The best paper shredders for your home or small office

Prev Article Next Article

Whether you have a home office or just need to dispose of documents containing personal information, a paper shredder for home use can save you time while keeping your information safe.
Our top pick, the Bonsaii Paper Shredder, offers generous capacity and a long run time, making it ideal for home offices, personal use, and more.

With all of the recent data breaches, it seems to be more and more difficult to keep your personal and financial information safe. There’s no foolproof way to protect yourself (especially with personal data now stored digitally) but a paper shredder can be your first line of defense in keeping printed information private.

From shredding junk mail to getting rid of business files and documents, a paper shredder isn’t just a home convenience, it’s a necessity. Maybe it’s time to clean out your old filing cabinet, or maybe you just want to keep up with your business’ document turnover. Regardless of how you plan to use it, you’ll need to have the right shredder for the job.

We looked for shredders that offer dependable performance, are versatile, and accommodate different budgets. Some of these shredders are high-capacity machines that need no cool-down time, while others are more basic (and more affordable). Most of them are multipurpose machines that don’t just shred paper: They can tear up CDs, credit cards, staples, and paper clips, saving you valuable time. A number of these machines also feature jam-proof designs and technology, helping you to avoid the frustration of having to stop your work to deal with paper jams.

All of these units are compact enough to be used at home, and if you’re running a business, we included options that are hardy enough for high-volume, frequent use. When a paper shredder could potentially prevent a case of stolen identity or fraud, this is an investment that you can’t afford to go without.

Here are our top picks for the best paper shredder:

Best overall: Bonsaii Paper Shredder
Best budget paper shredder: Pen + Gear 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper/Credit Card Shredder
Best jam-proof paper shredder: Fellowes Powershred Jam Proof Paper and Credit Card Shredder
Best high-volume paper shredder: Swingline 20-Sheet Cross-Cut Commercial Shredder
Best manual paper shredder: Nakabayashi Co. 3-Way Manual Shredder

Prices and links are current as of 2/18/20.

The best paper shredder overall
Amazon

With 240 minutes of continuous run-time and the ability to shred credit cards, CDs, and more, the Bonsaii Paper Shredder offers the capacity of a commercial shredder at an affordable price.

The Bonsaii Paper Shredder offers large-scale capacity and superior performance when compared with other home paper shredders, yet still comes in at under $300. The 4S30 model offers a 10-sheet shredding capacity, so you can quickly shred even larger documents. Additionally, this shredder is strong enough to cut not only paper, but also credit cards, CDs and DVDs, clips, and staples, saving you time and making disposing of junk mail, files, and documents easy. The micro-cut shred creates tiny particles, protecting your personal information.

The shredder’s 240-minute continuous running time allows you to shred large amounts of material in a single session. After 240 minutes, the shredder only needs a 10-minute cool-down time, so it’s a great choice if you have large shredding jobs or plan to use the shredder frequently throughout the day. Automatic jam detection identifies when the machine is overloaded, preventing the jam from happening. And, online customer reviews mention the shredder’s relative quietness, pointing out that it’s easy to have a normal conversation while it’s running.

Pros: Shreds into micro-pieces instead of long strips, continuous run-time of 240 minutes, automatic jam detection, energy-saving system, capable of shredding paper, CDs, staples, credit cards, and more

Cons: Larger casters would roll more smoothly, no safety shutoff, high price point

The best budget paper shredder
Walmart

For everyday home use, the Pen + Gear 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper/Credit Card Shredder offers a combination of helpful features and overall value.

A paper shredder with huge capacity and loads of features generally carries a higher price tag. For everyday use around the home, the Pen + Gear 6-Sheet Crosscut Paper/Credit Card Shredder strikes a balance between features and affordability. This shredder’s six-sheet capacity and ability to shred credit cards, staples, and even small paper clips, means that it’s up to the task of most home shredding needs.

It’s also equipped with overheat protection, so you don’t have to worry about potentially burning the motor out, and the ShredSafe feed-entry has an angled slot to prevent fingers from ending up where they shouldn’t. The four-mode switch includes a jam-remover function, and the shredder’s compact design means you can easily keep it under a desk or tuck it away into a corner of the room.

Pros: Low price point, jam-remover function, overheat protection, suitable for shredding paper, credit cards, staples, and paper clips

Cons: Louder than some other units, six-sheet capacity means shredding larger documents can take a while

The best jam-proof paper shredder
Amazon

The Fellowes Powershred Jam Proof Paper and Credit Card Shredder has a unique design for preventing jams, so you can work without interruption.

If you have ever tried to undo a jam in a paper shredder, you know that it can take valuable time out of your day. The Fellowes Powershred Jam Proof Paper and Credit Card Shredder is designed to prevent jams from happening in the first place. This machine’s jam-proof system helps to eliminate them and has the power to work through tough jobs. It can handle up to 12 sheets of paper at a time and is tough enough to shred credit cards, CDs, paper clips, and staples.

One of the most valuable features is its SafeSense Technology, which disables the shredder when hands touch the paper opening. Additionally, the shredder is equipped with an Energy Savings System to keep power consumption down.

This shredder can run for up to 10 minutes at a time before requiring a 20-minute cool-down period. Its cross-cut design eliminates the long pieces that other shredders create, making for a more secure shred.

Pros: Jam-proof system, safety shutoff when hands touch the paper opening, pull-out bin for easy cleaning, capable of shredding 12 sheets of paper and credit cards, CDs, staples, and more

Cons: Needs to cool down after 10 minutes of use, long cool-down period

See the rest of the story at Business Insider