Paper shredders are a necessary tool in the office and home. Whether you are looking to keep business documents, confidential information, or personal documents safe, you need the right paper shredder for your needs. There is a wide variety of paper shredders available on the market, but not all are created equal. If you want to find the best paper shredder for your needs, here is what you need to know before making a purchase.
What to Consider When Buying a Paper Shredder
One of the most important things to consider when buying a paper shredder is how big it can handle. This can be a difficult question, as some paper shredders come with sizes starting at a mere 4-inch diameter and going up to 16 inches. It’s best to find one with a size that suits the needs of your business or home office.
Another factor you’ll want to think about is whether or not you need a self-cleaning function. Some paper shredders require manual cleaning, while others are self-cleaning and are able to do the job themselves.
Having a shredder is also very ideal for protection against scammers getting ahold of your personal documents that hold confidential details.
Also keep in mind what type of operating system you have in your office, as certain functions might not work on certain systems. Some shredders will only work with Windows machines and others will only work with Apple systems.
Once you’ve considered all of these factors, you can select from a variety of top paper shredder brands, which will be covered below.
List of the Best Paper Shredders To Consider
Aurora AU1580MA Professional Grade Micro-Cut Paper/ CD and Credit Card Shredder
This behemoth can hold 8.5 gallons of shredded paper, making it a beast among shredders with its 43 pounds in weight and the casters on its base to provide some mobility. It makes quick work of 15 pages at a time and handles CDs/DVDs, paper clips, and credit cards as well. The blades turn them into a micro-shredded P-4 mass that is caught in the basket while an impressive 60-minute runtime lets offices stay ahead of shredding even when they are experiencing high volumes day after day
Wolverine SD9113 Heavy Duty Shredder
The Wolverine SD9113 Heavy Duty Shredder can handle all kinds of material besides just paper, including staples, CDs, and even credit cards. It has a high 18-page capacity and runs for only 60 minutes because it doesn’t have to cool down. In fact, the wastebasket is removable so you don’t need to continuously empty it. What’s more? Although the model is loud, it is very efficient. The device also takes up quite a bit of space on your desk or countertop due to its large size.
Bonsaii 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder
The Bonsaii 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder offers an impressive range of features for a relatively inexpensive model. Its 10-page capacity gets only better when you consider its ability to shred credit cards, paper clips, and staples as well as cross-cut it into P3-sized pieces. It also automatically turns off the machine if the head is removed from the wastebasket keeping hands and fingers safe.
This model is only able to run for about four minutes before it needs to shut down. This might limit the shredding capacity of a large office. It’s not that quiet, which could be an issue in some workplaces with sensitive colleagues or clients.
Aurora AU800SD Professional Strip Cut Paper Shredder
You might want to pick up this device if you have a small office that doesn’t need massive paper shredding. While it’s not intended for high volumes, the AU800SD can handle eight pages at once and shreds them into ΒΌ-inch pieces. What is nice about this machine is how easy it is to store away since its lightweight design fits most wastebaskets.
This one comes with a jam remover button in case anything gets stuck in the blades of your paper cutter, although be aware that this feature isn’t designed for high volume cuts like copiers or printers, so you’ll need an alternative when dealing with those tasks.