Best Paper Shredders of 2021 for Home and Office use

Whether you work from home or you are in an office place, you need the best paper shredder. Offices have bigger paper shredders since they need to dispose of more documents. On the other hand, paper shredders for home are smaller in size since they do not need to do a lot of work. 

Shredding is needed for disposing off the documents or papers. At the same time, it is also needed for hiding any confidential information that you cannot leave around in the office. There are different kinds of best paper shredders, with different kind of cuts and speed.

We will look at the top 10 Best paper shredders for home and office use. There will be a focus on security, speed, run time, and capacity of all the shredders in this review.

Best Paper Shredders 2021

On the Internet, you can find a huge selection of paper shredders. They differ in their speed, capacity for shredding, bin capacity, and power. 

[amazon table=”6891″]

1. Amazon Basics 12 Sheet High-Security Best Paper Shredder

This is a micro-cut shredder, which means that it shreds papers into the smallest sizes, which are not readable. If you want a shredder for use at home, this is a good pick. Not only can you shred your paper documents with this shredder, but you can also shred CDs, credit cards and DVD disks. 

Do not underestimate the shredder based on its size. It can do a lot. In the per pass, it can shred up to 12 pages. The shredder can run for up to 8 minutes, without stopping. After that, it needs a 45 minute cooling period. It has a pullout bin with a 6.7 gallons capacity. 

There is a drawer that can be pulled out to empty the bin. Since it shreds papers into really small size, the papers are compressed in the bin. So, it can hold more shredded paper as compared to any other cross-cut shredder.

This shredder comes at a bargain price, so you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on a desk accessory. 

2. Fellowes Powershred 99Ci Cross-cut Shredder Jam Proof

This shredder is on the expensive side, but it can be used by three people. This might even be the best paper shredder for office use. There are four casters, and they can be attached to the bottom of the shredder. This allows for easy mobility.

If there is a jam in the machine, you can press the back arrow and reverse shredding will take place. The enter button will put the shredder in Automatic mode. This shredder can also shred plastic cards, envelops in which you have junk mail, staples, and DVDs. 

The best part about this shredder is that it has a large bin and can shred 20 sheets simultaneously.  You can shred anything from staples to CDs. This shredder is fast and quiet, which makes it suitable for office use.   

3. Aurora AU870MA High-Security Shredder

This paper shredder is micro-cut in nature, and it can shred up to 8 papers in one time, making it the best micro-cut shredder 2019.

Along with shredding paper, it can also shred plastic cards or any home documents that have confidential information on them. 

If you have old credit cards lying around, you can shred them with this shredder easily. This shredder comes with a 5 minute run time.

In case there is jam, you have to manually reverse shredding since there is no button present. This is understandable since the shredder is not on the pricier side.

So, if you are looking for a budget solution for your home needs, you can definitely invest in this best paper shredder. 

Its throat is 8.7 inches wide so you can easily shred off all your documents. The shredder also comes with thermal protection, which causes auto-shutoff when the shredder gets too hot. Also, there is an LED indicator to indicate overheating. 

Another great thing about this Aurora shredder is the 1-year limited warranty that you get. If the shredder does not work properly or there is a defect, you can simply return it and get a new one from the company.

This is the best paper shredder wirecutter for the year, according to customer reviews and shredder features.

4. Fellowes AutoMax 130C Shredder for Office Use

This is the best paper shredder for big offices and companies where a lot of paper needs to be disposed of every day.  It is a versatile shredder which has the ability to shred 130 sheets at the same time automatically.   

There is an auto-feed-tray in which you can put the sheets, and they will automatically get shredded. The feed slot is 9 inches wide so it can take all sizes of paper. After being shredded, the paper goes into the 8.5-gallon bin present at the bottom. 

There is also a manual slot in which you can put 8 to 18 sheets at once without any jamming. This shredder can shred for up to 10 minutes continuously after which it needs a cooling period of 25 minutes. 

When you look at the front of the shredder, you can see three buttons. There is a back arrow which is for reverse shredding in case of jamming. The forward arrow is for the forward shredding. Lastly, there is an On button, which is there for automatic shredding. 

On top of the shredder, there are four icons to indicate if there is a problem with the shredder. The first icon shows overheating, the second one lights up if there is a jam in the shredder, the third one lights up when there is a full fin, and the fourth glows when there is an open bin.

So, the shredder comes with an in-built system to take care of anything that goes wrong with it. The best part about this shredder is that you can walk away and it will do the job. You do not have to keep inserting paper manually.

5. AmazonBasics 17-Sheet Shredder Best Value

This is another AmazonBasics shredder on our list which is best paper shredder 2019 for small office use. It is suitable for high-security usage and is a micro-cut shredder. It can shred 17 sheets of paper at once. Moreover, it can also shred DVDs, credit cards, and CDs.

While 17 sheets can be shredded at once, the disks need to be shredded one at a time. It shreds paper into very small particles and has a security level of P4. This shredder can run for 20 minutes continuously after which it needs a 50-minute cool downtime. 

The pull out bin has a capacity of 7 gallons, which is enough. Whether it is medical records or social security cards that you need to destroy, you can use this shredder. You do not have to pull out the staples as it can also handle smaller staples and paper clips. 

6. TRU RED 16-Sheet Micro-Cut Commercial Shredder

If you are looking for the best paper shredder for commercial use, this is your pick. Businesses need to dispose of their sensitive information so that it does not get into the wrong hands.

This paper shredder shreds paper into such small pieces that no one will be able to put them together and figure out what is written on them. The micro-cut shredder can shred up to 16 sheets of paper at the same time. 

As far as the wastage is concerned, there is a bin with 8-gallon capacity so all your paper will go in there. This model is also great for people who like to focus on design. It has a glossy black body on the top while the sides are matte black.

There is a see-through panel on the door so that you can see how much paper has been shredded. The warning light turns on where the bin is full or when the shredder is overheated. It will also indicate when there is a jam during shredding. 

While there are many shredders out there that can handle paper clips and staples, they cannot handle CDs. This TRU RED shredder can shred CDs too, along with credit cards. 

7. Swingline SM12-08 Micro Cut Jam Free Shredder

This is one of the best paper shredders 2019 from Swingline; a company known for their products in the market.  The best part about this shredder is that it does not let any jam happen. How is that possible? Well, a light glows on the shredder if there is too much paper in it.  

So, you are warned way before the jam that something is wrong so you can make changes accordingly. Just take out the extra paper you have inserted to prevent a jam. Then LED lights turn green when the paper inserted is in the capacity of the shredder.

So, the shredder guides you about its usage. An icon is lit up when the bin is put and need to be emptied out. Since it is a micro-cut shredder, it shreds paper into the smallest possible size. It can shred 12 sheets at once and has a security of P5 which is suitable for small offices and home usage.

Once the shredding is done, you can easily pull out the 8-gallon bin from the drawer and empty it out. Another distinct feature of this shredder is that it has a self-cleaning system. So, the shred that normally causes build-up is removed before they can create a jam. 

You do not even have to take out the paper clips and staples as these are shredded along with paper, too. Just keep this shredder on your home office desk and get working. 

8. Bonsaii EverShred C169-B 14-Sheet Heavy Duty Shredder

This is the best paper shredder for offices where a lot of paper needs to be disposed of every single day. It works for quite a while, so your work is not disturbed, having to wait for the shredder to cool down. It can run for up to half an hour, continuously, which allows you to shred a lot of paper. 

In a single sitting, you can shred all the paper that needs to go away. This shredder can shred up to 14 pages at the same time. Since it is a cross-cut shredder, the final paper size is not as small as micro-cut. However, it is up to 5*40 mm in size, which is suitable for most documents. 

There is in-built jam protection as the shredder has an auto-reverse system. So, when there is a possibility of a jam, reverse shredding takes place. This saves a lot of time and frustration. 

If you were impressed with the 30 minutes run time, you would be even more surprised to know that the shredder cools down in just 10 minutes. This is great for offices when something has to be shredded all the time. 

It has a 4.5-gallon bin where all the shredded paper will go. Just take it out and empty it after every sitting. There are many buttons on the top of the shredder, so you can control it as you want. 

9. Royal 1840MX 18-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder

This is the best paper shredding for those people who have to shred whole stacks of documents or files in a single sitting. If you have thousands of papers that you want to get rid of, then this is the pick for you.

Sometimes, offices need to get rid of all the records, and these include folders filled with thousands of papers.

The company has over 100 years of experience in their field, so their products are nothing less than extraordinary. This shredder can shred CDs, paper clips, paper, and DVDs. In a single pass, you can shred up to 18 sheets of legal-sized paper. 

The run time is extremely impressive at 40 minutes. This is longer like any other paper shredder on this list. Moreover,  it cuts the paper into the smallest sizes for maximum security. A single sheet is shredded in just 5 seconds.   

As soon as you put the paper in, the auto shredder will work and stop when the sheets are done. The reverse shredding is also automatic so that there is no risk of jamming. 

The best part about this paper shredder is that it is ultra-quiet. If you are in an office place and you need to shred heaps of documents, you do not want to be noisy. The wastebasket has a capacity of 8.5 gallons so you can shred a lot in one sitting.

The company gives 5 years warranty for the motor and the cutter blade. So, if you invest in this best paper shredder, you are good to go for 5 years.

10. HSM Shredstar 20-Sheet Shredder for Continuous Operation

Nothing gets shredding done faster than this HSM shredder that can destroy up to 168 sheets in just a minute. If you are one of those impatient people who cannot wait for the paper to disappear, this is the best paper shredder for you.

It is a cross-cut paper shredder that can also destroy store cards, credit cards, CDs, and DVDs. The company gives a lifetime warranty for the cutting cylinder. There is Anti-Jam technology in the shredder, which prevents any jams.

Management control in the shredder reduces power consumption. Also, it works as quietly as a whisper so no one will be disturbed while you are shredding all your documents. 

The bin is 7.1 gallons so you can conveniently pull it out and empty it. To increase mobility, there are castors under the shredder.

Buyer’s Guide – Best Paper Shredders

Now that you have seen the top picks for a paper shredder, you can choose the best one for yourself. Before you invest in a paper shredder, you have to look for the specifications that you need.

Office use

If you need a paper shredder for office use, go for one that does not make a lot of noise and is fast in its working. Also, an office shredder must have higher capacity and power for working.

Home Use

People who want to get shredders for personal use can get AmazonBasics shredders. They are the best for home use as they are smaller in size and get the job done.

Budget also comes into play when you have to choose the best shredder. For personal use, you can get a shredder that costs around $100. For office use, you will have to spend more money. The HSM shredder in the list costs around $850 so you will have to spend a lot of money on a paper shredder. 

How to Choose a Paper Shredder? 

There are different features you can look at when choosing a paper shredder. Most often,  people tend to look at the level of security that is provided by the shredder.   

Low-Security Paper Shredders

Strip-cut paper shredders cut a paper into 50 strips. The strip size is larger than any other kind of a shredder. So, a strip-cut shredder is suitable for cutting normal documents. It is not your best choice for cutting documents with high-level security. 

Originally, strip-cut was the basic style of shredding. It has the lowest security level, but it is still better than just tearing something and throwing it in the trash. 

Mid-Level Security Paper Shredder

If the documents that you have to shred are of mid-level security, you can invest in a cross-cut paper shredder. This type is also called the confetti-cut paper shredder. Most of the shredders that you will find in the market are of this kind as it is most popular.

It is much more advanced than the strip-cut shredder as it cuts a sheet of paper into 400 pieces. So, it is almost impossible for someone to put all the pieces together again and read the document.

High-Level Security Paper Shredder

If the documents that need to be shredded are extremely confidential, you can use the micro-cut shredder. This kind is popular in offices, and it cuts a sheet of paper into 2000 pieces. No one will be able to retrieve your information from it.

It is impossible to decipher the information once the paper has been cut up into such small pieces.  Larger corporations use this shredder, and it is also commonly present in government offices. A standard micro-cut shredder is great for office use.  

However, if you really worry about your information being stolen, you can invest in a super micro-cut shredder. This paper shredder cuts a sheet of paper into 6200 pieces. As the pieces are really small, you do not have to change the bag as often. This also reduces security risk. 

There is no way anyone would be able to put together all these pieces and read what was on the document.

Budget 

Of course, the budget matters a lot. Best Paper shredders can range from $100 to thousands of dollars. For home use, you can get a smaller shredder that costs around $100. While most of the micro-cut shredders are expensive, you can get AmazonBasics shredder at a cheaper price for a home.

For office or commercial use, you can spend as much money as you want. Micro-cut shredders tend to be the most expensive ones. A standard shredder begins at $300, and the price can go up to thousands of dollars, depending on the features of the shredder. 

Shredder Speed

If you are using the best paper shredder in a busy office, the speed of shredder matters a lot. Sometimes, you have stacks of paper that need to be shredded.

In this case, you must invest in a shredder that is fast. If you try to shred these papers with a slow shredder, it will waste a lot of your time.

For home usage, you can get a shredder than can shred up to 12 sheets in about 8 minutes. Normally, shredders can destroy 5 sheets in up to two minutes. This speed would not be enough for office use.

So, for such places, you need a shredder with higher speed. There are shredders available for small offices that can shred up to 18 pages in half an hour. The normal speed is 10 pages in about 7 minutes.

In large offices, you need a shredder that can work non-stop and shred multiple pages in a minute. These shredders are heavy duty and more expensive. Normally, a shredder of this sort can shred up to 40 pages in 45 minutes. 

Daily Usage

Make sure that you get a shredder that is suitable for your daily usage. Shredders do not work all day long. They need some time to cool down too. If a shredder is not powerful enough to fulfill your daily needs, then you should not buy it.

Also, keep in consideration the number of people that will be using the shredder. Personal shredders are used by just one person. On the contrary, office shredders are used by many people. 1-5 people can use an office shredder.

Bigger Offices

If you have a big office, then you should go for a commercial shredder. Shredders of this sort can be used by up to 10 people. So, if you have a lot of people using a shredder, make sure that the machine can take it.

Personal Usage

Normally, for a personal shredder, the range is up to 8 or 12. Commercial shredders can shred up to 30 or 40 sheets at once. If you use the shredder a lot, the bin will get full quickly. Make sure to empty it from time to time.

Most shredders have an LED indicator that informs you if the bin is full and needs to be emptied. If your shredder does not have this feature, just pull out the bin-drawer and see if it needs to be emptied. 

How to Maintain Your Best Paper Shredder?

Once you have bought a paper shredder, you cannot just let it deteriorate over time. Maintenance of a shredder is important if you want it to last for a long time. Here are a few things to look out for.

Knowing your Shredder

It is important to know your shredder’s capacity and bin’s capacity. Every shredder is designed to do as much. You cannot expect a smaller shredder to do the same job as a commercial one. Know what your shredder can do and only expect it to do as much. Do not overwork or overload it.

Empty the Shredder

If the paper-cutting speed is quicker, the bin will fill up much quicker. Make sure you empty the bin. If you are using a shredding in an office place, heave someone empty out the bin. The frequency of emptying depends on how much work you are getting out of the shredder.

If you use it a lot, you might even have to empty it out every day. For home users, emptying the bin once a month can suffice. Even if it is not full, just empty out whatever is in it.

Run in Reverse

If you know how to work a shredder, you would know that you have to run it in reverse in case there is a jam. Even if there is no jam, you can still do that every once in a while.

When you run the shredder in reverse, it clears up the area between the blades. So, when you shred again, there is no waddling with the documents to be shredded. 

Cleaning the Blades

Most users completely forget to clean the blades of the paper shredder. If you have recently used the shredder for a long time, you need to clean the blades. 

There might be remnants of paper in there. Take them out so that they do not interfere with any further shredding. It is advised to use compressed air to clean any dust particles that might be stuck between the blades. 

Normally, you can do this once a month. It keeps the area between the blades clear. Also, the dust can make the blades less sharp. So, clearing it off can ensure blade longevity. 

Lubrication

People have different opinions about the usage of shredder oil. However, it can help make the shredder last a longer time. According to Fellowes, you should lubricate the shredder every time you empty out the waste bin. 

On the other hand, some people say that you should lubricate after a jam or once every month.  Make sure you are using shredder oil and not any alternatives. Using canola oil or any other oil can ruin your shredders.   

You can also buy lubricant sheets from Amazon. They are easy to use and are a much cleaner option. 

How to Deal with Jams in Paper Shredding? 

If the shredder gets jammed while you are trying to shred papers, you have to look at a few things. First of all, look at the safety lights. There are safety lights on most shredders that indicate if the bin is full or the shredder has overheated.

Normally, this light would let you know what is causing the problem in the shredder. Unplug the shredder and let it cool down if it is overheated. Normally, shredders take 30 to 50 minutes to cool down. Just let it be unplugged for an hour and then try again.

Most shredders also have a reverse button. This makes the shredder go in reverse so that the jam can be cleared up. Normally, if you do this a few times, the jam will clear up. 

If this does not fix the problem either, then there is something stuck in the blades. To solve this problem, you have to open the top of the shredder. Take pliers and remove anything that is stuck in the blades.

Tips and Precautions

A paper shredding might seem like an easy machine to work with. However, like all other machines, this one could also cause problems if not used properly.

First of all, check if the bin is properly inserted in the shredder. Sometimes, the shredder might not even start if the bin is not properly placed. When shredding papers, do not fold them in half. Insert the whole page in the shredder.

Even when working with large volumes, do not fold the papers. If the paper has glue on it, do not put it in the shredder as this can be the reason for a jam. 

Some shredders allow multiple pages to be inserted at once. However, do not do this with CDs. Only insert one disk at a time. If there is designated slot for optical disks, only use that for shredding them. 

Sometimes, the shredder might slow down unexpectedly, or it might make a sound without causing any shredding. This is due to overloading in the tray. If too many pages are put in at once, they could be causing this problem. 

FAQs

Conclusion

A paper shredder might seem like a small machine, but it gets a lot of work done. Choosing the best paper shredder for your home or office can become a tedious task if you do not have proper guidance. Hopefully, this review would have helped you make your choice.

Also, you must have learned a lot about paper shredders. For more reviews like this, take a look at the other articles on our website.