The 10 Best Professional Paper Shredders

Today, a good part of threats to your privacy, identity, and general security comes from cyber attacks, but we still store a lot of our personal and confidential information on papers, documents, credit cards, and similar.

For businesses, it’s especially important to protect information and data of any kind, and a good way to do that is to shred the paper that’s not needed anymore. Paper shredders are immensely helpful in that regard and they’ve been used by businesses for quite some time.

Every paper shredder is different in a way, and some can shred more than papers, which is always a plus. Choosing the best shredder for yourself or your business can be tricky, but it’s all about weighing down your needs and your budget of course. We’re here to help in that regard, so read on to learn more about paper shredders and to see which are some of the best shredders you can buy.

Things to Consider

As with many other products, paper shredders have different features and abilities, so the first thing to do is to figure out what you need and what you don’t need. Depending on if you are buying a shredder for personal use or business use, you might not need some of the features, so that way you can save some money.

Budget is always an issue, but there are some perfectly good shredders that you can get for a reasonable price. In any case, here are some of the things to look out for before you purchase a paper shredder. 

1. Shredder type

There are a few types of shredders, strip-cut, and cross-cut being the most common. Strip-cut shredders are the most popular and widespread, and you can find them pretty much anywhere, in schools, offices, at home, and in other places. They are generally cheap, and they shred the paper in a long narrow strip.

As such, they don’t offer the best protection as someone dedicated enough could put the pieces back. Still, depending on your needs it might just be enough. On the other hand, cross-cut shredders shred the paper in many small pieces making it very hard to assemble them back. Due to that, they offer better security than strip-cut shredders.

There are also micro-cut shredders (and super micro-cut) which are similar to cross-cut shredders, but they cut the paper to thousands of more pieces. These are primarily used for highly sensitive data.

2. Security

Different shredders have different security levels, from low to high, and you should pick accordingly depending on how sensitive your documents are. Security levels mainly refer to the results of shredding. Low-security shredders will shred the paper in a much wider and bigger scale than the high-end ones, so choose accordingly depending on your documents.

3. Capacity

This is nothing more than the amount the paper shredder can shred at the same time. This is totally dependent on your needs and on how many people will use the machine. Naturally, if it’s for office use, pick a higher capacity shredder.

4. Features

A shredder can have a lot of different features, like energy saving, the ability to shred non-paper (cardboard, credit cards, and so on) or safety features to prevent people from getting hurt when using a shredder.

Safety features are always a priority so it’s a good idea to check those first. Other features will depend on your business or personal use, and of course, your budget as more features usually mean a more expensive shredder.

5. Price

Your budget will dictate what you can buy, but luckily there are some good shredders out there in the market which don’t cost too much, and you can always save money if you don’t need anything fancy.

For instance, high-security cross-cut shredders can be expensive, but if your business or yourself don’t have that many sensitive documents or you just want to shred junk files, then you don’t need to pay for all those high-end features.

QUICK OVERVIEW

The Best Professional Paper Shredders

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Products	Features
EDITOR’S PICK 4.4 2.925+ 2.925+ Bonsaii C169-BBonsaii C169-B	Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 14 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $150 Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 14 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $150 Check price at Amazon
MOST REVIEWED 4.7 680+ 680+ Fellowes 62MCFellowes 62MC	Type: Micro-cut Capacity: 10 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $150 Type: Micro-cut Capacity: 10 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $150 Check price at Amazon
TOP PICK 4.3 2,425+ 2425+ Fellowes 99CiFellowes 99Ci	Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 18 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $300 Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 18 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $300 Check price at Amazon
BUDGET PICK 4.5 1,950+ 1950+ Aurora AS680SAurora AS680S	Type: Strip-cut Capacity: 6 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $50 Type: Strip-cut Capacity: 6 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $50 Check price at Amazon
BUDGET PICK 4.4 53,125+ 53125+ AmazonBasics 8-SheetAmazonBasics 8-Sheet	Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 8 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $50 Type: Cross-cut Capacity: 8 sheets PRICE RANGE: Under $50 Check price at Amazon

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $50

Aurora AS680S Professional Paper Shredder

The first shredder on our list is the Aurora AS680S. What’s interesting about this shredder is that it is very small and portable. It’s a great option for home and office use if you don’t need to shred too much, and especially if you just want to remove your junk documents.

It can shred credit cards as well, and its capacity is 6 sheets of ~20 pounds. This shredder is equipped with thermal and overheat protection, and the option to automatically start or stop shredding.

It also comes with Aurora’s shredder manual reverse functionality to help with cleaning paper jams. The shredder doesn’t have a wastebasket but it does have an extendable arm to fit over most wastebaskets.

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AmazonBasics 8-Sheet Capacity Shredder

The AmazonBasics shredder is an affordable cross-cut shredder with solid security. The security level meets the P-3 standards, and due to cross-cutting, this shredder turns paper into small confetti-like pieces.

It has a capacity of 8 sheets of 20-pound bond paper at a time and can cut credit cards too. The thermal protection helps with overheating, and the shredder will automatically shut off if it runs continuously beyond the max run time.

The reverse function helps with paper jams and makes it possible to retrieve un-shredded or partially shredded documents. This shredder also has the Auto mode where it will start shredding as soon as it detects something, and it will stop when it is finished. The shredded paper will drop down into the collection bin below, which is relatively small and it will need to be emptied often.

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $100

Bonsaii C209-D Cross-Cut Paper Shredder

This cross-cut shredder from Bonsaii has a 10 sheet capacity that shreds paper into tiny pieces and it can destroy credit cards as well. It’s equipped with overheating and overload protection which will help with the shredder’s lifetime. The shredding will begin automatically as soon as the sensor detects something to be shredded, and for safety, it will stop once you lift the machine head. 

Its security level is P-4 making this shredder a good choice if you have a lot of sensitive documents. This shredder is equipped with a 5.5-gallon wastebasket with a large transparent window, reducing the need to empty the wastebasket every so often. The shredder has a 4-minute continuous running time with a 40 minutes cool-down time.

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Fellowes Powershred W-11C Cross-Cut Shredder

The Powershred W-11C from Fellowes is a great cross-cut shredder that has the capacity to shred 11 sheets of paper, and can also shred credit cards and staples. Its security level is quite high at level P-4, making it a good choice for more sensitive files. It can run up to 5 minutes before needing to cool down for ~20 minutes.

This shredder has a safety lock – a switch that disables the shredder from running, which makes this shredder safe for children and pets. It’s equipped with a 4.75 gallon bin with easy lift-off head, which is big enough so you don’t need to constantly empty the bin. All things considered, this is a nice choice shredder for low to medium shredding, but bear in mind that this shredder can be quite noisy.

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $150

Bonsaii C169-B Cross-Cut Paper Shredder

The Bonsaii C169-B is a heavy duty cross-cut shredder with a capacity of 14 sheets of paper. This machine can continuously run up to 30 minutes and can destroy around 3500 sheets of paper, making it ideal for large use.

It has an overheating and overloading thermal protection with LED indicators, as well as the jam proof system with auto start/stop and manual reverse functions. These features immensely help in cleaning up paper jams.

It only needs about 10 minutes to cool down which can save a lot of time when you are mass shredding, and when running it stays quiet. The security level is P-3 which is adequate enough depending on your needs.

The shredder also features a 4.8-gallon pull-out wastebasket so you won’t be emptying it very often, and there is a transparent window as well. This heavy duty shredder might be troublesome to transport since it doesn’t have wheels.

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Fellowes 62MC

First micro-cut shredder in our list, the Fellowes 62MC is a very good shredder for security purposes. It has a capacity of 10 sheets, which is smaller than a few previous shredders on our list, but it has a P-4 security and it shreds the paper to tiny confetti pieces, up to 6 times smaller than the regular cross-cut shredding. It also shreds credit cards and staples.

For safety protection, this machine features a safety lock that disables the shredder when not in use. This shredder is capable of continuously running for up to 7 minutes before needing to cool down, and it features a 5-gallon pull-out bin. It also has a Quiet Operation feature that provides a quiet running, which is especially important in workplaces.

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Aurora High Security JamFree AU1000MA Shredder

This high-security micro-cut shredder from Aurora has a capacity of 10 sheets and a P-4 security level. Due to this being a micro-cut shredder, you can expect the shredded paper to be up to 6 times smaller than the standard cross-cut shredding.

This machine is equipped with safety measures, such as the ability to automatically power off upon forced entry to prevent mishaps and accidents. It’s also jam free as it will not even operate in case of over capacity.

It also automatically powers off if it hasn’t been used in the last 5 minutes, saving energy and providing additional safety. Apart from paper, it can also shred credit cards, staples, small paper clips and CDs/DVDs. The pull-out basket is big enough (5 gallons) so you won’t be emptying it anytime soon.

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $200

Fellowes Powershred 79Ci

The Fellowes Powershred 79Ci is a powerful cross-cut shredded with a security level of P-4 and a capacity of 16 sheets. It features a 100% jam proof system that eliminates paper jams, and it uses the SafeSense technology that stops the shredder when hands touch the paper opening.

Apart from paper, it shreds credit cards, CDs/DVDs, staples and paper clipped documents. It can work for up to 20 minutes before needing to cool down for 30 minutes.

This shredder also has energy saving features and uses  SilentShred technology that offers ultra-quiet shredder performance, which is especially great for workspaces. A 6-gallon pull-out bin is also present ensuring easy waste disposal, although it’s a bit flimsy.

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $250

Bonsaii C149-C

This heavy-duty cross-cut shredder from Bonsaii is a powerful shredder with an advanced cooling system that allows it to run continuously for a whopping 60 minutes. It has a capacity of 18 sheets and it shreds paper, CDs/DVDs, credit cards and staples. It features a 6 gallons pull-out wastebasket for easy emptying and a transparent window.

The shredder also has several other features like the auto start/stop and reverse function that helps with paper jams, as well as the overheating and overloading protection technology. The shredder works reasonably quiet and doesn’t produce much noise, and for easy mobility and transportation, it’s equipped with 4 casters with breaks.

Best Professional Paper Shredder Under $300

Fellowes Powershred 99Ci

Fellowes Powershred 99Ci is a feature-packed cross-cut shredder with high security (P-4). Apart from the paper, it shreds staples, paper clips, credit cards, CDs/DVDs, and junk mail. It has a capacity of 18 sheets and a huge 9-gallon pull-out bin with LED that indicates when it’s full.

The paper input slot is also quite wide at 9 inches. The maximum run time is 30 minutes and after that, it will need to cool down for 40 minutes. 

The machine is equipped with a jam-proof system that eliminates paper jams, and with SafeSense technology that stops the shredder as soon as the hands touch the paper opening. This shredder uses an energy-saving system, and it runs very quietly without producing much noise. Also, 4 casters are available for easier transportation.

Conclusion

Picking a good paper shredder for yourself or your business can be complicated, as there are a huge number of shredders out there, and even older models are still very compatible and good.

We hope we helped with this article, and least educated you a bit more if nothing else. If you still can’t decide we recommend you check out our Editor’s pick or even Top pick if you don’t mind spending more. Else, if you are on the budget, our Budget picks are capable shredders that don’t cost too much.

As always make sure you do the research and see what would be ideal for you and read the reviews so you can learn even more about the shredder you’re going to buy. If you enjoyed or liked this article, feel free to share it, and happy shopping.

*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.