Get Rid of Your Old Documents Safely With These Top-Rated Paper Shredders
Get Rid of Your Old Documents Safely With These Top-Rated Paper Shredders
If you want to get organized at home, the piles of old documents and expired credit cards have got to go. The only problem is that it can be risky to toss these items away whole due to the sensitive personal or financial information they contain. So if you're looking to safely cut down the clutter once and for all, it's time to get yourself a paper shredder.
Instead of cutting in long, spaghetti-like strands, most paper shredders now cut in a crosscut formation, turning documents and cards into little bits of confetti that are nearly impossible to cleanly piece together. The paper shredders in our guide all shred quickly, can handle multiple papers inserted at once, and usually are equipped with other handy functions to help you reverse-shred or know when clear the bin.
The Best Paper Shredders
What to Consider
There are a few important qualities to keep in mind before you buy a paper shredder for your home office:
- Paper-slot limit: Each of these paper shredders has a different paper-slot limit, so you're only able to shred a small handful at a time. Overstuffing this slot with too many papers too quickly may cause the shredder to jam. This spec matters particularly if your household has a lot of personal documents to shred each week. But if you only shred papers occasionally or whenever you get a few pieces of junk mail, you don't necessarily need something that can handle 14 pages at a time.
- Size and bin capacity: If you have a lot to shred at home regularly, a paper shredder with a bigger bin capacity will not only hold everything you're throwing out, but it will prevent you from having to make multiple trips to the recycling bin or garbage can to toss the shreds. Just keep in mind that most of these paper shredders are roughly the size of a wastebasket (even a little bigger), so if your floor space just doesn't allow for another device, consider getting a shredder that sits right on top of your existing wastebasket like the Aurora GB AS680S Paper Shredder.
- Run Time: Most paper shredders can shred a few papers at a time or can run continuously. If you set it to run and shred continuously, the shredder will automatically shut off after a certain period for safety purposes and to let the motor cool off. If shredding marathons are a regular occurrence for you, opt for a shredder with a longer run time like the Aurora AU1460XA Paper Shredder — it can better handle the volume and continuous shredding power than other models that could get burnt out.
- Paper Jams: Even the best paper shredders jam from time to time. Fixing a paper jam can be as simple as setting it to reverse-shred so that its jammed paper comes back up again or letting it run on automatic until it clears all of the paper out of its teeth. However, after chewing through hundreds of pages, the amount of paper dust coating your shredder's teeth may cause it to jam or start making sounds. You'll want to get a dedicated paper shredder oil and apply it either directly to the machine or indirectly by moistening a piece of paper with it. There are also convenient lubricant sheets you can buy that make this even easier and less messy.
It's amazing how something as simple as a paper shredder can seriously cut down the chaos that normally clutters up your file folders and cabinets. Check out our guide to the best paper shredders here.
1) 14-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder
VidaTeco
amazon.com
$89.99
Key Specs:
- Paper-Slot Limit: 14 sheets
- Bin Capacity: 6.6 gallons
- Run Time: 5 minutes
With its generously sized bin, ability to shred through 14 pieces of paper at once, fast functionality, and a convenient handle for easy lifting, this VidaTeco Paper Shredder is a force to be reckoned with.
You can insert a stack of paper (with the staples and paper clips still attached) or individual credit cards and CDs into its slot, and it'll safely discard or shred up whatever goes in. When its switch is toggled to "Auto," it will automatically start running for up to 5 minutes at a time — this is actually a pretty average automatic run time, even if it does seem short. You can also reverse-shred in case the machine jams.
While users love how easy and fast it is, they do point out that this device can be quite loud. One person says, "It is by far the noisiest I have ever had, but the amount it chews up makes up for it."
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2) AU1460XA Anti-Jam 14-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder
Aurora
amazon.com
$138.95
Key Specs:
- Paper-Slot Limit: 14 sheets
- Bin Capacity: 6 gallons
- Run Time: 120 minutes
If your personal or professional life requires a lot of document-shredding on the daily, the Aurora AU1460XA Paper Shredder is perfect for you.
It has a large entry slot that can handle a paper-clipped or stapled stack of 14 sheets of paper (along with CDs and credit cards), an incredible 2-hour continuous run time, and it's also surprisingly quiet, so you're less likely to have a migraine after all of that shredding.
We also like its large display window that allows you to see exactly how much of its 6-gallon bin is full. It also has helpful indicator lights at the very top that show when the bin is full or overloaded, its door is open, or if the unit is overheated and needs time to cool.
Reviewers absolutely love this product, despite its slightly higher price tag. Says one person, "I'm a mobile notary. I use a shredder every day, and this one is truly a workhorse. It's reliable, not too loud, and very sturdy." Just keep in mind that all of that sturdiness means that it's a pretty heavy device at 23 pounds.
3) AU500SD 8-Sheet Strip-Cut Paper Shredder
Aurora GB
walmart.com
$28.99
Key Specs:
- Paper-Slot Limit: 8 sheets
- Run Time: 5 minutes
If you don't have the space for a standalone paper shredder in your already-tight office, the affordable Aurora GB AU500SD 8-Sheet Paper Shredder is the ideal solution. It lacks a bin but includes an extendible arm, so it can fit over any wastebasket or recycling bin that's at least 14 inches long.
This paper shredder is built for convenience, so while you can feed in a large stack of papers individually or continuously, you won't be able to insert quite as many sheets of paper as quickly as other models. It can also shred credit cards and CDs, but you'll want to keep it free of paper clips to not stress out its motor. One reviewer sums up this paper shredder by calling it "small but tough."
One important note: This is the only paper shredder in our guide that produces long, parallel strip cuts — not zig-zag crosscuts — so the resulting scraps are slightly easier to piece together. If security is your top concern, we suggest getting a crosscut shredder instead.
4) Powershred W11C Paper Shredder
Fellowes
walmart.com
$97.95
Key Specs:
- Paper-Slot Limit: 11 sheets
- Bin Capacity: 5.5 gallons
- Run Time: 5 minutes
A great bin capacity, secure safety lock, and handle for lifting the motor right off of the bin all make the Fellowes Powershred W11C Paper Shredder a useful device for staying on top of your home's paper waste.
It includes the standard toggle to switch its functionality between automatic, one-off, and reverse shredding, but it also has a dedicated safety lock that keeps the whole unit switched off, so it's a safer device to have on the ground of a busy family home.
Reviewers like this paper shredder's reliable performance, although they do say that you have to be careful when feeding in more than 5-6 sheets of paper at once. However, its design works well for most users, with one person saying, "I can empty this thing in less than 30 seconds without having to worry about chasing down a mess of stray paper pieces that fall out when emptying into another container."
5) 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder
Amazon Basics
amazon.com
$34.16
Key Specs:
- Paper-Slot Limit: 6 sheets
- Bin Capacity: 3.8 gallons
- Run Time: 3 minutes
Just looking for a no-frills shredder to keep the junk-mail piles at bay? The Amazon Basics 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper Shredder is affordable, small, and great if your shredding needs are simple.
It can cut up to six sheets of paper at once or individual credit cards, and it's best if you mainly prefer to shred on a one-off basis — some reviewers also advise snipping your credit cards in two before feeding it in.
Most reviewers acknowledge the tradeoffs with opting for a smaller, budget-friendly device — it's not one you'll want to exhaust with heavy paper loads daily. As one reviewer sums up, "It has plenty of power and shreds beautifully. Just don't try to run it for an hour shredding construction paper or folders — let it cool down every few minutes, and it should last you a good long time."
Amazon Basics does offer other paper shredders with bigger slot and bin capacities, as well as longer run times if you're more interested in sizing up your shredding needs.
Don't let pileups of old documents hog up room. Just use one of these handy paper shredders to make room, one sheet at a time.