The best shredders obliterate sensitive documents, ensuring privacy and keeping them away from the wrong hands. Our evaluation focused on cross-cut vs shred cut vs. micro-cut shredders, continuous run time to cool down ratio, bin size, security level (P1 through P7), and capacity. We also looked into auxiliary features such as transparent windows and the ability to shred credit cards and DVDs.
After more than 16 hours of research and testing, our top pick goes to the AmazonBasics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper and Credit Card Home Office Shredder. It is an absolute dynamo, perfect for home offices and small businesses with an 8-sheet filing capacity, favorable 3 minute continuous run time to 30-minute cooldown ratio. Keep reading to learn more about the AmazonBasics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper and Credit Card Home Office Shredder and other top-tier office tools.
Top 5 Best Shredders
#1 AmazonBasics 8-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best shredder for small business with an 8-sheet capacity with a 3 minute continuous run time. It is a great choice for home offices with occasional shredding needs.
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- Best budget
- Great for small businesses
- Very portable
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- So-so 1 year limited warranty
- 30-minute cooldowns needed
- Not as secure as micro-cut shredded paper
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Thanks to this shredder’s cross-cut capability, the paper is torn into cross-sections, which are harder to decipher than strip-cut paper. Shred width cuts the paper down to a minuscule 3/16″ x 1-27/32″, providing a P3 level of security It also has a 4.1-gallon bin, more than enough storage space for weeks of use.
Related: If you like this tool, we bet you will also want to check the best shipping postal scales.
In addition to standard paper, it can shred credit cards and CDs if inserted one at a time. Though it shreds exceptionally well, it can only run continuously for 30 minutes before needing a 30 minute cool down period before restarting. This makes it better suited for home offices with occasional shredding of no more than a few dozen documents at a single time. The best day planner is another essential for the office.
#2 Bonsaii 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best shredder for unopened mail, featuring a 10 sheet capacity with a 5.5-gallon bin. A single pass could discard most of your daily junk mail.
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- Best for unopened mail
- Large capacity
- 4 minute continuous running time
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- 1-year limited warranty could be better
- Long cool downtime
- Noisy
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We like this P4 security level shredder for its 10 sheets of shredding capacity, which should be more than enough for a single pass of unwanted mail.le to take 10 sheets at a time with ease without snagging or jamming. It also offers 4 minutes of continuous run time before needing a 40-minute cooldown. We find assurance with its cross-cutting, which provides a lot better security than strip-cut paper that is more legible.
Related: Have a look at the best staple removers.
Thanks to a 5.5-gallon capacity, it can store unwanted mail for weeks before needing to be disposed of. Bonus points for its transparent window which lets you know when it is time to empty. You can store it under the best portable desk.
#3 Aurora AU870MA High-Security 8-Sheet Micro-Cut Paper Credit Card Shredder
Award: BEST SECURITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This is the best micro-cut shredder, cutting paper into a much smaller size than shred cut or cross-cut shredders. It is the best choice for people looking for the highest level of security and privacy.
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- Best micro-cut
- 5-minute continuous run time
- Micro-cuts to smallest pieces possible
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- Small 3.9-gallon bin
- 1-year limited warranty could be longer
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Unlike our first two picks, this P4 security level shredder shreds paper similar to confetti, cutting them roughly 5 times smaller than cross-cut shredders. This also results in fewer bag changes, since the pieces take up less volume. It also does an excellent job of cutting credit cards and the occasional paper clip.
We appreciate this shredder’s continuous 5 minute run time, 230 sheet capacity, which makes it great for a mid to commercial-sized office with a variety of shredding needs. Short wait times help with increased productivity. Though it shreds well, we wish it had a larger bin. Its 3.9-gallon bin is one of the smallest on our list. Your office may also need the best photo printer.
#4 Fellowes Powershred 79Ci Shredder
Award: BEST DESIGN
WHY WE LIKE IT: This P4 shredder has a 16-sheet capacity and a 20-minute continuous run time. It is the perfect shredder for corporate offices that have a ton of sensitive documents to discard each week.
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- Large capacity
- 20 minute continuous run time
- Very quiet operation
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- High cost
- Not jam proof
- Heavy
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In terms of capacity, this shredder blows our first 3 picks out of the water. While testing, it processes 16 sheets very quickly with no jamming. Unlike the noisy Bonsaii 10-Sheet Cross-Cut Paper Shredder, this is one of the quietest machines we’ve tested. This makes it an even better choice for shared workspaces.
Aside from the Fellowes name, we really like this shredder’s run to ‘cool down’ ratio. It is very convenient, offering 20 minutes of continuous run time and a 30 minute cool down. That, combined with a 6-gallon bin, makes it one of the best on our list for use by a lot of people. You have the best printers in the office so you should have a decent paper shredder too.
#5 BOXIS AF700 Autoshred Micro-Cut Paper Shredder
Award: BEST CAPACITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: This micro-cut paper shredder comes with a 700-sheet capacity and crazy speeds of close to 20 feet a minute. It is the ultimate shredder for commercial offices with frequent shredding needs.
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- Best quality
- Works very quickly
- Massive 14-gallon capacity
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- High cost
- Auto feeds one paper at a time
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This P4 security level shredder offers the best continuous runtime on our list (60 minutes) and the highest capacity (700 sheets). We really like it’s automatic feed for big projects – simply drop the stack and leave.. A separate manual feed can be used for shredding up to 10 documents at a time. It is also powerful enough to shred credit cards, paper clips, and DVDs.
Another neat benefit is this shredder’s focus on privacy. To prevent the wrong people from disposing of documents, a security code needs to be dialed in before the shredder starts. If this isn’t kid-friendly, we don’t know what is. Thanks to its 14-gallon bin capacity, this shredder can be used regularly without having to dispose of, as much as for weeks on end. We were very impressed with its overall quality. You can also read about the best label printer.
How We Decided
In determining the best paper shredder to buy, we looked into cross-cut vs shred cut vs. micro-cut shredders, continuous run time to charge time ratio bin capacity, and feeding capacity that ensure paper jams never happened. Micro-cut vs. cross-cut vs shred cut vs. micro-cut shredders.
Micro-cut shredders provide the most security, cutting paper into confetti-sized pieces and are ultimately the best choice for sensitive paper documents. These pieces are smaller than strip-cut and cross-cut shredders, which cut into strips and cross-sections that may be easy to decipher with some crafty work from unwanted intruders.
Our favorite shredders have healthy continuous run time to cool down ratios. We recommend shredders with 3 minute continuous run time and 30-minute cooldowns for home office use and upwards of 20 minute continuous run times and the same cooldown period for larger settings. Feeding capacity is also critical. For smaller projects and getting rid of unwanted mail, and 8 sheet capacity should be more than enough.
Best Shredders Buyer’s Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- Micro-Cut vs. Cross Cut vs. Strip-Cut Shredders
Micro-cut shredders provide the greatest security by cutting paper down to confetti size, making it impossible to piece together and read. Crosscut and strip cut shredders rip through paper and reduce it to a size 6 times larger, which is not as effective for privacy. - Continuous Run Time to Cool Down Ratio
The best home paper shredder has a minimum 3-4 minute continuous run time and a 30-minute cooldown ratio for home office shredder and 20+ minute continuous run time to 30 minutes cool down ratio for commercial offices. we feel this best test user’s patience levels and productivity needs in those settings. - Feeding Capacity
Look for home shredders that can accept up to 10 documents in a single pass and upwards of 100 documents for offices and commercial uses. This should properly match productivity levels and document volume in those places. - Security Level
Shredders have seven security levels – P1,P2,P3,P4.P5,P6 and P7. The higher the number, the more secure and the smaller the size of shredded paper, which makes it more difficult to assemble and read. P1 and P2 shredders generate strip cuts, whereas P3/P4 generate cross cuts and P5/P6/P7 generate micro cuts.Note, depending on the manufacturer, micro cut shredders may be classified as P4s.
