A paper shredder is a piece of office equipment for disposing of office paperwork and/or records properly and responsibly. Businesses or entrepreneurs need to get rid of unwanted or used documents such as credit card and bank statements, travel documents, and letters containing tax and other financial information properly. If these documents are not disposed of appropriately, they can come back to haunt you if they fall in the wrong hands.
Paper Shredders: Our Top Picks From Amazon
Choosing the right paper shredder for a business, essential for maintaining confidentiality and managing waste, involves considering various factors to ensure you select a shredder that is secure, efficient, and suitable for your office’s needs. Before we get into our favorites, here’s a guide to the key criteria we used for choosing the best paper shredders:
- Shredding Capacity:
- Scale of Importance: 9/10
- The shredder should be able to handle the volume of paper your office typically needs to shred. Higher capacity shredders can handle more sheets simultaneously and are suited for busier environments.
- Security Level:
- Scale of Importance: 9/10
- Shredders are rated by security level, with higher levels providing smaller cuts. Micro-cut shredders offer higher security than cross-cut or strip-cut models, which is crucial for sensitive documents.
- Speed and Efficiency:
- Scale of Importance: 8/10
- A faster shredder can improve office efficiency, especially if large volumes of paper are regularly shredded.
- Run Time and Cooling Down Period:
- Scale of Importance: 8/10
- The shredder’s run time and the necessary cooling down period between uses are important for maintaining workflow, particularly in larger offices.
- Noise Level:
- Scale of Importance: 7/10
- A quieter shredder is preferable in shared workspaces to minimize disruption.
- Bin Size:
- Scale of Importance: 8/10
- A larger bin capacity means less frequent emptying, which is convenient for high-volume shredding.
- Additional Shredding Capabilities:
- Scale of Importance: 7/10
- Some shredders can also destroy CDs, credit cards, and staples, adding versatility.
- Ease of Use and Safety Features:
- Scale of Importance: 8/10
- Features like auto-start, auto-reverse to prevent jams, and safety sensors are important for ease of use and to prevent accidents.
- Maintenance and Durability:
- Scale of Importance: 8/10
- Consider the ease of maintenance and the durability of the shredder, as frequent use requires a robust machine.
- Price and Budget:
- Scale of Importance: 7/10
- Balance the cost with the shredder’s features and the needs of your office. Investing in a higher-quality shredder can be cost-effective in the long run due to durability and efficiency.
- Brand Reputation and Warranty:
- Scale of Importance: 6/10
- Opt for a brand with a strong reputation for quality and reliability. A good warranty offers additional assurance.
Fellowes Powershred
The Fellowes shredder is a security level P-4 unit with a crosscut shredding mechanism ideal for small businesses. The shredder can run for 30 minutes straight shredding paper, CDs, paper clips, or credit cards before it needs to cool down for 40 minutes. Additional features include a safe sense that stops the shredder when a hand touches the paper opening.
Fellowes Powershred 99Ci 18-sheet Capacity
Amazon Basics High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder
This 21-pound wheeled shredder has a 4-mode switch (Auto, off, reverse, forward), indicator lights, and a 5.7-gallon pullout waste bin. It has a Shredding capacity of 12-sheets of standard size paper or a single CD and Credit card at a time. It runs for 10 minutes of shredding and 40 minutes of cooling down.
Amazon Basics 12-Sheet High-Security Micro-Cut Shredder
Aurora High security 8 Sheet Micro-cut Paper& Card Shredder
The Aurora Micro cutter features a safety angled feed and has a security level P-4 as well as an auto start and manual reverse to avoid jams. It can shred 8 sheets of paper or one credit card in a single feed. The AU870MA also can destroy small paper clips and staples, and runs for 5 minutes nonstop. The company offers an Aurora 1-year limited warranty.
Aurora AU870MA High security 8 Sheet Micro-cut Paper Credit Card Shredder
Bonsaii 14-Sheet Cross-cut Office Paper Shredder
This model by Bonsaii is a jam-proof shredder and it can run for a continuous 30-minute shredding mail, staples, credit cards, and paper. It has LED indicators to prevent overheating and overloading with auto start and stop along with a manual reverse option to make sure it doesn’t jam. The unit has a quiet shredding operation and it comes with a 1-year warranty.
Bonsaii 14-Sheet Cross-cut office
Aurora Professional Grade High security 12 Sheet Micro-cut Shredder
This is a wheeled paper and plastic credit card shredder that can run for a full hour before having to rest. This high-security level P-4 shredder has anti-jam and auto-reverse functions that let it run for 60 minutes nonstop. The AU1210ma destroys small paper clips CDs/DVDs and credit cards. The machine is ultra-quiet, weighs 22.4 pounds, and comes in at 14.41×11.02×19.33 inches with LED indicators for overheating, bin-full, and overload status.
Aurora AU 1210MA Professional Grade High security 12 Sheet Micro-cut Shredder
Amazon Basics 6-Sheet High-Security Home office Shredder
The Amazon Basics is the ideal home or small office Micro-shredder that takes 6 sheets at a time and shreds for 3 minutes before t needs cooling. This small-scale Micro cutter shreds credit cards, staples, and small paper clips. It has a 3mode power switch auto/off/reverse and a 4.1-gallon waste bin. It weighs 9.7 pounds
Amazon Basics 6-Sheet High-Security Home office Shredder
Fellowes PowerShred 225 Ci 22-Sheet Shredder- 3825001 Model
This is one of the best Heavy-duty shredders capable of destroying any kind of plastic credit cards, staples, paper clips, CD/DVDs, and junk mail. This Cross-cut 225 Ci is fully Jam-proof and can perform indefinitely with its continuous duty motor shredding up to 22 sheets of paper at a time. The commercial-grade shredder offers a safe sense technology that auto-stops along with an LED full-bin indicator for the 16-gallon waste basket.
Fellowes PowerShred 225 Ci 22-Sheet Shredder- 3825001 Model
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