplugging any shredder when it’s not in use.

Upgrade pick: Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro Cut Paper Shredder and Credit Card CD Shredder with 6 Gallon Bin

Photo: Connie Park

Upgrade pick

These two shredders are about the same size—just about an inch more in each direction for the 12-sheet version—and they produce the same tiny, micro-cut shreds. So the main question when you’re deciding whether to get the eight-sheet or 12-sheet Amazon Basics shredder is how much paper you need to shred regularly.

It shreds twice as much as our top pick before you need to empty it. The 12-sheet shredder tore through 250 pages before the bin was full, in contrast to the eight-sheet model’s 112 pages, thanks to the large, 6-gallon bin.

As we found with the eight-sheet model, we were never able to force this shredder into cooldown mode (which would have required a 20-minute timeout). For people who have high-volume shredding needs, this might be a game changer—you can grab a handful of paper to shred and not have to worry about overloading the shredder.

It has some uncommon conveniences. This 12-sheet shredder has a window for you to see when the bin is filling up, so you can stop shredding before it jams.

Unlike other shredders, it also comes with the casters already attached, eliminating a setup step to help you get your shredder up and running.

Photo: Connie Park

It can also handle optical discs and IDs. The 12-sheet model has a separate CD/DVD slot, similar to our top pick.

This slot is designed to handle IDs and credit cards as well, but we recommend using the main document feeder for shredding IDs and credit cards for the added security, since the CD slot cuts cards only into halves or quarters, depending on how you feed the cards, rather than micro-cuts.

An Amazon representative confirmed that feeding IDs into the main paper slot won’t void the warranty or damage the shredder, but couldn’t explain why this model suggests that users should feed IDs through a less-secure slot.

Budget pick: Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder

Photo: Michael Murtaugh

Budget pick

Its petite size means it can fit almost anywhere. This shredder is the size of a small bathroom wastebasket, in contrast to the carry-on suitcase profile of other pricier shredders.

It also costs half as much as larger models. The Amazon Basics 6-Sheet is roughly half the price of similar but higher-capacity micro-cut paper shredders.

The six-sheet Amazon Basics shredder’s lift-up top has a handle for easy separation from the wastebasket, but the design is still more of a hassle than pull-out wastebaskets. Photo: Michael Murtaugh

It lives up to its shredding claims but jams more than our other picks. Because the shredder has a small page capacity, you need to feed it just a few pages at a time for optimal performance. During our tests, the six-sheet shredder was able to handle a stack of up to eight sheets at a time, but it noticeably struggled.

This model also jammed four times during our tests when we stuffed in a thick batch of folded sheets or pages with a large paper clip, so don’t expect it to take the abuse of a busy office.

When jams happen, they’re easy to clear. If the shredder does jam, you can easily clear it by throttling the gears into reverse (slide the switch to reverse).

In the past, when we overloaded other shredders, we were unable to clear similar jams, even when they had both reverse and forward jam-clearing options.

It runs longer than expected without overheating. Although this model can’t handle as many pages at once as a larger shredder can, we found that it was able to beat its rated three-minute run time, so you can keep shredding and shredding until you get through your stack.

Its lift-up top is a little clunky. Unlike the larger, more expensive Amazon Basics shredders, which have pull-out wastebaskets, this version consists of just a plastic can with a shredder that fits into the top.

To empty it, you need to lift off the nearly 10-pound shredder unit and set that to the side. Doing this is a little more of a hassle than tugging on a bin, and it tends to result in more shreds scattering on the floor, but it’s not that big of a problem if you’re not emptying the bin on a weekly or even monthly basis.

And although the shredder is top-heavy, we’ve been using it for over a year without the unit toppling or threatening to do so; the Aurora AU870MA, in comparison, could be a problem for people with children and pets because it is easy to push over.

It’s noisier than other shredders, but only a little. Whereas the other Amazon Basics shredders all made a loud whirring noise, measuring in the mid to high 60s in decibels, the noise level for the smaller, six-sheet shredder was more often in the 70s.

Other good paper shredders

It’s a fine, capable shredder whose headline feature is that it’s rated for 60 minutes of run time—three times longer than the 12-sheet Amazon Basics shredder we recommend. But like our upgrade pick, it ran for just 14 minutes before filling its 5-gallon bin, rendering the merit of that spec somewhat dubious.

It didn’t perform quite as well as the 12-sheet Amazon Basics model in our tests, sometimes pausing for a second or two before accepting subsequent stacks of paper to shred, and often letting its gears spin a few moments after all the paper was through, which could cause the machine to wear down over time.

When we fed the shredder 15 pages to intentionally jam it, we noted a burning smell that our picks didn’t produce when they jammed.

Paper shredder care and maintenance

Whichever shredder you use, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding what you should and should not shred, as well as how many pages to feed at a time. Overfeeding the shredder could quickly wear down the blades, motor, and other shredder parts.

To keep your shredder running smoothly, manufacturers recommend regularly oiling the blades. Advice on which oil to use varies by manufacturer, but we think shredder sharpening and lubricant sheets are a simple, inexpensive option that should work for any unit.

If a shredder overheats or malfunctions, it could be a safety hazard. If your machine doesn’t turn off automatically when it exceeds its maximum run time, or if you notice that it’s overheating, unplug the machine and let it cool off for at least 30 minutes.

For the utmost safety—especially if you have kids—it’s best to leave your shredder unplugged when it’s not in use, or at least turned to the off position rather than the auto setting.

The competition

This is not a comprehensive list of models we have tested. Specifically, it does not include any cross-cut models, since we no longer recommend them, and we have removed any discontinued models as well.

Similar to our budget pick, the Aurora AU870MA High-Security 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper and Credit Card Shredder has an inconvenient lift-up top. Its wastebasket is flimsier than that of other shredders, and the design tapers at the bottom, which makes it easier to knock over. Its shredding slot is also curved on the left side, which in our experience made feeding it more difficult.

The Fellowes Powershred 8MC5 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Shredder, another shredder with a lift-up top, jammed twice in testing, each time within four minutes. It instantly overheated both of those times, requiring us to wait 30 minutes to clear the jams.

We didn’t complete testing of the Bonsaii 12-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Shredder C221-B because after six minutes—and shredding more than 300 pages—we found the burning smell nauseating. The Bonsaii shredder’s slot isn’t angled as on other shredders, either—you have to insert paper completely vertically, which makes it more difficult to use under a desk.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.

Sources

1. Riva Richmond, Questions to Ask Before Buying a Shredder, The New York Times, March 31, 2010

2. Robert Siciliano, security-awareness expert and CEO of Safr. me, email interview, June 25, 2019

3. John Sileo, cybersecurity expert, email interview, June 25, 2019

4. Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy, Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, email interview, June 25, 2019

5. Rob Douglas, identity-theft expert and information security consultant, email interview, June 25, 2019

6. Henry Bagdasarian, executive director, Identity Management Institute, email interview, June 25, 2019

7. Which Security Level?, The Shredder Warehouse

Meet your guide

Melanie Pinola

Melanie Pinola previously covered all things home office as a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. She has contributed to print and online publications such as The New York Times, Lifehacker, and PCWorld, specializing in tech, productivity, and lifestyle/family topics. She’s thrilled when those topics intersect—and when she gets to write about them in her PJs.

Further reading

• Gear for a Paperless Home Office

  by Erica Ogg

  This is the gear and the strategies we at Wirecutter use to move from a paper-based home office to an all-digital filing and storage system.

• The Best Gear for Organizing Your Desk

  by Mark Smirniotis

  We’ve spent hundreds of hours researching and testing office-organizing gear to help keep your workspace clutter-free.

Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).

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The best paper shredders in 2023, tested by editors

Paper shredders aren’t just a satisfying way to dispose of unwanted paper. By shredding your sensitive documents into tiny difficult-to-read pieces, they can hinder would-be identity thieves searching for account numbers, billing records and financial statements.

Shredders come in a range of sizes and shredding capabilities too, so whatever your space limitations or security requirements, there’s one that can work for you. We sourced 10 popular shredder models for hands-on testing, comparing their overall ease of use, noise level, shredding capacity and potential jam issues to find the best shredder for your home office.

Aurora AU1060MA 10-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder

The best paper shredder overall

Aurora

This Aurora shredder provides equally impressive security and productivity capabilities, thanks to its P-5 micro-cut blades and 60-minute continuous runtime. 

$114 at Amazon

Alex Rennie/CNN Underscored

This Aurora AU1060MA 10-Sheet Micro-Cut Shredder strikes an ideal balance between high performance and maximum security document shredding, making it an obvious choice as our top pick.

Unlike some other shredders that have a cluttered, overwhelming control interface, the Aurora features a straightforward layout that’s really simple to use. A large, four-setting control switch allows you to easily power the device on and off, as well as switch between forward and reverse modes for clearing any potential jams. The four LED status indicators use both visual icons and a text description, so it’s always clear what the Aurora is trying to tell you.

A cleanly-laid-out, informative control panel with easy-to-read LEDs makes the Aurora AU1060MA simple to operate.

Alex Rennie/CNN Underscored

What really separated the Aurora from the rest of the testing pool was its P-5 security rating. While the other micro-cut units tended to generate 4-by-12-millimeter pieces, the Aurora shreds everything inserted — even credit cards — into pieces half that size: 2 by 12 mm, about the same size and shape as a piece of long-grained rice. Generating 2,592 pieces per A4 sheet, it far surpasses the 2,000 pieces required to qualify for a P-5 rating. It’s worth noting that although the Aurora can handle small paper clips and staples, it cannot accept CDs or DVDs. (We didn’t consider this a significant downside, given the shrinking popularity of these media types.)

I was also really impressed with the overall power and endurance of the Aurora, especially considering the intense workload of a micro shredder’s blades. The advertised 60 minute continuous runtime is by far the longest of the models in my testing pool, making it well-suited to handle those large-quantity shredding projects you may have. The 6-gallon pullout bin is large enough to hold 380 sheets of paper, and the large viewing window makes it easy to monitor its fill level. A sensor will also activate the “empty bin” LED to let you know when it’s too full.

The P-5 security rated Aurora AU1060MA created finer pieces than the other similarly-priced models we tested, making for shredded documents that would be very difficult for any potential identity thief to reassemble.

Alex Rennie/CNN Underscored

Though the Aurora advertises a 10-sheet limit, I was actually able to push that to 15 without incident. When I was finally able to intentionally create a jam at around 18 sheets, the Aurora initiated its “auto-reverse” setting, and with a little tug on the sheets from my end, reversed the jam out easily. Using the collection bin was convenient too, and I was able to slide it in and out of place without any frustrating jostling or shoving to make it fit.

Despite the large capacity, this shredder is still easy to roll around, thanks to the four rolling casters. I would have liked the option to lock these, but the 24-pound weight seems to prevent any unwanted rolling around.

There are certainly cheaper options out there, but the combination of the high security rating, large bin capacity and super-long runtime make the Aurora AU1060MA 10-Sheet Micro Cut Shredder worth the price.

If you’re at all concerned about identity theft — and you should be, since last year more than 1 million cases were reported to the FTC — a paper shredder can provide some peace of mind. According to the most recent data available from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, most cases of identity theft aren’t easy to trace to specific criminal activity, and much identity theft these days takes place digitally, but many experts still suggest shredding sensitive documents as one element of a defensive strategy.

Access to physical paper documents can give criminals enough personal data to open up lines of credit, request loans or commit healthcare fraud in your name. Even seemingly harmless junk mail — pre-approved credit card offers and courtesy checks, for instance — can be combined with other partial data to create a complete identity profile. By shredding these documents, a dumpster-diving thief looking for a treasure trove of personal information will only find a bag of confetti — and that’s much harder to piece together.

Paper shredders come in a few different types, with cross-cut and micro-cut being the most common. While both work essentially the same way, by feeding paper through a series of tiny blades, cross-cut models generate larger pieces than micro-cut shredders, making them less secure. If a thief were ever motivated enough to try and re-assemble a shredded document, a cross-cut sheet would be extremely time-consuming, while a micro-cut sheet would be even more challenging.

These particle sizes can also vary within the same shredder type, which is where security ratings become useful. These standardized ratings assign a security level depending on the size of the particle, from P-1 (least secure) to P-7 (most secure), allowing you to compare cross- and micro-cut models even more accurately. If maximum security is your top priority, go with a micro-cut shredder at the highest security level you can afford. Recycling.com has a more detailed rundown if you want to learn more.

Because of their additional blades, micro-cut shredders tend to have lower sheet capacity limits, and are also more expensive. That said, if you really want to make sure you’ve shredded your documents as finely as possible, it could be worth the investment in a higher-rated shredder.

Alex Rennie/CNN Underscored

Although paper shredders do most of the work for you, it’s still important that they’re easy to use. To evaluate each model’s overall ease of use, we first reviewed their user manuals, noting how clear and concise the directions were, and any that were unclear or lacked important information. We also evaluated how straightforward and functional the controls were, and compared how effectively each shredder communicated any error messages or status levels.

We then fed the recommended sheet limit into each unit, noting how easy it was to guide papers into the feed slot. Some had sloped edges that helped feed paper down into the blades, while others had narrower openings that required a little more aim. In addition to paper, we also made sure to test each model’s ability to shred any other items it claimed to be able to handle, like staples, small paper clips, credit cards and CDs.

To evaluate how each shredder handled potential jams, we inserted larger and larger batches of paper until they eventually jammed up and stopped. We noted whether the shredder tried to remove the jam on its own by auto-reversing, or if you were required to use the control switch to reverse the blade direction yourself. We also compared how well each shredder’s user manual walked you through jam clearing, and if they included any helpful tips or recommended maintenance to help avoid jams altogether. We also made sure to thoroughly test how convenient each shredder was to empty outy, inspecting both the design and construction of the storage bin when removing it and replacing after emptying.

During testing, we kept a close eye on the overall build quality of each unit too, noting whether the construction and components felt sturdy and solid, or loose and flimsy. Noise level was another factor I compared, and measured the decibel level of each unit with a smartphone app.

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We also compared specs like maximum sheet capacity, bin size, run times and security level. These don’t necessarily make a shredder better or worse than another, but by using them as comparison tools, we were able to accurately understand and explain which shredders would be ideal for different users and circumstances.

The Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Micro-Cut shredder is strong enough to power through staples, small paper clips, credit cards and CDs, and the straightforward control panel was especially user-friendly. I also appreciated the portability of this shredder. Rolling casters allow you to smoothly and quietly guide it around a room, and the relatively compact size makes it convenient to store under your desk or anywhere else you don’t want it to take up too much room. The pull-out basket slides in and out without much trouble, and unlike some other compact models that are a little flimsy, it has a nice, sturdy feel to it. You’re getting a nice amount of security with this unit too, and the 4-by-12-millimeter shreds have a P-4 rating. The 8-sheet capacity and 5-minute runtime limit the productivity of this shredder, but if you don’t have a ton of paper to shred, that may not be an issue.

Combining a 12-sheet capacity, 6-gallon bin and micro-cut capabilities, the Amazon Basics 12-Sheet Micro-Cut shredder is a solid, middle-of-the-road model for those who want to be prepared for small and large projects. The four-mode power switch is simple to use, and the auto-reverse mechanism did its job to clear jams during my tests. The main drawback to this shredder is the fact that the separate credit card slot does not perform the same micro-cuts as the paper slot. When I shredded an expired card in my testing, it was only cut into three large pieces, one of which contained my entire credit card number! After re-reading the manual I did learn that you can shred credit cards in the paper slot if you want that extra security, but I still feel like that could have been clearer on the control panel.

If you just want a compact, low-cost, bare-bones model for the occasional shredding project, look no further than the Amazon Basics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut model. A four-mode control switch provides everything you need to clear any potential jams, and an LED indicator light lets you know when it needs a cool-down. Unlike larger shredders that use a pull-out basket, this unit requires you to lift off the entire shredder head when it’s time to empty it out. This process isn’t the most convenient, but the large handle on top of the head makes it a bit easier. It’s worth noting that at 61 decibels, this one of the loudest shredders I tested, so may not be the best option for those who like things quiet or have a lot of shredding to do.

If you don’t anticipate any large-scale shredding projects in your future, and are satisfied with a lower security rating, the Aurora AU1230XA Anti-Jam 12-Sheet Cross-Cut shredder is a great option. Its compact size is convenient for those without a lot of space, and the light, 13-pound weight makes it easy to transport or reposition around the room. The nice big handle on the shredder head makes it convenient to remove when the bin is filled up, too. The auto-reverse feature made for easy jam clearing, and if a serious jam issue does occur, the 5-year warranty should have you covered. Its P-3 rating is on the lower end of the spectrum though, so security-minded users will probably want to go with a P-4 or P-5 model.

A robust workhorse, the Bonsaii EverShred C169-B shredder can shred continuously for 40 minutes without needing a break and process 14 sheets of paper at a time. The recommended protocol for clearing jams worked fairly well — just shift the control slider to “reverse” and yank the sheets out — and the overheat indicator light lets you know when it needs a cool-down. Rolling casters also make it easy to wheel around your workspace or under your desk, although the side handles weren’t quite deep enough to be effective. Annoyingly, the Bonsaii uses the same color LED (red) for the “overload” and “overheat” error indicators and the power indicator, which makes it hard to distinguish problems in normal operation at a glance. Plus, the manual is full of grammatical and spelling errors, so overall the Bonsaii is just not as polished or easy to use as it should be.

It’s not perfect, but for a micro-cut shredder at this price, it’s hard to deny the value of the Bonsen High Security Micro-Cut Paper Shredder. Two recessed handles take away some of the hassle of emptying out the bin, and although its 4-gallon capacity is on the lower end, light-duty users shouldn’t be too affected. Plus, generating just 48 decibels at peak shredding, this model ranked as one of the quietest of all the shredders I tested. Unlike most other shredders that auto-reverse the blades in the event of a jam, this one requires you to manually turn the control switch to reverse to clear the stuck sheets. This isn’t a huge deal, but worth noting for those who prefer something with automated maintenance features.

The 16-sheet capacity of the Fellowes Powershred 79Ci makes it ideal for those who need to shred a lot of paper in a short amount of time, and I found its “jam-proof” technology claim to be accurate during my testing. The feed slot automatically senses if your stack of paper is too large, and unlike most other shredders that jam halfway through and need to reverse the paper back out, it simply doesn’t start shredding until the stack is reduced to a manageable quantity. A colored LED status bar also lets you know if the machine is close to overheating, and the “SafeSense” technology immediately pauses the shredder if any fingers or paws make contact with the feed slot. The 4-by-38-millimeter particle size is on the larger end, but if high-security isn’t a priority — and you can catch it when the price is on sale — this shredder could be a great choice.

Boasting a beefy 20-sheet capacity and 8-gallon bin, the Fellowes Powershred LX22M shredder is designed with productivity and efficiency in mind. Its sleek, minimal look is a refreshing alternative to other office-equipment-style models, and the side-oriented pull-out basket allows for a little more flexibility when it comes to storage. It also features the same convenient “jam-proof” technology as the Fellowes Powershred 79Ci, and includes a bottle of lubricant, which will extend the overall lifespan of the blades and motor. Green, yellow and blue LEDs on the “efficiency meter” give you a real-time indicator of the current status, and let you know when you’re getting close to shredding beyond the optimal sheet count. Its blades pulverize each sheet of paper into 1,257 shredded pieces — giving it a solid P-4 security rating — and the 48-decibel noise level was tied for the lowest of all the models I tested.

A sleek, minimal control panel gives the Tru Red 16-Sheet Cross-Cut Commercial Shredder a high-end, professional look, and the 8-gallon storage bin is ideal for large shredding projects. It’s powerful enough to shred 16 sheets at a time, and even managed a stack of 25 in my testing before finally jamming. Its auto-reverse function kicked in right away, and with a little pulling on my end, cleared easily. The entire unit has a sturdy, solid feel to it, and I really appreciate the fact that it included an entire box of plastic waste bags as well as a lubricant sheet that you simply feed right into the paper slot. Plus, unlike many shredders that have a cluttered, sometimes confusing interface, the Tru Red’s backlit status and error indicators only appear when relevant. If you’re looking for a higher-end shredder that’s easy to use, it could be worth the price tag. I also discovered that my doctor’s office uses the micro-cut version of this model, and despite the high workload, office employees agreed that they’d never had any issue with it.

Destruction of documents with departure in Moscow

* ON SITE * 100 KG IN 2 MINUTES * NO SORTING * ANY WHOLE FOLDER * PICK OUT * ON SITE * 100 KG IN 2 MINUTES * NO SORTING * ANY WHOLE FOLDER * PICK OUT *

Shredder Express LLC presents to your attention professional mobile shredding of documents and other data carriers on the spot. A mobile shredder is the best option for getting rid of unnecessary documentation without the possibility of its subsequent recovery. We are ready to produce high-quality destruction of paper, plastic and electronic media.

Our company offers shredder services to all those interested in the elimination of confidential data using professional industrial equipment on the territory of the Customer. Just contact us and we will fulfill your order as soon as possible. Entrust the destruction of storage media to professionals – ensure that your company prevents the leakage of important data.

Mobile on-site shredding of documents has proven its value all over the world. Modern industrial shredding equipment installed in special trucks allows us to eliminate paper, plastic and electronic media directly on the territory of the organization without the possibility of their subsequent recovery. Staples, clips, folders, and metal devices, etc., may not eject.

In any company or organization there is a large document flow. Over time, many paper and other media lose their relevance. However, business documentation on various media is not subject to simple disposal, since it contains data of a certain degree of secrecy. Utilization of papers in the office should be carried out on professional equipment that excludes information leakage. In such a situation, the high level of confidentiality of the in situ destruction process is paramount.

The Shredder Express company offers its customers mobile shredding of documents on site. The entire destruction process of takes place in close proximity to the place where documents are stored and is completely transparent to our customers. The machines of our company are equipped with video cameras that allow the customer to see the results of the destruction of the documentation. Not a single document leaves the territory of the customer, only fragments that cannot be restored are taken out.

Do you need to get rid of a certain number of expired documents?

If the need arises, just call the Shredder Express company – services for destruction of documents are the only direction of our professional activity. We will arrive on a truck with built-in special equipment at the address indicated by you, process the storage media and take the fragments to waste paper recycling centers in Moscow. In our work, we comply with all environmental standards, so the destruction of paper and electronic media will be safe. The equipment operates silently and is not dusty, so calling our company’s auto-shredder will not cause anyone any inconvenience.

Shredder Express is a mobile shredder with a high degree of confidentiality:

• archival and personnel documents ,
• banking and accounting documents ,
• business current documentation,
• plastic cards ,
• CDs, DVDs, etc. .

“Shredder Express” is a professional work on modern equipment, which:

• ensures prompt destruction of paper and electronic media;
• guarantees that the information can never be recovered;
• provides guaranteed trade secrets.

With the company “Shredder Express” services for the disposal of documents in Moscow or high-quality destruction of any type of confidential information carriers is simple, reliable and efficient.

Shredder Express offers the fastest type of shredding ( shredding ):

For confidential documents (security level – 3 EN): industrial shredders are installed in trucks that shred paper and mix fragments. The recycling rate is up to 3,000 kg per hour. Watch video >>>

For more information, please call +7 (495) 767-70-91, +7 (495) 997-28-37.

How to choose a shredder (shredder)

Documents left carelessly, even crumpled or torn, are a potential source of trouble. Once in the wrong hands, they can cause serious moral and financial damage. Therefore, in some organizations there are entire instructions on how to handle service materials and protection of information fixed on paper and other media (microfilm, magnetic tape and diskettes, etc..). But even if there are no special secrets in the working papers, then the policy of “clean desks” will help to significantly increase (and this has been proven) the organization, accuracy and productivity of all employees of your company without exception, not to mention the fact that the appearance of the company with uncluttered desktops in the eyes of your visitors becomes incomparably more respectable.

The solution to these problems today and in the future is the use of shredders or “shredders” , which got their name from the English verb “to shred” – which means “chop, shred …”

There are 3 main ways destruction of documents : chemical, thermal and mechanical. The most common and popular mechanical method. Its main advantage is simplicity. It does not require separate rooms equipped with special ventilation systems, fire safety equipment, specially trained personnel, overalls…

Shredder classification

1. Number of users and productivity:
   • Personal – for use directly at the workplace;
   • Office – for collective use;
   • Industrial – for central processing of business papers, shredding paper and cardboard packaging, etc.
2. Cutting type:
   • Parallel shredding documents into strips of various widths;
   • Cross , which involves simultaneous longitudinal and transverse cutting of the document into small fragments.
3. Degree of security (international standard DIN 32757):
   • Level 1 – for general documents. A strip width of no more than 12 mm of unlimited length is allowed. The area of ​​the fragment is not more than 2000 sq. mm.
   • 2nd level – for internal documents with limited access “Particle Board”. Strip width no more than 6 mm with unlimited length. The area of ​​the fragment is not more than 800 sq. mm.
   • Level 3 – for confidential documents. The strip is not wider than 2 mm and the area is not more than 594 sq. mm. Or a strip not wider than 4 mm and not more than 80 mm long. and the area of ​​the fragment is not more than 320 sq. mm.
   • Level 4 – for classified documents. The width of the strip is not more than 2 mm, the length is not more than 15 mm, the area of ​​the fragment is 30 sq. mm.
   • Level 5 – for documents marked “top secret”. The strip is not wider than 0.8 mm, the length is not more than 13 mm, the total area of ​​the fragment is not more than 10 sq. mm.
4. Media format:
   • width up to 220 mm (A4) – models 65, 70, 80 – 105,
   • width up to 255 mm (B4) – models 125 – 225
   • width over 386 mm (A3) – models 386-411 and more powerful.
5. Operating mode:
   • Intermittent – models 65, 70, 80 – 386. Continuous operation of the devices is expected for no more than half an hour, followed by a break.
   • Continuous – Models 411 and above. The devices can work continuously for an unlimited time.

The above classification will help you choose the best document shredder model . You can find more detailed characteristics of shredders in the tables presented on the following pages.

“Kopitan” group brings to your attention HSM shredders based on electromechanical cutting method.

Help . The German company HSM was founded in 1971. Thanks to a strong industrial and scientific and technological base, it has managed to achieve a leading position in the world among firms specializing in the production of systems recycling of data carriers (shredders) and recycling of bulky, lightweight material accumulating in large volumes (bale-dressing presses).

The HSM shredders are available in over 50 models. This range is able to satisfy even the most demanding customer. You can pick up shredders of any level of secrecy, any performance, for personal or collective use, and even shredders capable of “grinding” in a matter of seconds documents in folders with strong steel fasteners, pressing them and carefully packing them into bales. The latest developments in the HSM are so interesting that other manufacturers of destruction and disposal systems turn to HSM for help in designing and manufacturing their own models.

HSM balers (or press packers) are available in over 20 models. They are reliable hydraulic devices serving for disposal of paper and cardboard products, products made of plastic, textiles, tin, as well as packaging (tare) from these materials. HSM manufactures from small, simple machines to huge, fully automatic systems.

How do HSM shredders differ from analogues?

1. Ability to process documents together with staples due to the special properties of steel knives. Cutting mechanism of any model of shredder HSM is a first category cutter (see Dealer Notes section).
2. Low noise (indicating the high quality of the motor and gearbox).
3. Full compliance with Russian standards and other regulatory documents.
4. Economy (low power consumption).
5. All models are made in Germany (which means that you have an additional quality guarantee).
6. Fast and professional service support for HSM equipment from Kopitan.
7. Increased safety . Almost all devices automatically turn on when documents enter the loading window and stop after processing is completed, providing light indication of operating modes and blocking the engine when the container is open or full.